Downhole flow device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10408017-B2
Application number	US-201615285950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a downhole flow device for controlling a flow of fluid between an annulus and an inner bore of a well tubular metal structure arranged in a borehole. The downhole flow device comprises a tubular part comprising a first opening and an axial extension, and a sliding sleeve configured to slide within the tubular part between a first position covering the opening and a second position fully uncovering the opening, the tubular part comprising a first groove and a second groove, the first groove being arranged at a first distance from the second groove along the axial extension, and the sliding sleeve comprising a projecting part configured to engage the first groove in the first position and the second groove in the second position, wherein the tubular part comprises a third groove configured to be engaged by the projecting part and having a second distance to the second groove which is smaller than the first distance. The present invention furthermore relates to a downhole system for controlling a flow of fluid in a well downhole and to a downhole manipulation method for shifting a position of the downhole flow device of a downhole system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A downhole flow device for controlling a flow of fluid between an annulus and an inner bore of a well tubular metal structure arranged in a borehole, comprising:
a tubular part comprising a first opening and an axial extension, and
a sliding sleeve configured to slide within the tubular part between a first position covering the opening and a second position fully uncovering the opening, the tubular part comprising a first groove and a second groove, the first groove being arranged at a first distance from the second groove along the axial extension, and the sliding sleeve comprising a projecting part configured to engage the first groove in the first position and the second groove in the second position,
wherein the tubular part comprises a third groove configured to be engaged by the projecting part and having a second distance to the second groove, which second distance is smaller than the first distance, and
wherein the first distance corresponds to a first uninterrupted smooth surface extending from the first groove to the second groove, and wherein the second distance corresponds to a second uninterrupted smooth surface extending from the second groove to the third groove.

2. The downhole flow device according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting part is a retractable projection part.

3. The downhole flow device according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting part is movable between a projected position and a retracted position.

4. The downhole flow device according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular part comprises a second opening displaced from the first opening in the axial extension.

5. The downhole flow device according to claim 1 , wherein the second groove and the third groove constitute at least one set of grooves and the at least one set of grooves comprises a plurality of sets of grooves.

6. The downhole flow device according to claim 1 , wherein the grooves of the tubular part comprise inclined end faces.

7. The downhole flow device according to claim 1 , wherein the projecting part comprises at least one inclined face.

8. A downhole system for controlling a flow of fluid in a well downhole, comprising:
a well tubular metal structure arranged in a borehole,
the downhole flow device according to claim 1 ,
a downhole manipulation tool configured to engage and move the sliding sleeve along the axial extension on both upstroke and downstroke, and
a power supply configured to power an operation of the downhole manipulation tool.

9. The downhole system according to claim 8 , further comprising a power read out unit configured to detect the power used by the downhole manipulation tool.

10. The downhole system according to claim 8 , wherein the downhole manipulation tool comprises a stroking tool section configured to provide an axial force along the axial extension.

11. The downhole system according to claim 8 , further comprising a storage unit.

12. The downhole system according to claim 8 , further comprising a communication unit.

13. The downhole system according to claim 8 , wherein the well tubular metal structure comprises two annular barriers, each annular barrier comprising:
a tubular part mounted as part of the first well tubular metal structure,
an expandable tubular surrounding the tubular part, each end section of the expandable tubular being connected with the tubular part,
an annular barrier space between the tubular part and the expandable tubular, and
an expansion opening in the tubular part through which pressurised fluid passes into the annular barrier space for expanding the expandable tubular and bringing the annular barrier from an unexpanded position to an expanded position.

14. The downhole system according to claim 13 , wherein the downhole flow device is arranged between the two annular barriers.

15. A downhole manipulation method for shifting a position of a downhole flow device of a downhole system according to claim 8 , comprising:
arranging the downhole manipulation tool in engagement with the sliding sleeve,
moving the sliding sleeve along the axial extension until the projecting part of the sliding sleeve engages the second groove, and
forcing the projecting part out of engagement with the second groove by moving the sliding sleeve further along the axial extension towards engagement with the third groove.

16. The downhole manipulation method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
reading the power used by the downhole manipulation tool during movement of the sliding sleeve, and
detecting that an increased amount of power is used for verifying that the projecting part has disengaged the second groove.

17. The downhole system for controlling a flow of fluid in a well downhole, comprising:
the downhole device according to claim 1 ; and
a downhole manipulation tool configured to move the sliding sleeve along the axial extension in both upstroke and downstroke directions, the downhole manipulation tool having a projecting unit configured to engage a groove in the sliding sleeve.

Assignees

• Welltec As

Inventors

• Kumar Satish
• HANNAH Neil

Classifications

• 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

• E21B23/00

  Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells (setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10) · CPC title

• E21B33/1243

  with inflatable sleeves · CPC title

• E21B34/14 Primary

  operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B2034/007

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic