Tubular seat and tubular actuating system

• US 8,365,829 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Kellner, Justin, Harris, Travis, Coe, Jason, Walkoviak, Dwayne, Sanchez, James Scott, Ruddock, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Application Number:
  US12/557,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 166/318, 166/317, 166/332.4, 166/192, 166/193
• US Class Current: 166/318
• 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 33/12 Packers; Plugs used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/14 with ball-shaped valve member check valves F16K15/04
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/42 Valve seats for double-seat valves F16K1/44
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/04 shaped as balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/048 Ball features
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/0245 with ball-shaped valve members

Abstract

A pluggable seat includes, a first portion, positionable within a tubular, that is receptive to a runnable member seatable thereagainst, a second portion positioned downstream of the first portion, having a radial dimension smaller than a smallest radial dimension of the first portion, and a profile disposed at the second portion configured to increase resistance to extrusion of a runnable member past the pluggable seat in comparison to the same pluggable seat without the profile.

Claims

1. A pluggable seat, comprising:

a first portion, positionable within a tubular, being receptive to a runnable member seatable thereagainst at a frustoconical surface thereof;

a second portion positioned downstream of the first portion, downstream being defined as a direction that the runnable member is moved into seating engagement with the pluggable seat, having a radial dimension smaller than a smallest radial dimension of the first portion; and

a profile disposed at the second portion configured to increase resistance to extrusion of a runnable member past the pluggable seat in comparison to the same pluggable seat without the profile.

2. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the profile includes at least one tooth positioned and oriented such that a radial surface of the pluggable seat that connects the first portion with the second portion extends downstream of a surface of the at least one tooth.

3. The pluggable seat of claim 2, wherein the surface of the at least one tooth forms an angle between zero and ninety degrees with the radial surface of the pluggable seat.

4. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the profile includes a chamfer.

5. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the runnable member is a ball.

6. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the radial dimension is a radius.

7. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the profile includes a knurl.

8. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the profile includes serrations.

9. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the profile includes a plurality of buttresses.

10. The pluggable seat of claim 1, wherein the profile includes a material attached thereto configured to increase friction between the runnable member and the profile.

11. A tubular actuating system, comprising:

a tubular;

a ball being runnable within the tubular;

an actuator disposed at the tubular;

a seat disposed at the actuator having a first diameter smaller than the ball diameter being seatingly receptive to the ball at a frustoconical surface of a first portion thereof; and

a profile disposed at a second portion of the seat having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter and positioned downstream of the first portion, downstream being defined as a direction that the ball is moved into seating engagement with the seat, the profile being configured to require greater pressure to extrude the ball therepast than pressure required to extrude the ball past the first portion.

12. The tubular actuating system of claim 11, wherein the ball is deformable.

13. The tubular actuating system of claim 11, wherein the profile includes a material attached to the seat that has a greater coefficient of friction with the ball than a material that the seat is made of.

14. The tubular actuating system of claim 11, wherein the profile includes one of, knurls, serrations and buttresses.