Toe flap valve for internal corrosion prevention in ccus injection well tubing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025327371-A1
Application number	US-202418966046-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2024
Priority date	Apr 18, 2024
Publication date	Oct 23, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method for internal corrosion prevention is used for carbon capture utilization and storage injection well tubing. The method is directed to control flow in an injection well tubing and preventing internal corrosion of the injection well tubing. The method comprises steps of injecting CO2 stream into a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir from an injection well; and using a flap valve at a bottom end of an injection well tubing that operates by responding to elevated injection pressures; and automatically closing upon injection cessation, effectively preventing a flow-back of formulation fluids into the injection well tubing.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of preventing internal corrosion in carbon capture utilization and storage injection well tubing and storing CO 2 in a hydrocarbon reservoir having at least one injection well, comprising:
importing a CO 2 stream to an injection facility wherein the imported CO 2 is either in a liquid state or a supercritical state; injecting the CO 2 stream into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir from said injection well; using a flap valve at a bottom end of an injection well tubing that operates by responding to elevated injection pressures and automatically closes upon injection cessation, effectively preventing a flow-back of fluids into the injection well tubing; continuing injecting the CO 2 stream into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir; and pushing the flap valve open through the pressure of the liquid CO 2 stream into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flap valve is configured to achieve gas tight seal, and keep the sealing performance with large temperature cycle from −80° C. to 150° C. in short period of time (1-20 mins) during the carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) operation.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flap valve is made from at least one of specific alloys comprising Ni alloy (625, C-276), Ti alloy, Super Austenitic Stainless, to address environmental cracking at extremely low temperatures.

4 . The method of claim 2 further comprising a valve seat to hold pressure exerted on an outer surface of the flap valve in the closed position.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said flapper hinge comprises a hinge pin formed on said flap valve.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising a torsion spring means being loaded in torsion as the flap valve rotates from the closed to the open position to exert a restoring force for rotating the valve flapper to the closed position.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the torsion spring means has one end connecting and biasing on the outer surface of the flap valve, while the other end connects and biases on the outer surface of the injection well tubing.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the torsion spring means has both ends connecting and biasing on the outer surface of the injection well tubing.

9 . A method for controlling flow in an injection well tubing and preventing internal corrosion of the injection well tubing, comprising:
injecting CO 2 stream into a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir from an injection well; and using a flap valve at a bottom end of an injection well tubing that operates by responding to elevated injection pressures; and automatically closing upon injection cessation, effectively preventing a flow-back of fluids into the injection well tubing, wherein the flap valve is configured to achieve gas tight seal, and keep the sealing performance with large temperature cycle from −80° C. to 150° C. in short period of time (1-20 mins).

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprises steps of
continuing injecting the CO 2 stream into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir; and pushing the flap valve open through the pressure of the liquid CO 2 stream into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the flap valve having a torsion spring means with one end connecting and biasing on an outer surface of the flap valve, while the other end connects and biases on the outer surface of the injection well tubing.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the flap valve comprises a valve seat to hold pressure exerted on an outer surface of the flap valve in the closed position, wherein area that the valve seat covers is substantially the same as the area of the inner diameter of injection well tubing.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein said flapper hinge comprises a hinge pin formed on said flap valve.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the torsion spring means is secured to the hinge pin.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the torsion spring means is loaded in torsion as the flap valve rotates from the closed position to the open position to exert a restoring force for rotating the valve flapper to the closed position.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein said spring means comprises a coil spring, rotation of said flap valve about an axis of rotation to open said flap valve loading said springs in torsion.

17 . A method of preventing internal corrosion in carbon capture utilization and storage injection well tubing and storing CO 2 in a hydrocarbon reservoir having at least one injection well, comprising:
injecting the CO 2 stream into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir from said injection well; using a flap valve in contact with the tubing to create a tight seal when the injection pressure is below a certain threshold, wherein the flap valve is configured to achieve gas tight seal, and keep the sealing performance with large temperature cycle from −80° C. to 150° C. in short period of time (1-20 mins), wherein the flap valve comprises:
torsion spring means comprising a coil spring, rotation of said flap valve about an axis of rotation to open said flap loading said spring means in torsion, a valve flapper rotatable between open and closed positions for controlling the flow in the fluid transmission conduit, wherein the flap valve's operation neither constrains the injection flow rate nor induces the Joule-Thomson effect.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said torsion spring means comprise coil springs, rotation of said valve flapper about said axis of rotation to open said flap loading said springs in torsion.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the torsion spring means has one end that connects and biases on an outer surface of the flap valve, while the other end connects and biases on the outer surface of the injection well tubing.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the torsion spring means has both ends connects and biases on the outer surface of the injection well tubing.

Assignees

• Cnpc Usa Corp
• Beijing Huamei Inc
• China Nat Petroleum Corp

Inventors

• Zhao Lei
• Ren Jiaxiang (Jason)
• Yuan mark
• Li Jiaying
• Li Wenhong

Classifications

• E21B2200/05

  Flapper valves · CPC title

• E21B41/02

  in situ inhibition of corrosion in boreholes or wells · CPC title

• E21B41/0064

  Carbon dioxide sequestration (storing fluids in porous layers B65G5/005) · CPC title

• E21B34/10 Primary

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