Contingency sealing option for surface controlled flow control device
AssigneeSilverwell Technology Limited
InventorJoel David Shaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contingency valve provides redundancy to a surface controlled flow control valve for blocking flow into production tubing from a surrounding annulus when the surface controlled flow control valve is not operational. The surface controlled flow control valve and the contingency valve are disposed in an eccentric portion of the production tubing, and include valve members that are selectively disposed in a path of the flow within a sidewall of the production tubing. Valve members in the contingency valve are urged into the flow path by pressurizing hydraulic fluid downhole or by using a shifting tool. The types of surface controlled flow control valves include an inflow control device, an inflow control valve, and a gas lift valve.
Claims22
A contingency method in a wellbore comprising:
- identifying a surface controlled flow control valve (“SCFCV”) coupled to production tubing in the wellbore that is in a non-operational state, the SCFCV having a valve member that is selectively moveable in and out of a flow path that extends between an annulus circumscribing the production tubing and the bore, the valve member being out of the flow path when the SCFCV is in the non-operational state;
- and
- performing a contingency operation by activating a contingency system that comprises a plenum in a sidewall of the production tubing that intersects the flow path, and a contingency valve disposed in the plenum, the contingency valve being responsive to pressure in the production tubing is selectively moveable into the flow path to block fluid communication along the flow path.
A contingency system for use in a wellbore comprising:
- a plenum formed in a sidewall of production tubing disposed in the wellbore and having a surface controlled flow control valve (“SCFCV”) coupled to the production tubing, the SCFCV having a valve member that is selectively moveable in and out of a flow path that extends between an annulus circumscribing the production tubing;
- a contingency valve disposed in the plenum;
- and
- an activation portion of the plenum on a side of the contingency valve opposite the SCFCV, which is configured to be selectively sealed, so that when the activation portion is pressurized, the contingency valve is moved into the flow path to define a barrier to fluid communication between the plenum and the bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.