Downhole valve system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10443344-B2
Application number	US-201515502314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2015
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a downhole valve system (1) for controlling inflow of a fluid from and to a formation (100), comprising a casing (2) having an inner surface (3), an outer diameter (ODc) and an inner diameter (IDc), and a cross section (Ac) defined by the inner diameter, the casing comprising a plurality of valves (4, 4a, 4b, 4c) arranged spaced apart from each other for controlling the flow of the fluid to and from the formation through the casing, and a plurality of autonomous operating adjusting devices (5) each controlling one of the plurality of valves and each autonomous operating adjusting device comprising a body (6) having an outer body diameter (Db) and a body cross section (Ab), the plurality of autonomous operating adjusting devices being fastened inside the casing in order to allow the fluid to flow between the outer body diameter of the body of the autonomous operating adjusting device and the casing. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for controlling an inflow of fluid by controlling a plurality of valves in a downhole valve system according to the present invention.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A downhole valve system for controlling a flow of a fluid to and from a formation, comprising:
a casing having an inner surface, an outer diameter and an inner diameter, and a cross section defined by the inner diameter, the casing comprising:
a plurality of valves arranged spaced apart from each other for controlling the flow of the fluid to and from the formation through the casing, and

a plurality of autonomous operating adjusting devices each controlling one of the plurality of valves and each autonomous operating adjusting device comprising a body having an outer body diameter and a body cross section, each said autonomous operating adjusting device being fastened inside the casing proximate a respective one of the valves, each said autonomous operating adjustment device being configured to adjust flow through the respective valve whilst at the same time allowing the fluid to flow between the outer body diameter of the body of the autonomous operating adjusting device and the inner surface the casing,
wherein the plurality of autonomous operating adjustment devices are configured to control the plurality of valves in order to adjust a mixture of the flow of fluid from the formation, the mixture being made up of flow from at least two independently controlled ones of the plurality of valves.

2. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the body of the autonomous operating adjusting device is less than 50% of the cross section of the casing defined by the inner diameter.

3. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the body of the autonomous operating adjusting device is arranged concentrically with the casing.

4. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the body of the autonomous operating adjusting device has a first portion that abuts the inner surface of the casing and a second portion that is spaced away from the inner surface of the casing to allow flow whilst allowing selective control of the valve.

5. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a sensor for measuring a condition of the fluid, including temperature, pressure, water out, density or flow rate.

6. A downhole valve system according to claim 5 , wherein a sensor is arranged in each autonomous operating adjusting device.

7. A downhole valve system according to claim 5 , wherein each autonomous operating adjusting device comprises a processor for computing measured sensor data for controlling the valve.

8. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein each autonomous operating adjusting device comprises a communication means.

9. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of autonomous operating adjusting devices are positioned in succession of each other in the casing.

10. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein each autonomous operating adjusting device comprises a dispatching means for dispatching an information device.

11. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein each autonomous operating adjusting device comprises a pressure pulse communication means for receiving signals from surface and/or another autonomous operating adjusting device.

12. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein each valve comprises a displaceable part for adjusting the inflow of fluid.

13. Method for controlling a flow of fluid by controlling a plurality of valves in a downhole valve system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
arranging each autonomous operating adjusting device opposite one of the valves,
fastening the autonomous operating adjusting device to the inner surface of the casing,
measuring a condition of the fluid, and
controlling the valve based on the measured condition of the fluid.

14. Method for controlling an flow of fluid according to claim 13 , wherein arranging each autonomous operating adjusting device is performed by a wireline or a downhole drive, and wherein the method further comprises releasing the autonomous operating adjusting device from the wireline or downhole drive.

15. Method for controlling a flow of fluid according to claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises adjusting a position of a displaceable part of the valve.

16. A downhole valve system according to claim 1 , wherein each autonomous operation adjustment device includes an anchor to fasten to the inside surface of the casing.

17. A downhole valve system according to claim 16 , wherein each autonomous operating adjustment device is fastened to the inside surface whilst allowing the fluid to flow between the outer body diameter of the body and the inner surface of the casing.

Assignees

• Welltec Oilfield Solutions Ag

Inventors

• Vasques Ricardo Reves
• Kumar Satish
• Staehr Lars

Classifications

• E21B43/121

  Lifting well fluids (monitoring of down-hole pump systems E21B47/008) · CPC title

• E21B23/02 Primary

  for locking the tools or the like in landing nipples or in recesses between adjacent sections of tubing (E21B23/03 - E21B23/06 take precedence) · 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

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B49/08

  Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells · CPC title