Downhole Tool

• US 20120279723A1
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peak Completion Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Peak Completion Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Hofman, Raymond, Muscroft, William Sloane
• Granted Patent: US 9,133,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/06 Sleeve valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/063 Valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc E21B34/103 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A downhole tool comprising an inner sleeve with a plurality of sleeve ports and a housing positioned radially outwardly of the inner sleeve and having a plurality of housing ports, with the housing and inner sleeve partially defining a space radially therebetween. The space is occupied by a shifting sleeve. A fluid path extends between the interior flowpath of the tool and the space. A fluid control device, occupies at least portion of the fluid path, and may selectively permit fluid flow, and thus pressure communication, into the space to cause a differential pressure across the shifting sleeve. When a sufficient differential pressure is reached, the shifting sleeve is moved from a first position to a second position, which opens the communication paths through the housing and sleeve ports between the interior flowpath and exterior of the tool.

Claims

1. A downhole tool having an interior flowpath and an exterior, the downhole tool comprising:

an inner sleeve;

a housing positioned outwardly of said inner sleeve, said housing and said inner sleeve partially defining a first space therebetween;

a shifting sleeve occupying a portion of said space; and

wherein said shifting sleeve is selectively moveable from a first position to a second position in response to a predetermined fluid pressure in said interior flowpath.

2. The downhole tool of claim 1 wherein said space comprises an upper pressure chamber at least partially defined by said shifting sleeve.

3. The downhole tool of claim 2 wherein said space further comprises a lower pressure chamber at least partially defined by said shifting sleeve.

4. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising a top connection having a first surface partially defining said space.

5. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising a bottom connection having a second surface partially defining said space.

6. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising a second space adjacent to the shifting sleeve, said second space being in fluid isolation from the first space, and said second space at least partially defined by the shifting sleeve.

7. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising a control device wherein said control device prevents movement of the sleeve until an internal flowpath pressure exceeds a predetermined value.

8. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising a control device wherein said control device prevents actuation of the downhole tool until a pressure differential across the shifting sleeve exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The downhole tool of claim 1 further comprising a fluid control device.

10. The downhole tool of claim 9 wherein said fluid control device is a burst disk.

11. A device for use with tubing in a well for oil, gas, or other hydrocarbons, the tubing having a closed end wherein it is desirable to open the end, said device comprising;

at least one shifting sleeve mounted within the tubing adjacent to the closed end;

an enclosure mounted within the tubing for receiving the shifting sleeve;

wherein said enclosure prevents fluid communication from an interior flowpath of the tubing to a first surface of the shifting sleeve below a first interior flowpath pressure, and allows fluid communication from the interior flowpath of the tubing to the first surface of the shifting sleeve above a second flowpath pressure; and

wherein the shifting sleeve is shiftable in response to fluid communication between the interior flowpath and the first surface of the shifting sleeve.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said second pressure is lower than said first pressure.

13. The device of claim 11 further comprising an enclosure flow path and a fluid control device, wherein said fluid control device is positioned in the enclosure flow path to prevent fluid communication between the interior flowpath and at least one surface of the shifting sleeve below said first interior flowpath pressure.

14. The device of claim 11 further comprising a fluid control device, wherein the fluid control device prevents fluid communication between the interior flowpath and at least one surface of the shifting sleeve.

15. The device of claim 11 further comprising a burst disk.

16. The device of claim 11 further comprising a shear pin wherein said shear pin is configured to prevent movement of the shifting sleeve in at least one direction.

17. The device of claim 11 further comprising a locking member wherein said locking member is engageable with said shifting sleeve.

18. The device of claim 11 wherein the tubing further comprising at least one port from the exterior of said tubing.

19. A downhole tool having an interior flowpath and an exterior, the downhole tool comprising:

an inner sleeve having a plurality of sleeve ports therethrough;

a housing positioned radially outwardly of said inner sleeve and having a plurality of housing ports therethrough, said housing and said inner sleeve partially defining a space radially therebetween;

a shifting sleeve occupying a portion of said space; and

said inner sleeve preventing fluid communication between said interior flowpath and said shifting sleeve below a pre-determined pressure of the interior flowpath.

20. A device for use with tubing in a well for oil, gas or other hydrocarbons, said tubing having a closed end wherein it is desirable to open the end, said device comprising;

an outer housing adjacent to the closed end, said housing having at least one port therethrough;

at least one shifting sleeve mounted within the tubing, said shifting sleeve having a first position and a second position;

a pressure chamber in fluid communication with said at least one shifting sleeve;

wherein, in the first position, the shifting sleeve prevents fluid communication through the at least one port from an interior flowpath to the exterior of the tubing and, in the second position, the shifting sleeve allows fluid communication through said plurality of ports from the interior flowpath the exterior of the tubing; and

the shifting sleeve is moveable from the first position to the second position in response to a predetermined interior flowpath pressure that is greater than the pressure chamber pressure.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising a control member, wherein said control member prevents the shifting sleeve from moving to the second position until a predetermined event has occurred.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein the predetermined event is selected from the group consisting of an internal flowpath pressure having at least a certain value, exposure to an acid, or an electromagnetic signal.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein the control device is attached to the shifting sleeve.

24. The device of claim 20 wherein the control device is a shear pin.

25. The device of claim 20 wherein the control device is a fluid control device.

26. The device of claim 20 where in the control device is a burst disk.

27. A method for treating a well for oil, gas, or other hydrocarbons, said well containing a device having an interior flowpath and an exterior, the device comprising:

an inner sleeve;

a housing positioned outwardly of said inner sleeve, said housing and said inner sleeve partially defining a first space therebetween;

an interior flowpath; and

a shifting sleeve occupying a portion of said space;

the method comprising, applying hydraulic pressure to the interior flowpath and causing shifting sleeve to move from a first position to a second position.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said device further comprises at least one port through said housing;

and

further wherein flow through said at least one port is prevented when the shifting sleeve is in the first position, and flow through said at least one port is permitted when said shifting sleeve is in the second position.

29. The method of claim 27, said method further comprising a first pressure cycle having a first maximum pressure, and a second pressure cycle having a second maximum pressure;

wherein said first maximum pressure is below the pressure necessary to move the shifting sleeve from the first position to the second position, and the second maximum pressure is above the pressure necessary to move the shifting sleeve from the first position to the second position.

30. A method for treating a well for oil, gas, or other hydrocarbons, said well containing a device having an interior flowpath and an exterior, the device comprising an outer housing, said housing having at least one port therethrough;

at least one shifting sleeve mounted within the tubing, said shifting sleeve having a first position and a second position;

a pressure chamber in fluid communication with said at least one shifting sleeve.

wherein, the interior flowpath is not in fluid communication with the exterior when the shifting sleeve is in the first position, and the interior flowpath is in fluid communication with the exterior when the shifting sleeve is in the second position; and

the shifting sleeve is moveable from the first position to the second position in response to a predetermined interior flowpath pressure that is greater than the pressure chamber pressure; and

the method comprising use of hydraulic pressure to move the shifting sleeve from the first position to the second position.

31. The method of claim 30, said method further comprising a first pressure cycle having a first maximum pressure, and a second pressure cycle having a second maximum pressure;

wherein said first maximum pressure is below the pressure necessary to move the shifting sleeve from the first position to the second position, and the second maximum pressure is above the pressure necessary to move the shifting sleeve from the first position to the second position.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the device further comprises a burst disk and the second maximum pressure ruptures the burst disk.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the device further comprises a shear pin and the second maximum pressure is sufficient to shear the shear pin.

34. A downhole tool having an interior flowpath and an exterior, the downhole tool comprising:

a sleeve;

a housing positioned radially outwardly of said first sleeve, said housing and said sleeve partially defining a space at least partially radially therebetween and having at least one pressure chamber isolated from the interior flowpath;

wherein said sleeve is selectively moveable from a first position to a second position in response to the predetermined fluid pressure in said interior flowpath that is communicated into said space.

35. The downhole tool of claim 34 further comprising a top connection partially defining said space.

36. The downhole tool of claim 34 further comprising a bottom connection partially defining said space.