1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the design of sliding sleeve valve tools.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wellbore tools have been developed that are operated by a ball or plug that is dropped into the tool and landed on a seat within the tool. The ball or plug serves to increase pressure and/or to redirect fluid flow through the tool in order to operate the tool. is Tools of this type include circulation valves which are used to selectively open and close lateral fluid flow ports in a tool sub to permit fluid flowing axially through the tool to be diverted into the surrounding flowbore.
Jet sub tools are sliding sleeve tools that are used to clean the interior of a blowout preventer or other tubular member. Jet sub tools of this type are available commercially and include the Wellbore Cleanup-Wellbore Clean Out Full Function Valve, which is available from Baker Hughes Incorporated of Houston, Tex.. Tools of this type are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,954,555 issued to Ashy et al. The Ashy et al. patent is owned by the Assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The parent application to this one describes tools that operate by using balls or plugs of different sizes. The parent application to this application is U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/826,020 filed Jun. 29, 2010 (U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2011-0315389), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The invention provides sliding sleeve devices and methods for use wherein a sliding sleeve valve is provided that permits selective lateral fluid communication through the valve as well as axial flow through the valve that can be blocked when lateral flow occurs. This feature permits the valve to be used, for example, as an effective device for cleaning of tubular members using lateral fluid jets.
In a described embodiment, a valve in accordance with the present invention includes a housing with an axial flowbore and one or more lateral flow ports that permit fluid communication between the flowbore and the area radially surrounding the housing. Upper and lower sliding sleeves are moveably disposed within the flowbore. The lower sliding sleeve is split into upper and lower sleeve halves that are connected by frangible shear members. The lower sliding sleeve presents a ball seat that is shaped and sized to receive and retain a first, smaller ball. The upper sliding sleeve presents a ball seat that is shaped and sized to receive and retain a second, larger ball but will permit the first ball to pass through. Landing of the first and second balls onto the ball seats and fluid pressure behind them causes the upper and lower sliding sleeves to be moved axially within the flowbore. In addition, landing the first ball causes the sleeve halves of the lower sliding sleeve to be shifted.
A fluid bypass mechanism that permits fluid to flow axially around the first and second balls is provided by diametrical enlargements in the flowbore and fluid flow openings in the upper and lower sliding sleeves or sliding sleeve assembly. The fluid bypass mechanism is opened as the upper and lower sliding sleeves are shifted within the flowbore.
According to an exemplary method of operation, the sliding sleeve valve is run into a wellbore or other tubular in a run-in position wherein the flowbore is unblocked and axial fluid flow passes through the valve housing while lateral flow through the lateral flow ports is blocked. Landing the first ball upon the ball seat formed upon the lower sliding sleeve of the valve will block axial fluid flow through the valve housing and open the lateral fluid flow ports to allow lateral fluid flow. Landing the second ball upon the ball seal formed upon the upper sliding sleeve of the valve will again block lateral fluid flow and open the valve to axial fluid flow.
An alternative embodiment for the valve is described wherein there is a single sliding sleeve which is made up of upper and lower sleeve halves. The upper sleeve half carries ball seats that are capable of seating both the first, smaller and second, larger balls.
For a thorough understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or similar elements throughout the several figures of the drawings and wherein:
The flowbore 18 of the housing includes upper and lower enlarged diameter portions 24 and 26. In addition, the flowbore 18 includes a reduced diameter lower portion 28. A stop shoulder 30 is provided at the upper end of the lower portion 28. At least one lateral fluid flow port 32 is disposed through the housing 12. In particular embodiments, there are several lateral fluid flow ports 32. Also in particular embodiments, the lateral fluid flow ports 32 are located axially between the upper and lower enlarged diameter portions 24, 26.
An upper sliding sleeve 34 is located within the flowbore 18. The upper sliding sleeve 34 is preferably releasably secured to an initial position, shown in
A lower sliding sleeve 46 is also disposed within the flowbore 18. The lower sliding sleeve 46 is made up of upper and lower sleeve halves 48, 50 which are telescopically moveable with respect to each other and releasably affixed to each other by frangible shear members 52. The upper sleeve half 48 presents a ball seat 54 at it upper end. Lateral flow openings 56 are disposed through the upper sleeve half 48. In the depicted embodiment, the lateral flow openings 56 are located axially below the ball seat 54.
The lower sleeve half 50 defines a chamber 58 within and is releasably secured to the housing 18 via frangible shear members 60. The lower end 62 of the upper sleeve half 48 is disposed within the chamber 58 of the lower sleeve half 50. When the upper and lower sleeve halves 48, 50 are connected by the shear members 52, a gap 64 is defined between the lower end of the upper sleeve half 48 and the lower end of the chamber 58. It is noted that the shear members 52 are designed to rupture at a lower shear force than the shear members 36 and 60.
If it desired to restore axial fluid flow through the valve 10, this is done by landing a second ball 68 onto the ball seat 38 of the upper sliding sleeve 34 (
In operation, the valve 80 is run into a surrounding tubular in the run-in position shown in
When it is desired to reinstate axial flow through the valve 80 and again block lateral fluid flow, second ball 68 is landed upon the ball seat 38. Fluid pressure behind the second ball 68 will rupture the shear members 60 and move the sliding sleeve assembly 82 axially downwardly within the flowbore 18 until the lower end of the lower sleeve portion 50 contacts the stop shoulder 30 within the flowbore 18, as depicted in
Broadly, sliding sleeve valves constructed in accordance with the present invention include a housing 12 with an axial flowbore 18 defined along the length of the housing and at least one lateral fluid flow port 32 disposed through the housing which permits fluid communication between the flowbore 18 and an area radially surrounding the housing 12. In addition, valves constructed in accordance with the present invention include at least one sliding sleeve member that is disposed within the flowbore and which presents first and second ball seats 38, 54. The at least one sliding sleeve member could be in the form of upper and lower sliding sleeves 34, 46. Alternatively, the at least one sliding sleeve member could take the form of sliding sleeve assembly 82. The first ball seat 54 is shaped and sized to receive and retain a first ball 66. The second ball seat 38 is shaped and sized to receive and retain a second ball 68 but will allow the first ball 66 to pass through.
According to exemplary methods of operation, a valve constructed in accordance with the present invention can be operated to move from an initial position, wherein axial flow through the valve is permitted, but lateral fluid flow through the valve is blocked, to a to second position, wherein lateral flow through the valve is permitted but axial flow through the valve is blocked. In addition, the valve can be moved from the second position to a third position wherein axial flow through the valve is permitted, but lateral fluid flow through the valve is blocked. In described embodiments, the valve is moved from the first position to the second position by the first ball and is moved from the second position to the third position by the second ball.
A fluid bypass mechanism that permits fluid to flow axially around the first and second balls is provided by diametrical enlargements 24, 26 in the flowbore 18 and fluid flow openings 40, 44, 56 in the upper and lower sliding sleeve. The fluid bypass mechanism is opened as the upper and lower sliding sleeves 34, 46 are shifted within the flowbore 18.
A sliding sleeve valve constructed in accordance with the present invention can be used, for example, as a cleaning apparatus for a blowout preventer (BOP) or other tubular member. Valves in accordance with the present invention are particularly useful for this application since they close off axial flow through the valve while lateral flow is occurring, thereby allowing for greater fluid cleaning force from the lateral flow ports. In addition, sliding sleeve valves constructed in accordance with the present invention could be used as a circulation valve within a wellbore. It is noted as well that, while spherical balls 66 and 68 are depicted in the described embodiment, one could also use non-spherical plugs or other members of various shapes, and such should be considered to be within the scope of the term “ball” in the claims which follow.
Those of skill in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and changes may be made to the exemplary designs and embodiments described herein and that the invention is limited only by the claims that follow and any equivalents thereof.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/826,020 filed Jun. 29, 2010.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12826020 | Jun 2010 | US |
Child | 13633957 | US |