System and Method to Control Multiple Tools Through One Control Line

• US 20050087344A1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Jokela, Timo, Ross, Donald W., Raw, Ian, Toekje, Jarle, Trittschuh, Jennifer E., Jonas, Jason K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,306,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/375
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/004 Indexing systems for guiding relative movement between telescoping parts of downhole tools
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/10 operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole

Abstract

The invention is a system and method a system used to control multiple downhole tools with one control line. The downhole tools may comprise any hydraulically actuated tools, such as valves, packers, or perforating guns. Each tool is associated with an indexer, in one embodiment, so that the tools can be operated in concert and as a system.

Claims

1. A system to control a plurality of valve systems deployed in a wellbore, comprising:

a plurality of flow control devices;

an indexer functionally connected to each flow control device;

a hydraulic control line in fluid communication with each indexer;

wherein the indexers of the flow control devices are configured so that the flow control devices can be controlled in concert by changing the pressure in the hydraulic control line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one packer is in fluid communication with the control line and wherein the at least one packer is actuated by a change in pressure in the control line.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a plurality of packers are in fluid communication with the control line and wherein the packers are actuated by a change in pressure in the control line.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the packers hydraulically isolate a plurality of formations intersected by the wellbore.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each flow control device is associated with a formation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a part of a sensor system is deployed in the control line.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor system comprises an optical fiber and the optical fiber is deployed in the control line.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor system senses distributed temperature.

9. A system to control a plurality of downhole tools in a wellbore, comprising:

a plurality of downhole tools;

an indexer functionally connected to at least two of the downhole tools;

a hydraulic control line in fluid communication with each indexer;

wherein the indexers of the downhole tools are configured so that the downhole tools can be controlled in concert by changing the pressure in the hydraulic control line.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the downhole tools comprise at least one packer.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the downhole tools comprise at least one flow control device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the downhole tools comprise at least one perforating gun.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the downhole tools comprise at least one safety valve.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein at least a part of a sensor system is deployed in the control line.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor system comprises an optical fiber and the optical fiber is deployed in the control line.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor system senses distributed temperature.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein different pressure settings in the control line control line control a different one of the downhole tools.

18. A method to control a plurality of downhole tools in a wellbore, comprising:

deploying a plurality of downhole tools in the wellbore;

functionally connecting an indexer to at least two of the downhole tools;

providing fluid communication between a hydraulic control line and each indexer;

controlling the downhole tools in concert by changing the pressure in the hydraulic control line.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of downhole tools comprise a plurality of flow control device and wherein the controlling step comprises changing the state of at least one of the flow control devices by changing the pressure in the hydraulic control line.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the changing the state step comprises providing fluid communication to a formation.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the controlling step comprises automatically controlling the change in pressure in the hydraulic control line.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the automatically controlling step comprises automatically controlling the change in pressure based on an event.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the event comprises sensing a downhole characteristic.

24. A method to control a plurality of downhole tools in a wellbore, comprising:

deploying a plurality of downhole tools in the wellbore;

providing functional communication between a hydraulic control line and each downhole tool;

controlling the downhole tools in concert by changing the pressure in the hydraulic control line.