TESTING, TREATING, OR PRODUCING A MULTI-ZONE WELL

• US 20060207764A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Rytlewski, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,377,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/313
• 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 43/14 Obtaining from a multiple-zone well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/26 by forming crevices or fractures

Abstract

An assembly having plural valves is run into a wellbore having plural zones, where each of the valves is actuatable by dropping a valve-actuating object into the corresponding valve. The valves are successively actuating, in a predetermined sequence, to an open state. The zones are successively tested after actuating corresponding valves to the open state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

running an assembly having plural valves into a wellbore having plural zones, each of the valves actuatable by dropping a valve-actuating object into the corresponding valve;

successively actuating, in a predetermined sequence, the valves to an open state; and

successively testing the zones after actuating corresponding valves to the open state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein successively testing the zones comprises successively performing drillstem testing of the zones.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein running the assembly into the wellbore comprises running the assembly that further comprises a drillstem test tool having one or plural sensors to measure one or more characteristics of the zones.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising using the one or plural sensors to measure at least one of pressure and acoustic waves.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating each given valve to the open state comprises:

dropping a corresponding valve-actuating object into the given valve;

catching the valve-actuating object in the given valve;

applying pressure against the valve-actuating object to move a member in the given valve to expose one or more openings of the given valve to enable fluid flow between an inner bore of the given valve and a region outside the given valve.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein actuating each given valve to the open state further comprises:

actuating the given valve from a first state to a second state, wherein the given valve when in the first state allows the valve-actuating object to pass through the given valve, and wherein the given valve when in the second state allows the valve-actuating object to be caught by the given valve.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein actuating the given valve from the first state to the second state is in response to a neighboring valve opening.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising communicating increased fluid pressure in a control passageway from the neighboring valve to the given valve in response to the neighboring valve opening, the increased fluid pressure to move a piston in the given valve to actuate the given valve from the first state to the second state.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising compressing a compressible element in response to the piston moving, the compressible element when compressed providing the second state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein compressing the compressible element comprises compressing at least one of a C-ring and a collet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each zone is tested after opening of a corresponding one of the valves and before opening a next one of the valves in the predetermined sequence.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

after actuating the given valve to the open state, closing an isolating member in each valve to isolate the valve-actuating object from a portion of a bore in the valve; and

after closing the isolating member preventing fluid from lower zones from flowing to the corresponding zone adjacent the given valve.

13. An apparatus for use in a wellbore, comprising:

a receiving element to receive a valve-actuating object dropped into the wellbore;

a sleeve moveable by increased pressure applied against the receiving element and valve-actuating object;

a housing having a bore and at least one port exposed by movement of the sleeve; and

an isolating member to isolate the valve-actuating object from fluid flow in the bore.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the isolating member comprises one of a flapper valve and ball valve.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a mandrel to maintain the isolating member in an open position, the mandrel releasably connected to the sleeve, wherein the isolating member is closed in response to applied pressure that separates the mandrel from the sleeve.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a shear mechanism to connect the mandrel to the sleeve.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receiving element has an object pass-through state and an object-catching state, the receiving element when in the object pass-through state to allow the valve-actuating object to pass through, and the receiving element when in the object-catching state to catch the valve-actuating object.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the receiving element comprises at least one a C-ring and a collet.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a piston actuatable by increased pressure to cause the receiving element to actuate from the object pass-through state to the object-catching state.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a first valve, the receiving element, sleeve, housing, isolating member being part of the first valve, and piston;

a second valve; and

a control passageway to communicate the increased pressure to the piston in response to the second valve opening.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the second valve comprises:

a second receiving element to receive a second valve-actuating object dropped into the wellbore;

a second sleeve moveable by increased pressure applied against the second receiving element and second valve-actuating object;

a second housing having a bore and at least one port exposed by movement of the second sleeve;

a second isolating member to isolate the second valve-actuating object from fluid flow in the bore of the second housing; and

a second piston actuatable by increased pressure to cause the second receiving element to actuate from an object pass-through state to an object-catching second state.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a third valve and a second control passageway, the second control passageway to communicate the increased pressure to the second piston in response to the third valve opening.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fluid flow is due to at least one of a testing operation, production operation, and treatment operation.

24. A system for use in a wellbore, comprising:

a plurality of valves, each valve having a first state and a second state;

a plurality of valve-actuating objects to be dropped into the wellbore to successively open corresponding valves, each valve when in the first state allowing valve-actuating objects to pass through, and each valve when in the second state catching a corresponding valve-actuating object; and

a testing tool coupled to the plurality of valves to test corresponding zones of the wellbore proximal corresponding valves.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the testing tool comprises one or plural sensors to measure characteristics of each of the zones.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the testing tool successively tests corresponding zones as each valve is actuated open in a predetermined sequence.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising packers to isolate the zones to enable the zones to be independently and separately tested.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein each given one of the valves has a compressible element that when uncompressed provides the first state of the given valve, and that when compressed provides the second state of the given valve.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the compressible element is compressed in response to increased pressure applied due to a neighboring valve opening.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein each valve has slots to enable fluid communication between an inside of the valve and an outside of the valve, the slots arranged in a helix or at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the valve.

31. A method comprising:

running an assembly having plural valves into a wellbore having plural zones, each of the valves actuatable by dropping a valve-actuating object into the corresponding valve;

successively actuating, in a predetermined sequence, the valves to an open state; and

successively testing, treating, or producing the zones after actuating corresponding valves to the open state.