Barrier orifice valve for gas lift
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsJames Kritzler, James Holt, Vic Randazzo, Walt Chapman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Gas lift valve designs and gas lift systems are described that feature a positive closure mechanism that is highly resistant to significant wear or damage that would result in fluid leakage. A pivotable flapper member is incorporated into a gas lift valve and used as a flow control mechanism. The flapper member provides a positive barrier to fluid flow from the production tubing to the annulus, even after substantial wear or damage.
Claims17
A gas lift valve assembly for selectively controlling flow of fluid from an annulus of a wellbore into a flowbore of production tubing within the wellbore comprising:
- a valve body having a fluid flow path with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
- a fluid inlet being in fluid communication with the annulus;
- a fluid outlet being in fluid communication with the flowbore;
- and
- a flapper valve member retained within the valve body and moveable in response to pressure changes in the annulus between a closed position wherein fluid flow is blocked through the fluid flow path and an open position wherein fluid flow is permitted through the fluid flow path.
The gas lift valve assembly wherein the flapper valve member is biased toward a closed position by a spring force.
A gas lift system for enhanced production of hydrocarbons in a wellbore, the system comprising:
- a production tubing string defining a flowbore along its length and disposed within the wellbore to define an annulus between the tubing string and the wellbore;
- a gas lift mandrel incorporated into the production tubing string;
- a gas lift valve associated with the gas lift mandrel, the gas lift valve having:
- a valve body;
- and
- a flapper member flow control mechanism within the valve body that is pivotally secured to the valve body for pivoting movement between open and closed positions.
A method of performing a gas lift injection operation in a wellbore containing a production tubing string, the method comprising the steps of:
- injecting fluid into an annulus defined between the production tubing string and the wellbore;
- flowing the injected fluid into a gas lift valve from the annulus to open a pivoting flapper member within the gas lift valve;
- and
- flowing the injected fluid from the gas lift valve into the production tubing string.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.