Valve for hydraulic fracturing through cement outside casing

• US 9,121,251 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovex Downhole Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Team Oil Tools LP (Innovex Downhole Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sommers, Michael T., Jackson, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Application Number:
  US13/602,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20130056206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 166/373, 166/386, 166/317, 166/318, 166/332.1, 166/334.4, 166/285, 166/177.5, 166/308.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/06 Sleeve valves
• 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 34/103 with a shear pin

Abstract

A valve for use in fracing through cement casing in a well allows for flow of cement down the well during the cementing process and in the open position allows for fracing fluid to be directed through the cement casing for fracturing the formation adjacent the valve. The valve is constructed so as to reduce the likelihood of the valve to jam as a result of cement or other foreign material.

Claims

1. A valve comprising:

a housing having an opening;

a mandrel positioned within the housing and having an opening, a second opening and an inner bore, wherein the opening and the second opening are in communication with the inner bore;

a sliding sleeve disposed between the housing and the mandrel and blocking fluid communication between the opening in the housing and the opening in the mandrel when the valve is in a closed position and permitting fluid flow between the opening in the mandrel and the opening in the housing when the valve is in an open position; and

a rupture disk that, upon rupture, permits application of a fluid pressure to actuate the sliding sleeve from the closed position to the open position, wherein the rupture disk is disposed in the second opening and is ruptured by pressure applied from the inner bore and radially outward through the second opening.

2. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second opening is in a wall of the mandrel.

3. The valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an end connector on each end of the housing for connection in a casing string in an oil or gas well.

4. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing and the mandrel define a chamber between them in which the sliding sleeve is disposed.

5. A valve comprising:

a housing having an opening;

a mandrel positioned within the housing and having an opening;

a sliding sleeve disposed between the housing and the mandrel and blocking fluid communication between the opening in the housing and the opening in the mandrel when the valve is in a closed position and permitting fluid flow between the opening in the mandrel and the opening in the housing when the valve is in an open position;

a rupture disk that, upon rupture, permits application of a fluid pressure to actuate the sliding sleeve between the open and closed positions; and

a protective sleeve covering the openings in the housing.

6. A method for actuating a valve, the method comprising:

flowing a fluid through the valve, the valve comprising;

a housing having one or more openings;

a mandrel having one or more openings;

a sliding sleeve disposed between the housing and the mandrel and blocking fluid communication between the openings in the housing and the openings in the mandrel when the valve is in a closed position and permitting fluid flow between the openings in the mandrel and the openings in the housing when the valve is in an open position; and

a rupture disk that, upon rupture, applies a fluid pressure to move the sliding sleeve from the closed position to the open position;

rupturing the rupture disk at a selected fluid pressure;

flowing fluid through the ruptured disk;

moving the sliding sleeve responsive to the fluid pressure from the closed position to the open position;

exiting fluid through the one or more openings of the housing and mandrel; and

cracking a cement casing with the fluid.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising pumping cement through the valve into a wellbore.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising wiping the valve with a plug.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the sliding sleeve is isolated between the housing and the mandrel.

10. A casing string valve for use in fracturing operations, comprising:

a housing having a first opening therein fluidly connecting an interior of the housing with an exterior of the housing;

a mandrel having a bore therethrough defining a cement flow path and having a second opening and a third opening, the second opening defining with the first opening a fracturing fluid flow path between the bore and the exterior of the housing, and the third opening being in communication with the bore, the mandrel being disposed within the housing to define in conjunction with the housing a chamber isolated from the cement flow path;

a sliding sleeve disposed between the housing and the mandrel, at least partially isolated from the cement flow path in the chamber, wherein the sliding sleeve is moved from a first position in which the sliding sleeve blocks fluid flow between the first opening and the second opening to a second position in which the sliding sleeve does not block fluid flow between the first and second openings by fluid pressure applied through the bore and outwards though the third opening; and

a rupture disk disposed within the third opening to selectively control the application of fluid pressure through the third opening.

11. The casing string valve of claim 10, further including an end connector on each end of the housing for connection in a casing string in an oil or gas well.

12. A casing string valve for use in fracturing operations, comprising:

a housing having a first opening therein fluidly connecting an interior of the housing with an exterior of the housing;

a mandrel having a bore therethrough defining a cement flow path and having a second opening and a third opening, the second opening defining with the first opening a fracturing fluid flow path between the bore and the exterior of the housing, the mandrel being disposed within the housing to define in conjunction with the housing a chamber isolated from the cement flow path;

a sliding sleeve movable to block and unblock the fracturing fluid flow path, the sliding sleeve disposed between the housing and the mandrel, at least partially isolated from the cement flow path in the chamber, and actuated by application of fluid pressure applied through the bore and the third opening; and

a protective sleeve covering the openings in the housing.

13. A method for use in hydraulically fracturing a well, comprising:

disposing a casing string in a wellbore, the casing string including a valve having a bore therein and defining a cement flow path and a fracturing fluid flow path, the fracturing fluid flow path being blocked and unblocked by a sliding sleeve of the valve at least partially isolated from the cement flow path and disposed at least partially around and radially outwards from the bore;

cementing the casing string within the wellbore through the cement flow path while the fracturing fluid flow path is blocked;

applying a fluid pressure through the bore of the valve to actuate the sliding sleeve and unblock the fracturing fluid flow path; and

introducing a fracturing fluid into the wellbore through the fracturing fluid flow path.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sliding sleeve is at least partially isolated from the cement flow path by disposition between a mandrel and a housing in a chamber defined by the mandrel and the housing that is isolated from the cement flow path.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising cracking a cement casing with the introduced fracturing fluid.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising wiping the valve with a plug after the cementing and prior to applying the fluid pressure.

17. A method for use in hydraulically fracturing a well, comprising:

disposing a casing string in a wellbore, the casing string including a valve defining a cement flow path and a fracturing fluid flow path therethrough, the fracturing fluid flow path being blocked and unblocked by a sliding sleeve of the valve at least partially isolated from the cement flow path and disposed at least partially around and radially outwards from the bore;

cementing the casing string within the wellbore through the cement flow path while the fracturing fluid flow path is blocked;

applying a fluid pressure through the bore of the valve to actuate the sliding sleeve and unblock the fracturing fluid flow path, wherein applying the fluid pressure includes rupturing a rupture disk; and

introducing a fracturing fluid into the wellbore through the fracturing fluid flow path.