# US 11,993,990 B2 · Replaceable flapper seat assembly for a safety valve in a wellbore > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,990 B2 - Document ID: US11993990B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/972,016 - Filed: 2022-10-24 - Published: 2024-04-25 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-24 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Mohan Gunasekaran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993990B2 ## CPC - E21B 23/00: Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells (setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10) - E21B 34/10: operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole - F16K 1/427: {Attachment of the seat to the housing by one or more additional fixing elements} - E21B 2200/05: Flapper valves - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} ## Abstract A method for removing a flapper seat assembly that is replaceable from a safety valve positioned downhole in a wellbore is described herein. For example, the safety valve is positioned downhole in a wellbore and can include a housing. Additionally, the safety valve can include a flow tube coupled to a downhole tool. The flow tube can be removed from the safety valve in response to a first force applied by the downhole tool. A first tool profile can be coupled to a first assembly profile for coupling the downhole tool to the flapper seat assembly after removing the flow tube. A second assembly profile can be detached from a housing profile to remove the flapper seat assembly from the wellbore in response to a second force applied by the downhole tool. After removing the flapper seat assembly, a second flapper seat assembly can be attached to the safety valve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: removing a flow tube from a safety valve in response to a first force applied to the flow tube, the safety valve being positioned downhole in a wellbore and comprising a housing with a first end coupled to an uphole tubing string and a second end coupled to a downhole tubing string; subsequent to removing the flow tube, removing a flapper seat assembly of the safety valve from the wellbore in response to a second force applied to the flapper seat assembly, the flapper seat assembly comprising an second assembly profile coupled to a housing profile on an inner diameter of the housing and detachable from the housing profile in response to the second force applied to the flapper seat assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flapper seat assembly is a first flapper seat assembly, and wherein the method further comprises: inserting a second flapper seat assembly into the safety valve, wherein the second flapper seat assembly comprises the assembly profile that is coupleable to the housing profile on the inner diameter of the housing of the safety valve; and coupling the second flapper seat assembly to the safety valve by engaging the assembly profile on an outer diameter of the second flapper seat assembly with the housing profile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flow tube is a first flow tube and the flapper seat assembly is a first flapper seat assembly, and wherein the method further comprises, subsequent to attaching a second flapper seat assembly: inserting a second flow tube into the safety valve via a flow tube profile on an outer diameter of the second flow tube; and coupling the second flow tube to the safety valve by engaging a collet of the second flow tube with a connecting ring positioned within the housing of the safety valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the flow tube profile of the second flow tube is a first flow tube profile, and wherein the method further comprises: engaging the collet with the connecting ring by coupling a second flow tube profile of the second flow tube to a ring profile of the connecting ring, wherein the second flow tube profile is positioned on an outer diameter of the second flow tube and the ring profile is positioned on an inner diameter of the connecting ring. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing the flow tube from the safety valve further comprises: detaching an attachment mechanism of the flow tube from the safety valve, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one of a collet, a latch, a hydraulic coupling, an electrical coupling, or an electromagnetic coupling. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to removing the flow tube from the safety valve: pivoting a flapper valve within the flapper seat assembly from an open position to a closed position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein pivoting the flapper valve within the flapper seat assembly from the open position to the closed position further comprises: actuating a piston rod within the safety valve to apply a third force to a spring element positioned in the housing; and actuating the spring element to pivot the flapper valve from the open position and the closed position in response to the third force. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the housing is positioned downhole while removing the flapper seat assembly from the wellbore. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: an uphole tubing string positionable downhole in a wellbore; a downhole tubing string positionable downhole in the wellbore; and a safety valve couplable to the uphole tubing string and the downhole tubing string, the safety valve comprising: a housing with a first end couplable to the uphole tubing string and a second end couplable to the downhole tubing string; a flow tube removable from the safety valve in response to a first force applied to the flow tube; and a flapper seat assembly comprising: a first assembly profile of an inner diameter of the flapper seat assembly; and a second assembly profile of an outer diameter of the flapper seat assembly detachable from a housing profile of an inner diameter of the housing in response to a second force applied to the flapper seat assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the flapper seat assembly is a first flapper seat assembly, and wherein the system further comprises: a second flapper seat assembly comprising: the first assembly profile of an inner diameter of the second flapper seat assembly, the first assembly profile being usable to insert the second flapper seat assembly into the safety valve; and the second assembly profile of an outer diameter of the second flapper seat assembly, the second assembly profile being configured to engage with the housing profile to couple the second flapper seat assembly to the safety valve. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the flow tube is a first flow tube and the flapper seat assembly is a first flapper seat assembly, and wherein the system further comprises: a second flow tube including a collet configurable to engage with a connecting ring positionable within the housing to couple the second flow tube to the safety valve. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the second flow tube further comprises: a first flow tube profile usable to insert the second flow tube into the safety valve; and a second flow tube profile couplable to a ring profile for engaging the collet with the connecting ring, wherein the second flow tube profile is positionable on an outer diameter of the second flow tube and the ring profile is positionable on an inner diameter of the connecting ring. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein an attachment mechanism of the flow tube is detachable from the safety valve, and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one of a collet, a latch, a hydraulic coupling, an electrical coupling, or an electromagnetic coupling. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the flapper seat assembly further comprises: a flapper valve pivotable, prior to detaching the second assembly profile of the flapper seat assembly from the housing profile of the housing of the safety valve, from an open position to a closed position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising: a piston rod within the safety valve actuatable to apply a third force to a spring element positionable in the housing, wherein the spring element is actuatable to pivot the flapper valve from the open position and the closed position in response to the third force. ### Claim 16 A safety valve comprising: a housing with a first end couplable to an uphole tubing string and a second end couplable to a downhole tubing string, the housing being positionable downhole in a wellbore; a flow tube removable from the safety valve in response to a first force applied to the flow tube; and a flapper seat assembly comprising: a first assembly profile positionable on an inner diameter of the flapper seat assembly; and a second assembly profile detachable from a housing profile in response to a second force appliable to the flapper seat assembly to remove the flapper seat assembly from the wellbore, the second assembly profile positionable on an outer diameter of the flapper seat assembly and the housing profile positionable on an inner diameter of the housing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The safety valve of claim 16, wherein the flapper seat assembly is a first flapper seat assembly, and wherein the safety valve further comprises: a second flapper seat assembly comprising: the first assembly profile positionable on an inner diameter of the second flapper seat assembly and usable to insert the second flapper seat assembly into the safety valve; and the second assembly profile positionable on an outer diameter of the second flapper seat assembly and engageable with the housing profile to couple the second flapper seat assembly to the safety valve. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The safety valve of claim 16, wherein the flow tube is a first flow tube and the flapper seat assembly is a first flapper seat assembly, and wherein the safety valve further comprises: a second flow tube including a collet configurable to engage with a connecting ring positionable within the housing to couple the second flow tube to the safety valve. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The safety valve of claim 18, wherein the second flow tube further comprises: a first flow tube profile usable to insert the second flow tube into the safety valve; and a second flow tube profile couplable to a ring profile for engaging the collet with the connecting ring, wherein the second flow tube profile is positionable on an outer diameter of the second flow tube and the ring profile is positionable on an inner diameter of the connecting ring. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The safety valve of claim 16, wherein an attachment mechanism of the flow tube is detachable from the safety valve, and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one of a collet, a latch, a hydraulic coupling, an electrical coupling, or an electromagnetic coupling.