Low pressure responsive APR tester valve

• US 4,422,506 A
• Filed: 11/05/1980
• Issued: 12/27/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Company
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Company
• Inventors: Beck, Harold K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pate, III, William F.
• Application Number:
  US06/204,100
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 166/374, 166/321, 166/264, 166/324, 166/72
• US Class Current: 166/324
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/04 Ball valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/108 with time delay systems, e.g. hydraulic impedance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/001 specially adapted for underwater installations

Abstract

An annulus pressure responsive tester valve including a pressure assisted isolation valve which includes a pressure differential metering cartridge to control the rate at which the isolation valve returns to the fluid pressure in the annulus between the wellbore and testing string thereby continuously controlling the rate of expansion the inert gas within the gas chamber and the attendant operation of the tester valve regardless of any temperature effect by cold fluids pumped therethrough.

Claims

1. A valve for use in a well testing string located in a wellbore and having a packer arranged for selectively sealing the wellbore isolating that portion of the wellbore above the packer from that portion of the wellbore below the packer to allow the production of fluids from that portion of the wellbore below the packer through said valve in the testing string as well as the introduction of fluids into that portion of the wellbore below the packer through said valve in the testing string, said valve being responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus between the wellbore and the well testing string in that portion of the wellbore above the packer when the packer sealingly engages the wellbore, said valve comprising:

valve section means having a valve means therein in a closed position to prevent the flow of fluid through the well testing string, the valve means being responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus to open the valve means to allow the flow of fluid through the well testing string;

power section means responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus, the power section means having first means therein adapted to move the valve means of the valve section means to the open position and having resilient means therein adapted to return the valve means of the valve section means to the closed position from the open position in response to a change in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus; and

isolation valve means for being continuously responsive substantially without interruption during such time as said valve is located in said wellbore to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus to maintain the resilient means of the power section means at a level of force sufficient to close the valve means of the valve section means regardless of the hydrostatic pressure and temperature of the fluid in the annulus and the pressure ahnd temperature of the fluid in said valve in the testing string.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the valve section means comprises:

adapter means for securing said valve to the testing string;

valve case means secured to the adapter means;

upper valve support means secured within the valve case means;

lower valve support means secured within the valve case means;

ball valve means movably retained between the upper valve support means and the lower valve support means;

ball valve actuation arm means movably secured to the ball valve means to rotate the ball valve means within the upper valve support means and lower valve support means; and

actuation sleeve means engaging the ball valve actuation arm means to move the arm means in response to changes of the pressure of the fluid in the annulus.

3. The valve of claim 1 wherein the power section means comprises:

power case means releasably secured to the valve section means and the isolation valve means;

power mandrel means slidably disposed within the power case means adapted to engage a portion of the valve section means to close the valve means therein;

fluid mandrel means secured within the power case means;

gas-fluid balancing seal means slidably disposed on the fluid mandrel means within the power case means; and

shear ring means releasably secured to the power mandrel means to initially retain the power mandrel means in a first position within the power case means.

4. The valve of claim 1 wherein the isolation valve means comprises:

isolation case means releasably secured to the power section means;

isolation mandrel means secured within the isolation case means;

metering cartridge means retained within the isolation case means on the exterior of the isolation mandrel means;

fluid balancing piston means slidably disposed on the isolation mandrel means within the isolation case means; and

adapter means releasably secured to the isolation case means for releasably securing said valve means to the testing string.

5. The valve of claim 1 wherein the resilient means in the power section means comprises inert compressible gas.

6. The valve of claim 5 wherein the inert compressible gas comprises nitrogen.

7. A valve or use in a well testing string located in a wellbore and having a packer arranged for selectively sealing the wellbore isolating that portion of the wellbore above the packer from that portion of the wellbore below the packer to allow the production of fluids from that portion of the wellbore below the packer through said valve in the testing string as well as the introduction of fluids into that portion of the wellbore below the packer through said valve in the testing string, said valve being responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus between the wellbore and the well testing string in that portion of the wellbore above the packer when the packer sealingly engages the wellbore, said valve comprising:

valve section means having a valve means therein in a closed position to prevent the flow of fluid through the well testing string, the valve means being responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus to open the valve means to allow the flow of fluid through the well testing string, the valve section means including;

adapter means for securing said valve to the testing string;

valve case means secured to the adapter means;

upper valve support means secured within the valve case means;

lower valve support means secured within the valve case means;

ball valve means movably retained between the upper valve support means and the lower valve support means;

ball valve actuation arm means movably secured to the ball valve means to rotate the ball valve means within the upper valve support means and lower valve support means; and

actuation sleeve means engaging the ball valve actuation arm means to move the arm means in response to changes of the pressure of the fluid in the annulus;

power section means responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus, the power section means having first means therein adapted to move the valve means of the valve section means to the open position and having resilient means therein adapted to return the valve means of the valve section means to the closed position from the open position in response to the change in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus, the power section means including;

power case means releasably secured to the valve case means;

power mandrel means slidably disposed within the power case means adapted to engage a portion of the valve section means to close the valve means therein;

fluid mandrel means secured within the power case means;

gas-fluid balancing seal means slidably disposed on the fluid mandrel means within the power case means; and

shear ring means releasably secured to the power mandrel means to initially retain the power mandrel means in a first position within the power case means until the pressure of the fluid in the annulus reaches a predetermined level; and

isolation valve means for being continuously responsive substantially without interruption during such time as said valve is located in said wellbore to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus to maintain the resilient means of the power section means at a level of force sufficient to close the valve means of the valve section means regardless of the hydrostatic pressure and temperature of the fluid in the annulus and the pressure and temperature of the fluid in said valve in the testing string, the isolation valve means including;

isolation case means releasably secured to the power case means;

isolation mandrel means secured within the isolation case means;

metering cartridge means retained within the isolation case means on the exterior of the isolation mandrel means;

fluid balancing piston means slidably disposed on the isolation mandrel means within the isolation case means; and

adapter means releasably secured to the isolation case means for releasably securing said valve means to the testing string.

8. The valve of claim 7 wherein the resilient means in the power section means comprises inert compressible gas.

9. The valve of claim 7 wherein the metering cartridge means contains fluid resistor means located therein.

10. A valve for use in a well testing string located in a wellbore and having a packer arranged for selectively sealing the wellbore isolating that portion of the wellbore above the packer from that portion of the wellbore below the packer to allow the production of fluids from that portion of the wellbore below the packer through said valve in the testing string as well as the introduction of fluids into that portion of the wellbore below the packer through said valve in the testing string, said valve being responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus between the wellbore and the well testing string in that portion of the wellbore above the packer when the packer sealingly engages the wellbore, said valve comprising:

valve section means having a valve means therein in a closed position to prevent the flow of fluid through the well testing string, the valve means being responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus to open the valve means to allow the flow of fluid through the well testing string, the valve section means including;

annular adapter means for securing said valve to the testing string;

annular valve case means secured to the annular adapter means;

annular upper valve support means secured within the annular valve case means;

annular lower valve support means secured within the annular valve case means;

ball valve means movably retained between the annular upper valve support means and the annular lower valve support means;

ball valve actuation arm means movably secured to the ball valve means to rotate the ball valve means within the annular upper valve support means and annular lower valve support means; and

annular actuation sleeve means engaging the ball valve actuation arm means to move the arm means in response to changes of the pressure of the fluid in the annulus;

power section means responsive to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus, the power section means having first means therein adapted to move the valve means of the valve section means to the open position and having resilient means therein adapted to return the valve means of the valve section means to the closed position from the open position in response to a change in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus, the power section means including;

annular power case means releasably secured to the annular valve case means;

annular power mandrel means slidably disposed within the annular power case means and a portion of the annular valve case means adapted to engage a portion of the valve section means to close the valve means therein and having a portion of the exterior thereof of substantially smaller diameter than the diameter of the interior of the annular power case means thereby forming annular power mandrel chamber means therewith;

annular fluid mandrel means secured within the annular power case means forming annular fluid mandrel chamber means with respect to the annular power case means;

gas-fluid balancing seal means slidably disposed on the annular fluid mandrel means within the power case means in a portion of the annular fluid mandrel chamber means between the annular power case means and annular fluid mandrel means, the annular power mandrel chamber means and annular fluid mandrel chamber means having fluid communication therebetween;

annular shear ring means releasably secured to the annular power mandrel means to initially retain the annular power mandrel means in a first position within the annular power case means until the pressure of the fluid in the annulus reaches a predetermined level;

compressible gas means located in the annular power mandrel chamber means and a portion of the annular fluid mandrel chamber means; and

power fluid means located in a portion of the annular fluid mandrel chamber means being separated from the compressible gas means therein by the gas-fluid balancing seal means;

isolation valve means for being continuously responsive substantially without interruption during such time as said valve is located in said wellbore to changes in the pressure of the fluid in the annulus to maintain the resilient means of the power section means at a level of force sufficient to close the valve means of the valve section means regardless of the hydrostatic pressure and temperature of the fluid in the annulus and the pressure and temperature of the fluid in said valve in the testing string, and isolation valve means including;

annular isolation case means releasably secured to the annular power case means;

annular isolation mandrel means having one end thereof sealingly secured within the annular isolation case means, the annular isolation mandrel means forming annular isolation mandrel chamber means with the isolation case means and sealingly engaging the annular fluid mandrel means, the annular isolation mandrel chamber means communicating with the annular fluid mandrel chamber means;

annular metering cartridge means retained within the annular isolation case means on the exterior of the annular isolation mandrel means in a portion of the annular isolation mandrel chamber means;

annular fluid balancing piston means slidably disposed on the annular isolation mandrel means within a portion of the annular isolation mandrel chamber means;

isolation fluid means located in a portion of the annular isolation chamber means on one side of the annular fluid balancing piston means communicating with the power fluid means of the power section means; and

adapter means releasably secured to the annular isolation case means for releasably securing said valve means to the testing string.