Patent Application
20250084710
In the resource recovery and fluid sequestration industries there is often need for what are known as lower completions and upper completions. These are generally run separately and manipulated using shear up or shear down processes to render the completions fit to convey fluid or be separated for other operations. Shear up/shear down works reasonably well but leaves some efficiencies off the table. The art is always receptive to efficiency increasing technologies.
An embodiment of a completion string, including an upper completion having a shifting tool, and a lower completion having a hydraulic releaser and a valve responsive to the shifting tool.
An embodiment of a method for completing a well, including running the completion string in a borehole, establishing pressure integrity, applying tubing pressure to release the hydraulic releaser, and shifting the valve.
An embodiment of a method for completing a well, including running an upper completion connected to a lower completion into a borehole, releasing a hydraulic releaser with applied tubing pressure, and shifting a valve in the lower completion with movement of the upper completion.
An embodiment of a wellbore system, including a borehole in a subsurface formation, an upper completion and a lower completion in the borehole, a hydraulic releaser connecting the upper completion to the lower completion, the hydraulic releaser being responsive to applied tubing pressure to releaser the upper completion from the lower completion.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
The completion 10 is runnable to target depth in a connected form in one run and then may be manipulated to release the upper completion 14 from the lower completion 12 in order to stroke the upper completion. While that statement in itself is not new, taking this action via a hydraulic releaser 56 and allowing uphole direction and downhole direction movement of the upper completion relative to the lower completion is not found in the art. Traditionally, a shear up or shear down is needed where no such action is required in the completion 10 disclosed herein. Rather, efficiency is dramatically improved by configuring the completion 10 to respond to a hydraulic input to release the upper completion 14 from the lower completion 12. This configuration facilitates conveyance of the completion into a wellbore with high axial loads that might prematurely activate a prior art shear-type release mechanism. In this context, “high” means upwards of about 50,000 pounds. The configuration also facilitates uphole direction and downhole direction movement options. This enables placing the tubing hanger 44 in a precise predetermined location, while placing the lower completion 12 in a variable location to react to varying conditions in the lower wellbore. Incorporating the shifter 64 in the upper completion facilitates efficient closing of the valve 30 with movement of the upper completion. At the conclusion of operations, the upper completion 14 is permanently installed and not removed from the well since with the configuration as disclosed does not employ a temporary workstring (that would have to be removed from the well) like the prior art does thereby enabling greater efficiency of the present disclosure.
Referring to
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Referring to Figured 12 and 13, an enlarged view of the hydraulic release sub 54 is illustrated. The views illustrate castellations 84 for rotational locking and castellations 86 for axial locking.
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Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1: A completion string, including an upper completion having a shifting tool, and a lower completion having a hydraulic releaser and a valve responsive to the shifting tool.
Embodiment 2: The string as in any prior embodiment, wherein the hydraulic releaser is downhole of a seal bore in the lower completion.
Embodiment 3: The string as in any prior embodiment, wherein the hydraulic releaser locks the upper and lower completions together until released.
Embodiment 4: The string as in any prior embodiment, wherein upon release of the hydraulic release the upper completion is movable both in the uphole direction and downhole direction from the position where the upper completion was locked by the hydraulic releaser.
Embodiment 5: The string as in any prior embodiment, wherein the hydraulic releaser includes features that axially and rotationally lock the upper and lower completions relative to one another.
Embodiment 6: The string as in any prior embodiment, wherein the lower completion further includes a wellbore isolation valve.
Embodiment 7: The string as in any prior embodiment, wherein the hydraulic releaser is responsive to differential pressure inside the completion relative to pressure outside of the completion.
Embodiment 8: The string as in any prior embodiment, wherein the upper completion is configured to be permanently installed in a wellbore.
Embodiment 9: The string as in any prior embodiment, further comprising a lower completion tubing valve assembly that includes a one-way profile to open a valve of the assembly and a distinct valve profile to close the valve.
Embodiment 10: A method for completing a well, including running the completion string as in any prior embodiment in a borehole, establishing pressure integrity, applying tubing pressure to release the hydraulic releaser, and shifting the valve.
Embodiment 11: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the establishing pressure integrity includes dropping an object and seating the object in a seat in the lower completion.
Embodiment 12: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the applying pressure further includes setting a lower completion anchor.
Embodiment 13: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the shifting includes picking up on the upper completion.
Embodiment 14: The method as in any prior embodiment, further comprising landing a tubing hanger.
Embodiment 15: The method as in any prior embodiment, further including setting an upper completion packer with applied tubing pressure.
Embodiment 16: A method for completing a well, including running an upper completion connected to a lower completion into a borehole, releasing a hydraulic releaser with applied tubing pressure, and shifting a valve in the lower completion with movement of the upper completion.
Embodiment 17: The method as in any prior embodiment, further including permanently installing the upper completion in the well.
Embodiment 18: A wellbore system, including a borehole in a subsurface formation, an upper completion and a lower completion in the borehole, a hydraulic releaser connecting the upper completion to the lower completion, the hydraulic releaser being responsive to applied tubing pressure to releaser the upper completion from the lower completion.
Embodiment 19: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the upper completion includes a shifting tool and the lower completion includes a valve responsive to the shifting tool.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of +8% of a given value.
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a borehole, and/or equipment in the borehole, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
