Wells – With electrical means – Valve
Patent
1998-01-26
2000-10-03
Suchfield, George
Wells
With electrical means
Valve
166 667, 166317, 166324, E21B 3410, E21B 3412, E21B 4710
Patent
active
061259306
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a valve particularly useful in downhole applications.
In the oil and gas exploration and production industry, drilled bores are lined with steel tubing which is secured in the bore with cement: in the upper section of a bore a steel casing is provided; and a steel liner is provided in the lowermost section of the bore which intersects the oil or gas bearing strata, known as the production or pay zone. In addition, production tubing may be provided within the casing, for carrying oil or gas to the surface from the production zone. The upper end of the production tubing is located relative to the casing by a tubing hanger and the lower end of the tubing is located relative to the casing by a packer, typically in the form of a flexible element mounted on the exterior of the production tubing and which is inflated to engage the casing.
It is essential that the production tubing, formed of a large number of tubing lengths which have been threaded together, is pressure-tight, and also that the tubing hanger is pressure tight. Further, the connection between top of the liner and the lower end of the casing must be secure and pressure-tight. Testing the "completion" of the tubing and the integrity of the liner/casing connection or liner hanger is achieved by providing valves at appropriate locations in the tubing and liner and then pressurising the tubing and liner above the respective valve using pumps on the surface. The integrity of the tubing hanger is tested by blanking of the tubing and pressurising the annulus between the tubing and the casing below the hanger. A similar valve is also provided, between the valves mentioned above, to allow the packer to be set by pressurised fluid which passes through suitable ports in the tubing above the closed packer setting valve to inflate the packer.
both the tubing and the liner are installed with the valves in position, located in suitable nipple profiles. The valves are normally closed but will open in response to a pressure force from below such that well fluid may flow into the tubing or liner as it is lowered into the bore. The tubing test valve is the first to be used, and may be utilised on a number of occasions to test the completion of sections of production tubing being added to the production string. When the entire production string is in place and has been tested, the valve is removed from the tubing using wireline, coil tubing or the like in conjunction with a suitable fishing tool. As mentioned above, the tubing hanger is tested by blanking off the tubing at the surface and pressurising the annular between the tubing and the casing below the hanger.
The packer is then set by pumping down on the packer setting valve. Once the packer has been set, the valve is removed from the tubing.
Finally, the integrity of the liner/casing connection is checked by pumping down on the top of the liner test valve. This lowermost valve is then removed.
The valves used for these applications are running standing valves and, as noted above, the valves must be removed from the tubing and the liner after use. This involves at least three runs of wireline or the like, and experience has shown that for various reasons the valves are often difficult to remove, and even straightforward valve removal operations take a considerable time to complete. Coupled with the requirement to provide a wireline or coil tubing rig and operator, and resulting valve removal operation is thus relatively expensive and time-consuming, particularly in offshore operations.
It is among the objects of embodiments of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a downhole valve including: member being movable from a first configuration to a second configuration, in the first configuration the valve member preventing flow in at least one direction through the passage, and in the second configuration the valve member being retained in an open position; and biased for movement to a second confi
REFERENCES:
patent: 4100969 (1978-07-01), Randermann, Jr.
patent: 4364587 (1982-12-01), Samford
patent: 4378842 (1983-04-01), Patel
patent: 4694903 (1987-09-01), Ringgenberg
patent: 4712613 (1987-12-01), Nieuwstad
patent: 4724908 (1988-02-01), Pringle
patent: 4941534 (1990-07-01), Berzin
Petroline Wellsystems Limited
Suchfield George
LandOfFree
Downhole valve does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Downhole valve, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Downhole valve will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-186374