Reverse circulation well tool

• US 10,641,052 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Zhou, Shaohua
• Primary Examiner(s): Buck, Matthew R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, Douglas S
• Application Number:
  US16/508,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20190330941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/103 Down-hole by-pass valve arrangements, i.e. between the inside of the drill string and the annulus valves specifically for maintaining circulation of drilling fluid while connecting or disconnecting tubular joints E21B21/019
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/06 Sleeve valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/12 Packers; Plugs used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/127 with inflatable sleeve E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/129 with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/08 Screens or liners expandable screens or liners E21B43/108

Abstract

A crossover sub includes a tubular housing connected to a drill string in a wellbore, a sealing structure to seal against a wellbore wall, and a sleeve valve disposed within the housing and movable between a closed position and an open position in response to a fluid pressure in a first flow chamber or second, separate flow chamber of the housing. The first flow chamber fluidly connects an upper annulus of the wellbore to a central bore of the drill string downhole of the crossover sub. The second flow chamber fluidly connects a central bore of the drill string uphole of the sealing structure to a lower annulus of the wellbore. The sleeve valve closes the second flow chamber in response to the sleeve valve being in the closed position, and opens the second flow chamber in response to the sleeve valve being in the open position.

Claims

1. A well tool, comprising:

a substantially tubular housing configured to be part of a drill string and disposed in a wellbore, the substantially tubular housing comprising a first flow chamber and a second, separate flow chamber; and

a sleeve valve disposed within the substantially tubular housing and selectively movable in an uphole direction to a first, closed position in response to a fluid pressure in the first flow chamber or in the second flow chamber that is below a threshold pressure and selectively movable in a downhole direction to a second, open position in response to the fluid pressure in the first flow chamber or in the second flow chamber that equals or exceeds the threshold pressure and that causes a force to act on an uphole end of the sleeve valve in the downhole direction to move the sleeve valve in the downhole direction;

wherein the first flow chamber fluidly connects an annulus of the wellbore uphole of the well tool to a central bore of the drill string downhole of the well tool, the first flow chamber extending between a first plurality of radial port openings proximate a first longitudinal end of the substantially tubular housing and a downhole central bore of the substantially tubular housing at a second, opposite longitudinal end of the substantially tubular housing;

wherein the second flow chamber fluidly connects a central bore of the drill string uphole of the well tool to the annulus of the wellbore downhole of well tool, the second flow chamber extending between an uphole central bore in the substantially tubular housing at the first longitudinal end and a second plurality of radial port openings proximate the second longitudinal end of the substantially tubular housing; and

wherein the sleeve valve is configured to close the second radial port opening when the sleeve valve is in the first, closed position and to open the second radial port opening when the sleeve valve is in the second, open position.