Communication and lock open safety valve system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903181-B2
Application number	US-201414328013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2014
Priority date	Jul 10, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A downhole system includes a safety valve system. The safety valve system includes a tubular housing having a hydraulic control chamber, and a lock-open communication sleeve within the tubular housing. The sleeve is longitudinally movable with respect to the tubular housing. The sleeve has a downhole end portion configured to abut and enact downhole movement of a flow tube. The sleeve further has a radial communication sort alignable with the hydraulic control chamber. A method of communicating and locking open the safety valve includes using the sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole system including a safety valve system, the safety valve system comprising:
a tubular housing having a hydraulic control chamber;
a flow tube longitudinally movable within the housing;
a flapper movable from a closed position, at least substantially blocking a longitudinal flow path through the tubular housing, to an open position, the flapper moved to the open position by downhole movement of the flow tube; and,
a lock-open communication sleeve within the tubular housing, the sleeve longitudinally movable with respect to the tubular housing, the sleeve having a downhole end portion configured to abut and enact downhole movement of the flow tube, the sleeve further having a radial communication port alignable with the hydraulic control chamber;
wherein, in a first condition, the flow tube is movable utilizing pressure in the hydraulic control chamber and the radial communication port is not aligned with the hydraulic control chamber, and, in a second condition, the flow tube is longitudinally moved downhole by the sleeve to restrain the flapper in the open position and the radial communication port is aligned with the hydraulic control chamber.

2. The downhole system of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is rotatable within the tubular housing.

3. The downhole system of claim 2 , wherein the sleeve includes an external thread, and the tubular housing includes an internal thread corresponding with the external thread of the sleeve.

4. The downhole system of claim 3 , wherein the external thread is a left-hand thread.

5. The downhole system of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the sleeve within the tubular housing converts to the downhole movement of the sleeve.

6. The downhole system of claim 1 , further comprising a piston connected to and movable with the flow tube, a piston chamber housing the piston in communication with the hydraulic control chamber.

7. The downhole system of claim 1 , wherein an uphole end portion of the sleeve includes an actuation tool engagement area.

8. The downhole system of claim 7 , wherein the actuation tool engagement area is a slot in the sleeve, the slot configured to receive an actuation tool.

9. The downhole system of claim 1 wherein the sleeve includes a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion, the radial communication port disposed in the non-threaded portion.

10. The downhole system of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of seals flanking the hydraulic control chamber, wherein the radial communication port is sealed from the hydraulic control chamber until it is aligned with the hydraulic control chamber.

11. The downhole system of claim 1 , wherein a wall of the hydraulic control chamber is formed by the sleeve until the radial communication port is aligned with the hydraulic control chamber.

12. A method of communicating and locking open a tubing retrievable safety valve, the method comprising:
engaging a lock-open communication sleeve within a tubular housing, the sleeve having a radial communication port;
longitudinally moving the sleeve within the housing to align the radial communication port with a hydraulic control chamber in the housing; and,
abutting a flow tube with a downhole end portion of the sleeve and longitudinally moving the flow tube to open the valve.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the radial communication port is aligned with the hydraulic communication chamber when the valve is opened due to longitudinal movement of the flow tube.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein longitudinally moving the sleeve within the housing includes rotating the sleeve via cooperating threads in the housing and sleeve.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein rotating the sleeve includes rotating the sleeve in a first direction and longitudinally moving the flow tube compresses a power spring in the safety valve, and further comprising rotating the sleeve in an opposite direction to decompress the power spring.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein engaging the lock-open communication sleeve includes engaging an actuating tool with a slot in an uphole end portion of the sleeve, the actuating tool run within the tubular housing.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising moving a flapper from a closed position at least substantially blocking a longitudinal flow path through the tubular housing, and an open position, wherein moving the flapper occurs via longitudinal movement of the flow tube by abutting the flow tube with the downhole end portion of the sleeve.

18. A downhole system including a safety valve system, the safety valve system comprising:
a tubular housing having a hydraulic control chamber;
a flow tube longitudinally movable within the housing;
a flapper movable from a closed position, at least substantially blocking a longitudinal flow path through the tubular housing, to an open position, the flapper moved to the open position by downhole movement of the flow tube; and,
a rotatable sleeve within the tubular housing, the sleeve longitudinally movable with respect to the tubular housing when rotated, the sleeve including downhole end portion, configured to abut and enact downhole movement of the flow tube to lock open the flapper valve, and a radial communication port, alignable with the hydraulic control chamber upon rotation of the sleeve, the radial communication port configured to communicate an interior of the tubular housing and sleeve with the hydraulic control chamber.

Assignees

• Myerley Thomas S
• Lowry Doug A
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Myerley Thomas S
• Lowry Doug A

Classifications

• E21B34/102

  with means for locking the closing element in open or closed position (E21B34/105 and E21B34/108 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B2200/05

  Flapper valves · CPC title

• E21B2034/005

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• 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

• E21B34/12 Primary

  operated by movement of casings or tubings · CPC title