Top-down cementing of liner assembly

A system for setting in a borehole using a running string, the borehole having a cased section, the system comprising:

• a liner having a liner hanger, the liner hanger having a setting mechanism and a hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic actuator having an actuator port in a liner bore of the liner hanger, the hydraulic actuator being configured to set the setting mechanism in the cased section of the borehole;
• and
• a running tool being configured to connect to the running string and being at least partially insertable in the liner bore, the running tool comprising:
• a tool body having a tool bore extending therethrough;
• and
• a bypass section of the of the tool body defining a bypass port for the cementation, the bypass port communicating the tool bore outside the tool body, the bypass section at least including:
• a control sleeve having a control port and being movable in the tool bore relative to the bypass port,
• an opening seat being configured to engage a first of the plugs and being movable in the tool bore, and
• a closing seat being configured to engage a second of the plugs and being movable in the tool bore, the bypass section in a closed condition being configured to prevent fluid communication from the tool bore out the bypass port, the bypass section in an opened condition being configured to open fluid communication from the tool bore out the bypass port in response to a first of the plugs engaged in the opening seat, the bypass section in a flow-through condition being configured to close fluid communication from the tool bore out the bypass port in response to a second of the plugs engaged in the closing seat and being configured to communicate flow through the tool bore past the first plug, the opening seat, the second plug, and the closing seat in the tool bore.

A method of lining a borehole with a liner, the borehole having a cased section, the method comprising:

• running the liner in the borehole using a running tool on a running string;
• setting a liner hanger on the liner in the cased section using hydraulic pressure from the running string;
• opening a bypass port on the running tool uphole of a packoff of the running tool in the liner hanger by seating an opening plug in an opening seat in the running tool, using hydraulic pressure from the running string behind the opening plug seated in the opening seat in the running tool, and shifting the opening seat open relative to a bypass port in the running tool;
• bullheading cement into a lap of the liner and the borehole through the bypass port;
• closing the bypass port on the running tool by seating a closing plug in a closing seat in the running tool, using hydraulic pressure from the running string behind the closing plug seated in the running tool to shift the closing seat and release a control sleeve in the running tool, and closing the control sleeve relative to the bypass port;
• and
• reestablishing fluid communication from the running string to the liner through the running tool past the opening and closing plugs by catching the opening seat, the opening plug, the closing seat, and the closing plug in a section of the running tool and permitting the fluid communication through the section.