Wellbore annular safety valve and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10174582-B2
Application number	US-201414760673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2014
Priority date	Jan 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A well system includes an annular barrier separating the tubing-casing annulus into an upper annulus and a lower annulus and a barrier valve coupled with the annular barrier, the barrier valve permitting one-way fluid communication from the upper annulus to the lower annulus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A well system ( 5 ), comprising:
a wellbore ( 20 ) extending downward from a surface, the wellbore comprising a tubing ( 16 ) deployed in a casing ( 22 );
an annular barrier ( 14 ) having seal elements ( 48 , 50 ), the annular barrier ( 14 ) being disposed in a tubing-casing annulus ( 24 ) separating the tubing-casing annulus into an upper annulus ( 23 ) and a lower annulus ( 25 );
a barrier valve ( 12 ) coupled with the annular barrier via a fluid conduit ( 54 ), the barrier valve ( 12 ) permitting one-way fluid communication from the upper annulus to the lower annulus wherein the barrier valve is located above the annular barrier and externally of the seal elements ( 48 , 50 ); and
a control line extending from above the annular barrier through the annular barrier to a device ( 42 ) located below the annular barrier.

2. The well system of claim 1 , wherein the annular barrier is selected from one of a slip-type packer and a cup packer.

3. The well system of claim 1 , wherein the annular barrier comprises a swell packer.

4. The well system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier valve is disposed in a side pocket mandrel ( 56 ) integrated in the tubing.

5. The well system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier valve is operated to an open position in response to pressure in the upper annulus being greater than pressure in the lower annulus.

6. The well system of claim 1 , wherein the barrier valve is located in a side pocket mandrel integrated in the tubing; and
the annular barrier comprises a radially expandable seal element ( 48 ) and radially expandable slips ( 70 ).

7. The well system of claim 6 , further comprising gas lift valves ( 30 ) located in the tubing below the annular barrier.

8. An annular safety valve ( 10 ), comprising:
a top seal element ( 48 ) of an annular barrier ( 14 ) disposed about a mandrel ( 52 ) forming a tubing bore ( 36 );
a bottom seal element ( 50 ) of the annular barrier ( 14 ) disposed about the mandrel;
a fluid conduit ( 54 ) extending through the mandrel substantially parallel to the tubing bore; and
a barrier valve ( 12 ) in connection with the fluid conduit to permit one-way fluid flow through the fluid conduit wherein the barrier valve is located above the annular barrier externally of the top seal element ( 48 ) and the bottom seal element ( 50 ); and
a control line extending from above the annular barrier through the annular barrier to a device ( 42 ) located below the annular barrier.

9. The annular safety valve of claim 8 , wherein the barrier valve is disposed in a side pocket mandrel ( 56 ).

10. The annular safety valve of claim 8 , wherein the mandrel comprises a port ( 60 ) to pass the control line ( 38 ) across the top and the bottom seal elements.

11. The annular safety valve of claim 8 , wherein the barrier valve is normally closed.

12. A method, comprising:
deploying a tubing ( 16 ) having a tubing bore ( 36 ) in a casing ( 22 ) in a wellbore ( 20 ), the tubing comprising a packer having at least one sealing element ( 48 and/or 50 ) forming an annular barrier across a tubing-casing annulus ( 24 ) separating the tubing-casing annulus into an upper annulus ( 23 ) and a lower annulus ( 25 ), the packer having a fluid conduit ( 54 ) extending substantially parallel to the tubing bore and through the annular barrier;
positioning a barrier valve ( 12 ) externally of the at least one sealing element ( 48 and/or 50 ) of the annular barrier and coupling the barrier valve ( 12 ) with the fluid conduit to permit one-way fluid flow from the upper annulus to the lower annulus;
communicating a fluid from the upper annulus through the barrier valve to the lower annulus; and
closing the barrier valve in response to pressure in the upper annulus being less than pressure in the lower annulus.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fluid is a pressurized gas and further comprising injecting the pressurized gas from the lower annulus through a gas lift valve ( 30 ) into the tubing bore.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the barrier valve is located in a side pocket mandrel ( 56 ) integrated in the tubing.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the barrier valve is normally closed and the barrier valve is opened in response to pressure in the upper annulus being greater than pressure in the lower annulus.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the barrier valve is located in a side pocket mandrel ( 56 ) integrated in the tubing;
the fluid is a pressurized gas; and
further comprising injecting the pressurized gas from the lower annulus through a gas lift valve ( 30 ) into the tubing bore.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Windegaard Eirik
• Varnes Bjoern Staale
• Dijkstra Niek
• Meling Geir
• Watson Graham
• Balster Emmanuel
• Paulsen Magnus
• Sigmundsen Jone

Classifications

• E21B33/1208 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/126

  with fluid-pressure-operated elastic cup or skirt (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/1294 Primary

  characterised by a valve, e.g. a by-pass valve · CPC title

• E21B34/101

  with means for equalizing fluid pressure above and below the valve · CPC title

• E21B33/12 Primary

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title