Patent Grant
7314091
1. Field of the Inventions
Embodiments of the present invention are generally related to safety valves. More particularly, embodiments of the invention pertain to subsurface safety valves configured to permit a cementing operation of a wellbore there through.
2. Description of the Related Art
Surface-controlled, subsurface safety valves (SCSSVs) are commonly used to shut-in oil and gas wells. Such SCSSVs are typically fitted into a production tubing in a hydrocarbon producing well, and operate to selectively block the flow of formation fluids upwardly through the production tubing should a failure or hazardous condition occur at the well surface.
SCSSVs are typically configured as rigidly connected to the production tubing (tubing retrievable), or may be installed and retrieved by wireline without disturbing the production tubing (wireline retrievable). During normal production, the subsurface safety valve is maintained in an open position by the application of hydraulic fluid pressure transmitted to an actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanism in one embodiment is charged by application of hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic pressure is commonly a clean oil supplied from a surface fluid reservoir through a control line. A pump at the surface delivers regulated hydraulic fluid under pressure from the surface to the actuating mechanism through the control line. The control line resides within the annular region between the production tubing and the surrounding well casing.
Where a failure or hazardous condition occurs at the well surface, fluid communication between the surface reservoir and the control line is broke. This, in turn, breaks the application of hydraulic pressure against the actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanism recedes within the valve, allowing the flapper to close against an annular seat quickly and with great force.
Most surface controlled subsurface safety valves are “normally closed” valves, i.e., the valve is in its closed position when the hydraulic pressure is not present. The hydraulic pressure typically works against a powerful spring and/or gas charge acting through a piston. In many commercially available valve systems, the power spring is overcome by hydraulic pressure acting against the piston, producing longitudinal movement of the piston. The piston, in turn, acts against an elongated “flow tube.” In this manner, the actuating mechanism is a hydraulically actuated and longitudinally movable piston that acts against the flow tube to move it downward within the tubing and across the flapper.
During well production, the flapper is maintained in the open position by force of the piston acting against the flow tube downhole. Hydraulic fluid is pumped into a variable volume pressure chamber (or cylinder) and acts against a seal area on the piston. The piston, in turn, acts against the flow tube to selectively open the flapper member in the valve. Any loss of hydraulic pressure in the control line causes the piston and actuated flow tube to retract. This, in turn, causes the flapper to rotate about a hinge pin to its valve-closed position. In this manner, the SCSSV is able to provide a shutoff of production flow within the tubing as the hydraulic pressure in the control line is released.
During well completions, certain cement operations can create a dilemma for the operator. In this respect, the pumping of cement down the production tubing and through the SCSSV presents the risk of damaging the valve. Operative parts of the valve, such as the flow tube or flapper, could become cemented into place and inoperative. At the least, particulates from the cementing fluid could invade chamber areas in the valve and cause the valve to become inoperable.
In an attempt to overcome this possibility, the voids within the valve have been liberally filled with grease or other heavy viscous material. The viscous material limits displacement of cement into the operating parts of the valve. In addition to grease packing, an isolation sleeve may be used to temporarily straddle the inner diameter of the valve and seal off the polished bore portion along the safety valve. However, this procedure requires additional trips to install the sleeve before cementing, and then later remove the sleeve at completion.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and improved method for protecting the SCSSV from cement infiltrating the inner mechanisms of the valve during a cementing operation. There is a further need for an improved SCSSV that does not require elastomeric seals to seal off the flow tube or other operative parts of the safety valve during a cement-through operation. Still further, there is a need for an improved SCSSV that isolates certain parts of the valve from cement infiltration during a cement-through operation, without unduly restricting the inner diameter of the safety valve for later operations.
A subsurface safety valve is first provided. The safety valve has a longitudinal bore there through. The safety valve generally comprises a tubular housing, a tubular isolation sleeve disposed within an inner diameter of the tubular housing, with the isolation sleeve and the tubular body forming an annular area there between, a flow tube movably disposed along a portion of the annular area, and a flapper. The flapper is pivotally movable between an open position and a closed position in response to longitudinal movement of the flow tube in order to selectively open and close the valve. Preferably, the annular area is isolated from an inner diameter of the isolation sleeve. In one embodiment, a seal ring is placed along an outer diameter of the isolation sleeve for sealingly receiving the movable flow tube and for providing the isolation of the annular area. Preferably, the isolation sleeve is stationary.
In operation, the valve permits fluid to flow through the inner diameter of the isolation sleeve when the flapper is in the open position, but the valve is sealed to fluid flow when the flapper is in the closed position.
In one embodiment, the safety valve further includes a piston disposed above the flow tube, wherein the piston acts against the flow tube in response to hydraulic pressure in order to move the flow tube longitudinally. Preferably, the valve also includes a biasing member acting against the piston in order to bias the piston and connected flow tube to allow the flapper to close. An example of a biasing member is a spring. The piston may be either a rod piston or a concentric annular piston.
A method for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore is also provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of placing a safety valve in series with a string of production tubing. The production tubing has a bore there through, and the safety valve may be as described above. The method also includes the steps of running the production tubing and safety valve into the wellbore, placing the flapper in its open position, and pumping cement into the bore of the production tubing and through the safety valve. In one embodiment, the method also includes further pumping cement into an annulus formed between the production tubing and the surrounding wellbore to form a cement column, thereby securing the production tubing in the wellbore, providing fluid communication between the bore of the tubing and a selected formation along the wellbore, and producing the well by allowing hydrocarbons to flow through the production tubing and the opened safety valve. Preferably, the step of providing fluid communication between the bore of the tubing and a selected formation along the wellbore is accomplished through use of a perforating gun.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
The present invention is generally directed to a tubing-retrievable subsurface safety valve for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore. Various terms as used herein are defined below. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term, as reflected in printed publications and issued patents. In the description that follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals. The drawings may be, but are not necessarily, to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features described below. One of normal skill in the art of subsurface safety valves will appreciate that the various embodiments of the invention can and may be used in all types of subsurface safety valves, including but not limited to tubing retrievable, wireline retrievable, injection valves, or subsurface controlled valves.
For ease of explanation, the invention will be described generally in relation to a cased vertical wellbore. It is to be understood; however, that the invention may be employed in an open wellbore, a horizontal wellbore, or a lateral wellbore without departing from principles of the present invention. Furthermore, a land well is shown for the purpose of illustration; however, it is understood that the invention may also be employed in offshore wells or extended reach wells that are drilled on land but completed below an ocean or lake shelf.
During the completion operation, the wellbore 100 is lined with a string of casing 105. Thereafter, the production tubing 120 with the safety valve 200 disposed in series is deployed in the wellbore 100 to a predetermined depth. In connection with the completion operation, the production tubing 120 is cemented in situ. To accomplish this, a column of cement is pumped downward through the bore of the production tubing 120. Cement is urged under pressure through the open safety valve 200, through the bore of the tubing 120, and then into an annulus 125 formed between the tubing 120 and the surrounding casing 105. Preferably, the cement 160 will fill the annulus 125 to a predetermined height, which is proximate to or higher than a desired zone of interest in an adjacent formation 115.
After the cement 160 is cured, the formation 115 is opened to the bore of the production tubing 120 at the zone of interest. Typically, perforation guns (not shown) are lowered through the production tubing 120 and the valve 200 to a desired location proximate the formation 115. Thereafter, the perforation guns are activated to form a plurality of perforations 110, thereby establishing fluid communication between the formation 115 and the production tubing 120. The perforation guns can be removed or dropped off into the bottom of the wellbore below the perforations. Hydrocarbons (illustrated by arrows) may subsequently flow into the production tubing 120, through the open safety valve 200, through a valve 135 at the surface, and out into a production flow line 130.
During this operation, the valve 200 preferably remains in the open position. However, the flow of hydrocarbons may be stopped at any time during the production operation by switching the valve 200 from the open position to the closed position. This may be accomplished either intentionally by having the operator remove the hydraulic pressure applied through the control line 145, or through a catastrophic event at the surface such as an act of terrorism. The valve 200 is demonstrated in its open and closed positions in connection with
The illustrative valve 200 includes a top sub 270 and a bottom sub 275. The top 270 and bottom 275 subs are threadedly connected in series with the production tubing (shown in
In the arrangement of
As illustrated in
Disposed below the spacer bearing 265 is a flapper 220. The flapper 220 is rotationally attached by a pin 230 to a flapper mount 290. The flapper 220 pivots between an open position and a closed position in response to movement of a flow tube 225. A shoulder 226 is provided for a connection between the piston 205 and the flow tube 225. In the open position, a fluid pathway is created through the bore 260, thereby allowing the flow of fluid through the valve 200. Conversely, in the closed position, the flapper 220 blocks the fluid pathway through the bore 260, thereby preventing the flow of fluid through the valve 200.
Further illustrated in
Each of
In one embodiment, a plurality of notches 295 may optionally be radially disposed at the lower end of the flow tube 225. The notches 295 are constructed and arranged to allow pressure communication between the bore 260 of the valve 200 and the annular area 240 inside the tubular housing 255. This, in turn, provides pressure balancing and helps prevent burst or collapse of the thin isolation sleeve 215 and the flow tube 235. Where notches 295 are employed, it is desirable that the notches 295 be small enough to discourage cement or particles from entering the bottom of the flow tube 225. It is preferred, however, that notches not be employed, but that the flow tube 235 be fabricated from a material sufficient to withstand anticipated burst and collapse pressure differentials between the bore 260 and the annular area 240. Similarly, it is preferred that the sleeve 215 also be fabricated from a material sufficient to withstand anticipated burst and collapse pressure differentials between the bore 260 and the annular area 240.
A seal ring 235 is preferably provided at an interface between the sleeve 215 and the movable flow tube 225. Preferably, the seal ring 235 is fixed along the outer diameter of the sleeve 215 at a lower end of the sleeve 215. The seal ilng 235 would then be stationary and the flow tube 225 would move through the seal ring 235. Alternatively, the seal ring 235 is placed in a groove in an upper end of the flow tube 225. In this respect, the movement of the piston 205 in response to the hydraulic pressure in the line 145 would also cause the seal ring 235 and flow tube 225 to move. In so moving, the seal ring 235 would traverse upon the outer diameter of the isolation sleeve 215.
Where a seal is provided, the isolation sleeve 215 fluidly seals an inside of the chamber housing 255. In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve 215 could be machined integral to the housing 255. The primary reason for the seal ring 235 is to prevent contaminants, such as cement, from entering into the annular area 240 adjacent the piston 205. Typically, the seal ring 235 creates a fluid seal between the flow tube 225 and the stationary sleeve 215.
Typically, the flow tube 225 remains in the open position throughout the completion operation and later production. However, if the flapper 220 is closed during the production operation, it may be reopened by moving the flow tube 225 back to the open position. Generally, the flow tube 225 moves to the open position as the piston 205 moves to the lower position and compresses the biasing member 210 against the spacer bearing 265. Typically, fluid from the line (not shown) enters the chamber 245, thereby creating a hydraulic pressure on the piston 205. As more fluid enters the chamber 245, the hydraulic pressure continues to increase until the hydraulic pressure on the upper end of the piston 205 becomes greater than the biasing force 210 on the lower end of the piston 205. At that point, the hydraulic pressure in the chamber 245 causes the piston 205 to move to the lower position. Since the flow tube 225 is operatively attached to the piston 205, the movement of the piston 205 causes longitudinal movement of the flow tube 225 and the seal ring 235.
It is also noted that the flow tube 225 also may aid in providing isolation of fluids from the annular area 240. In this respect, the bottom of the flow tube 225 is dimensioned to land on a shoulder of the lower sub 275 when the flow tube 225 is moved to the open position (seen in
During closure, fluid in the chamber 245 exits into the line 145, thereby decreasing the hydraulic pressure on the piston 205. As more fluid exits the chamber 245, the hydraulic pressure continues to decrease until the hydraulic pressure on the upper end of the piston 205 becomes less than the opposite force on the lower end of the piston 205. At that point, the force created by the biasing member 210 causes the piston 205 to move to the upper position. Since the flow tube 225 is operatively attached to the piston 205, the movement of the piston 205 causes the movement of flow tube 225 and the seal ring 235 into the annular area 240 until the flow tube 225 is substantially disposed within the annular area 240. In this manner, the flow tube 225 is moved to the closed position.
Although the invention has been described in part by making detailed reference to specific embodiments, such detail is intended to be and will be understood to be instructional rather than restrictive. It should be noted that while embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are described in connection with a subsurface safety valve, the embodiments described herein may be used with any well completion equipment, such as a packer, a sliding sleeve, a landing nipple and the like.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/505,515, filed Sep. 24, 2003, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. That application is entitled “Tubing Mounted Safety Valve.”
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