Normally closed retainer valve with fail-safe pump through capability

• US 5,894,890 A
• Filed: 05/11/1998
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Well Services, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Towers, Darrin N., Schwendemann, Kenneth L., Garcia-Soule, Virgilio
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHOEPPEL, ROGER J
• Application Number:
  US09/076,450
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 166/319-321, 166/323, 166/324, 166/332.2, 166/332.3, 166/356, 166/363, 166/365, 166/368, 166/375
• US Class Current: 166/356
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/04 Ball valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/006 "J-slot" systems, i.e. lug and slot indexing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/045 adapted to be lowered on a tubular string into position within a blow-out preventer stack, e.g. so-called test trees
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/10 operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole

Abstract

A retainer valve provides increased safety in wellsite operations. In a preferred embodiment, operation of the retainer valve may be responsive to control line pressure or to tubing pressure. The retainer valve response is controlled by several factors, among which are relative tubing and balance line pressures, and axial positions of a number of pistons relative to a tubular J-slot member. If the control and balance lines are disconnected, or otherwise unavailable for operation of the valve, it may still be operated by manipulation of the tubing pressure at the earth'"'"'s surface. Thus, the valve may be opened in emergency situations in which the control and balance lines are unavailable, but operation of the valve is still needed in order to safely relieve trapped pressure in the tubing string and/or to kill the well, unlatch a subsea test tree, etc. The retainer valve is also useful as a lubricator valve.

Claims

1. Apparatus for controlling fluid flow through a tubing string having an interior, the apparatus comprising:

a generally tubular housing, the housing being connectable to the tubing string;

a first piston axially slidably disposed within the housing, the first piston being capable of being in fluid communication with the tubing string interior, and the first piston being axially displaceable relative to the housing in response to fluid pressure in the tubing string interior;

a first fluid passage disposed within the housing;

a second piston axially slidingly disposed within the housing, the second piston being capable of being in fluid communication with the first fluid passage, and the second piston being axially displaceable relative to the housing in response to fluid pressure in the first fluid passage;

a port exteriorly formed on the housing; and

a first valve, the first valve being in fluid communication with the port and, being capable of being in fluid communication with the tubing string interior, and the first valve further being capable of responding to fluid pressure in the tubing string interior and fluid pressure in the port, the first valve placing the first fluid passage in fluid communication with the port when the fluid pressure in the port exceeds the fluid pressure in the tubing string interior, and the first valve placing the first fluid passage in fluid communication with the tubing string interior when the fluid pressure in the tubing string interior exceeds the fluid pressure in the port.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third piston axially slidably disposed within the housing, the third piston being axially displaceable relative to the housing in response to fluid pressure in the first fluid passage.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a fourth piston axially slidably disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the port, the fourth piston being axially displaceable relative to the housing in response to fluid pressure in the port.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second valve disposed within the housing, the second valve being operable by cooperative axial displacements of the first and second pistons relative to the housing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a member interconnecting the first and second pistons to the second valve, the member being axially rotatable in response to axial displacement of one of the first and second pistons, and the member being axially displaceable to operate the second valve in response to axial displacement of the other one of the first and second pistons.

6. Apparatus for controlling fluid flow through a tubing string, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a valve portion selectively permitting and preventing fluid flow through the apparatus, and the valve portion being operable by application of fluid pressure to at least one line exteriorly connected to the apparatus;

a first displacement member displaceable in a first direction relative to the housing by fluid pressure in the tubing string; and

a selection member interconnected to the first displacement member and engageable with the valve portion, and the selection member being positionable relative to the first displacement member to a selected one of a first position, in which the selection member engages the first displacement member for displacement in the first direction with the first displacement member, and a second position in which the first displacement member is displaceable in the first direction independently of the selection member.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a second displacement member displaceable by fluid pressure in the tubing string.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the selection member is selectively positionable to the selected one of the first and second positions by displacement of the second displacement member.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second displacement member is selectively displaceable by a selected one of fluid pressure in the tubing string and fluid pressure in a flow passage within the housing.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second displacement member is displaceable by fluid pressure in the tubing string when fluid pressure in the tubing string exceeds fluid pressure in the flow passage.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second displacement member is displaceable by fluid pressure in the flow passage when fluid pressure in the flow passage exceeds fluid pressure in the tubing string.

12. Apparatus for controlling fluid flow through a tubing string, the apparatus comprising:

a control line;

a balance line;

a valve portion selectively positionable in open and closed positions for respectively permitting and preventing fluid flow through the apparatus;

a first piston interconnected to the valve portion and in fluid communication with the control and balance lines, the first piston selectively positioning the valve portion in response to fluid pressure in at least one of the control and balance lines;

a tubular member interconnected to the first piston, the tubular member being engageable with the first piston to displace the first piston relative to the valve portion;

a second piston displaceable relative to the valve portion to thereby displace the tubular member in response to a selected one of fluid pressure in the balance line and fluid pressure in the tubing string; and

a third piston displaceable relative to the valve portion to thereby displace the tubular member in response to fluid pressure in the tubing string.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a fourth piston displaceable relative to the valve portion in response to a selected one of fluid pressure in the tubing string and fluid pressure in the balance line to thereby prevent axial displacement of the first piston relative to the valve portion.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a selector valve, the selector valve being positionable in response to a differential pressure between fluid pressure in the tubing string and fluid pressure in the balance line to enable fluid communication between the second piston and the selected one of fluid pressure in the balance line and fluid pressure in the tubing string.