Downhole valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025059852-A1
Application number	US-202218562437-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 20, 2022
Priority date	May 21, 2021
Publication date	Feb 20, 2025
Grant date	—

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

1 - 104 . (canceled)

105 . A valve assembly for downhole use in a high temperature well comprising:
a tubular housing having:
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 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; and a first sleeve disposed in the central bore and longitudinally slidable with respect to the tubular housing from a first position to a second position which changes the plug from the closed position to the open position; 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.

106 . The valve assembly of claim 105 , wherein the plug is shearable to change it from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the first sleeve is retained by the plug in the first position, and moving the first sleeve to the second position shears the plug to enable changing the plug to the open position.

107 . The valve assembly of claim 105 , 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.

108 . The valve assembly of claim 107 , 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.

109 . The valve assembly of claim 105 , 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; wherein 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.

110 . The valve assembly of claim 109 , wherein in the closed position of the plug, the second end of the plug is disposed in a recess in an outer surface of the first sleeve.

111 . The valve assembly of claim 109 , wherein the plug further comprises at least one of:
an insert disposed in at least a portion of the inner channel adjacent the cap portion, wherein removing the cap portion of the plug releases the insert to open the inner channel of the plug; and a notch defined along an outer surface of the body of the plug to aid in the removal of the cap.

112 . The valve assembly of claim 105 , wherein the valve assembly is adapted to withstand temperatures of at least 300° C. and pressures of at least 5000 psi.

113 . The valve assembly of claim 105 , further comprising at least one sealing member for restricting fluid flow between the central bore and the at least one port, the sealing member comprising:
a plurality of rings in a radial groove that 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 through the at least one sealing member.

114 . The valve assembly of claim 113 , wherein the plurality of rings are arranged side by side in the radial groove, and each ring has a body with a first side face, a second side face, and an opening to allow fluid flow between the first side face and the second side face, the opening comprising a slit through the body of the ring at an angle with respect to a radial axis of the ring.

115 . The valve assembly of claim 113 , wherein the openings of adjacent rings are not aligned.

116 . The valve assembly of claim 105 , 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.

117 . The valve assembly of claim 116 , wherein the second sleeve has a wall and comprises at least one opening defined in the wall which, in the downhole position, allows fluid flow from the central bore through the at least one opening and the at least one port to the outside of the tubular housing.

118 . A valve assembly for downhole use in a high temperature well comprising:
a tubular housing having:
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 plug disposed in the at least one port and changeable from a closed position, in which the plug restricts fluid flow through the at least one port, to an open position, in which fluid is allowed to flow through the at least one port; and a first seat disposed in the central bore adapted to receive a first isolating member, wherein upon seating of the first isolating member in the first seat, fluid flow is restricted through the central bore to allow an increase in fluid pressure in the central bore to change the plug from the closed position to the open position; 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.

119 . The valve assembly of claim 118 , wherein the plug is shearable to change it from the closed position to the open position, and wherein changing the plug from the closed position to the open position releases the first isolating member from the first seat.

120 . The valve assembly of claim 118 , 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; wherein 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.

121 . The valve assembly of claim 120 , wherein in the closed position of the plug, the inner channel of the plug body extends toward the central bore past the inner surface of the tubular housing.

122 . The valve assembly of claim 118 , wherein the valve assembly is adapted to withstand temperatures of at least 300° C. and pressures of at least 5000 psi.

123 . A downhole system f

Assignees

• Ncs Multistage Inc
• Ncs Multistage Llc

Inventors

• Werries Michael
• Powell Jesse
• King James

Classifications

• E21B34/14

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

• E21B33/1212

  including a metal-to-metal seal element · 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