Patent Application
20090114393
Hydrocarbon fluids such as oil and natural gas are obtained from subterranean geological formations, which are referred to as reservoirs. To recover hydrocarbons from a reservoir, a well that penetrates the reservoir is drilled. After the well is drilled, it must be completed before hydrocarbons can be produced.
A well completion involves the design, selection, and installation of equipment in or around the wellbore for conveying, pumping, or controlling production or injection of fluids into the wellbore. After the well is completed production of hydrocarbons can commence.
Sometimes, multiple hydrocarbon bearing zones are intersected by a drilled wellbore. As such, when a tubular is deployed within the wellbore, it may be desirable to by-pass upper hydrocarbon bearing zones and deliver fluid directly to a lower hydrocarbon bearing zone. A need exists, therefore, for an apparatus that can facilitate the direct flow of fluid to the lower hydrocarbon bearing zone while still allowing in flow from an upper hydrocarbon bearing zone.
Apparatus for multi-zone wellbores that can by-pass upper hydrocarbon bearing zones and deliver fluid to lower hydrocarbon bearing zones, and methods for using the same are provided. In at least one specific embodiment, the apparatus can include at least one housing, and at least one port formed through the housing. An inner sleeve can be positioned within the housing. At least one cavity can be radially disposed on an outer diameter of the inner sleeve, and each cavity can be located within an annulus formed between the inner sleeve and the housing. A ball can be disposed within each cavity, and the ball can be adapted to selectively engage the port.
In at least one specific embodiment, the method comprises locating a fluid delivery system into a wellbore. The fluid delivery system comprises a tubing string; a flow diverter valve; and a delivery device. The flow diverter valve comprises at least one housing; at least one port formed through the housing; an inner sleeve positioned within the housing; at least one cavity radially disposed on an outer diameter of the inner sleeve, wherein each cavity is located within an annulus formed between the inner sleeve and the housing; and a ball disposed within each cavity, wherein the ball is adapted to selectively engage the port. The delivery device is positioned adjacent to a lower hydrocarbon bearing zone, and a fluid is provided into the tubing string. The fluid flow causes the balls to engage the ports thereby preventing fluid flow from the housing.
So that the recited features can be understood in detail, a more particular description, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to one or more embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
As used herein, the terms “up” and “down”; “upper” and “lower”; “upwardly” and “downwardly”; “upstream” and “downstream”; and other like terms are merely used for convenience to depict spatial orientations or spatial relationships relative to one another in a vertical wellbore. However, when applied to equipment and methods for use in wellbores that are deviated or horizontal, it is understood to those of ordinary skill in the art that such terms are intended to refer to a left to right, right to left, or other spatial relationship as appropriate.
Each port 120 can be a hole or extrusion formed through the wall of the housing 110. The cross section of each port 120 can be any shape and size conducive to regulate flow therethrough. For example, the port 120 can have a circular, squared, rectangular, triangular, or any other polygonal shaped cross section. Each port 120 can have the same shape and/or size, or each port 120 can differ.
An insert 125 can be disposed within each port 120. The insert 125 can be any shape and size body that can be inserted inside the port 120 and held in place by screws, threads or tight fit. The outside diameter of the insert 125 may or may not confirm to the outside diameter of the housing 110. The insert 125 can engage the inner diameter or bottom face of the port 120 to form a thread sealing, metal to metal sealing, or an O-ring sealing arrangement. In one or more embodiments, the insert 125 may also be large enough to contain multiple ports 120 within it and can be mounted inside a large slot (not shown) in the housing 110, with a sealing surface provided between the slot and the insert 125 by a thread sealing, a metal to metal sealing, or an O-ring sealing arrangement.
A seat 130 can be formed in the insert 125 to provide a sealing surface for a ball 140. The seat 130 can simply be a tapered or profiled hole formed in the insert 125. Each seat 130 can be centrally located on the insert 125 and can allow fluid to pass therethrough when not engaged with a ball 140. Likewise, no fluid can pass through the hole of the insert 125 when the ball 140 is sealingly engaged against the seat 130. The seat 130 is preferably tapered or profiled to conform to the outer diameter of the ball 140.
The inner sleeve 150 can be concentrically disposed within the bore 115 of the housing 110. One or more slots 155 can be formed into the exterior of the inner sleeve 150. The slots 155 can be axially disposed about the sleeve 150 and equally spaced about the diameter thereof. The slots 155 can allow for fluid to pass therethrough, however, the slots 155 can have a smaller slot width than the diameter of the balls 140, thereby, blocking the balls 140 from passing into the bore 152 of the sleeve 150.
The inner sleeve 150 and the housing 110 form an annulus 160 therebetween. One or more cavities 170 or channels can be disposed within the annulus 160. Each cavity 170 can be formed by an extension or protrusion that is disposed radially outward from the internal sleeve 150. The cavities 170 can be configured to align with the ports 120 and to provide a housing or cup for the balls 140. During operation, each ball 140 can radially move within its cavity 170 to either seal off the adjoining port 120 in a first position or open the adjoining port 120 in a second position.
When fluid pressure within the housing 110 exceeds the pressure outside the housing 110, the balls 140 can engage the port 120 and/or the seat 130, as shown in
In one or more embodiments, the first end of the flow diverter valve 100 can be connected to the upper tubing string 320. The delivery device 340 can be positioned adjacent the second end of the upper flow diverter valve 100. The delivery device 340 can simply be a mandrel or tubular body with holes or ports formed therethrough or any other device used to deliver fluid to a subterranean hydrocarbon bearing zone, such as the second hydrocarbon bearing zone 312. In one or more embodiments, an illustrative delivery device 340 can be wash pipe.
In one or more embodiments, the upper tubing string 320 can have a length sufficient to position the flow diverter valve 100 adjacent or proximate to the first hydrocarbon bearing zone 310. The length of the delivery device 340 can be sufficient such that it is positioned adjacent to or proximate to the second hydrocarbon bearing zone 312. In one or more embodiments, a spacer string, such as tubing, can be disposed between the flow diverter valve 100 and the delivery device 340 to increase the length of the delivery device 340. The length of the fluid delivery system 300 can be predetermined using logging information and other downhole data.
The fluid delivery system 300 can further include one or more sealing mechanisms (two are shown 360, 362). The sealing mechanisms 360, 362 can be packers, seals, or other sealing mechanisms capable of sealing the annulus 370 of the wellbore 359. The sealing mechanisms 360, 362 can be used to separate or isolate the wellbore 359 between the first hydrocarbon bearing zone 310 and the second hydrocarbon bearing zone 312. For example, the sealing mechanisms 360, 362 can be positioned along the fluid delivery system 300, such that at least one sealing mechanisms 360, 362 can be positioned above and below each hydrocarbon bearing zone 310, 312.
The fluid delivery system 300 can allow fluid pumped or otherwise provided to the upper tubing string 320 to by-pass the first hydrocarbon bearing zone 310 to the second hydrocarbon bearing zone 312. As fluid flows from the inner bore 322 of the upper tubing string 320 through the valve 100, the pressure within the valve 100 can increase and force the balls 140 to engage the ports 120 and/or seat 130, as depicted in
When the pressure outside the housing 110 is greater than the pressure within the housing 110, the balls 140 will move towards the inner sleeve 150 and the fluid will be allowed to flow through the ports 120 into the housing 110 of the valve 110, as depicted in
Certain embodiments and features have been described using a set of numerical upper limits and a set of numerical lower limits. It should be appreciated that ranges from any lower limit to any upper limit are contemplated unless otherwise indicated. Certain lower limits, upper limits and ranges appear in one or more claims below. All numerical values are “about” or “approximately” the indicated value, and take into account experimental error and variations that would be expected by a person having ordinary skill in the art.
Various terms have been defined above. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined above, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in at least one printed publication or issued patent. Furthermore, all patents, test procedures, and other documents cited in this application are fully incorporated by reference to the extent such disclosure is not inconsistent with this application and for all jurisdictions in which such incorporation is permitted.
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 priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 60/984,579, filed on Nov. 1, 2007, which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60984579 | Nov 2007 | US |
