Apparatus and method of stabilizing a flow along a wellbore

• US 7,828,065 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: El-Khazindar, Yasser Mahmoud, Hassan, Nashat Nustafa Jamil, Assal, Anwar Ahmet Maher, Ali, Mohammad Athar, Ross, Donald W., Shafiq, Muhammad
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hutchins; Cathleen R
• Application Number:
  US11/861,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20080251260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 166/373, 166/375, 166/386, 166/54, 166/319, 166/53, 166/313, 166/50, 166/250.15, 251/57, 251/12
• US Class Current: 166/373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/10 operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/14 Obtaining from a multiple-zone well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure

Abstract

A system that is usable with a well includes a closed loop network that is located entirely downhole in the well. The system also includes valves that are located in a wellbore of the well and are interconnected by the closed loop network. Each valve is associated with a different isolated region of the wellbore and is adapted to regulate a flow through the valve based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and a flow condition of each of the other isolated regions.

Claims

1. A system usable with a well, comprising:

a valve control network, the valve control network being a closed loop network located entirely downhole in the well; and

valves located in a wellbore of the well and interconnected by the closed loop network, each valve being associated with a different isolated region of the wellbore and being adapted to regulate a flow through the valve based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and a flow condition of each of the other one or more remaining isolated regions, wherein

each valve comprises a compensator to regulate a volume of hydraulic fluid in a control chamber of the valve in response to a pressure of the associated isolated region, and

the closed loop network comprises the compensators and a hydraulic control line in communication with the control chamber of each valve.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the valves regulates an inflow from the well into a production tubing based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and the flow condition of each of the other one or more remaining isolated regions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the valves regulates an injection flow into the well based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and the flow condition of each of the other one or more remaining isolated regions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the closed loop network is located entirely in the wellbore.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

packers to form the isolated regions.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

additional valves located in the isolated zones and interconnected by the closed loop network.

7. A method usable with a well, comprising:

providing valves in a wellbore of the well, each valve being associated with a different isolated region of the wellbore;

connecting the valves together in a closed loop network located entirely downhole in the well; and

using the network to regulate a flow through each of the valves based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and a flow condition of each of the other one or more remaining isolated regions, the using comprising;

for each valve, regulating a volume of hydraulic fluid in a control chamber of the valve in response to a pressure of the associated isolated region, and

providing a hydraulic control line shared in common with the valves to hydraulically connect to the control chamber of each valve.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the flow comprises an inflow into a string from the well.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the flow comprises an injection flow from a string and into the well.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the closed loop network is located entirely in the wellbore.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing additional valves located in the isolated zones and interconnected by the closed loop network.

12. A system usable with the well, comprising:

a string located in a wellbore of the well, the string comprising packers to establish isolated intervals along the wellbore and valves located in the isolated intervals; and

a valve control network, the valve control network being a closed loop network located entirely downhole in the well, wherein the valves are interconnected by the closed loop network, and

each valve being adapted to regulate fluid communication through the valve between the isolated region in which the valve is located and the string based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region and a flow condition of each of the other one or more remaining isolated regions, wherein

each valve comprises a compensator to regulate a volume of hydraulic fluid in a control chamber of the valve in response to a pressure of the associated isolated region, and

the closed loop network comprises the compensators and a hydraulic control line in communication with the control chamber of each valve.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the valves regulates an inflow from the well based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and the flow condition of each of the other one or more remaining isolated regions.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the valves regulates an injection flow into the well based at least in part on a flow condition of the isolated region associated with the valve and the flow condition of each of the other one or more remaining isolated regions.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

another string located in another wellbore of the well;

said another string comprising other packers to establish other isolated intervals along said another wellbore and other valves located in said other isolated intervals; and

another closed loop network located entirely downhole in the well, wherein

said other valves are interconnected by said another closed loop network, and

each of said other valves being adapted to regulate fluid communication to said other valve between said other isolated region in which said other valve is located and said another string based at least in part on a flow condition of said other isolated region associated with said other valve and a flow condition of each of the other one or more of the remaining said other isolated regions.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the packers comprise setable packers.