DELAYED OPENING WELLBORE TUBULAR PORT CLOSURE

• US 20120111574A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Packers Plus Energy Services (USA), Inc.
• Original Assignee: Packers Plus Energy Services (USA), Inc.
• Inventors: DESRANLEAU, CHRISTOPHER DENIS, THEMIG, DANIEL JON, RADTKE, CAMERON, ADDY, RYAN FREDRICK
• Granted Patent: US 8,931,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/06 Sleeve valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/102 with means for locking the closing element in open or closed position E21B34/105 and E21B34/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/103 with a shear pin
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/108 with time delay systems, e.g. hydraulic impedance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/142 unsupported or free-falling elements, e.g. balls, plugs, darts or pistons

Abstract

A wellbore tubular port closure system includes a mechanism to delay the opening of the port after the port closure has been actuated to open. A method and apparatus incorporate the wellbore tubular port closure system with a port opening delay mechanism configured to act after actuation of the pressure responsive mechanism to delay full movement of the port-closure to the port-open position until after a selected time has lapsed.

Claims

1. A wellbore tubular port closure assembly comprises:

a tubular housing including a wall defining an inner bore;

a port through the wall of the tubular housing;

a closure for the port, the closure having a port-closed position wherein the port is closed to fluid flow therethrough and the closure being actuable to move to a port-open position, wherein the port is exposed for fluid flow therethrough;

a pressure driven mechanism for actuating the closure to an active position where the closure can move from the port-closed position to the port-open position; and

a port opening delay mechanism configured to act after actuation of the pressure responsive mechanism to resist movement of the closure to the port-open position, wherein arrival at the port-open position is delayed until after a selected time has lapsed.

2. The wellbore tubular port closure assembly of claim 1 wherein the closure is a sleeve valve slidable through the tubular housing in response to a pressure differential across piston faces of the sleeve valve.

3. The wellbore tubular port closure assembly of claim 2 wherein the sleeve valve is activated to move by generating the pressure differential between a piston face open to the inner bore and a piston face open to the wall outer surface.

4. The wellbore tubular port closure assembly of claim 1 wherein the closure is a sleeve valve slidable through the tubular housing in response to manipulation by a pressure driven tool passing through the inner more in proximity to the sleeve valve.

5. The wellbore tubular port closure assembly of claim 4 wherein the sleeve valve includes a plug-catching seat and the pressure driven tool is a plug selected to land in the plug-catching seat.

6. The wellbore tubular port closure assembly of claim 1 wherein the port opening delay mechanism includes a hydraulic chamber having a volume dependent on the position of the closure and a metering valve for slowing movement of hydraulic fluid into or out of the hydraulic chamber as the volume is changed by movement of the closure.

7. The wellbore tubular port closure assembly of claim 1 further comprising a driver incorporated in the assembly to apply an opening force to the closure after the closure is activated to open, the opening force being resisted by the port opening delay mechanism.

8. A sleeve valve assembly comprises:

a tubular housing;

a port through the wall of the tubular housing, a sleeve valve installed in the tubular housing and being moveable within the tubular housing from a port-closed position covering the port to a port-open position exposing the port to fluid flow therethrough;

a releasable lock holding the sleeve valve in the port-closed position and actuable to release the sleeve valve for movement;

a driver for applying a force to the sleeve valve to drive the sleeve valve from the port-closed position to the port-open position; and

a sleeve valve movement delay mechanism configured after actuation of the releasable lock to delay movement of the sleeve valve into the port-open position until after a selected time has lapsed.

9. The sleeve valve assembly of claim 8 wherein the releasable lock is releasable in response to a pressure differential.

10. The sleeve valve assembly of claim 8 wherein the releasable lock is released by a release mechanism including an activation sleeve including a plug-catching seat sized to retain and create a seal with a pressure conveyed plug.

11. The sleeve valve assembly of claim 8 wherein the seat is deformable and the plug, after landing on the seat and operating the release mechanism passes through the seat.

12. The sleeve valve assembly of claim 8 wherein the driver is selected from the group consisting of a spring, a pair of pistons across which a pressure differential is generated and a pressure charge.

13. The sleeve valve assembly of claim 8 wherein the port opening delay mechanism includes a hydraulic chamber having a volume dependent on the position of the closure and a metering valve for slowing movement of hydraulic fluid into or out of the hydraulic chamber as the volume is changed by movement of the closure.

14. The sleeve valve assembly of claim 8 wherein the releasable lock includes a lock ring engaged between the sleeve valve and an activation sleeve, the activation sleeve including a plug-catching seat sized to retain and create a seal with a pressure conveyed plug to release the activation sleeve and release the lock ring from engagement with the sleeve valve;

and the port opening delay mechanism includes a first hydraulic chamber and a second hydraulic chamber separated by a metering valve, the metering valve being moveable to increase the volume of the first hydraulic chamber and decrease the volume of the second hydraulic chamber when the sleeve valve moves toward the port-open position.

15. A wellbore tubing string apparatus comprising:

a tubing string having a wall and defining a long axis and an inner bore;

a first port extending through the wall of the tubing string;

a first closure for the first port, the first closure maintaining the first port in a port-closed condition sealing against fluid flow through the first port and being actuable to an opened condition exposing the first port to fluid flow from the inner bore;

a second port extending through the wall of the tubing string, the second port offset from the first port along the long axis of the tubing string;

a second closure for the second port, the second closure maintaining the second port in a port-closed condition sealing against fluid flow through the second port and being actuable to an opened condition exposing the second port to fluid flow from the inner bore;

a pressure driven tool moveable through the tubing string inner bore to actuate the first closure and the second closure to assume active positions where the first closure and the second closure can move from their port-closed positions to their port-open positions; and

a port opening delay mechanism configured to act after actuation by the pressure driven tool to resist movement of the first closure such that opening of the first port to fluid flow therethrough is delayed until after a selected time has lapsed.

16. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 15 wherein the selected time is at least as long as it a travel time for the pressure driven tool to move from the first closure to the second closure.

17. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second closure moves to the port-open position as soon as the pressure driven tool actuates the second closure.

18. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first closure includes a deformable seat formed to temporality catch and seal with the pressure driven tool to generate a pressure driven force to actuate the first closure and the deformable seat thereafter yields to release the pressure driven tool.

19. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 15 wherein the pressure driven tool is a plug.

20. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second closure includes a seat formed to catch and seal with the pressure driven tool to generate a pressure driven force to actuate the second closure and drive it to the port-open position.

21. A wellbore tubing string apparatus comprising:

a tubing string having a wall and defining a long axis and an inner bore;

a first port extending through the wall of the tubing string;

a first sleeve valve mounted over the first port in a port-closed position, the first sleeve valve being moveable relative to the first port between the port-closed position and a port-open position permitting fluid flow through the first port from the tubing string inner bore;

a second port extending through the wall of the tubing string, the second port offset from the first port along the long axis of the tubing string;

a second sleeve valve mounted over the second port in a port-closed position, the second sleeve valve being moveable relative to the second port between the port-closed position and a port-open position permitting fluid flow through the second port from the tubing string inner bore;

a releasable lock holding the first sleeve valve in the port-closed position and actuable to release the first sleeve valve for movement;

a driver for applying a force to the first sleeve valve to drive the first sleeve valve from the port-closed position to the port-open position; and

a sleeve valve movement delay mechanism configured after actuation of the releasable lock to slow movement of the first sleeve valve into the port-open position until after a selected time has lapsed.

22. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 21 wherein the driver is selected from the group consisting of a spring, a pair of pistons across which a pressure differential is generated and a pressure charge.

23. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

a releasable lock holding the second sleeve valve in the port-closed position and actuable to release the second sleeve valve for movement;

a driver for applying a force to the second sleeve valve to drive the second sleeve valve from the port-closed position to the port-open position; and

a sleeve valve movement delay mechanism configured after actuation of the releasable lock to slow movement of the second sleeve valve into the port-open position until after a second selected time has lapsed, the second selected time being approximately the same as the selected time of the delay for the first sleeve valve.

24. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 21 wherein the closure is a sleeve valve slidable through the tubular housing in response to a pressure differential across piston faces of the sleeve valve.

25. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 24 wherein the sleeve valve is activated to move by generating the pressure differential between a piston face open to the inner bore and a piston face open to the wall outer surface.

26. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 21 wherein the closure is a sleeve valve slidable through the tubular housing in response to manipulation by a pressure driven tool passing through the inner more in proximity to the sleeve valve.

27. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 26 wherein the sleeve valve includes a plug-catching seat and the pressure driven tool is a plug selected to land in the plug-catching seat.

28. The wellbore tubing string apparatus of claim 21 wherein the port opening delay mechanism includes a hydraulic chamber having a volume dependent on the position of the closure and a metering valve for slowing movement of hydraulic fluid into or out of the hydraulic chamber as the volume is changed by movement of the closure.

29. A method for opening fluid flow ports in a tubing string installed in a wellbore, the tubing string having a wall and defining a long axis and an inner bore;

a first port extending through the wall of the tubing string;

a first sleeve valve mounted over the first port in a port-closed position, the first sleeve valve being moveable relative to the first port between the port-closed position and a port-open position permitting fluid flow through the first port from the tubing string inner bore;

a second port extending through the wall of the tubing string, the second port offset from the first port along the long axis of the tubing string;

a second sleeve valve mounted over the second port in a port-closed position, the second sleeve valve being moveable relative to the second port between the port-closed position and a port-open position permitting fluid flow through the second port from the tubing string inner bore, the method comprising;

introducing a tool to the tubing string;

forcing the tool through the tubing string, past the first sleeve valve and to the second sleeve valve using fluid pressure, the tool actuating the first sleeve valve and the second sleeve valve to be released for movement from their port-closed positions to their port-open positions; and

providing resistance to movement of the first sleeve valve such that the first sleeve valve fails to reach the port-open position until after the tool reaches a ball stop position.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the ball stop position is a seat of the second sleeve valve.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein providing resistance includes operating a sleeve valve movement delay mechanism to resist a driving force urging the first sleeve valve open.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein providing resistance includes metering evacuation of fluid from a chamber with a volume being reduced by movement of the first sleeve valve.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein actuating the first sleeve valve includes landing the tool in an activation sleeve to remove a releasable lock and expelling the tool from the activation sleeve to continue on to the ball stop position.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising applying a driving force to the first sleeve valve.

35. A method for opening fluid flow ports in a tubing string, a tubing string having a wall and defining a long axis and an inner bore;

a first port extending through the wall of the tubing string;

a first sleeve valve mounted over the first port in a port-closed position, the first sleeve valve being moveable relative to the first port between the port-closed position and a port-open position permitting fluid flow through the first port from the tubing string inner bore;

a second port extending through the wall of the tubing string, the second port offset from the first port along the long axis of the tubing string;

a second sleeve valve mounted over the second port in a port-closed position, the second sleeve valve being moveable relative to the second port between the port-closed position and a port-open position permitting fluid flow through the second port from the tubing string inner bore, the method comprising;

actuating the first sleeve valve and the second sleeve valve to be released for movement from their port-closed positions to their port-open positions; and

applying a resisting force to the first sleeve valve such that the first sleeve valve moves at a slower rate toward the port-closed position than if the resisting force was not applied.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein applying a resisting force includes operating a sleeve valve movement delay mechanism to resist a driving force urging the first sleeve valve open.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein applying a resisting force includes metering evacuation of fluid from a chamber with a volume being reduced by movement of the first sleeve valve.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein actuating the first sleeve valve includes landing a pressure conveyed tool in a seat of the first sleeve valve to apply pressure to the sleeve and release it for movement, and actuating the second sleeve valve includes landing the pressure conveyed tool in a seat of the second sleeve valve to apply pressure to the second sleeve valve sleeve and release the second sleeve valve for movement.