System and methodology for selective actuation of a downhole device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454875-B2
Application number	US-202016781826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2019
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A technique facilitates actuation of flow control valves or other types of downhole devices. According to an embodiment, the downhole devices are coupled with corresponding first hydraulic control lines for hydraulically actuating each downhole device to a first operational position. The downhole devices also are coupled to a common second hydraulic control line which may be used in cooperation with selective hydraulic circuits to actuate individual downhole devices to a second operational position. For example, an individual selective hydraulic circuit may be coupled between each first hydraulic control line and the common second hydraulic control line at each downhole device. The selective hydraulic circuit is configured to enable actuation of the corresponding downhole device to the second operational position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling flow in a well, the system comprising:
a well string having a plurality of flow control valves shiftable between an opened position and a closed position;
a common close hydraulic line connected to the plurality of flow control valves;
a plurality of open hydraulic lines, a corresponding open hydraulic line of the plurality of open hydraulic lines being coupled with a corresponding flow control valve of the plurality of flow control valves, wherein actuation of the corresponding open hydraulic line shifts the corresponding flow control valve to the opened position individually; and
a plurality of selective close circuits, a corresponding selective close circuit being connected between the common close hydraulic line and the corresponding open hydraulic line of the corresponding flow control valve to enable closing of each of the plurality of flow control valves independently of each other.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the corresponding selective close circuit comprises an arrangement of valves configured to permit flow of actuating fluid from the common close hydraulic line to a flow control valve piston of the corresponding flow control valve to enable closing of the corresponding flow control valve upon application of a pressure increase followed by a pressure decrease in the corresponding open hydraulic line.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein release of pressure in the common close hydraulic line and an increase of pressure in the corresponding open hydraulic line shifts the corresponding flow control valve to the opened position.

4. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the arrangement of valves comprises a pilot to open valve positioned along the common close hydraulic line.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the arrangement of valves further comprises a pilot to close check valve and a check valve connected between the pilot to open valve and the corresponding open hydraulic line.

6. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the arrangement of valves comprises a shuttle valve coupled between the common close hydraulic line and the corresponding open hydraulic line.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the arrangement of valves further comprises a pilot to close check valve in fluid communication with the shuttle valve.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the arrangement of valves further comprises a pilot to open check valve positioned along the common close hydraulic line and in fluid communication with the pilot to close check valve.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the arrangement of valves further comprises an additional check valve placed in fluid communication with the pilot to close check valve and the pilot to open check valve on one side of the additional check valve and with the corresponding open hydraulic line on the other side of the additional check valve.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the corresponding flow control valve is configured to close by applying and holding pressure in the corresponding open hydraulic line of the corresponding flow control valve, applying pressure in the common close hydraulic line, and releasing pressure from the corresponding open hydraulic line of the corresponding flow control valve; and
the corresponding flow control valve is configured to open by releasing pressure from the common close hydraulic line and applying pressure in the corresponding open hydraulic line of the corresponding flow control valve.

11. A method for selective actuation, the method comprising:
coupling a corresponding first hydraulic control line of a plurality of first hydraulic control lines to a corresponding control valve of a plurality of corresponding control valves positioned along a well string in a borehole, wherein the corresponding first hydraulic control line is configured to selectively actuate the corresponding control valve coupled to the first hydraulic control line to a first position individually by pressure applied in the corresponding first hydraulic control line coupled to the corresponding control valve;
connecting the plurality of corresponding control valves to a common second hydraulic control line; and
using a selective close circuit, coupled between the corresponding first hydraulic control line and the common second hydraulic control line, to control actuation of individual corresponding control valves to a second position via an application of pressure in the common second hydraulic control line without transitioning other control valves to the second position.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of corresponding control valves comprises a plurality of flow control valves, the plurality of first hydraulic control lines comprises open hydraulic lines, and the common second hydraulic line comprises a common close hydraulic line.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein using the selective circuit comprises pressuring up a corresponding open hydraulic line coupled with a specific, selected flow control valve to transition the selective circuit to a position placing the common close hydraulic line in communication with the specific, selected flow control valve.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:
releasing pressure in the corresponding open hydraulic line; and
pressuring up the common close hydraulic line to transition the specific, selected flow control valve to a closed position without transitioning other flow control valves of the plurality of flow control valves.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein using the selective circuit comprises actuating a pilot to open valve positioned along the common close hydraulic line, the pilot to open valve being actuated via increasing pressure in the corresponding open hydraulic line.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein using the selective circuit further comprises using a pilot to close check valve and a parallel check valve coupled between the pilot to open valve and the corresponding open hydraulic line.

17. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein using the selective circuit comprises actuating a shuttle valve coupled between the common close hydraulic line and the corresponding open hydraulic line.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein using the selective circuit comprises employing a pilot to close check valve in fluid communication with the shuttle valve and a pilot to open check valve positioned along the common close hydraulic line and in fluid communication with the pilot to close check valve.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
each of the corresponding control valves is configured to actuate to the second position by applying and holding pressure in the corresponding first hydraulic control line, applying pressure in the common second hydraulic control line, and releasing pressure from the corresponding first hydraulic control line; and
each of the corresponding control valves is configured to actuate to the first position by releasing pressure from the common second hydraulic control line and applying pressure in the corresponding first hydraulic control line.

20. A system for selective actuation of a plurality of control valves, the system comprising:
the plurality of control valves positioned along a well string in a borehole, the control valves being individually shiftable between a first position and a second position, wherein each control valve of the plurality of devices control valve

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Clayton David
• Prost Jerome
• Swenson Brad
• Jasper Michael
• Isaicu Gabriel
• Chen Dongyang

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

• E21B34/10

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · 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