Straddle frac tool with pump through feature apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10214993-B2
Application number	US-201615019729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Feb 9, 2016
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A fracturing tool features spaced releasable packers with an outlet in between. The housing has relatively moving components for opening the frac port between the packers with weight set on the lower packer. Once the frac port is opened the upper packer is set and the pumping begins. The upper packer can be released so that tension can be pulled on the lower packer to close the frac port and open a through passage in the housing. In one embodiment the through passage can be located above the lower packer to a sand jet perforator to clean debris away from the lower packer if it is difficult to release the lower packer or to abrasively perforate through a tubular. The housing outlet can be below bottom packer to perform a treatment further downhole or to operate another tool. The straddle tool can be run in on coiled tubing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A treatment apparatus for borehole use, comprising: a housing assembly comprising an inlet for connection to a string for positioning said housing in the borehole and a selectively operated lateral treatment fluid outlet flanked by spaced seals mounted externally to said housing and an alternative lateral outlet also flanked by the spaced seals such that between said lateral treatment fluid outlet and said alternative outlet one of said outlets closes as the other of said outlets is opened.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said housing comprises relatively moving components whose movement reconfigures said outlets, said components moving relatively with or without rotation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
said spaced seals are mounted on different housing components.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
said spaced seals comprise resettable upper and lower spaced packers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: said alternative lateral outlet is disposed at an opposite end of said housing from said inlet allowing flow therethrough to bypass said spaced seals external to said housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said housing assembly is supported in the borehole with coiled tubing.

7. A treatment apparatus for borehole use, comprising:
a housing assembly comprising an inlet for connection to a string for positioning said housing in the borehole and a selectively operated lateral treatment fluid outlet flanked by spaced seals mounted externally to said housing and an alternative outlet such that between said lateral treatment fluid outlet and said alternative outlet one of said outlets closes as the other of said outlets is opened;
said housing comprises relatively moving components whose movement reconfigures said outlets, said components moving relatively with or without rotation;
said spaced seals are mounted on different housing components;
said spaced seals comprise resettable upper and lower spaced packers;
said opening and closing of said outlets is accomplished with relative movement of said housing components comprising an inner housing with said upper packer mounted to said inner housing unset and moving with said inner housing relative to an outer housing retained by said lower packer in the borehole.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
said relative movement of said housings opens said alternative outlet by moving at least one port on said tubular shaped inner housing into alignment with a recess interior to said outer housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
said relative movement of said housings opens said alternative outlet by moving multiple axially spaced ports on opposed sides of a block in a passage in said tubular shaped inner housing with said tubular shaped inner housing into alignment with a recess interior to said outer housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
said relative movement of said housings opens said alternative outlet by moving a reduced diameter bore in said inner tubular shaped housing away from a valve member in a passage of said inner tubular housing allowing flow into an enlarged adjacent bore to said reduced diameter bore to enter at least one port associated with said valve member that leads to an exit passage from said valve member.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
said valve member comprising a travel stop for said inner housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
said travel stop is spring biased.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
said relative movement of said inner housing opens said alternative outlet by rotating a ball or plug.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
said ball or plug comprising an actuator that is biased to put the ball or plug in an open position.

15. A borehole treatment method, comprising: operating a housing in a borehole comprising components with an inlet, a selectively operated treating outlet, and an alternative lateral outlet;
locating said treating outlet and said alternative lateral outlet between spaced exterior seals on said housing;
isolating a portion of the borehole with said spaced exterior seals;
moving said components relatively to urge said treating outlet to open as said alternative lateral outlet moves toward closed and vice versa when the relative movement direction is reversed;
performing a treatment through said treating outlet.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising: locating said treating outlet opposite said inlet such that flow from said inlet to said alternative lateral outlet bypasses the portion of the borehole between said seals.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising:
providing resettable upper and lower packers as said spaced seals;
performing a treatment or operating a tool in a portion of the borehole outside a zone isolated by said packers.

18. The method of claim 15 , comprising: providing resettable upper and lower packers as said spaced seals;
using said alternative lateral outlet to remove accumulated debris on said lower packer to facilitate unsetting said lower packer.

19. The method of claim 15 , comprising: moving a housing inner component relative to an outer component to align at least one treating port in each for opening said treating outlet while placing said alternative lateral outlet in said inner component axially apart from a recess in a housing outer component to close said alternative lateral outlet.

20. The method of claim 15 , comprising: moving a housing inner component relative to an outer component to align at least one treating port in each for opening said treating outlet while moving a reduced diameter bore in a passage through said inner component adjacent a valve member to close off said alternative lateral outlet.

21. The method of claim 15 , comprising: moving a housing inner component relative to an outer component to align at least one treating port in each for opening said treating outlet while rotating a valve member in a passage of said inner component to close said alternative lateral outlet.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Silva Zachary S
• Elliott Christopher K
• Smith James A
• Mcguire Adam M
• O'Brien Robert S

Classifications

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• E21B2200/04

  Ball valves · CPC title

• E21B33/124

  Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space · CPC title

• E21B34/12 Primary

  operated by movement of casings or tubings · CPC title

• E21B33/12

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