Downhole sub with hydraulically actuable sleeve valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030474-B2
Application number	US-201414273989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2008
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A method for opening a port through the wall of a ported sub includes providing a sub with a port through its tubular side wall and providing a hydraulically actuable valve to cover the port. The valve can be actuable to move away from a position covering the port to thereby open the port. The method also includes increasing pressure within the sub to create a pressure differential across the valve to move the valve toward the low pressure side, while the port remains closed by the valve, and thereafter, reducing pressure within the sub to reduce the pressure differential to move valve away from a position covering the port.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydraulically actuable sleeve valve comprising:
a tubular segment including a wall defining therein an inner bore;
a port through the wall of the tubular segment;
a sleeve supported by the tubular segment and installed to be axially moveable relative to the tubular segment from a first position covering the port to a second position and to a third position away from a covering position over the port, the sleeve including a first piston face open to tubing pressure and a second piston face open to annular pressure, such that a pressure differential can be set up between the first piston face and the second piston face to drive the sleeve toward a low pressure side from the first position into the second position with the sleeve continuing to cover the port; and
a driver configured to apply a driver force to the sleeve to move the sleeve from the second position into the third position, the driver being unable to move the sleeve until the pressure differential is substantially dissipated such that the driver force is greater than a force applied to the sleeve by the pressure differential between the first piston face and the second piston face.

2. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 1 , further comprising a releasable setting device to releasably hold the sleeve in the first position and the driver is unable to move the sleeve until the releasable setting device is released.

3. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 1 , further comprising a lock to resist movement of the sleeve from the third position to the first position.

4. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 3 , wherein the lock is biased to move into a locking position as the sleeve moves substantially into the third position.

5. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 3 , wherein the lock is a c-ring biased to expand into a locking position between the sleeve and the tubular segment when the sleeve moves substantially into the third position.

6. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 1 , further comprising a J-slot between the tubular segment and the sleeve to restrict the sleeve from moving from the second position to the third position until after a selected plurality of pressure cycles drives the sleeve through a plurality of intermediate positions between the second position and the third position.

7. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 1 , wherein the driver is a sealed pressure chamber allowing hydrostatic pressure to create a pressure differential across the sleeve to move the sleeve toward the sealed pressure chamber.

8. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure isolator sealing tubing pressure from accessing the first piston face, the pressure isolator being openable to permit tubing pressure to be communicated to the first piston face.

9. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 8 , wherein the pressure isolator is an isolation sleeve positioned to seal access between the inner bore and the first piston face, and is moveable along the tubular segment to permit tubing pressure to be communicated from the inner bore to the first piston face.

10. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 9 , further comprising a second port through the wall of the tubular segment, the second port covered by the isolation sleeve and a component on the isolation sleeve positionable adjacent the second port, the component being removable from the isolation sleeve to open the second port to fluid flow therethrough.

11. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 1 , further comprising a second port through the wall of the tubular segment and covered by the sleeve and a component on the sleeve positionable adjacent the second port, the component being removable from the sleeve to open the second port to fluid flow therethrough.

12. The hydraulically actuable sleeve valve of claim 11 , further comprising an inflow control device positioned to control fluid flow through the second port.

13. A method of accessing a hydrocarbon laden formation, comprising:
running a tubing string into a wellbore extending into the hydrocarbon laden formation, the tubing string comprising a plurality of fluid flow regulating mechanisms grouped into a plurality of areas including a first area including one or more of the plurality of fluid flow regulating mechanisms and a second area including one or more of the plurality of fluid flow regulating mechanisms;
actuating substantially simultaneously all of the fluid flow regulating mechanisms of the first area to access the hydrocarbon laden formation along the first area; and
actuating substantially simultaneously all of the fluid flow regulating mechanisms of the second area to access the hydrocarbon laden formation along the second area.

14. The method of accessing the hydrocarbon laden formation according to claim 13 , further comprising individually selecting the volume of flow through each of the flow regulating mechanisms of a selected one of the first area and the second area depending upon the formation geology of a fracing mechanism area.

15. The method of accessing the hydrocarbon laden formation according to claim 13 , wherein the tubing string further comprises a plurality of hydraulically actuated packers; and wherein the method further comprises, after positioning the tubing string, actuating the plurality of hydraulically actuated packers to seal an annulus between the tubing string and the wellbore.

16. A sleeve valve sub comprising:
a tubular segment including a wall defining therein an inner bore;
a first port through the wall of the tubular segment;
a second port through the wall of the tubular segment; and
a sleeve supported by the tubular segment and installed to be axially moveable relative to the tubular segment from a first position covering the first port to a second position away from a covering position over the first port, the sleeve covering the second port in the first position and the second position, the sleeve including an inner facing surface defining a full bore diameter, an inner diameter constriction on the inner diameter of the sleeve having a diameter less than the full bore diameter; an outer facing surface, an indentation on the outer facing surface radially aligned with the inner diameter constriction, the indentation defined by an extension of the outer facing surface protruding inwardly of the full bore diameter, the indentation being positionable over the second port when the sleeve is in the second position such that the second port is openable to fluid flow therethrough by removal of the inner diameter constriction.

Assignees

• Packers Plus Energy Serv Inc

Inventors

• Themig Daniel Jon
• Trahan Kevin O
• Desranleau Christopher Denis
• Delucia Frank

Classifications

• Y10T137/7729

  Reset by pressure equalization valve or by-pass · CPC title

• E21B34/102 Primary

  with means for locking the closing element in open or closed position (E21B34/105 and E21B34/108 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/7787

  Expansible chamber subject to differential pressures · CPC title

• E21B34/10 Primary

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title