EP1570153A1 - Soupape de surete de fond pour systeme de completion a circulation centrale - Google Patents

Soupape de surete de fond pour systeme de completion a circulation centrale

Info

Publication number
EP1570153A1
EP1570153A1 EP02793981A EP02793981A EP1570153A1 EP 1570153 A1 EP1570153 A1 EP 1570153A1 EP 02793981 A EP02793981 A EP 02793981A EP 02793981 A EP02793981 A EP 02793981A EP 1570153 A1 EP1570153 A1 EP 1570153A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
safety valve
gate
downhole safety
bore
flow passage
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP02793981A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1570153B1 (fr
Inventor
Harold B. Skeels
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
FMC Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
FMC Technologies Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by FMC Technologies Inc filed Critical FMC Technologies Inc
Publication of EP1570153A1 publication Critical patent/EP1570153A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1570153B1 publication Critical patent/EP1570153B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
    • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
    • E21B33/035—Well heads; Setting-up thereof specially adapted for underwater installations
    • E21B33/0355—Control systems, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, acoustic, for submerged well heads
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
    • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
    • E21B33/04—Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a downhole safety valve for a central circulation completion system. More particularly, the invention relates to a valve for selectively sealing the annular production bore between the inner tubing string and the outer tubing string in a central circulation completion system.
  • a tubing string is suspended from a tubing hanger which is landed in a wellhead housing or in a Christmas tree that is installed over the wellhead housing.
  • the tubing string extends into the hydrocarbon reservoir and defines a production bore through which well fluids may be produced.
  • the tubing string is usually positioned within a casing string which is typically suspended from the wellhead housing.
  • the casing string also extends into the reservoir, and the annulus between the tubing string and the casing string defines a service bore through which fluids may be circulated, for example during installation of the completion system.
  • Subsea completion systems normally comprise at least one downhole safety valve, such as a surface controlled subsea safety valve (“SCSSV”), which functions to close off the production bore in the event of an emergency.
  • SCSSV surface controlled subsea safety valve
  • a typical prior art SCSSV comprises a ball valve which is disposed in a cylindrical housing that is mounted within or between successive sections of the tubing string. The ball valve is held in the open position by hydraulic control pressure but is biased toward the closed position by a spring or the like. Accordingly, if a need to close off the production bore arises, the hydraulic pressure is relieved, thus allowing the valve to close.
  • the inner tubing string defines a service bore which may be used to circulate fluids during installation and workover operations.
  • the annulus between the inner tubing string and a second, outer tubing string defines a production bore through which well fluids are produced.
  • central circulation completion systems must also be provided with means to shut off the production bore in the event of an emergency.
  • most downhole safety valves are designed to be used with conventional completion systems, wherein well fluids are communicated through the inner tubing string, they generally cannot be used with central circulation completion systems. Summary of the Invention In accordance with the present invention, these and other limitations in the prior art are overcome by providing a downhole safety valve for a central circulation completion system comprising an inner tubing string which extends through an outer tubing string and a production bore which is defined between the inner and outer tubing strings.
  • the downhole safety valve comprises a generally cylindrical body which includes an outer surface and a through bore that extends generally axially through the body, a mechanism for securing the body to the inner tubing string, and at least one seal for sealing the body to the outer tubing string.
  • the body forms a pressure barrier between a first portion of the production bore located below the body and a second portion of the production bore located above the body.
  • the downhole safety valve also comprises at least one flow passage which extends through the body and communicates between the first and second portions of the production bore, and at least one closure member which is disposed across the flow passage. Thus, fluid flow between the first and second portions of the production bore is controlled by the closure member.
  • the closure member comprises a gate valve which includes a gate that is movable across the flow passage.
  • the gate valve includes an actuating mechanism for moving the gate between a closed position in which a hole in the gate is offset from the flow passage and an open position in which the hole is aligned with the flow passage.
  • the actuating mechanism comprises a piston which is connected to the gate and which is responsive to a predetermined amount of hydraulic pressure to move the gate from the closed position to the open position.
  • the actuating mechanism also comprises a return biasing mechanism which forces the gate from the open position to the closed position in the absence of the predetermined amount of hydraulic pressure.
  • the downhole safety valve of the present invention forms an effective pressure barrier for the annulus-shaped production bore of the central circulation completion system.
  • the safety valve permits well fluids to flow through the production bore only when a predetermined amount of hydraulic pressure is applied to the actuating mechanism. In the absence of this hydraulic pressure, the return biasing mechanism will close the safety valve and thereby close off the production bore.
  • Figure 1 A is a representation of the top portion of an exemplary central circulation completion system, showing a tubing hanger landed in a Christmas tree which is installed on a wellhead housing;
  • Figure 1 B is a representation of the bottom portion of the central circulation completion system of Figure 1A;
  • Figure 2 is a left half cross sectional view of the safety valve of the present invention shown installed between an inner tubing string and an outer tubing string;
  • Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the gate and seat portions of the safety valve of Figure 2.
  • the downhole safety valve of the present invention is shown installed in an exemplary central circulation completion system 12.
  • a central circulation completion system can take many forms.
  • the central circulation completion system 12 comprises a tubing hanger 14 which is supported in a Christmas tree 16 that is installed on a wellhead housing 18.
  • the wellhead housing 18 in turn is mounted to the top of a casing string 20 which extends into the hydrocarbon reservoir.
  • the casing string 20 may comprise a number of sections of expandable casing 20a, each of which is successively installed using conventional methods.
  • a liner section 22 comprising a liner top isolation valve 24 may be installed below the lowermost section of expandable casing 22.
  • the exemplary central circulation completion system 12 also comprises an inner tubing string 26, which is suspended from the tubing hanger 14 and extends approximately to the bottom of the casing string 20, and an outer tubing string 28, which is run in through the wellhead housing 18 and expanded into sealing engagement with the liner section 24, the casing string 20 and the wellhead housing in a known manner.
  • a production bore 30 is formed between the inner and outer tubing strings 26, 28, and a service bore 32 is formed within the inner tubing string.
  • the production bore 30 is used to communicate well fluids from the reservoir to the Christmas tree 16 during the production mode of operation, and the service bore 32 is used to circulate fluids between the tubing hanger 14 and the reservoir during installation and well servicing operations.
  • a remotely actuatable service isolation valve 34 may be installed in the bottom of the inner tubing string 26 to prevent well fluids from entering the service bore 32 during the production mode of operation.
  • the Christmas tree 16 comprises a central bore 36 which communicates with the production bore 30. Also, the tubing hanger 14 is sealed within the central bore 36 to form a pressure barrier between the production bore 30 and the environment.
  • a tree cap 38 may be installed in the central bore 36 above the tubing hanger 14, and a controls cap 40 comprising a number of remote wet-mate couplers 42 may be removably secured to the tree cap 38 to provide an interface between an external jumper 44 and a number of service and control lines 46 in the tree cap. At least one of these service and control lines 46 is preferably connected with a corresponding service and control conduit 48 in the tubing hanger 14 via a remote subsea matable coupler 50 for reasons which will be described below.
  • the Christmas tree 16 also includes a number of conduits to effect the production of the well fluids and to facilitate the servicing of the well.
  • the Christmas tree 16 may comprise a production conduit 52 which communicates with the production bore 30, a production bypass conduit 54 which extends between the production conduit and a portion of the central bore 36 located above the tubing hanger 14, a service conduit 56 which communicates with a service outlet 58 in the tubing hanger 14 that in turn is connected with the service bore 32, a workover conduit 60 which extends between the service conduit and a portion of the central bore located above the tubing hanger or the tree cap 38, and a crossover conduit 62 which is connected between the production conduit and the service conduit.
  • the Christmas tree 16 typically also includes a number of valves to control the flow of fluids through these conduits.
  • the Christmas tree 16 may comprise a production master valve 64 and a production wing valve 66 in the production conduit 52, a production bypass valve 68 in the production bypass conduit 54, a service master valve 70 and a service wing valve 72 in the service conduit 56, a workover valve 74 in the workover conduit 60, and a crossover valve 76 in the crossover conduit 62.
  • These valves are normally manually or hydraulically actuatable gate valves or the like.
  • the safety valve 10 is positioned between the inner and outer tubing strings 26, 28 to control the flow of well fluids through the production bore 30, for example, to seal off the production bore in the event of an emergency.
  • the safety valve 10 comprises a generally cylindrical body 78 which has a top surface 80, a bottom surface 82, an outer surface 84 and an annular through bore 86 that extends between the top and bottom surfaces.
  • the diameter of the outer surface 84 is sized to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the outer tubing string 28, and the diameter of the through bore 86 is preferably selected to be approximately the same as the diameter of the inner tubing string 26. In this manner, the body 78 will substantially fill the annular void between the inner and outer tubing strings 26, 28.
  • the safety valve 10 is deployed with the inner tubing string 26 and is therefore secured and sealed to the inner tubing string prior to being lowered into the production bore 30.
  • successive sections of the inner tubing string 26 may be threaded into upper and lower threaded receptacles 88 and 90 which are formed in the through bore 86.
  • the body 78 may be secured to the inner tubing string 26 using one or more conventional mechanical fasteners (not shown).
  • one or more conventional seals may be provided to seal the body 78 to the inner tubing string.
  • the safety valve 10 also includes suitable means to seal the body 78 to the outer tubing string 28.
  • a number of annular seals 92 are mounted on the outer surface 84 and sealingly engage the outer tubing string 28 when the safety valve 10 is positioned as desired in the well bore 30.
  • the seals 92 each may comprise any conventional face-type seal which is made from any suitable metallic, elastomeric or non-metallic material, depending on the expected pressures and fluids in the production bore 30.
  • one or more of the seals 92 may comprise a radially energized seal which is expanded into sealing engagement by the pressure in the production bore 30 or by an energizing mechanism (not shown).
  • one seal 92 could comprise a separate packoff which is installed between the body 78 and the outer tubing string 28 once the safety valve 10 is positioned in the production bore 30. Once the seals 92 are engaged against the outer tubing string 28, the body 78 will form a pressure containing barrier between the reservoir and the portion of the production bore 30 located above the safety valve 10.
  • the safety valve 10 also comprises at least one flow passage 94 which extends generally axially through the body 78, and a closure member 96 which is operable to selectively open and close the flow passage.
  • the closure member 96 is oriented longitudinally within the body 78 so as to occupy a minimum of the radial cross sectional area of the body. Accordingly, the flow passage 94 ideally includes at least one transverse branch across which the closure member 96 can operate.
  • the flow passage 94 includes a transverse branch 98, an upper axial branch 100 which extends between the transverse branch and the top surface 80 and a lower axial branch 102 which extends between the transverse branch and the bottom surface 82.
  • the flow passage 94 could have many different configurations, as long as it communicates between the portions of the production bore 30 which are located above and below the body 78.
  • the closure member 96 is a hydraulically operated gate valve such as is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 09/815,436, which is commonly owned herewith and is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
  • the gate valve 96 comprises a gate cavity 104 which extends generally axially through the body 78 across the transverse branch 98, a pair of ring-shaped seats 106 which are positioned on opposite sides of the gate cavity, and a gate 108 which is disposed between the seats.
  • the gate valve 96 also includes an actuating mechanism 110 which is positioned in a bore 112 that extends axially through the body 78 above the gate cavity 104.
  • the actuating mechanism 110 is connected to the gate 108 by a valve stem 114, which is ideally sealed to the body 78 by a conventional stem packing 116 that is retained within the bore 112 by a gland nut 118.
  • each seat 106 is preferably a floating-type seat which is positioned in a seat pocket 120 that is formed at the intersection of the gate cavity 104 and the transverse branch 98.
  • Each seat 106 is ideally sealed to its corresponding seat pocket 120 by an annular seal 122 and is biased against the gate 108 by a Belleville washer 124.
  • each seat comprises a coaxial through bore 126 which is aligned with the transverse branch 98.
  • the actuating mechanism 110 is preferably operable by hydraulic pressure to move the gate 108 from the closed position to the open position and to hold the gate in the open position until the hydraulic pressure is relieved.
  • the actuating mechanism 110 comprises a piston 130 which is connected to the valve stem 114 and is sealed to the bore 112 by an annular seal 132. Hydraulic pressure is communicated to a portion of the bore 112 located above the piston 130 by a control line 134 which is connected between a suitable fitting 136 in the top of the bore and, for example, the service and control conduit 48 in the tubing hanger 14 ( Figure 1A).
  • the service and control conduit 48 is connected to a corresponding service and control line 46 in the controls cap 40, which in turn is connected through the jumper 44 to a source of hydraulic pressure (not shown).
  • the safety valve 10 may also comprise a pressure compensation port 138 which communicates with a portion of the bore 112 located below the piston 130 and is connected to a ballast tank or the like (not shown) via a fitting 140 and a control line 142.
  • the actuating mechanism 110 also comprises a return biasing mechanism to force the gate 108 into the closed position in the absence of a predetermined amount of hydraulic pressure above the piston 132.
  • the return biasing mechanism comprises a compression spring 144 which is operatively engaged between the gland nut 118 and the piston 132.
  • the spring 144 is designed to exert a desired upward force on the piston 132.
  • closure member 96 is described herein as being a hydraulically operated gate valve, other types of valves may be suitable for use in the safety valve 10.
  • the closure member 96 could comprise any suitable hydraulically or electrically operated gate valve, ball valve, plug valve or flapper valve.
  • the closure member 96 could comprise any of the know variety of storm choke valves. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any particular closure member 96.
  • the safety valve 10 has been described in the context of the exemplary central circulation completion system 12, the safety valve can be used in virtually any completion system in which the well fluids are produced through the annulus between two concentric tubular members.
  • the safety valve 10 can be used in a more traditional type completion system in which a production tubing string is suspended within a production casing string and the well fluids are produced through the annulus between the production tubing and production casing strings. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited by the particular completion system in which the safety valve 10 is employed.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Safety Valves (AREA)
  • Valve Housings (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une soupape de sûreté de fond destinée à un système de complétion à circulation centrale (12) comprenant un élément tubulaire intérieur (26) s'étendant à travers un élément tubulaire extérieur (28) ainsi qu'un sondage de production défini entre lesdits éléments tubulaires intérieur et extérieur. Cette soupape de sûreté de fond (10) comprend un corps généralement cylindrique (78) possédant une surface extérieure et un trou de sonde traversant (94) s'étendant de façon généralement axiale à travers ce corps. Ledit corps est fixé à l'élément tubulaire intérieur (26) et fermé hermétiquement sur l'élément tubulaire extérieur (28) de manière à former une barrière de pression entre une première partie du sondage de production située en dessous du corps et une seconde partie du sondage de production située au-dessus du corps. La soupape de sûreté de fond comprend en outre au moins un passage d'écoulement (112) s'étendant à travers le corps et communiquant entre ces première et seconde parties du sondage de production, et au moins un élément de fermeture disposé dans le passage d'écoulement de manière à réguler l'écoulement fluidique entre lesdites première et seconde parties du sondage de production.
EP02793981A 2002-11-21 2002-11-21 Soupape de surete de fond pour systeme de completion a circulation centrale Expired - Lifetime EP1570153B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2002/037395 WO2004048748A1 (fr) 2002-11-21 2002-11-21 Soupape de surete de fond pour systeme de completion a circulation centrale

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1570153A1 true EP1570153A1 (fr) 2005-09-07
EP1570153B1 EP1570153B1 (fr) 2006-03-29

Family

ID=32391437

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02793981A Expired - Lifetime EP1570153B1 (fr) 2002-11-21 2002-11-21 Soupape de surete de fond pour systeme de completion a circulation centrale

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1570153B1 (fr)
AU (1) AU2002359441A1 (fr)
NO (1) NO20053026L (fr)
WO (1) WO2004048748A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2020013706A1 (fr) * 2018-07-12 2020-01-16 New Subsea Technology As Améliorations de la complétion de puits

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8573311B2 (en) 2012-01-20 2013-11-05 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Pressure pulse-initiated flow restrictor bypass system
US9428989B2 (en) 2012-01-20 2016-08-30 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Subterranean well interventionless flow restrictor bypass system
NO2805011T3 (fr) * 2012-01-20 2018-05-05

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1215962B (it) * 1988-03-02 1990-02-22 Tecnomare S P A San Marco Vene Blocco valvole sottomarino disicurezza, particolarmente adattoper i riser di piattaforme offshore.
AU2001245985A1 (en) * 2000-03-24 2001-10-08 Fmc Corporation Controls bridge for flow completion systems
MXPA02009240A (es) * 2000-03-24 2004-09-06 Fmc Technologes Inc Sistema colgador de tuberia con valvula de compuerta.
AU2001247784B2 (en) * 2000-03-24 2005-02-24 Fmc Technologies, Inc. Tubing head seal assembly
GB2361725B (en) 2000-04-27 2002-07-03 Fmc Corp Central circulation completion system

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2004048748A1 *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2020013706A1 (fr) * 2018-07-12 2020-01-16 New Subsea Technology As Améliorations de la complétion de puits
GB2589753A (en) * 2018-07-12 2021-06-09 New Subsea Tech As Improvements in completing wells
GB2589753B (en) * 2018-07-12 2022-12-07 New Subsea Tech As Improvements in completing wells
US11719064B2 (en) 2018-07-12 2023-08-08 New Subsea Technology As Completing wells

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2002359441A1 (en) 2004-06-18
WO2004048748A1 (fr) 2004-06-10
EP1570153B1 (fr) 2006-03-29
NO20053026L (no) 2005-06-21

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