Interventionless operation of downhole tool

#Hydrocarbon fluids, e.g. oil and natural gas, are obtained from a subterranean geologic formation, referred to as a reservoir, by drilling a well that penetrates the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. Once a wellbore is drilled, various forms of well completion components may be installed to control and enhance the efficiency of producing fluids from the reservoir. In some applications, for example, a formation isolation valve (FIV) may be used to isolate the formation or portions of the formation. Such a valve may be run in a sand face completion.

#Formation isolation valves generally are actuated to a closed position with a shifting tool after run-in of a sand face completion and then opened through a subsequent operation, e.g. an intervention operation. In some applications the subsequent operation may be an interventionless operation, but existing interventionless operations are relatively time-consuming and expensive. For example, certain existing systems enable opening of the formation isolation valve via tubing pressure cycles with liquid in the tubing. Generally, the density of the fluid above the closed valve is such that the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column above the closed valve is lower than the formation pressure below the valve. This is done to allow the information to flow naturally after the valve is opened to put the well on production. However, in a well drilled and completed in a depleted formation the formation pressure below the valve may be lower than the hydrostatic pressure from the fluid column above the valve. To allow the well to start production in this type of situation, the fluid column above the closed valve is displaced partially or fully with nitrogen gas. After the valve is opened, the gas pressure is bled off to reduce the pressure to a level below the formation pressure so the well can start flowing. However, the nitrogen in the tubing can inhibit the effectiveness of the cycles and also can require substantial amounts of time to open the formation isolation valve.

#In general, the present disclosure provides a technique for actuating a downhole tool, such as a valve, in a simple, rapid, and cost-effective manner. The technique comprises installing the downhole tool with a trip saver. The trip saver can be actuated by increasing a pressure, e.g. a tubing pressure, beyond a threshold level. Once the trip saver is actuated, a fluid under suitable pressure is provided to a downhole tool through a passageway opened via the trip saver. This enables actuation of the downhole tool, e.g. valve, to a desired state.

#Certain embodiments of the disclosure will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying figures illustrate only the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various technologies described herein, and:

#FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional illustration of a completion system including a valve with a trip saver module, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

#FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional illustration of a valve with trip saver module, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

#In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.

#The disclosure herein generally relates to well completion installation systems, and more particularly to a completion system comprising a downhole tool, e.g. a formation isolation valve, having an actuator that is operable via a rupture member, e.g. a rupture disc. Various embodiments of the concepts presented herein may be applied to a wide range of applications and fields, including many types of downhole applications.

#Referring generally to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a well system 20 is illustrated as comprising a completion 22 deployed in a wellbore 24 via tubing 26, e.g. production tubing or coiled tubing. Completion 22 may include a wide variety of components, depending in part on the specific application, geological characteristics, and well type. In the example illustrated, the wellbore 24 is substantially vertical and lined with a casing 28. However, various embodiments of completion 22 may be used in a well system having many types of wellbores, including deviated, e.g. horizontal, single bore, multilateral, single zone, multi-zone, cased, uncased (open bore), or other types of wellbores.