In a variety of well applications, a toe valve may be positioned along a casing string to enable selective communication between a wellbore and the surrounding reservoir via circumferential flow ports. In a multistage stimulation, for example, a toe valve may be run at the toe of the casing in a closed position. The toe valve is then actuated to open the circumferential flow ports to provide communication between the interior of the casing and the surrounding reservoir. This allows an operator to run perforation guns, plugs, and other tools via wireline in a horizontal section of the wellbore by pumping fluids down through the casing string. The pumped fluids effectively push the tool or tools along the wellbore before exiting the casing through the flow ports of the toe valve. In some subsequent operations, such as sand control, there is a need to sequentially close one set of ports and open a second set of ports covered by a sand screen assembly.
In general, a system and methodology providing improved control of fluid flow between an interior and an exterior of a tubing string. The improved control of fluid is accomplished with a dual sleeve valve system. For purposes of explanation, the dual sleeve valve system is described in the form of a dual sleeve valve system positioned along the tubing string.
However, many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.
Certain embodiments of the disclosure will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying figures illustrate the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various described technologies. The drawings are as follows:
In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.
In the specification and appended claims: the terms “connect,” “connection,” “connected,” “in connection with,” “connecting,” “couple,” “coupled,” “coupled with,” and “coupling” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via another element.” As used herein, the terms “up” and “down,” “upper” and “lower,” “upwardly” and “downwardly,” “upstream” and “downstream,” “uphole” and “downhole,” “above” and “below,” and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe embodiments of the disclosure.
The disclosure herein generally involves a system and methodology providing improved control of fluid flow between an interior and an exterior of a tubing string, e.g. improved communication between a wellbore and a surrounding reservoir. According to an embodiment, a dual sleeve valve system may be positioned along a casing string or other type of tubing string. For purposes of explanation, the dual sleeve valve system is described in the form of a dual sleeve valve system positioned along the tubing string. However, the dual sleeve valve system may have other configurations and may be used in other types of operations or at other locations along a tubing string.
As described in greater detail below, a pressure increase along the interior of the tubing string may be used to initially open one or more fracturing ports of the dual sleeve valve system, thus allowing radial flow between an interior and an exterior of the tubing string. After the initial activation, a drop ball, plug, or similar means may be used to close the fracturing ports and open one or more production ports covered by a sand screen assembly.
A borehole is drilled into a surrounding reservoir, and the dual sleeve valve system 100 controls fluid communication between the tubing string and the surrounding reservoir. In other words, the dual sleeve valve system 100 may be operated to control fluid flow between a bore and an exterior of the tubing string when the tubing string is positioned within a borehole. Depending on the parameters of specific operations, the size, components, and materials used in the construction of tubing string, as well as dual sleeve valve system 100, may be changed or adjusted.
In the illustrated embodiment, the toe valve assembly (102) comprises an outer housing 106 having at least one fracturing port 108 to enable fluid flow between a bore 110 and an exterior of the dual sleeve valve system 100. In some embodiments, the outer housing 106 may comprise a plurality of outer housings, such as an upper housing 112 coupled with an intermediate housing 114 and a lower housing 116. The lower housing 116 may be used to connect the dual sleeve valve system 100 into the overall tubing string. Additionally, the at least one port 108 may comprise a plurality of fracturing ports 108 which allow fluid flow between the bore 110 and the exterior of the dual sleeve valve system 100 and thus between the bore and exterior of the overall tubing string. In some embodiments, the plurality of ports 108 may be oriented in a generally radial direction through the outer housing 106 and may be arranged along a circumference of the outer housing 106.
The toe valve assembly 102 further comprises a toe valve sleeve 118 slidably mounted within the outer housing 106 for movement between a closed position, shown in
The toe valve sleeve 118 may initially be held in the closed position via a chamber system having, for example, an atmospheric chamber 120 connected with a sleeve chamber 122 via at least one passageway 124 initially blocked by a release member 126, e.g. a rupture disc. As shown in
Once sufficient pressure is applied within the bore 110 of the dual sleeve valve system and against the toe valve sleeve 118, the resulting increased pressure of liquid opens the release member 126. For example, if release member 126 is a rupture disc, the interior pressure may be increased to a level sufficient to rupture the rupture disc. Following rupture or other type of release, the liquid is able to flow out of the sleeve chamber 122, through the passageway 124, and into atmospheric chamber 120. A flow restrictor 76 is positioned along passageway 124 to restrict the flow, i.e. the flow rate, of liquid 68 as it moves along the passageway 124 following rupture of rupture disc. Once passageway 124 is open to flow, the liquid is able to flow at a controlled rate through flow restrictor 76, through the open release member 126, and ultimately into atmospheric chamber 120. In some embodiments, other components may be positioned along passageway 124.
The toe valve sleeve 118 continues to move under pressure until it has shifted to an open position in which the fracturing ports 108 are open to flow, as illustrated in
The production assembly 104 includes an outer housing 128 having one or more production ports 130 and one or more screen ports 132 to enable fluid flow between a bore 110 and an exterior of the dual sleeve valve system 100. A sand screen assembly 134 surrounding the outer housing 128 and covering the production ports 130 and the screen ports 132. The sand screen assembly 134 may be a wire wrap or similar assembly capable of reducing an amount of particulates that enter the bore 110 with the reservoir fluid.
The production assembly 104 further includes a production sleeve 136 coupled to a retention assembly 138 via a shear assembly 140, e.g., shear screws, shear ring or similar shearable retainers. In other embodiments, the retention assembly 138 may be omitted and the production sleave 136 may be coupled to the outer housing 128 via the shear assembly 140. The production sleeve 136 includes a seat 142 for a ball or plug, as described in more detail below, and one or more compensation ports 144 sized and positioned to prevent hydraulic lock as the production sleeve 136 is shifted from the closed position shown in
Turning now to
As shown in
Turning now to
As the production sleeve 136 shifts towards the toe valve sleeve 118 and closes the fracturing ports 108, the compensation ports 144 in the production sleeve 136 at least partially align with the screen ports 132 formed in the outer housing 128. This allows fluid within the bore 110 of the toe valve assembly 100 to flow out of the dual sleeve valve assembly 100, preventing hydraulic lock that would otherwise prevent the production sleeve 136 from fully shifting to the position shown in
Although a few embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.
The present document is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/365,384, filed May 26, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2023/023689 | 5/26/2023 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63365384 | May 2022 | US |