Downhole valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480381-B2
Application number	US-202218562437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2022
Priority date	May 21, 2021
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A valve assembly for downhole completion operations and method for using the assembly is described. The valve assembly relies on non-polymeric interfaces between the valve components for sealing the valves without elastomeric materials, thereby making the valve assembly suitable for high temperature well operations, such as 320° C. to 600° C. which are typically encountered in geothermal well operations. The valve assembly includes a first seat which receives an actuating member to actuate the opening of ports in the housing, thereby allowing for fluid injection into the formation adjacent the valve assembly through the ports. A seal assembly suitable for use in high temperature well operations is also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A valve assembly for downhole use in a high temperature well, comprising:
a tubular housing, comprising:
an inner surface defining a central bore extending through the valve assembly; and
at least one port extending from the inner surface to an outer surface of the tubular housing;
a valve sleeve disposed in the central bore and longitudinally slidable with respect to the tubular housing to cover and uncover the at least one port for respectively obstructing and allowing fluid communication between the central bore and outside the tubular housing; at least one radial groove defined in one of an outer surface of the valve sleeve and the inner surface of the tubular housing and positioned between the valve sleeve and the tubular housing; and at least one sealing member, comprising a plurality of rings arranged in the at least one radial groove and adapted to create a tortuous flow path from a first side of the radial groove to a second side of the at least one radial groove to restrict fluid flow along a fluid flow path between the valve sleeve and the tubular housing, thereby restricting fluid flow between the central bore and the at least one port.

2 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein each ring of the plurality of rings has a body with a first side face, a second side face and an opening defined through the body to allow fluid flow between the first side face and the second side face.

3 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the opening comprises a slit defined through the body, the slit being at an angle with respect to a radial axis of the ring.

4 . The valve assembly of claim 3 , wherein the angle is 45 degrees or less.

5 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of rings are arranged side by side in the at least one radial groove such that side faces of adjacent rings abut one another.

6 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the opening of each ring is offset relative to the opening of adjacent rings to increase a length of the tortuous flow path.

7 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein at least two rings of the plurality of rings have different diameters.

8 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rings are made of non-polymeric material, non-elastomeric material, or both.

9 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rings are made of material adapted to withstand temperatures of at least 300° C.

10 . The valve assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of rings are made of material adapted to withstand temperatures of at least 600° C.

11 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rings are made of any one of metal, graphite, carbon composite, silicone, silica, vermiculite, fiberglass, compressed non-asbestos, ceramic fiber, and calcium alumina silicate.

12 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one radial groove comprises side walls, and wherein the plurality of rings are adapted to compress against each other and/or against one of the side walls upon increasing a pressure and/or a fluid flowrate in the high temperature well, thereby further restricting the fluid flow along the fluid flow path.

13 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plug disposed in the at least one port and changeable from a closed position, in which the plug maintains a fluid seal in the at least one port, to an open position, in which fluid is allowed to flow through the at least one port.

14 . The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plug and the tubular housing are metal such that the fluid seal between the plug and the at least one port is a metal-on-metal seal.

15 . The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plug is shearable to effect change from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the first sleeve is retained by the plug in the first position, and where moving the first sleeve to the second position shears the plug to enable changing the plug to the open position.

16 . The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein:
the plug is a closed-end hollow frangible plug and comprises a body having a cap portion on a first end and an inner channel extending from the cap portion to a second end of the body, wherein the cap portion extends toward the central bore past the inner surface of the tubular housing, and in the closed position the cap portion is intact blocking fluid flow through the inner channel of the body, and in the open position the cap portion has been removed, allowing fluid flow through the inner channel of the body and through the at least one port.

17 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first seat located in the first sleeve adapted to receive a first isolating member, wherein upon seating of the first isolating member in the first seat, the first sleeve is movable from the first position to the second position.

18 . The valve assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first seat is retractable, and wherein the tubular housing inner surface comprises a recess into which the first seat retracts when the first sleeve is in the second position to release the first isolating member.

19 . The valve assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a second sleeve provided with a second seat and disposed in the central bore uphole of the at least one port, the second seat being for receiving a second isolating member for restricting fluid flow in the central bore uphole of the second seat to allow an increase in fluid pressure in the central bore, wherein the second sleeve is longitudinally slidable with respect to the tubular housing in response to the increase in fluid pressure from an uphole position, where the second sleeve is positioned uphole from the at least one port and allows fluid flow through the at least one port, and a downhole position, where the second sleeve restricts fluid flow through the at least one port.

20 . A valve assembly for downhole use in a high temperature well, comprising:
a tubular housing, comprising:
an inner surface defining a central bore extending through the valve assembly; and
at least one port extending from the inner surface to an outer surface of the tubular housing to allow fluid communication between the central bore and outside the tubular housing;
a valve sleeve disposed in the central bore and longitudinally slidable with respect to the tubular housing to cover and uncover the at least one port for respectively obstructing and allowing fluid communication between the central bore and outside the tubular housing; and at least one sealing member for restricting fluid flow between the central bore and the at least one port along a fluid flow path between the valve sleeve and the tubular housing, the sealing member comprising a plurality of rings arranged in a radial groove and adapted to create a tortuous flow path through the plurality of rings from a first side of the radial groove to a second side of the radial groove to restrict fluid flow therethrough.

Assignees

• Ncs Multistage Inc
• Ncs Multistage Llc

Inventors

• Werries Michael
• Powell Jesse
• King James

Classifications

• E21B33/1212

  including a metal-to-metal seal element · CPC title

• E21B34/14

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

• E21B34/063

  Valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc (E21B34/103 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• Y02E10/10

  Geothermal energy · CPC title