AU2015202039A1 - Downhole actuating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

DOWNHOLE ACTUATING APPARATUS A mechanical counting device for actuating a plurality of output devices, the device comprising: linear indexing means adapted to count a plurality of actuating signals and to cause actuation of the output devices when a predetermined number of actuating signals for each output device has been received, wherein the mechanical 10 counting device is adapted to cause actuation of a particular output device when a different predetermined number of actuating signals has been received such that the output devices are sequentially actuable. (u. coo

Description

1 DOWNHOLE ACTUATING APPARATUS FIELD OF INVENTION 5 The present invention relates to mechanical devices for counting input signals. In particular, the invention relates to mechanical devices for counting input signals to actuate downhole tools in a sequential manner. BACKGROUND TO INVENTION 10 There are many situations in which downhole tools must be selectively actuated. However, communicating with the tools to cause actuation can be difficult in the downhole environment. Systems such as RFID systems exist but these are complex, expensive and prone to failure. Indeed, any form of electrical, electronic or magnetic 15 device is often not robust enough to withstand the harsh downhole environment. During hydraulic fracturing of a multiple zone well, a series of tools, or clusters of tools, are provided at each zone, and each downhole tool needs to be actuated and fluid is diverted to flow outwards to fracture the well. The actuation must be 20 performed in a sequential manner to allow the borehole to be progressively fractured along the length of the bore, without leaking fracture fluid out through previously fractured regions. Due to the expense and frequent failure of electronic or electrical devices, the most 25 common approach to tool actuation is still fully mechanical. Balls of ever increasing size are dropped down a tubular positioned within the well bore. The tools are configured so that the first dropped ball, which has the smallest diameter, passes though the first and intermediate tools, which have a ball seat (hereinafter referred to as a valve seat) larger than the ball, until it reaches the furthest away tool in the well. 30 This furthest away tool is configured to have a valve seat smaller than the first dropped ball so that the ball seats at the tool to block the main passage and cause transverse ports to open thus diverting the fluid flow. Subsequently dropped balls are of increasing size so that they too pass through the nearest tools but seat at further 2 away tools which have a suitably sized valve seat. This is continued until all the tools have been actuated in the order of furthest away to nearest. Therefore, this approach does not involve counting the dropped balls. Balls which 5 are too small for a particular tool are simply not registered. However, this approach has a number of disadvantages. The number of tools with varying valve seats that can be used is limited in practice because there must be a significant difference in the size of the seat (and therefore the ball) so that the ball does not inadvertently actuate 10 previous tools. Also, the valve seats act as restrictions to flow through the tubular which are always undesirable. The smaller the seat the greater the restriction. It is desirable to provide an apparatus which allows: actuation of a large number of downhole tools; and/or downhole tools with the same size of valve seat; and/or valve 15 seats with the largest possible diameter. SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a mechanical 20 counting device locatable at each of a plurality of downhole tools arranged within and along a well bore, each tool having a main bore corresponding to the tubular positioned in the well bore, and each tool being actuatable to open one or more fluid ports which are transverse to the main bore, the mechanical counting device comprising: 25 linear indexing means adapted to cause the mechanical counting device to linearly progress along the main bore by a predetermined distance in response to receiving an actuating signal until reaching an actuation site of the tool whereupon the tool is actuated, wherein the mechanical counting device is locatable at a plurality of different 30 predetermined positions within the main bore such that the downhole tools are sequentially actuatable. The mechanical counting device may be adapted to engage with one of a plurality of longitudinal recesses provided along the main bore.

3 The mechanical counting device may be adapted to linearly progress along the main bore by the predetermined distance in response to an object, such as a ball, dropped within the tubular positioned within the well bore, which thus provides the actuating 5 signal. The mechanical counting device may be adapted, upon reaching the actuation site, to cause the dropped object to stop at the tool, thus blocking the main bore at the tool. 10 The mechanical counting device may be adapted to linearly progress in a number of discrete steps to the actuation site. Each discrete step may correspond to the mechanical counting device moving from one longitudinal recess to the adjacent longitudinal recess. 15 The mechanical counting device may comprise a collet member having a number of fingers and a protrusion provided at the end of each finger. Each finger may be flexible. The collet member may comprise a tubular member having a bore which is sized such that the dropped object may pass through the tubular member. Each finger may be movable between a first position in which the protrusion is outwith the 20 bore of the tubular member and a second position in which the protrusion is within the bore of the tubular member and contactable by the dropped object. Each finger may be bendable between the first and second positions. The collet member may be locatable within the main bore such that the protrusion of 25 one or more fingers is engaged with a recess when the finger is at the first position and not engaged with a recess when the finger is at the second position. The collet member may comprise a first set of fingers and a second set of fingers which is longitudinally spaced from the first set. The collet member and the recesses 30 may be configured such that, when the fingers of the first set are engaged with a recess, the fingers of the second set are not engaged with a recess. The collet member and the recesses may be configured such that, when the fingers of the second set are engaged with a recess, the fingers of the first set are not engaged with a recess.

4 The collet member may be adapted such that the dropped object passing through the main bore contacts the protrusion of the one or more fingers which are at the second position such that the collet member is linearly moved in the direction of 5 travel of the dropped object. The collet member may be linearly moved until the protrusion engages with the next recess. The collet member may be adapted such that engagement with the next recess allows the dropped object to continue past the set of fingers of which the protrusion has engaged with the next recess. 10 The collet member may be adapted such that the linear movement causes the protrusion of the one or more fingers which are at the first position to disengage from the recess and move to the second position. The collet member may be linearly moved by the impact force from the dropped object and/or by fluid pressure upstream of, and acting on, the dropped object. 15 In this manner, the collet member is linearly movable in a stepwise sequence, moving one recess every time an object is dropped. The mechanical counting device may be movable towards a sleeve member 20 provided within the main bore and adapted to block the transverse ports. The collet member may be adapted to contact and act upon the sleeve member upon reaching the actuation site to move the sleeve member and cause fluid communication between the main bore and the transverse ports. 25 In this manner, the collet member is linearly movable one recess at a time towards the actuation site whereupon it causes moving of the sleeve member to open the transverse ports. The main bore of each tool can be provided with a large number of recesses. For a particular tool, the collet member can be located a particular number of recesses from the actuation site. The number of recesses can be arranged to vary 30 for each tool depending on its proximity to the surface. For instance, the tool furthest from the surface could have the least number of recesses, such as only one, while the tool nearest the surface could have the greatest number of recesses, such as fifty if there is a total of fifty tools within the well bore. The tools will therefore sequentially actuate in the order of furthest away to nearest.

5 BRIEF DESCRIPION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 5 Figure 1 is a (a) perspective view and a (b) sectional side view of a housing of a tool (shown in Figure 3) of a downhole actuating apparatus; 10 Figure 2 is a (a) perspective view and a (b) sectional side view of a collet of a downhole actuating apparatus; Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a tool of a downhole actuating apparatus with a sleeve in the closed position; 15 Figure 4 is a detailed sectional side view of a portion of the tool of Figure 1 with a ball approaching the tool; Figure 5 is a detailed sectional side view of a portion of the tool of Figure 1 with the ball landing at the first seat; 20 Figure 6 is a detailed sectional side view of a portion of the tool of Figure 1 with the ball landing at the second seat; Figure 7 is a detailed sectional side view of a portion of the tool of Figure 1 with the 25 ball released; and Figure 8 is a (a) perspective view and a (b) sectional side view of a dog assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 30 Figure 1 shows a downhole tool 10 of a downhole actuating apparatus. The apparatus comprises many of these downhole tools 10, such as fifty, which can be secured to a tubular and sequentially arranged along a well bore. As utilized throughout this specification, the term "tubular" refers to any generally tubular 6 conduit for transporting fluid, particularly oil, gas and/or water, in and/or from a subterranean well. A "tubular" as deployed in a subterranean well, may be formed from individual, discrete lengths of generally tubular conduit usually secured together by means of collars to form, for example a tubing string, drill string, casing string, 5 liner, etc., which is positioned in a subterranean well and utilized, at least in part, to transport fluids. The tubular may have a bore of a generally uniform diameter throughout the length thereof or may have two or more sections having bores of different diameters. For example, the tubular may be comprised of a casing string positioned within the well bore, extending at one end thereof from the well head, 10 either surface or subsea, and connected at or near the other end thereof to a tubing string or liner having a bore that is smaller than that through the casing string. As another example, the tubular may be comprised of a tubing string positioned within the well bore, extending at one end thereof from the well head, either surface or subsea, and connected at or near the other end thereof to a casing string or liner 15 having a bore that is larger than that through the tubing string. Environments other than a subterranean well in which tubulars may be used in accordance with the present invention, include, but are not limited to, pipelines and sewer lines. In this embodiment, the tools 10 are provided for the purpose of well fracturing. Each 20 tool 10 has a main bore 12 which in use is coaxial with the tubular positioned within a well bore and a number of transverse fluid ports 14. The main bore 12 of the tool 10 defines a number of annular grooves or recesses 16, the recesses 16 each being equally and longitudinally spaced apart by a predetermined spacing. The number of recesses 16 can be configured to be the same as the total number of tools 10. 25 Inserted within the main bore 12 of each tool 10 is a collet 20 as shown in Figures 3 to 7. Referring to Figure 2, the collet 20 is tubular and has a bore 22 which is coaxial with the main bore 12 when the collet 20 is inserted within the main bore 12. Each collet 20 has two sets of flexible fingers and a protrusion 24 is provided at the end of 30 each finger. Each finger is bendable, when a transverse force is applied to the protrusion 24, between a first position in which the protrusion 24 is outwith the bore 22 of the collet 20 and a second position in which the protrusion 24 is within the bore 22. When the collet 20 is inserted within the main bore 12, each protrusion 24 is at 7 the first position when engaged with a recess 16 and at the second position when the protrusion 24 is not engaged with a recess 16. The first set of fingers 26 and the second set of fingers 28 are longitudinally spaced 5 apart by a predetermined distance. This distance is configured so that, when the fingers 26 of the first set are engaged with a recess 16, the fingers 28 of the second set are not engaged with a recess 16, rather they are between two adjacent recesses 16 and so at the second position. 10 The collet 20 is adapted such that a dropped object such as a ball 30 can pass through the main bore 12 but it will contact the protrusion 24 of any fingers which are at the second position. Figures 4 to 7 show a ball 30, dropped from the surface and travelling in direction 100, passing through the collet 20. 15 As shown in Figure 4, each protrusion 24 of the second set of fingers 28 is engaged with a recess 16 and so are unbent and at the first position. However, the protrusions 24 of the first set of fingers 26 are engaged with a recess 16 and so are bent inwards to the second position. It should be noted that the collet 20 could be 20 configured such that the first set of fingers 26 are at the first position and the second set of fingers 28 are at the second position. As shown in Figure 5, the ball 30 contacts the protrusions 24 of the first set of fingers 26 since they are within the bore 22. One or both of the impact force from the ball 30 25 and fluid pressure upstream of the ball 30 then causes the collet 20 to be linearly moved in the travel direction 100. This causes the second set of fingers 28 to disengage from the recess 16 and linearly move to a location between this recess 16 and the next recess 16. These fingers 28 are now at the second position. At the same time, the first set of fingers 26 move forward to engage with the next recess 16 30 causing the fingers 26 to unbend to the first position. The protrusions 24 and recesses 16 are suitably profiled to allow the protrusion 24 to disengage from the recess 16 when a sufficient linear force is applied.

8 Figure 6 shows the fingers in their new positions. Also, with the first set of fingers 26 at the first position, the ball 30 is free to continue its travel until it meets the second set of fingers 28. Since these are now at the second position, the ball 30 is stopped at this location. 5 Again, the impact force from the ball 30 and/or fluid pressure upstream of the ball 30 causes the collet 20 to be linearly moved in the travel direction 100. This causes the first set of fingers 26 to disengage from the recess 14 and linearly move to a location between this recess 14 and the next recess 14. These fingers 26 are now at the 10 second position. At the same time, the second set of fingers 28 move forward to engage with the next recess 14 causing the fingers 28 to unbend to the first position. Figure 7 shows the fingers in their new positions. It should be noted that these positions are the same as their original positions before the ball 30 approached the 15 collet 20. With the second set of fingers 28 at the first position, the ball 30 is free to continue its travel along the well bore, exiting this tool 10. The ball 30 will continue to travel through a tubular to the next tool 10 where it will drive forward the collet 20 associated with the tool 10 and so on until the last tool is reached. 20 Therefore, the overall effect of the ball 30 passing through the tools 10 is that the associated collet 20 is linearly moved forward one recess 16. Any subsequently dropped balls 30 would have the same effect. The collet 20 is therefore linearly moved in a stepwise sequence, moving one recess 16 every time a ball 30 is dropped. 25 Each tool 10 includes a sleeve 40, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The sleeve 40 includes a number of apertures 42. In its normal position, the sleeve 40 is connected to the main bore 12 by a connecting member or shear pin and, at this position, the apertures 42 are longitudinally spaced from the transverse ports 14. Therefore, the 30 sleeve 40 blocks the transverse ports 14 to fluid within the main bore 12. Figure 2 shows this normal position with the transverse ports 14 blocked. Seals are provided to prevent leakage of fluid from the main bore 12 to the transverse ports 14.

9 As shown in Figure 3, a second collet 50 is provided within the main bore 12 just downstream of the sleeve 40. With the sleeve 40 in its normal position, the protrusion of the fingers 52 of the second collet 50 are engaged with second recesses 18 provided at the main bore 12. Therefore, the second collet 50 is 5 unaffected by any dropped balls 30 passing through the tool 10. When a predetermined number of balls 30 have been dropped for the particular tool 10, the collet 20 will have been moved to reach and contact the sleeve 40 and this is termed the actuation site. Further linear movement of the collet 20 applies a 10 longitudinal force on the sleeve 40 to linearly move the sleeve 40 when the force is great enough to cause shearing of the shear pin. This movement of the sleeve 40 causes alignment of the apertures 42 of the sleeve 40 and the transverse ports 14 so that there is fluid communication between the main bore 12 and the transverse ports 14. The movement also causes the sleeve 40 to act upon and linearly move 15 the second collet 50 such that the protrusions of the fingers 52 of the second collet 50 disengage with second recesses 18. A dropped ball 30 will stop at these protrusions and block the main bore 12. Therefore, the main bore 12 is now blocked and the transverse ports 14 are open. 20 The tool 10 has been actuated and fluid travelling in the well bore in direction 100 will be diverted out of the tool 10 via the transverse ports 14. The apparatus can be arranged so that the collet 20 is located within the main bore 12 of a particular tool 10 at a predetermined number of recesses 16 from the 25 actuation site. The tools 10 can be arranged so that this predetermined number of recesses 16 varies for each tool 10 depending on its proximity to the surface. The tool 10 furthest from the surface can involve only one recess 16, while the tool 10 nearest the surface could have the greatest number of recesses 16, such as fifty. The tools 10 with a collet 20 which is a smaller number of recesses 16 from the 30 sleeve 40 will actuate first. The tools 10 will therefore sequentially actuate in the order of furthest away to nearest. Therefore, each tool 10 is provided with indexing means which is adapted to register 10 receipt of an actuating signal (the dropped ball 30) and to cause actuation of the tool 10 when a predetermined number of actuating signals has been received. At least two of the tools 10 is actuated when a different predetermined number of actuating signals has been received and so the downhole tools 10 are sequentially actuatable. 5 Also, the predetermined number of recesses 14 for each tool 10 corresponds to the predetermined number of actuating signals. This may be an identically correspondence, or the predetermined number of recesses could equal, say, the predetermined number of actuating signals minus one. This would be the case if the 10 collet 20 is moved, say, four recesses 14 to move the sleeve and a fifth ball 30 is used to block the main bore 12 (rather than the fourth ball 30 moving the sleeve before being caught by the second collet 50). The present invention allows each tool 10 to have a valve seat of the same size and 15 to have a main bore of the same size which is substantially equivalent to the bore through the tubular. Each ball 30 dropped is also the same size. It should also be noted that the mechanical counting device of the present invention is non-electrical, non-electronic and non-magnetic. Rather, it is a fully mechanical apparatus. 20 Figure 8 shows an alternative mechanical counting device which is a dog assembly 60 that may be used with the tool 10. In this embodiment, two sets of dogs 62 are provided, rather than the fingers of the collet 20. Each set of dogs 62 are equispaced around the tubular body 64 of the dog assembly 60. As before, the dogs 62 are 25 engagable with recesses 16 of the tool 10. Each dog 62 comprises a block of material, such as steel which is provided within an aperture 66 of the tubular body 84. Each dog 62 is thicker than the thickness of the tubular body 64 and is movable between a first position in which the under surface of 30 the dog 62 is flush with the inner surface of the tubular body 64 (and so does not protrude into the bore 68 of the tubular body 64) and a second position in which the dog 62 protrudes into the bore 22. Figure 8 (b) shows both positions. Each dog 62 includes two wings 70 to prevent the dog 62 from escaping the aperture 66 and falling into the bore 68.

11 A dropped ball 30 will contact the dogs 62 of the first set since they are within the bore 68. The dog assembly 60 will then be linearly moved in the travel direction 100 which causes the dogs 62 of the second set to disengage from the recess 16 and 5 linearly move to the second position. At the same time, the dog 62 of the first set will move forward to the first position. The ball 30 is now free to continue forward until it meets the dog 62 of the second set since they are now at the second position. The dog assembly 60 is then linearly moved as the ball 30 acts upon the dogs 62 of 10 the second set. This causes the dogs 62 of the first set to disengage from the recess 16 and linearly move to the second position. At the same time, the dogs 62 of the second set move forward to engage with the next recess 16. The ball 30 is now free to continue its travel along the well bore, exiting this tool 10. 15 Whilst specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it will be appreciated that departures from the described embodiments may still fall within the scope of the present invention. In this specification, the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprising" or similar terms 20 are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system, method or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include those elements solely, but may well include other elements not listed. The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, 25 an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Claims (25)

1. A mechanical counting device locatable within a tool, comprising: a tubular body having a bore; 5 a first set of dogs carried by the tubular body and being radially moveable relative to the bore of the tubular body between radially extended and retracted positions, a second set of dogs carried by the tubular body and being radially moveable relative to the bore of the tubular body between radially extended and retracted 10 positions, wherein the tubular body is configured to be linearly progressed along an associated tool in response to receiving an object transported at least partially through the tubular body and sequentially engaging the first and second sets of dogs. 15

2. The device of claim 1, locatable within a main bore of a tool which includes a plurality of recesses arranged longitudinally along the main bore, wherein the first and second sets of dogs are radially moveable relative to the bore of the tubular body to be selectively engaged and disengaged with one or more recesses of an 20 associated tool.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein selective engagement and disengagement of the first and second sets of dogs is achieved by linear movement of the tubular body along the main bore of the tool. 25

4. The device of claim 2 or 3, wherein selective engagement and disengagement of the first and second sets of dogs facilitates sequential engagement with an object transported at least partially through the tubular body. 30

5. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the first set of dogs are radially extended and retracted out of phase relative to the second set of dogs to permit an object transported at least partially through the tubular body to sequentially engage the first and second sets of dogs. 13

6. The device of any preceding claim, wherein each dog is moveable between a first position in which the dog does not substantially protrude into the bore of the tubular body, and a second position in which the dog protrudes into the bore of the tubular member. 5

7. The device of claim 6, wherein when a dog is in its first position said dog engages a recess of a main bore of an associated tool.

8. The device of claim 6 or 7, wherein when a dog is in its second position said 10 dog is not engaged with a recess of a main bore of an associated tool

9. The device of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein when a dog is in its first position an inwardly facing surface of said dog is substantially flush with an inner surface of the tubular body. 15

10. The device of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein when a dog is located in its first position an object transported at least partially through the tubular body will not engage said dog. 20

11. The device of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein when a dog is located in its second position an object transported at least partially through the tubular body will engage said dog.

12. The device of any preceding claim, wherein each dog comprises a block of 25 material.

13. The device of any preceding claim, wherein each dog is provided within an aperture in a wall of the tubular body. 30

14. The device of claim 13, wherein each dog is thicker than the wall of the tubular body at the location of the respective apertures.

15. The device of claim 13 or 14, wherein each dog includes a captive arrangement for preventing said dogs from escaping from the respective apertures. 14

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the captive arrangement comprises a pair of wings for preventing said dogs from escaping the respective apertures into the bore of the tubular member. 5

17. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the object comprises a ball.

18. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the tubular body is adapted to linearly progress in a number of discrete steps along the tool in response to 10 receiving a corresponding number of objects transported through the tubular body.

19. A downhole tool comprising: a main bore including a plurality of recesses arranged longitudinally along the main bore; and 15 a mechanical counting device according to any one of claims 66 to 83 mounted within the main bore.

20. A downhole method, comprising: providing a tubular body having a bore and carrying first and second sets of 20 radially moveable dogs; locating the tubular body within a tool; and delivering an object into the bore of the tubular body to sequentially engage the first and second sets of dogs to cause that tubular body to move linearly through the tool. 25

21. A downhole tool, comprising: a housing defining a main bore; an actuatable member moveable from a first configuration to a second configuration to permit actuation of the tool; and 30 an indexer mounted within the housing on one axial side of the actuatable member and arranged to progress linearly along the main bore of the housing towards the actuatable member in a predetermined number of discrete steps of linear movement by passage of a corresponding number of objects through 15 the indexer to contact the actuatable member and cause said actuatable member to move towards its second configuration.

22. A method for downhole actuation, comprising: 5 arranging an actuatable member in a first configuration within a bore of a housing; arranging an indexer within the housing; passing a plurality of objects through the indexer to move said indexer linearly along the main bore of the housing in a number of discrete sequential and 10 progressive steps of linear movement until the indexer causes the actuatable member to move towards a second configuration.

23. A downhole system, comprising: a plurality of objects; 15 a housing defining a main bore; an actuatable member moveable from a first configuration to a second configuration to permit actuation of the tool; an indexer mounted within the housing on one axial side of the actuatable member and arranged to progress linearly along the main bore of the housing 20 towards the actuatable member in a predetermined number of discrete steps of linear movement by passage of a corresponding number of the objects through the indexer to contact the actuatable member and cause said actuatable member to move towards its second configuration. 25

24. A method for fracturing a well, comprising: arranging a fracturing tool within a wellbore; delivering a number of objects through an indexer mounted within a main bore of the tool to linearly progress the indexer along said main bore in a corresponding number of discrete steps of linear movement to actuate a member 30 located on one axial side of the indexer to cause said member to move and cause opening of a fluid port; blocking the main bore at a location on a side of the member opposite to that of the indexer; and flowing a fracturing fluid through the opened fluid port. 16

25. A downhole tool, comprising: an actuatable member; a first collet member adapted to register the presence of an object 5 transported therethrough to cause movement of the actuatable member to actuate the tool when a predetermined number of objects has been registered; and a second collet member provided downstream of the actuatable member, wherein movement of the actuatable member causes the second 10 collet member to disengage a recess such that an object is stopped by the second collet member.