Ball check valve integration to ICD

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963953-B2
Application number	US-201414471011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Feb 15, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A production sleeve assembly for use downhole includes a fluid pathway configured to provide fluid communication between an exterior of a wellbore tubular and an interior of the wellbore tubular through a chamber, a flow restriction disposed in the fluid pathway, and a valve disposed in series with the flow restriction in the fluid pathway. The valve comprises a rupture disk, and a plug releasably engaged in the chamber in series with the rupture disk. The valve is configured to allow production from the exterior of the wellbore tubular to the interior of the wellbore tubular through the chamber once the rupture disk is actuated, and the valve is configured to release the plug from the chamber when the rupture disk is actuated and the pressure within the exterior of the wellbore tubular is greater than the pressure within the interior of the wellbore tubular.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A production sleeve assembly for use downhole comprising:
a fluid pathway configured to provide fluid communication between an exterior of a wellbore tubular and an interior of the wellbore tubular through a chamber;
a flow restriction disposed in the fluid pathway; and
a valve disposed in series with the flow restriction in the fluid pathway, wherein the valve comprises:
a rupture disk;
a flowpath that is perpendicular to the axis of the wellbore; and
a plug releasably engaged in the chamber in series with the rupture disk, wherein the valve is configured to allow production from the exterior of the wellbore tubular to the interior of the wellbore tubular through the chamber once the rupture disk is actuated, and wherein the valve is configured to release the plug from the chamber when the rupture disk is actuated and the pressure within the exterior of the wellbore tubular is greater than the pressure within the interior of the wellbore tubular.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flow restriction comprises an inflow control device.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plug comprises a ball.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rupture disk comprises a frangible material.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a seat, wherein the plug sealingly engages the seat when the pressure within the exterior of the wellbore tubular is less than the pressure within the interior of the wellbore tubular.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seat, the chamber, and the plug comprise a ball type check valve.

7. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seat comprises a weep hole, and wherein the weep hole is configured to provide choked fluid communication past the plug.

8. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seat comprises a portion of the flow restriction.

9. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seat is configured to at least partially erode in response to a production flow from the exterior of the wellbore tubular into the interior of the wellbore tubular.

10. A production string for use downhole comprising:
a housing disposed about a wellbore tubular, wherein a chamber is formed between the housing and the wellbore tubular;
a flow restriction disposed in the chamber; and
a valve disposed in a fluid pathway between the chamber and an interior of the wellbore tubular, wherein the valve comprises:
a rupture disk;
a flowpath that is perpendicular to the axis of the wellbore; and
a plug disposed adjacent the rupture disk, wherein the valve is configured to substantially block fluid flow between the interior of the wellbore tubular and the chamber in a first state, substantially prevent fluid flow from the interior of the wellbore tubular into the chamber in a second state, and allow fluid flow between the chamber and the interior of the wellbore tubular in a third state, wherein the valve is configured to release the plug into the interior of the wellbore tubular in the third state.

11. The production string of claim 10 , wherein the valve is configured to transition from the first state to the third state in response to a pressure increase in the interior of the wellbore tubular.

12. The production string of claim 10 , further comprising at least one one-way valve in series with the flow restriction, wherein the at least one one-way valve is configured to allow fluid flow from the exterior of the wellbore tubular to the interior of the wellbore tubular while substantially preventing flow from the interior of the wellbore tubular to the exterior of the wellbore tubular, wherein the valve is in series with the flow restriction.

13. A method of changing the flow state of a production sleeve comprising:
pressurizing an interior of a wellbore tubular to a first pressure, wherein the first pressure is greater than a second pressure in an exterior of the wellbore tubular;
actuating a rupture disk in response to the first pressure, wherein the rupture disk is disposed in a fluid pathway between the exterior of a wellbore tubular and the interior of the wellbore tubular;
maintaining the first pressure within the interior of the wellbore tubular using a plug, wherein the plug is releasably engaged in the fluid pathway adjacent the rupture disk;
decreasing the pressure in the interior of the wellbore tubular below the second pressure;
passing the plug into the interior of the wellbore tubular after decreasing the pressure; and
establishing fluid communication between the exterior of the wellbore tubular and the interior of the wellbore tubular along the fluid pathway in response to the decreasing of the pressure in the interior of the wellbore tubular, wherein the rupture disk and the plug form a first valve with a flowpath that is perpendicular to the axis of the wellbore tubular.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein establishing fluid communication comprises establishing fluid communication through a flow restriction disposed in the fluid pathway.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising;
maintaining the first pressure within the interior of the wellbore tubular using a second valve, wherein the second valve is configured to allow fluid flow from the exterior of the wellbore tubular to the interior of the wellbore tubular while substantially blocking flow from the interior of the wellbore tubular to the exterior of the wellbore tubular; and
bypassing a flow restriction.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
actuating a second rupture disk in response to the first pressure, wherein the second rupture disk is disposed in a second fluid pathway between the exterior of the wellbore tubular and the interior of the wellbore tubular; and
establishing fluid communication between the exterior of the wellbore tubular and the interior of the wellbore tubular along the second fluid pathway in response to the decreasing of the pressure in the interior of the wellbore tubular.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein maintaining the first pressure within the interior of the wellbore tubular comprises engaging the plug with a seat in response to the first pressure, wherein the seat is disposed in the fluid pathway.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the seat comprises a portion of a flow restriction.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
flowing a fluid from the exterior of the wellbore tubular to the interior of the wellbore tubular along the fluid pathway; and
eroding at least a portion of the seat in response to the fluid flowing through the fluid pathway.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
flowing a fluid from the exterior of the wellbore tubular to the interior of the wellbore tubular along the fluid pathway; and
eroding at least a portion of the plug in response to the fluid flowing through the fluid pathway, wherein passing the plug into the interior of the wellbore tubular occurs after eroding at least the portion of the plug.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Lopez Jean Marc

Classifications

• E21B34/063 Primary

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

• E21B43/12

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• F16K15/04

  shaped as balls · CPC title

• Y10T137/7848

  Permits flow at valve interface · CPC title

• E21B34/08

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