Downhole apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077633-B2
Application number	US-201514610510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2012
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A downhole tool (32) comprises a tool housing (34) defining a central bore (35) and including a fluid port (20), and a valve member (40) mounted within the housing (34) and being moveable from a closed position in which the fluid port (20) is blocked to an open position in which the fluid port (20) is opened. The tool (32) further comprises a catching arrangement (41) mounted within the housing (34) and comprising one or more radially moveable seat members (106), and being configurable from a free configuration in which the seat members (106) permit an object (48) to pass through the tool (32), to a catching configuration in which the seat members (106) catch an object (48) passing through the tool (32).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A downhole tool, comprising:
a housing;
a catching arrangement mounted within the housing and comprising one or more radially moveable seat members, and being configurable from a free configuration in which the seat members permit an object to pass through the tool, to a catching configuration in which the seat members catch an object passing through the tool; and
a release member comprising an axially moveable sleeve mounted within the housing and being moveable axially by the catching arrangement between a supporting position in which the release member permits the catching arrangement to be configured in its catching configuration by the release member radially supporting the seat members in a radially inward or retracted position, towards a de-supporting position in which the release member permits the catching arrangement to be configured in a release configuration by removing the radial support to the seat members provided by the release member, allowing the seat members to be moved radially outwardly to permit release of a previously caught object.

2. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a release recess and the release member covers this release recess when said release member is located within its supporting position, and the release member is movable within the housing towards its de-supporting position to uncover the release recess and thus permit the seat members to be moved radially outwardly and received within the release recess to permit release of an object.

3. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein the release member defines a load profile, and the catching arrangement defines a load profile configured to engage a load profile on the release member to permit the catching arrangement to apply a force on the release member to move the release member towards its de-supporting position.

4. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein at least one seat member comprises a load profile configured to engage a load profile on the release member to permit the release member to be moved by the catching arrangement.

5. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein each seat member comprises a load profile, wherein when said seat members are moved radially inwardly the individual load profiles define a substantially circumferentially continuous load profile.

6. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein the catching arrangement is biased in a direction opposite to the direction in which the release member is moved to be positioned within its de-supporting position.

7. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a central bore and includes a fluid port, and the downhole tool further comprises a valve member mounted within the housing and being moveable from a closed position in which the fluid port is blocked to an open position in which the fluid port is opened.

8. The downhole tool according to claim 7 , wherein the catching arrangement is reconfigured by movement of the valve member towards its open position.

9. The downhole tool according to claim 7 , wherein the catching arrangement is configured to catch an object passing through the tool to at least partially block flow through the central bore and divert flow through the fluid port when opened.

10. The downhole tool according to claim 7 , wherein the valve member is moveable from its closed position towards its open position in response to an object passing through the downhole tool in a downstream direction.

11. The downhole tool according to claim 10 , wherein the catching arrangement catches the same object which causes movement of the valve member towards its open position.

12. The downhole tool according to claim 7 , wherein the valve member is axially moveable by an indexing sleeve of a downhole actuator.

13. The downhole tool according to claim 12 , wherein the indexing sleeve is located on an upstream side of the valve member, and functions to move the valve member in a downstream direction.

14. The downhole tool according to claim 12 , wherein the indexing sleeve is operated to move linearly through the housing in a predetermined number of discrete movement steps to actuate the valve member by passage of a corresponding number of objects.

15. The downhole tool according to claim 14 , wherein a final discrete movement step of the indexing sleeve initiates movement of the valve member towards its open position.

16. The downhole tool according to claim 15 , wherein the catching arrangement catches an object which caused the final discrete movement step of the indexing sleeve.

17. The downhole tool according to claim 7 , wherein the valve member is arranged to axially engage the catching arrangement to move the catching arrangement within the housing, wherein the valve member and catching arrangement comprise respective load profiles which are arranged to abut each other in an axial direction.

18. The downhole tool according to claim 7 , comprising a lost motion arrangement between the valve member and the catching arrangement to permit the valve member to move a desired distance relative to the catching arrangement before initiating axial movement of the catching arrangement.

19. The downhole tool according to claim 7 , wherein the valve member comprises an axially extending shroud which extends into the catching arrangement from one axial end thereof such that an end region of the catching arrangement sits radially outside of the valve member shroud and isolated from the central bore.

20. The downhole tool according to claim 19 , wherein the shroud extends only partially through the catching arrangement.

21. The downhole tool according to 19 , wherein the shroud extends into the catching arrangement at least when the catching arrangement is configured in its free configuration.

22. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool defines a first region within the housing having a first inner diameter which permits the seat members to move radially outwardly when aligned with said first region, and the catching arrangement is provided in its free configuration when the seat members are aligned with the first region.

23. The downhole tool according to claim 22 , wherein the downhole tool defines a second region within the housing having a second inner diameter which permits the seat members to be radially supported when positioned radially inwardly, when aligned with said second region, and the catching arrangement is provided in its catching configuration when the seat members are aligned with the second region.

24. The downhole tool according to claim 23 , wherein the catching arrangement is axially moveable within the housing to realign the seat members from the first region to the second region, and thus present the catching arrangement in its catching configuration.

25. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein the seat members collectively define a substantially complete annular structure when positioned radially inwardly.

26. The downhole tool according to claim 1 , wherein the catching arrangement comprises a tubular portion and a plurality of collet fingers supported by the tubular portion, wherein each collet finger supports a respective seat member.

27. The downhole tool according to claim 26 , wherein each collet finger is radially deformable to permit the respective seat members to

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc
• Petrowell Ltd

Inventors

• Purkis Daniel George
• Webster Oliver
• Patton Damien Gerard
• Manning Matthew
• Corbett Steve
• Duncan Ian
• Porta Santiago Galvez

Classifications

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• E21B43/14 Primary

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B43/12

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• E21B34/106

  the retrievable element being a secondary control fluid actuated valve landed into the bore of a first inoperative control fluid actuated valve · CPC title

• E21B34/08

  responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) · CPC title