Testing, treating, or producing a multi-zone well

• US 7,377,321 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay; Jennifer H
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDREWS, DAVID L
• Application Number:
  US11/306,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20060207764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 166/250.07, 166/250.17, 166/373, 166/375, 166/386, 166/318, 166/332.4, 166/334.4, 166/313
• 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,

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; and

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.

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 the given valve from the first state to the second state is in response to a neighboring valve opening.

6. The method of claim 5, 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.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising compressing a compressible element in response to the piston moving, the compressible element when compressed providing the second state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein compressing the compressible element comprises compressing a C-ring or a collet.

9. 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.

10. 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,

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; and

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

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

11. 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.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the testing tool comprises one or plural sensors to measure characteristics of each of the zones.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the testing tool successively tests corresponding zones as each valve is actuated open in a predetermined sequence.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising packers to isolate the zones to enable the zones to be independently and separately tested.

15. The system of claim 11, 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.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the compressible element is compressed in response to increased pressure applied due to a neighboring valve opening.

17. The system of claim 11, 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.

18. 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, and each valve having a first state that allows the valve-actuating object to pass through, and each valve having a second state to catch a corresponding valve-actuating object;

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.