Pressure operated valve assembly
AssigneeWeatherford U.K. Limited
InventorDaniel George Purkis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve assembly comprises an actuation fluid inlet, an actuation fluid outlet and a valve member moveable between a closed position in which the actuation fluid outlet is closed, and an open position in which the actuation fluid outlet is opened. A locking arrangement is provided for locking the valve member in its closed position, wherein the locking arrangement is operable in response to a first predetermined fluid pressure event associated with at least the actuation fluid inlet to release the locking arrangement to permit the valve member to be moved to its open position in response to a second subsequent predetermined fluid pressure event associated with at least the actuation fluid inlet.
Claims27
A downhole pressure operated valve assembly, comprising:
- an actuation fluid inlet for receiving an actuation fluid from a source;
- an actuation fluid outlet for delivering the actuation fluid to a target;
- a valve member moveable between a closed position in which the actuation fluid outlet is closed, and an open position in which the actuation fluid outlet is opened;
- a locking arrangement for locking the valve member in the closed position;
- and
- a release member operable in response to a first predetermined fluid pressure event associated with at least the actuation fluid inlet to release the locking arrangement to permit the valve member to be moved to the open position in response to a second predetermined fluid pressure event associated with at least the actuation fluid inlet,
- wherein the release member is operable to be moved in response to the first pressure event from a locking position in which the locking arrangement is held locked to a release position in which the locking arrangement is released,
- wherein the release member is operable to be moved in response to the first pressure event from the locking position to a first intermediate position prior to being moved to the release position,
- wherein the release member is operable to retain the locking arrangement in a locked configuration when said release member is located in the first intermediate position, and
- wherein the release member is operable to move from the locking position to the first intermediate position in response to a period of increasing or increased pressure, and subsequently to be moved from the first intermediate position to the release position in response to a period of decreasing or decreased pressure.
A method for downhole actuation, comprising:
- providing a valve member of a pressure operated valve assembly in a closed position in which an actuation fluid outlet is closed to prevent actuation fluid from reaching a target location;
- locking the valve member in the closed position by use of a locking arrangement and a release member;
- communicating fluid from a fluid source to an actuation fluid inlet of the pressure operated valve assembly;
- operating the release member to unlock the valve member by establishing a first predetermined pressure event associated with at least the actuation fluid inlet, moving the release member in response to the first pressure event from a locking position in which the locking arrangement is held locked to a release position in which the locking arrangement is released, moving the release member in response to the first pressure event from the locking position to an intermediate position prior to being moved to the release position, retaining the locking arrangement in a locked configuration when said release member is located in the intermediate position, and moving the release member from the locking position to the intermediate position in response to a period of increasing or increased pressure, and subsequently moving the release member from the intermediate position to the release position in response to a period of decreasing or decreased pressure;
- and
- establishing a second predetermined pressure event associated with at least the actuation fluid inlet to operate the valve member to move to an open position and permit actuation fluid to flow from the fluid source to the target location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.