While drilling valve system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9416606-B2
Application number	US-201213676655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2012
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A system includes a valve subassembly configured to be disposed along an internal flowline exit of a first internal flowline within a downhole drilling module. The valve subassembly includes an active valve configured to regulate flow of a fluid through the internal flowline exit and a passive valve configured to be passively controlled based on a differential pressure between a first volume of the downhole drilling module and a second volume surrounding the downhole drilling module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a valve subassembly configured to be disposed along an internal flowline exit of a first internal flowline within a downhole drilling module, the valve subassembly comprising:
an active valve configured to regulate flow fluid through the internal flowline exit; and
a passive valve configured to regulate the flow through the internal flowline exit based on a pressure differential between a first pressure within a first volume defined by a collar surrounding the downhole drilling module and a second pressure within an annulus surrounding the collar when the downhole drilling module is disposed within a wellbore, wherein the first volume is different from the first internal flowline.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve subassembly comprises a biasing spring configured to bias the active valve into a first position and a motor assembly configured to actuate the active valve into a second position, wherein the motor assembly comprises a motor and a roller screw coupled to the active valve.

3. The system of claim 1 , comprising a hydraulic circuit configured to actuate the active valve.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve subassembly comprises a biasing spring configured to bias the active valve in a first position and a solenoid configured to actuate the active valve into a second position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve subassembly comprises a bi-stable position solenoid configured to actuate the active valve into a first position and a second position.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the passive valve is in a closed position when the first pressure is approximately equal to the second pressure, and the passive valve is in an open position when the first pressure is greater than the second pressure.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the passive valve comprises a piston and a seal biased by a spring in the closed position when the first pressure is approximately equal to the second pressure.

8. The system of claim 1 , comprising the downhole drilling module, wherein the downhole drilling module comprises a probe module, a pump out module, and a sampling module.

9. The system of claim 1 , comprising a downhole controller configured to actuate the active valve in response to a user input.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the internal flowline exit extends to the first volume defined by the collar surrounding the downhole drilling module, the annulus surrounding the collar when the downhole drilling module is disposed within the wellbore, or a second internal flowline.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first volume comprises an oil compensation system operatively coupled to the passive valve.

12. A drilling system, comprising:
a downhole drilling module, comprising:
an internal flowline configured to flow a fluid; and
an internal flowline exit extending from the internal flowline to an external volume; and

a valve subassembly disposed within the downhole drilling module and at the internal flowline exit of the internal flowline, wherein the valve subassembly comprises:
a piston;
a spring configured to bias the piston in a first position; and
a seal configured to block flow of the fluid from the internal flowline to the external volume when the piston is biased in the first position,
wherein the piston is configured to compress the spring and open the seal when a first pressure within a first volume defined by a collar surrounding the downhole drilling module is greater than a second pressure within an annulus surrounding the collar when the downhole drilling module is disposed within a wellbore, and wherein the first volume is different from the internal flowline.

13. The drilling system of claim 12 , wherein the valve subassembly comprises an actively-controlled valve configured to regulate flow of the fluid through the internal flowline exit and an actuating mechanism configured to actuate the actively-controlled valve.

14. The drilling system of claim 13 , wherein the actuating mechanism comprises a biasing spring configured to bias the actively-controlled valve into a first position and a motor assembly configured to actuate the actively-controlled valve into a second position, wherein the motor assembly comprises a motor and a roller screw coupled to the actively-controlled valve or a solenoid coupled to the actively-controlled valve.

15. The drilling system of claim 13 , wherein the actuating mechanism comprises a hydraulic circuit configured to actuate the actively-controlled valve.

16. The drilling system of claim 13 , comprising a controller configured to actuate the actuating mechanism based on feedback from a sensor within the downhole drilling module or input from an operator.

17. The drilling system of claim 12 , wherein the first volume comprises an oil compensation system operatively coupled to the valve subassembly.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Harms Kent David
• Murphy Jeremy T
• Stucker Michael J
• Brennan Iii William E
• Hoefel Albert
• Villareal Steven G
• Pop Julian J

Classifications

• E21B34/066 Primary

  electrically actuated · CPC title

• E21B21/10 Primary

  Valve arrangements in drilling-fluid circulation systems · CPC title

• E21B49/081

  with down-hole means for trapping a fluid sample (E21B49/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B34/08

  responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B21/103

  Down-hole by-pass valve arrangements, i.e. between the inside of the drill string and the annulus (valves specifically for maintaining circulation of drilling fluid while connecting or disconnecting tubular joints E21B21/019) · CPC title