Toe sleeve isolation system for cemented casing in borehole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976384-B2
Application number	US-201414561693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus deploys on a casing and has a toe with first and second ports for communicating with a wellbore. A packing element between the ports is actuatable to isolate portions of the wellbore. The toe operates in a first condition for run-in to prevent fluid communication through the ports, although washdown can flow through a toe port. Once installed, the toe operates in a second condition for cementation when the first plug is deployed to the toe. In this condition, the toe actuates the packing element, permits fluid communication through the first port, and prevents fluid communication through the second port. After cementation, the toe operates in a third condition for fracture and completion operations when the second plug is deployed. The toe in this condition prevents fluid communication through the first port, but permits fluid communication through the second port downhole of the set packing element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A completion apparatus deployed in a wellbore on a tubing string and operable with first and second plugs, the apparatus comprising:
a toe deployed in the wellbore on the tubing string and having first and second ports for communicating between the wellbore and a bore of the toe;
an inner sleeve movably disposed in the bore of the toe relative to the first and second ports, the inner sleeve being movable from a first position to a second position in response to the first plug and being movable from the second position to a third position in response to the second plug; and
a packing element disposed on the toe between the first and second ports and actuatable to isolate uphole and downhole portions of the wellbore,
the toe being operable in a first condition with the inner sleeve in the first position preventing fluid communication through the first and second ports,
the toe being operable from the first condition to a second condition with the inner sleeve moved from the first position to the second position in response to the first plug deployed to the toe, the toe in the second condition actuating the packing element, permitting fluid communication through the first port uphole of the packing element, and preventing fluid communication through the second port,
the toe being operable from the second condition to a third condition with the inner sleeve moved from the second position to the third position in response to the second plug deployed to the toe, the toe in the third condition preventing fluid communication through the first port uphole of the packing element and permitting fluid communication through the second port downhole of the packing element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the toe has a toe port downhole of the second port, and wherein the toe in the first condition permits fluid communication through the toe port.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the toe has a toe port downhole of the second port, and wherein the inner sleeve in the first position prevents fluid communication through the first and second ports and permits fluid communication between the wellbore and the bore of the toe through the toe port.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein first seals seal off fluid communication between a first outlet on the inner sleeve in the first position and the first port on the toe.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first seals seal the first outlet on the inner sleeve in the second position in fluid communication with the first port on the toe for communicating the tubing string with the wellbore uphole of the packing element.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first seals seal off fluid communication between the first outlet on the inner sleeve in the third position and the first port on the toe.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein second seals seal off fluid communication between a second outlet on the inner sleeve in the first position and the second port on the toe.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second seals seal off fluid communication between the second outlet on the inner sleeve in the second position and the second port on the toe.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second seals seal the second outlet on the inner sleeve in the third position in fluid communication with the second port on the toe for communicating the tubing string with the wellbore downhole of the packing element.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising an obstruction at least temporarily closing off fluid communication through the second outlet on the inner sleeve with the second port on the toe.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner sleeve comprises a first seat engaging the first plug, the inner sleeve moving from the first position to the second position in response to applied pressure against the engaged first plug.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the toe comprises a first retainer retaining the inner sleeve in the first position in the toe and releasing the inner sleeve to move to the second position in response to a level of the applied pressure against the engaged first plug.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the inner sleeve comprises a second seat engaging the second plug, the inner sleeve moving to the third position in response to applied pressure against the engaged second plug.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the toe comprises a second retainer retaining the inner sleeve in the second position in the toe and releasing the inner sleeve to move to the third position in response to a level of the applied pressure against the engaged second plug.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , comprising the second plug as part of the apparatus, the second plug defining a flow passage therethrough and having a barrier temporarily preventing fluid communication through the flow passage, the barrier opening fluid communication through the flow passage in response to a level of the applied pressure against the engaged second plug.

16. A completion apparatus deployed in a wellbore on a tubing string and operable with first and second plugs, the apparatus comprising:
a toe deployed in the wellbore on the tubing string and having first and second ports for communicating between the wellbore and a bore of the toe;
a first insert movably disposed in the bore of the toe relative to the first port, the first insert being movable from a first closed position to an opened position in response to the first plug and being movable from the opened position to a second closed position in response to the second plug;
a second insert movably disposed in the bore of the toe and being movable relative to the second port; and
a packing element disposed on the toe between the first and second ports and actuatable to isolate uphole and downhole portions of the wellbore,
the toe being operable in a first condition with the first insert in the first closed position preventing fluid communication through the first port and with the second insert preventing fluid communication through the second port,
the toe being operable from the first condition to a second condition with the first insert moved from the first closed position to the opened position in response to the first plug deployed to the toe, the toe in the second condition actuating the packing element, permitting fluid communication through the first port uphole of the packing element, and preventing fluid communication through the second port,
the toe being operable from the second condition to a third condition with the first insert moved from the opened position to the second closed position in response to the second plug deployed to the toe, the toe in the third condition preventing fluid communication through the first port uphole of the packing element, the second insert permitting fluid communication through the second port downhole of the packing element.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first insert comprises a first seat engaging the first plug and moving from the first closed position to the opened position relative to the first port to change the toe from the first condition to the second condition.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the toe defines a flow passage communicating fluid from the tubing string to inflate the packing element when the first insert is in the opened position.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first insert comprises a second seat engaging the second plug and moving from the opened position to the second closed position relative to the first port t

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Resweber Eugene L

Classifications

• E21B43/261 Primary

  Separate steps of (1) cementing, plugging or consolidating and (2) fracturing or attacking the formation · CPC title

• E21B33/146 Primary

  Stage cementing, i.e. discharging cement from casing at different levels · CPC title

• E21B33/14

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• E21B2034/007

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic