Valves for use in wells

• US 6,973,974 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Kosmala, Alexandere G. E., Martinez, Ricardo, Rubinstein, Scott A., McLoughlin, Eugene P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, HOANG C
• Application Number:
  US10/711,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 166/386, 166/334.4, 166/332.6, 166/332.4, 166/320
• US Class Current: 166/386
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/006 "J-slot" systems, i.e. lug and slot indexing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/10 operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/32 Preventing gas- or water-coning phenomena, i.e. the formation of a conical column of gas or water around wells

Abstract

A valve assembly to control the intake of fluid. The valve assembly has a valve body and a valve choke disposed therein. The valve choke has a choke bore through the interior of the valve choke. The valve choke has a plurality of orifices to the choke bore spaced at intervals along the valve choke. A seal is disposed between the valve body and valve choke. The valve system is operable to position the valve choke so that the seal is positioned between the valve body and the valve choke at the intervals between the plurality of orifices.

Claims

1. A valve assembly for use in a well, comprising:

an outer housing;

an inner housing movable with respect to the outer housing and disposed within the outer housing, the inner housing having a hollow interior, and one of the outer housing and the inner housing having a plurality of radial flow passages; and

a sealing device disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing, the sealing device having a primary seat and a secondary seat, at least one of the primary seat and the secondary seat being formed of a harder material than the other, the harder material having a hardness of at least 1200 knoops.

2. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the sealing device comprises a sliding seal.

3. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the primary seat and the secondary seat is formed of a deformable material.

4. The valve assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the deformable material comprises PEEK.

5. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an orifice insert disposed within at least one of the radial flow passages, the orifice insert having a passageway therethrough.

6. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary seat comprises a carbide material.

7. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary seat comprises a tungsten-carbide material.

8. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary seat comprises a hardened steel material.

9. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary seat comprises a ceramic material.

10. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary seat comprises a vapor deposition diamond material.

11. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary seat comprises a polycrystalline diamond material.

12. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the secondary seat is formed of a plastic material.

13. The valve assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the sliding seal comprises a flow restrictor ring.

14. The valve assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the sliding seal comprises a seat retainer.

15. The valve assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a choke stop positioned to engage the primary seat and the secondary seat when the sealing device is in a closed position.

16. A valve assembly, comprising:

an outer housing sized for insertion into a wellbore;

an inner housing slidably disposed within the outer housing, the inner housing having a radial flow passage to enable flow of fluid to an interior of the inner housing; and

a sealing device disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing to control flow through the radial flow passage, the sealing device being formed of at least two different materials that both form a seal with a choke stop positioned on one of the outer housing and the inner housing, the at least two materials comprising a first material an a second material, the first material being harder than the second material and having a hardness of at least 1200 knoops, the second material being a deformable material.

17. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the radial flow passage comprises a plurality of flow passages that move sequentially past the sealing device when the outer housing and the inner housing are moved relative to each other.

18. The valve assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of flow passages are of different sizes.

19. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the second material comprises a plastic material.

20. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the second material comprises PEEK.

21. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the first material comprises a carbide material.

22. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the first material comprises a tungsten-carbide material.

23. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the first material comprises a hardened steel material.

24. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the first material comprises a ceramic material.

25. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the first material comprises a vapor deposition diamond material.

26. The valve assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein the first material comprises a polycrystalline diamond material.

27. The valve assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of flow passages are defined by a plurality of hardened inserts.

28. A method of controlling fluid flow, comprising:

constructing a valve assembly with an inner housing slidably disposed within an outer housing;

providing a flow passage through the inner housing to enable flow between an exterior and interior of the inner housing; and

utilizing a primary seat having a first material hardness of at least 1200 knoops, and a secondary seat having a second material hardness less than the first material hardness, to form a seal between the inner housing and the outer housing when the valve assembly is closed.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising coupling the valve assembly to a wellbore completion.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising coupling the valve assembly to an electric submersible pumping system.

31. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising moving the valve assembly into a wellbore.

32. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising locating a choke stop on the inner housing for sealing engagement with the primary seat and the secondary seat.

33. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising forming the secondary seat from a plastic material.

34. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising forming the secondary seat from a PEEK material.

35. The method as recited in claim 33, further comprising forming the primary seat from a metal material.

36. The method as recited in claim 33, further comprising forming the primary seat from a ceramic material.

37. The method as recited in claim 33, further comprising forming the primary seat from a diamond material.

38. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein utilizing comprises positioning the primary seat and the secondary seat on a sliding seal.

39. The method as recited in claim 38, wherein providing comprises providing a plurality of flow passages across which the sliding seal moves sequentially to increase or decrease flow as the inner housing is moved relative to the outer housing.