Flow control system having a downhole rotatable valve
AssigneePine Tree Gas, LLC
InventorJoseph A. Zupanick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow control system includes a pump positioned in a well to remove liquid from the well. An isolation device having a valve body and a valve spool is positioned downhole of the pump. The valve spool is rotatably received by the valve body and is capable of rotating between an open position and a closed position. During removal of the liquid from the well, the valve spool is in the closed position to substantially reduce fluid flow past the valve spool and thus gas interference at the pump.
Claims20
A flow control system for removing liquid from a well having a producing formation, the system comprising:
- a pump positioned in a wellbore of the well to remove liquid from the wellbore;
- an isolation device positioned downhole of the pump and in communication with the wellbore to substantially reduce fluid flow from a producing formation at the pump during removal of the liquid, the isolation device comprising:
- a valve body fixed relative to the wellbore, the valve body having a first passage and an entry port fluidly communicating with the first passage;
- a sealing element positioned around the valve body to seal against the wellbore;
- a valve spool rotatably received by the first passage of the valve body, the valve spool having a second passage, at least one uphole port positioned uphole of the sealing element and fluidly communicating with the second passage, and at least one downhole port positioned downhole of the sealing element and fluidly communicating with the second passage, the valve spool being rotatable between an open position and a closed position, the open position providing for the alignment of the downhole port and the entry port to allow fluid flow through the second passage, thereby bypassing the sealing element, the closed position providing for the misalignment of the downhole port and the entry port to substantially reduce fluid flow through the second passage, thereby substantially reducing fluid flow past the sealing element;
- and
- a rotator positioned at a surface of the well and operably connected to the valve spool to selectively rotate the valve spool between the open and closed positions;
- wherein the pump removes liquid when the valve spool is placed in the closed position.
A flow control system for removing liquid from a well having a producing formation, the system comprising:
- a pump positioned in the well to remove liquid from the well;
- and
- an isolation device having a valve body and a valve spool being positioned downhole of the pump, the valve spool rotatably received by the valve body and capable of rotating between an open position and a closed position, the valve spool in the closed position substantially reducing fluid flow from the producing formation to the pump during removal of the liquid;
- wherein the pump removes the liquid when the valve spool is closed and when the pump is isolated from fluid communication with the producing formation.
A method for removing liquid from a well comprising:
- rotating a downhole valve spool into a closed position to isolate a pump within a substantially horizontal portion of the well from a producing formation of the well;
- and
- pumping the liquid from the substantially horizontal portion while the pump is isolated from fluid communication with the producing formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.