Contingency for surface controlled gas lift valve
AssigneeSilverwell Technology Limited
InventorsJoel David Shaw, Rafael Bastardo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A contingency for non-operation of a valve in a side pocket mandrel of production tubing includes creating a selective barrier to fluid communication across sidewalls of the production tubing. The barrier is formed by an insert that is installed in the side pocket mandrel, which includes a valve that responds to pressures inside and outside the production tubing to selectively allow fluid flow across the production tubing sidewalls. Types of the valve include a surface controlled gas lift valve, an inflow control valve, and an inflow control device.
Claims13
A method of wellbore operations comprising:
- monitoring a surface controlled valve that controls a flow of fluid through a sidewall of production tubing disposed in a subterranean wellbore;
- when the surface controlled valve is in a non-operational state and is not responsive to control signals, providing a contingency flow of the fluid through the sidewall of the production tubing by installing a contingency insert inside a cylinder in the production tubing;
- and
- forming a contingency port through the sidewall of the production tubing, and
- wherein the contingency insert comprises a pressure-controlled valve having an inlet port and an exit port,
- wherein the cylinder is defined by opposing ends of a semi-circular skirt that are attached to an inner surface of the production tubing,
- wherein a side port is formed radially through the skirt, and
- wherein when the pressure-controlled valve is installed in the cylinder, the contingency port registers with the inlet port and the exit port registers with the side port.
A method of wellbore operations comprising:
- monitoring a surface controlled valve that controls a flow of fluid through a sidewall of production tubing disposed in a subterranean wellbore;
- when the surface controlled valve is in a non-operational state and is not responsive to control signals, providing a contingency flow of the fluid through the sidewall of the production tubing by installing an injection pressure operated valve inside a cylinder in the production tubing, wherein the injection pressure operated valve has an inlet port and an exit port and the cylinder is defined by opposing ends of a semi-circular skirt that are attached to an inner surface of the production tubing;
- and
- forming a contingency port through the sidewall of the production tubing;
- and
- injecting lift gas into an annulus that circumscribes the production tubing to a designated pressure that opens the injection pressure operated valve so that lift gas flows from the annulus to inside of the production tubing, and
- wherein a side port is formed radially through the skirt, and
- wherein when the injection pressure valve is installed in the cylinder, the contingency port registers with the inlet port and the exit port registers with the side port.
A system for operating a wellbore comprising:
- production tubing disposed in a wellbore;
- a surface controlled valve that is selectively in contact with a primary flow of fluid that passes through a sidewall of the production tubing, the surface controlled valve comprising an exit end that is connected to an outer surface of the production tubing;
- a contingency flow system insertable inside the sidewall of the production tubing and that is selectively in contact with a contingency fluid flow that passes through the sidewall of the production tubing when the surface controlled valve is in a non-operational state;
- a cylinder in the production tubing, the cylinder formed by a skirt having opposing lateral ends and an axial end attached to an inner surface of the production tubing;
- and
- a contingency insert installed in the cylinder that forms a barrier to fluid communication through the cylinder between outside and inside of the production tubing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.