Device and method for regulating fluid flow in a well
AssigneeTriangle Equipment AS
InventorsBengt Gunnarson, Per Olav Haughom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for mutually independent control of regulating devices for controlling fluid flow between a hydrocarbon reservoir and a well includes a flow controller and a hydraulic actuator. The actuator is flow-relatedly arranged in series with at least two associated control valves in a path between two hydraulic pipes. The control valves are controlled to open for the flow of hydraulic liquid to the actuator by the pressure in the two hydraulic pipes, and the combination of two hydraulic pipes which are connected to an actuator is different for independently controllable regulating devices.
Claims12
A device for mutually independent control of regulating devices for controlling fluid flow between a hydrocarbon reservoir and a well which extends from a starting area to the hydrocarbon reservoir, wherein the regulating devices are provided in the well in the hydrocarbon reservoir, where each regulating device comprises a flow controller with a regulating element which is movable between regulating positions for the fluid flow and is connected to an actuating element of a hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic actuator is provided with two hydraulic ports, the actuating element is movable between regulating positions upon a minimum pressure differential between the ports, the differential pressure being provided by hydraulic pipes which extend from the well's starting area to the hydrocarbon reservoir,
- comprising, for each regulating device,
- at least two control valves for controlling flow of hydraulic liquid between the ports of the actuator and the hydraulic pipes, the control valves open and close for the flow of hydraulic liquid in the presence and absence respectively of at least an opening pressure on a control port,
- wherein the actuator is flow-relatedly arranged via the ports in series with the control valves in a hydraulic path between two hydraulic pipes, and
- the control port on at least one of the control valves is connected to one of the hydraulic pipes, and the control port on at least one of the other control valves is connected to the other hydraulic pipe, and
- the combination of two hydraulic pipes which are connected to an actuator is different for independently controllable regulating devices.
A method for mutually independent control of regulating devices for controlling the fluid flow between a hydrocarbon reservoir and a well which extends from a starting area to the hydrocarbon reservoir, by means of a device,
- the method comprising:
- pressurizing two hydraulic pipes which are connected to control valves for an actuator of the regulating device with hydraulic liquid to at least an opening pressure of the control valves, opening the control valves for the flow of hydraulic liquid between the two hydraulic pipes and the actuator, and establishing a pressure differential between the two hydraulic pipes which is sufficiently great to move an actuating element, whereby the actuator actuates a flow controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.