Steering valve for deactivating a steering pad of a rotary steerable system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331640-B2
Application number	US-202418737360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2024
Priority date	Aug 2, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A rotary steerable drilling system can be positioned in a subterranean formation to steer a drill to form a wellbore in the subterranean formation. An orientation of a steering valve, which is positioned in the rotary steerable drilling system, can be adjusted to cover each channel of one or more channels of a valve seat adjacent the steering valve to deactivate each steering pad of one or more steering pads of the rotary steerable drilling system. The orientation of the steering valve can be adjusted to activate at least one steering pad of the one or more steering pads of the rotary steerable drilling system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a valve seat positionable in a rotary steerable drilling system and comprising a plurality of channels through which fluid can flow to control activation of three or more steering pads during operation of the rotary steerable drilling system; and
a steering valve positionable in the rotary steerable drilling system adjacent to the valve seat, wherein the steering valve can rotate relative to the valve seat to control a flow of fluid through the plurality of channels such that:
the three or more steering pads are activated and deactivated in a sequential order based on rotation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat;
each of the three or more steering pads are activated for more than or equal to 120° of rotation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat; and
the flow of fluid through the plurality of channels is blocked to all of the three or more steering pads at a specific orientation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the three or more steering pads are activated for 180° of rotation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the steering valve includes a cut-off portion that covers at least one channel of the plurality of channels of the valve seat at the specific orientation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat such that:
the cut-off portion deactivates a steering pad of the three or more steering pads; and
the steering valve with the cut-off portion blocks the flow of fluid through plurality of channels to all of the three or more steering pads.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the cut-off portion is positioned in an open portion of the steering valve.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the cut-off portion is sized to simultaneously cover two or more channels of the plurality of channels thereby deactivating two or more steering pads of the three or more steering pads that correspond to the two or more channels of the plurality of channels.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the steering valve includes a closed portion that covers a channel of the plurality of channels of the valve seat and prevents the flow of the fluid through the channel to deactivate a steering pad of the three or more steering pads in the sequential order.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the steering valve includes an open portion that allows the flow of the fluid through a channel of the plurality of channels of the valve seat to activate a steering pad of the three or more steering pads in the sequential order.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the closed portion and the open portion of the steering valve are adjacent to each other.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the closed portion and the open portion are sized adjacent to each other such that the open portion allows fluid to flow through the channel to activate the steering pad for 180° of rotation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the steering valve comprises a central channel configured to receive fluid from the three or more steering pads, thereby allowing the three or more steering pads to deactivate when the flow of fluid through the plurality of channels to all of the three or more steering pads at the specific orientation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the steering valve includes a closed portion that covers a channel of the plurality of channels of the valve seat and prevents the flow of the fluid through the channel to deactivate a steering pad of the three or more steering pads in the sequential order.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steering valve includes an open portion that allows the flow of the fluid through a channel of the plurality of channels of the valve seat to activate a steering pad of the three or more steering pads in the sequential order.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the closed portion and the open portion of the steering valve are adjacent to each other.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the closed portion and the open portion are sized adjacent to each other such that the open portion allows fluid to flow through the channel to activate the steering pad for 180° of rotation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the steering valve comprises a central channel configured to receive fluid from the three or more steering pads, thereby allowing the three or more steering pads to deactivate when the flow of fluid through the plurality of channels to all of the three or more steering pads at the specific orientation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

16. A method comprising:
positioning a rotary steerable drilling system in a subterranean formation to steer a drill string to form a wellbore in the subterranean formation, wherein the rotary steerable drilling system comprises:
a valve seat comprising a plurality of channels through which fluid can flow to control activation of three or more steering pads; and
a steering valve in the rotary steerable drilling system adjacent to the valve seat and configured to rotate relative to the valve seat;
adjusting an orientation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat in the rotary steerable drilling system to control a flow of fluid through the plurality of channels and cause activation and deactivation of the three or more steering pads in a sequential order, wherein:
each of the three or more steering pads are activated for more than or equal to 120° of rotation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat; and
the flow of fluid through the plurality of channels is blocked to all of the three or more steering pads at a specific orientation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein each of the three or more steering pads are activated for 180° of rotation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the steering valve includes a cut-off portion that covers at least one channel of the plurality of channels of the valve seat at the specific orientation of the steering valve relative to the valve seat such that:
the cut-off portion deactivates a steering pad of the three or more steering pads; and
the steering valve with the cut-off portion blocks the flow of fluid through plurality of channels to all of the three or more steering pads.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the cut-off portion is positioned in an open portion of the steering valve.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the cut-off portion is sized to simultaneously cover two or more channels of the plurality of channels thereby deactivating two or more steering pads of the three or more steering pads that correspond to the two or more channels of the plurality of channels.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Lizheng
• Badrinarayanan Paravastu

Classifications

• E21B34/06

  in wells · CPC title

• E21B34/102

  with means for locking the closing element in open or closed position (E21B34/105 and E21B34/108 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B23/04

  operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion (E21B23/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B7/067

  with means for locking sections of a pipe or of a guide for a shaft in angular relation, e.g. adjustable bent sub · CPC title

• E21B7/06 Primary

  Deflecting the direction of boreholes · CPC title