Downhole valve

• US 6,328,109 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Pringle, Ronald E., Milligan, Clay W. Jr., Read, Dennis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NEUDER, WILLIAM P
• Application Number:
  US09/713,049
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 166/373, 166/374, 166/321, 166/323, 166/331, 166/332.2, 166/332.8, 251/298, 251/360, 251/363
• US Class Current: 166/373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/05 Flapper valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/006 "J-slot" systems, i.e. lug and slot indexing mechanisms
• 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 47/117 Detecting leaks, e.g. from tubing, by pressure testing

Abstract

The invention is a downhole valve that includes a body, a flow tube assembly that includes an upper tube member and a lower tube member, and a flapper valve. The flapper valve is pivotally attached to the body and is positioned between the upper tube member and the lower tube member when the flapper valve is in a closed position that blocks fluid flow in an internal bore of the body. The flapper valve is moved from the closed position to an open position in response to an upward movement of the upper tube member and the lower tube member. When the flapper valve pivots to the open position, the lower tube member moves adjacent to and forms a seal with the upper tube member, forming an unobstructed internal bore.

Claims

1. A downhole valve comprising:

a body;

a flow tube assembly positioned within the body, the flow tube assembly further comprising an upper tube member and a lower tube member; and

a flapper valve operatively attached to the flow tube assembly and adapted to pivot from a closed position wherein the flapper valve is sealingly positioned between the upper and lower tube members, to an open position,

wherein the flapper valve is pivoted to the open position and is enclosed in a recess in the body in response to an upward movement of the upper and lower tube members so that the upper and lower tube members move into a cooperative engagement with each other to form a substantially unobstructed internal bore.

2. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the flapper valve further comprises:

a top surface;

a bottom surface; and

an outer perimeter.

3. The downhole valve of claim 2, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the flapper valve have the same curvature at least proximate the outer perimeter.

4. The downhole valve of claim 2, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the flapper valve form an arcuate shape of uniform thickness.

5. The downhole valve of claim 2, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the flapper valve form an arcuate shape with at least a uniform thickness proximate the outer perimeter.

6. The downhole valve of claim 2, wherein the top surface of the flapper valve is adapted to sealingly engage a bottom surface of the upper tube member and the bottom surface of the flapper valve is adapted to sealingly engage a top surface of the lower tube member when the flapper valve is the closed position.

7. The downhole valve of claim 2, wherein the outer perimeter of the flapper valve further comprises seals adapted to sealingly engage the upper tube member and the lower tube member.

8. The downhole valve of claim 2, wherein an upper surface of the outer perimeter and a bottom surface of the outer perimeter are angled with respect to a line perpendicular to an internal bore of the body to improve the sealing engagement between the flapper valve and the upper and lower tube members.

9. The downhole valve of claim 8, wherein a bottom surface of the upper tube member and a top surface of the lower tube member are adapted to sealingly engage the angled upper and lower surfaces of the outer perimeter of the flapper valve.

10. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the upper tube member is adapted to cooperatively engage a top surface of the lower tube member when the flapper valve is in the open position.

11. The downhole valve of claim 10, wherein at least one of the bottom surface and the top surface include a sealing element so as to provide a cooperative sealing engagement between the upper and lower tube members.

12. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the flapper valve is adapted to operatively move from the closed position to the open position at least partly in response to a plurality of pressurizations of an internal bore of the body.

13. The downhole valve of claim 12, wherein completion of the plurality of pressurizations of the internal bore disengages an indexing mechanism and enables the upper and lower tube members to move upward into the cooperative engagement with each other, wherein the upward movement of the upper and lower tube members enables the movement of the flapper valve from the closed position to the open position to form the substantially unobstructed wellbore.

14. The downhole valve of claim 13, wherein the indexing mechanism comprises a ratchet mechanism that substantially prevents rotational movement of a sliding indexer sleeve in a direction opposite an intended direction of rotation as the sliding indexer sleeve moves upward.

15. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the upper tube member and the lower tube member are operatively connected by a biasing mechanism.

16. The downhole valve of claim 15, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises at least one spring.

17. The downhole valve of claim 15, wherein the biasing mechanism forces a bottom surface of the upper tube member against a top surface of the flapper valve and a top surface of the lower tube member against a bottom surface of the flapper valve when the flapper valve is in the closed position.

18. The downhole valve of claim 15, wherein the biasing mechanism forces a bottom surface of the upper tube member into a cooperative engagement with a top surface of the lower tube member when the flapper valve is in the open position.

19. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the flapper valve is pivotally connected to a flapper housing that is axially fixed in relation to the body.

20. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the flapper valve is adapted to seal against pressure adjacent both a top surface and a bottom surface of the flapper valve.

21. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the upward sliding movement of the upper and lower tube members is induced at least in part by the pressurization of the internal bore of the body.

22. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the downhole valve further comprises ratchet members that axially secure the upper tube member and the lower tube member when the flapper valve is in the open position.

23. The downhole valve of claim 1, wherein the upward movement of the upper tube member is induced by the pressurization of the internal bore of the body and the upward movement of the lower tube member is induced by the expansion of a spring.

24. A downhole valve comprising:

a body;

an upper tube member slidably disposed within the body;

a lower tube member slidably disposed within the body; and

a flapper valve pivotally attached to the body and adapted to sealingly engage the upper tube member and the lower tube member when in a closed position,

wherein the flapper valve when in the closed position seals a bore in the body against both uphole and downhole pressure, and

wherein the flapper valve is adapted to move into an open position and is enclosed in a recess in the body in response to an upward movement of the upper and lower tube members so that the upper and lower tube members slidably move into a cooperative engagement with each other to form a substantially unobstructed internal bore.

25. A downhole valve comprising:

a body;

a flow tube assembly positioned within the body, the flow tube assembly further comprising an upper tube member and a lower tube member; and

a flapper valve operatively attached to the flow tube assembly and axially fixed in relation to the body, wherein the flapper valve is adapted to pivot from a closed position wherein the flapper valve is sealingly positioned between the upper and lower tube members, to an open position,

wherein the flapper valve is pivoted to the open position and is enclosed in a recess in the body in response to an upward movement of the upper and lower tube members so that the upper and lower tube members move into a cooperative engagement with each other to form a substantially unobstructed internal bore.

26. A downhole valve comprising:

a body;

a flow tube assembly positioned within the body, the flow tube assembly further comprising an upper tube member and a lower tube member; and

a flapper valve operatively attached to the flow tube assembly and adapted to pivot from a closed position wherein the flapper valve is sealingly positioned between the upper and lower tube members, to an open position,

wherein the flapper valve is pivoted to the open position and is enclosed in a recess in the body in response to an upward movement of the upper tube member and a movement of the lower tube member so that the upper and lower tube members move into a cooperative engagement with each other to form a substantially unobstructed internal bore and the flapper valve is retained in the open position by the lower tube member.

27. The downhole valve of claim 26, wherein the lower tube member also moves upwards.

28. A method of selectively sealing a bore of a body, the method comprising:

pivotally attaching a flapper valve to the body;

sealingly engaging a top surface of the flapper valve with an upper tube member when the flapper valve is in a closed position;

sealingly engaging a bottom surface of the flapper valve with a lower tube member when the flapper valve is in the closed position; and

moving the flapper valve from the closed position to an open position by slidably moving the upper tube member and the lower tube member upward until the flapper valve is enclosed in a recess in the body and the upper tube member cooperatively engages the lower tube member.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the moving step is at least partly in response to a plurality of pressure cycles.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising sealing the bore from pressure both uphole and downhole of the flapper valve when the flapper valve is in the closed position.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising axially securing the upper and lower tube members when they are cooperatively engaged with each other.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the axially securing step comprises axially securing the upper tube member with a mechanism that is functionally independent from the mechanism that axially secures the lower tube member.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising axially securing the flapper valve in position relative to the body.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the upper tube member and the lower tube member slidably move substantially upward from an initial position as the flapper valve moves from the closed position to the open position.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein completing the plurality of pressure cycles disengages an indexing mechanism and allows the upper and lower tube members to move axially upward, wherein the upward movement of the upper and lower tube members moves the flapper valve from the closed position to the open position.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the upper tube member is moved upward by the continued pressurization of the internal bore of the body.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the lower tube member is moved upward by the expansion of a spring.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the spring does not expand until the pressurization of the internal bore is decreased.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the upper tube member is locked in its uppermost position prior to the movement of the lower tube member.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the lower tube member is locked in cooperative engagement with the upper tube member using a mechanism that is functionally independent from the mechanism that locks the upper tube member in its uppermost position.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein the cooperative engagement between the upper and lower tube members is a cooperative sealing engagement.

42. A method of selectively sealing a bore of a body, the method comprising:

pivotally attaching a flapper valve to the body;

sealingly engaging a top surface of the flapper valve with an upper tube member when the flapper valve is in a closed position;

sealingly engaging a bottom surface of the flapper valve with a lower tube member when the flapper valve is in the closed position; and

pressurizing the internal bore of the body to move the upper tube member upwards;

expanding a spring to move the lower tube member upwards; and

moving the flapper valve from the closed position to an open position in response to the upwards movement of the upper tube member and the lower tube member.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the expanding step occurs subsequent to the pressurizing step.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising locking the upper tube member and the lower tube member so that they are cooperatively engaged.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the locking step occurs when the upper tube member and the lower tube member are in their uppermost positions.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising locking the upper tube member with a mechanism that is functionally independent from the mechanism used to lock the lower tube member.

47. A downhole valve, comprising:

a body;

a flow tube assembly positioned within the body, the flow tube assembly further comprising an upper tube member and a lower tube member; and

a flapper valve operatively attached to the flow tube assembly and adapted to pivot from a closed position wherein the flapper valve is sealingly positioned between the upper and lower tube members, to an open position,

wherein the flapper valve is pivoted to the open position and is enclosed in a recess in the body in response to the movement of the upper and lower tube members in a single direction so that the upper and lower tube members move into a cooperative engagement with each other to form a substantially unobstructed internal bore.

48. The downhole valve of claim 47, wherein the single direction is the upwards direction.

49. The downhole valve of claim 48, wherein the upper tube member and the lower tube member are locked in their uppermost positions.

50. The downhole valve of claim 47, wherein the upper tube member and the lower tube member are locked following movement in the single direction.

51. A method of selectively sealing a bore of a body, the method comprising:

pivotally attaching a flapper valve to the body;

sealingly engaging a top surface of the flapper valve with an upper tube member when the flapper valve is in a closed position;

sealingly engaging a bottom surface of the flapper valve with a lower tube member when the flapper valve is in the closed position; and

moving the flapper valve from the closed position to an open position by slidably moving the upper tube member and the lower tube member in a single direction until the flapper valve is enclosed in a recess in the body and the upper tube member cooperatively engages the lower tube member.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the single direction is the upwards direction.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising locking the upper tube member and the lower tube member in their uppermost positions.

54. The downhole valve of claim 51, further comprising locking the upper tube member and the lower tube member following movement in the single direction.