Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEEPSET WIRELINE RETRIEVABLE SAFETY VALVE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0ool] This application claims benefit of United States provisional
patent
application serial number 61/800,002, filed March 15, 2013, which is herein
incorporated in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a valve
for use in
a wellbore. More particularly, this invention pertains to a deepset wireline
retrievable
safety valve for controlling fluid flow through a production tubing string.
Description of the Related Art
[0003] Deep set safety valves are commonly used to shut in oil and gas
wells.
Such safety valves are typically fitted into production tubing in a
hydrocarbon
producing well, and operate to block the flow of formation fluid upwardly
through the
production tubing should a failure or hazardous condition occur.
[0004] Deep set safety valves may be configured as rigidly connected to
the
production tubing (tubing retrievable), or may be installed and retrieved by
wireline,
without disturbing the production tubing (wireline retrievable). A problem
arises when
the valve is positioned deep within the wellbore (>6000 feet) because the
components
in the valve are unable operate due to hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in a
control line
connected to the valve and the wellbore pressure. There is a need therefore
for a
deep set safety valve that can withstand the effects of wellbore pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention generally relates to a deepset wireline
retrievable
safety valve for controlling fluid flow through a production tubing string. In
one aspect,
a valve for use in a wellbore is provided. The valve includes a housing having
a bore.
The valve further includes an actuator sleeve movable within the housing
between a
retracted position and an extended position. The actuator sleeve in the
retracted
position allows a flapper member to obstruct the bore in the housing.
Additionally, the
valve includes a first piston member attached to a first side of the actuator
sleeve and
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a second piston member attached to a second side of the actuator sleeve,
wherein
wellbore fluid pressure acts on the first piston member which results in a
first force
and acts on the second piston which results in a second force. The first force
and the
second force are applied to the actuator sleeve in an opposite direction.
[0006] In another aspect, a valve for use in a wellbore is provided. The
valve
includes a housing having a bore. The valve further includes an actuator
sleeve
movable within the housing between a retracted position and an extended
position.
The actuator sleeve in the retracted position allows a flapper member to
obstruct the
bore in the housing. The valve also includes a first piston member attached to
a first
side of the actuator sleeve. The first piston member is in fluid communication
with a
control line. The valve also includes a second piston member attached to a
second
side of the actuator sleeve. The second piston member is in fluid
communication with
a cavity in the housing. Additionally, the valve includes a biasing member
configured
to bias the actuator sleeve in the retracted position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the
present
invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the
invention,
briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of
which
are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the
appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and
are
therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may
admit to
other equally effective embodiments.
[0oos] Figure 1 is a view illustrating a safety valve.
[0009] Figure 1A is an enlarged view of the safety valve.
[0010] Figure 1 B is an enlarged view of the safety valve.
[0011] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of the safety valve.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The present invention generally relates to a deep set safety
valve for use in
a wellbore. To better understand the novelty of the deep set safety valve of
the
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present invention and the methods of use thereof, reference is hereafter made
to the
accompanying drawings.
[0013] Figure 1 is a view illustrating a deep set retrievable safety
valve 100. The
valve 100 is generally used in a production tubing to selectively control the
fluid flow
in the production tubing. Typically the valve 100 is lowered in the production
tubing
until a first end 190 of the valve 100 is placed within a safety valve landing
nipple that
is connected to a single control line, such as control line 112. The control
line 112
supplies fluid to control the movement of an actuation sleeve 105 within a
housing
110 of the valve 100. As will be discussed herein, the movement of the
actuation
sleeve 105 manipulates a flapper member 125 which allows the valve 100 to move
between an opened position and a closed position.
[0014] Figure 1 shows the valve 100 in the opened position due to the
flapper
member 125 not obstructing a longitudinal central bore 170 through the valve
100. As
shown, the actuation sleeve 105 is disposed concentrically within the housing
110.
The actuation sleeve 105 represents a mechanism for moving the flapper member
125 to open the valve 100 although other types of actuators may be used in
some
embodiments. To move the valve 100 to the opened position, the actuation
sleeve
105 slides within the housing 110 in the direction of direction arrow 60 based
on fluid
pressure from the control line 112. The flapper member 125 is selectively
displaced
due to movement of the actuation sleeve 105 across an interface between the
flapper
member 125 and a seat 205. To move the valve 100 to the closed position, the
actuation sleeve 105 slides within the housing 110 in the direction of
direction arrow
50. The movement of the actuation sleeve 105 out of contact with the flapper
member 125 allows the flapper member 125 to obstruct the bore 170. The flapper
member 125 is biased toward the seat 205 by a biasing member 130, such as a
spring. The biasing of the flapper member 125 causes the flapper member 125 to
move into contact with the seat 205 upon withdrawal of the actuation sleeve
105 and
as a result, the valve 100 is in the closed position.
[0015] The valve 100 includes a first piston member 150 and a second
piston
member 175. The first piston member 150 is connected to the actuation sleeve
105
via a first piston rod 155, and the second piston member 175 is connected to
the
actuation sleeve 105 via a second piston rod 180. An end of each piston rod
155,
180 is connected to the actuation sleeve 105 at a hook area 115. The end of
the first
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piston rod 155 is connected at the hook area 115 at a location that is offset
from the
connection location of the end of the second piston rod 180.
[0016] The first piston member 150 is movable within a chamber 160, the
first
piston member 150 having a first end and a second end. The fluid from the
control
line 112 enters into the chamber 160 at port 210. The fluid in the chamber 160
acts
on the first end of the piston member 150, which results in a force in the
direction of
direction arrow 20 (Figure 1A). The force is used to move the actuation sleeve
105 in
the direction of direction arrow 60. In addition, fluid in the wellbore acts
on the second
end of the first piston member 150, which results in a force in the direction
of direction
arrow 30 (Figure 1B). The forces applied to the first piston member 150 are
communicated to the actuation sleeve 105 by the first piston rod 155.
[0017] The second piston member 175 is movable within a chamber 145, the
second piston member 175 having a first end and a second end. The chamber 145
is
in fluid communication with a cavity 135 via a port 140. The fluid in the
cavity 135
acts on the first end of the piston member 175, which results in a force on
the second
piston member 175 in the direction of direction arrow 90 (Figure 1B). In
addition, fluid
in the wellbore acts on the second end of the second piston member 175, which
results in a force in the direction of direction arrow 80 (Figure 1B). The
forces applied
to the second piston member 175 are communicated to the actuation sleeve 105
by
the second piston rod 180. The cavity 135 may be filled with a gas and/or a
compressible fluid. The cavity 135 may be charged such that the gas and/or
fluid in
the cavity 135 acts on the first end of the piston member 175 and results in a
predetermined force. In one embodiment, the cavity 135 can be at an assembled
atmospheric pressure. In another embodiment, the cavity 135 can be
substantially
free of gas as in a near vacuum. In another embodiment, the cavity 135 can be
charged with a compressible fluid up to several hundred psi. In this manner,
the
cavity 135 acts as a fluid compensator for piston travel during functioning of
the valve
100.
[0018] As shown in Figure 1B, fluid in the wellbore acts on the first
piston member
150 which results in a force in the direction of direction arrow 30, and the
same fluid in
the wellbore acts on the second piston member 175, which results in a force in
the
direction of direction arrow 80. The force applied to the first piston member
150 due
to wellbore pressure is equal and opposite the force applied to the second
piston
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member 175 due to wellbore pressure. In other words, the fluid pressure in the
wellbore does not affect the movement of the actuation sleeve 105 because the
force
on the piston member 150 counteracts the force on the piston member 175. The
use
of the second piston member 175 allows the valve 100 to be a non-well sensing
valve, which means that the functionality of the valve 100 is not affected by
the fluid
pressure in the wellbore.
[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the valve 100 includes a biasing member
120, such
as a spring, that is configured to bias the actuation sleeve 105 in the
direction
indicated by direction arrow 50. The biasing member 120 is attached to the
actuation
sleeve 105. The biasing member 120 is configured to be compressed when the
actuation sleeve 105 is in an extended position (Figure 1), and the biasing
member
120 is configured to be uncompressed when the sleeve 105 is in a retracted
position.
The actuation sleeve 105 moves in the housing 110 to the extended position
when
the force applied to the actuation sleeve 105 due to fluid pressure from the
control line
112 (via the first piston member 150) is greater than the force applied to the
actuation
sleeve 105 by the biasing member 120. The actuation sleeve 105 moves in the
housing 110 to the retracted position when the force applied to the actuation
sleeve
105 due to fluid pressure from the control line 112 (via the first piston
member 150) is
less than the force applied to the actuation sleeve 105 by the biasing member
120.
[0020] The biasing member 120 is designed and selected to overcome
hydrostatic
pressure of the fluid in the control line 112. As known in the art,
hydrostatic pressure
is a pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium due to the force of gravity.
The control
line 112 extends from the surface to the valve 100. Thus, when the valve 100
is
positioned deep within the wellbore (>6000 feet) the control line 112 is long.
As such,
the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the long control line 112 that acts
on the first
piston member 150 may result in a large force being applied to the actuation
sleeve
105. The biasing member 120 is designed to generate a force on the actuation
sleeve 105 in the direction of direction arrow 50 that is greater than the
force applied
to the actuation sleeve 105 in the direction of direction arrow 60 as a result
of the
hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the control line 112. In one embodiment,
more
force is required to move the actuation sleeve 105 to the retracted position
as
compared to the force required to move the actuation sleeve 105 to the
extended
position due to the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the control line 112.
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Additionally, since the valve 100 is a non-well sensing valve, as set forth
herein, the
design and selection of the biasing member 120 does not need to take into
account
the forces applied to the actuation sleeve 105 due to wellbore fluid pressure
acting on
the piston members 150, 175.
[0021] In one
embodiment, a valve for use in a wellbore is provided. The valve
includes a housing having a bore. The valve further includes an actuator
sleeve
movable within the housing between a retracted position and an extended
position.
The actuator sleeve in the retracted position allows a flapper member to
obstruct the
bore in the housing. Additionally, the valve includes a first piston member
attached to
a first side of
the actuator sleeve and a second piston member attached to a second
side of the actuator sleeve, wherein wellbore fluid pressure acts on the first
piston
member, which results in a first force, and acts on the second piston, which
results in
a second force, and the first force and the second force are applied to the
actuator
sleeve in an opposite direction.
[0022] In one or
more embodiments, the first piston member is in fluid
communication with a control line.
[0023] In one
or more embodiments, the fluid from the control line acts on a first
end of the first piston member, and the wellbore fluid pressure acts on a
second end
of the first piston member.
[0024] In one
or more embodiments, the second piston member is in fluid
communication with a cavity in the housing.
[0025] In one
or more embodiments, the fluid from the cavity acts on a first end of
the second piston member, and the wellbore fluid pressure acts on a second end
of
the second piston member.
[0026] In one
or more embodiments, a spring is attached to the actuator sleeve,
the spring being configured to bias the actuator sleeve in the retracted
position.
[0027] In one
or more embodiments, the spring is configured to apply a force on
the actuator sleeve that is greater than a force that results from hydrostatic
pressure
acting on the first piston member.
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[0028] In another aspect, a valve for use in a wellbore is provided. The
valve
includes a housing having a bore. The valve further includes an actuator
sleeve
movable within the housing between a retracted position and an extended
position.
The actuator sleeve in the retracted position allows a flapper member to
obstruct the
bore in the housing. The valve also includes a first piston member attached to
a first
side of the actuator sleeve. The first piston member is in fluid communication
with a
control line. The valve also includes a second piston member attached to a
second
side of the actuator sleeve. The second piston member is in fluid
communication with
a cavity in the housing. Additionally, the valve includes a biasing member
configured
to bias the actuator sleeve in the retracted position.
[0029] In one or more embodiments, the actuator sleeve is movable from
the
retracted position to the extended position in response to fluid pressure
acting on the
first piston member.
[0030] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present
invention,
other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without
departing
from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the
claims that
follow.
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