Straight-bore back pressure valve

• US 9,422,788 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Dennis P., Contreras, Maria R.
• Primary Examiner(s): GAY, JENNIFER HAWKINS
• Application Number:
  US14/144,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/01 for anchoring the tools or the like E21B23/02 - E21B23/06 take precedence; anchoring of drives in the borehole E21B4/18
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/04 operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion E21B23/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/06 for setting packers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1285 by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/129 with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/025 Chokes or valves in wellheads and sub-sea wellheads for variably regulating fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7837 Direct response valves [i.e., check valve type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7904 Reciprocating valves

Abstract

A system includes a back pressure valve. The back pressure valve includes a body, a plunger disposed internal to the body, and a friction member disposed about the exterior of the body. The friction member is configured to expand radially to contact an internal surface of a bore. A method includes disposing a back pressure valve into a straight bore and expanding a friction member of the back pressure valve radially into contact with an internal surface of the straight bore.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selectively moving a friction member between a first radial position and a second radial position relative to a body of a valve, wherein the friction member is configured to move from the first radial position to the second radial position in response to a first hydraulic force provided by a running tool to secure the valve in a straight portion of a bore only with friction, and the friction member is configured to move away from the second radial position toward the first radial position to release the valve from the straight portion of the bore.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively moving the friction member comprises hydraulically driving the friction member between the first and second radial positions via the first hydraulic force or a second hydraulic force provided by the running tool.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein hydraulically driving the friction member comprises hydraulically moving a sleeve to bias the friction member between the first and second radial positions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein hydraulically moving the sleeve comprises axially moving the sleeve along a longitudinal axis.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising locking the friction member in position after hydraulically moving the sleeve.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein locking the friction member comprises blocking movement of the sleeve with a lock member driven in place by the running tool.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein locking the friction member comprises hydraulically moving the lock member via the running tool, threadingly moving the lock member via the running tool, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively moving the friction member comprises driving the friction member between the first radial position at a first axial position and the second radial position at a second axial position, the first and second axial positions are offset from one another, and the first and second radial positions are offset from one another.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively moving the friction member comprises driving the friction member along a tapered interface between the friction member and the body of the valve.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising locking the friction member in position after moving the friction member between the first radial position and the second radial position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein locking the friction member comprises blocking movement of the friction member with a lock member mechanically secured in place.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising balancing pressure on opposite sides of the valve with a valve structure that selectively moves between a closed position and an open position.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising securing the valve in the straight portion of the bore only with friction, wherein the bore is disposed in a Christmas tree, a wellhead, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising operating the valve running tool configured to selectively apply the first hydraulic force to move the friction member between from the first radial position to the second radial position and to selectively apply a second hydraulic force to move the friction member from the second radial position to the first radial position.

15. A system, comprising:

a friction member configured to move between a first radial position and a second radial position relative to a body of a valve, wherein the friction member is configured to move from the first radial position to the second radial position in response to a first hydraulic force provided by a running tool to secure the valve in a straight portion of a bore only with friction, and the friction member is configured to move away from the second radial position toward the first radial position to release the valve from the straight portion of the bore.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member is configured to move away from the second radial position toward the first radial position in response to a second hydraulic force provided by the running tool to release the valve from the straight portion of the bore.

17. The system of claim 15, comprising a sleeve configured to bias the friction member between the first and second radial positions.

18. The system of claim 15, comprising a lock member configured to lock the friction member in position after moving the friction member between the first radial position and the second radial position.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member is configured to move between the first radial position at a first axial position and the second radial position at a second axial position, the first and second axial positions are offset from one another, and the first and second radial positions are offset from one another.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member is configured to move along a tapered interface between the friction member and the body of the valve.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the valve comprises a valve structure configured to selectively move between a closed position and an open position to selectively balance pressure on opposite sides of the valve.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the valve is disposed in the straight portion of the bore only with friction, wherein the bore is disposed in a Christmas tree, a wellhead, or a combination thereof.

23. The system of claim 15, comprising the running tool, wherein the running tool is configured to selectively apply the first hydraulic force to move the friction member from the first radial position to the second radial position, and the running tool is configured to selectively apply a second force to move the friction member from the second radial position to the first radial position.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the valve running tool comprises:

a stem configured to engage a valve plunger of the valve;

a protrusion configured to engage a lock member of the valve, wherein the lock member is configured to block movement of the friction member; and

a first hydraulic port configured to provide a fluid path to a second hydraulic port of the valve.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member comprises a smooth surface configured to engage the straight portion of the bore only with friction.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member comprises a surface having a coating configured to engage the straight portion of the bore only with friction.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member comprises a surface having a texture configured to engage the straight portion of the bore only with friction.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member comprises a surface having teeth configured to engage the straight portion of the bore only with friction.

29. The system of claim 15, wherein the friction member comprises a plurality of friction segments disposed circumferentially about an axis of the body of the valve.

30. A system, comprising:

a valve running tool configured to selectively apply a force to move a friction member between a first radial position and a second radial position relative to a body of a valve, wherein the friction member is configured to move from the first radial position to the second radial position in response to a first hydraulic force provided by the valve running tool to secure the valve in a straight portion of a bore only with friction, and the friction member is configured to move away from the second radial position toward the first radial position to release the valve from the straight portion of the bore.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the valve running tool comprises:

a stem configured to engage a valve plunger of the valve;

a protrusion configured to engage a lock member of the valve, wherein the lock member is configured to block movement of the friction member; and

a first hydraulic port configured to provide a fluid path to a second hydraulic port of the valve.