Back pressure valve

• US 9,297,226 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Dennis P., Guidry, Kirk P., Taylor, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Yong-Suk (Philip)
• Application Number:
  US13/975,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20140060809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 948 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/00 Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/02 for locking the tools or the like in landing nipples or in recesses between adjacent sections of tubing E21B23/03 - E21B23/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/04 Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1208 characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means E21B33/1277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/00 Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/02 in well heads

Abstract

A system in some embodiments includes a back pressure valve configured to mount in a mineral extraction system. The back pressure valve comprises a cylindrical body comprising a venting port coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body and a plunger disposed in the venting port, wherein the plunger comprises a stem that extends from the venting port into an adjacent cavity of the cylindrical body. In some embodiments, a method of operating a valve, includes biasing a plunger to an open position, biasing a valve locking mechanism to a locked position in relation to a bore of a mineral extraction system, and biasing a plunger to a closed position.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a back pressure valve configured to mount in a bore of a mineral extraction system, wherein the back pressure valve comprises;

a body; and

a valve disposed in a valve bore extending through the body, wherein the valve is configured to move along a first path of travel between an open position and a closed position relative to a valve seat;

a lock coupled to the body separate from the valve, wherein the lock is configured to move along a second path of travel between an unlocked position and a locked position relative to the bore to selectively unlock and lock the back pressure valve in the bore of the mineral extraction system, wherein the back pressure valve is configured to seat in the bore and lock in the bore via the lock in response to a first axial force in a single first direction delivered via a single retrievable tool, wherein the single retrievable tool is configured to be retrieved from the bore after seating and locking the back pressure valve in the bore.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve comprises a plunger configured to move along the first path of travel in an axial direction relative to a central axis of the back pressure valve.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising the single retrievable tool configured to couple to the back pressure valve and configured to transmit the first axial force in the single first direction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the lock is configured to move along the second path of travel in a radial direction relative to a central axis of the back pressure valve, the unlocked position has the lock disposed out of a locking groove in the bore of the mineral extraction system, and the locked position has the lock disposed in the locking groove in the bore of the mineral extraction system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the lock comprises a plurality of lock segments disposed circumferentially about the back pressure valve.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the back pressure valve comprises a sleeve configured to move in an axial direction from a first position to a second position to cause the lock to move along the second path of travel in the radial direction from the unlocked position to the locked position.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sleeve comprises a first tapered portion configured to engage a second tapered portion of the lock.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the sleeve is configured to axially overlap the lock in the locked position and block movement of the lock along the second path of travel in the radial direction from the locked position to the unlocked position.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the sleeve is coupled to the body via one or more shear structures configured to shear in response to the first axial force in the single first direction.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the body comprises a spring loaded pin configured to engage a latch groove in the sleeve in the second position of the sleeve.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the back pressure valve comprises one or more shear structures configured to couple to the single retrievable tool, and the one or more shear structures are configured to shear in response to the first axial force.

12. A system, comprising:

a back pressure valve running tool configured to couple to a back pressure valve having a valve configured to move along a first path of travel between an open position and a closed position relative to a valve seat, wherein the back pressure valve running tool is configured to drive a lock of the back pressure valve to move along a second path of travel from an unlocked position to a locked position relative to a bore of a mineral extraction system, wherein the back pressure valve running tool is configured to transmit a first axial force in a single first direction to seat the back pressure valve in the bore and lock the back pressure valve in the bore via the lock, wherein the back pressure valve running tool is configured to be retrieved from the bore after seating and locking the back pressure valve in the bore.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the back pressure valve running tool, comprises:

a tool body;

a tool plunger; and

a spring disposed between the tool body and the tool plunger, wherein the spring biases the tool plunger to an extended position.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the tool plunger is configured to bias the valve of the back pressure valve toward the open position.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the tool plunger comprises a recess having a depth that is less than a height of a stem of the valve of the back pressure valve.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the back pressure valve running tool is configured to slide axially relative to the back pressure valve and the tool plunger.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the back pressure valve running tool comprises one or more shear structures configured to couple to the back pressure valve, and the one or more shear structures are configured to shear in response to the first axial force.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the back pressure valve running tool is configured to drive a sleeve to move in an axial direction from a first position to a second position to cause the lock to move along the second path of travel in a radial direction from the unlocked position to the locked position.

19. A system, comprising:

a back pressure valve retrieval tool configured to couple to a back pressure valve having a valve configured to move along a first path of travel between an open position and a closed position relative to a valve seat, wherein the back pressure valve retrieval tool is configured to drive a lock of the back pressure valve to move along a second path of travel from a locked position to an unlocked position relative to a bore of a mineral extraction system, wherein the back pressure valve retrieval tool is configured to transmit an axial retrieval force in a single retrieval direction to unlock the back pressure valve from the bore via the lock and extract the back pressure valve from the bore.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the single retrieval direction is opposite from a single installation direction, wherein an axial installation force in the single installation direction is configured to seat the back pressure valve in the bore and lock the back pressure valve in the bore via the lock.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the back pressure valve retrieval tool is configured to unlock and extract the back pressure valve in a single trip.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the back pressure valve retrieval tool comprises a radial lock configured to engage a recess in the back pressure valve, and the back pressure valve retrieval tool is configured to drive the radial lock to move along a third path of travel from a locked tool position to an unlocked tool position relative to the recess.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the back pressure valve retrieval tool is configured to transmit an axial locking force in a single locking direction to drive the radial lock to move along the third path of travel from the locked tool position to the unlocked tool position, wherein the single locking direction and the single retrieval direction are opposite from one another.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the back pressure valve retrieval tool is configured to bias the valve of the back pressure valve toward the open position.