MANDREL-LESS LAUNCH TOE INITIATION SLEEVE (TIS)

GARNITURE D'AMORCAGE DE LA FRACTURATION (TIS) SANS MANDRIN

English Abstract

The present invention is a valve tool utilized for hydraulically fracturing multiple zones in an oil and gas well without perforating the cement casing. An oil/gas well completion method involves the use of a valve that is installed as part of the casing string of the well. A mandrel-less casing provides for cement flow within the casing when the valve element is in a closed position and allows for axial flow of fracturing fluid through the cement casing to fracture the formation near the valve when the sleeve is open. The invention disclosed herein is an improved valve used in this process.

French Abstract

La présente invention porte sur un outil à valve servant à réaliser des fractures hydrauliques dans plusieurs zones d'un puits de pétrole et de gaz sans perforer le tubage en ciment. Un procédé de complétion d'un puits de pétrole/gaz consiste à installer une valve sur la colonne de tubage du puits. Un tubage sans mandrin permet l'écoulement du ciment dans ledit tubage lorsque l'élément valve est en position fermée, et l'écoulement axial du fluide de fracturation dans le tubage en ciment afin de fracturer la formation près de la valve lorsque la garniture est ouverte. Cette invention se rapporte à une valve perfectionnée utilisée lors de ce processus.

Claims

CLAIMS
I claim:
1. A well valve tool for providing a window to the environment around the
valve tool,
the tool comprising:
a top sub and a bottom sub, wherein said top sub is not connected directly to
said
bottom sub;
an outer sleeve connected between said top sub and said bottom sub having at
least one window;
an inner sleeve connected between said top sub and said bottom sub within said
outer sleeve to define an inner passage way selectively preventing fluid
communication
between an area within said top sub, bottom sub and inner sleeve with said
outer sleeve
at least one window.
2. The well valve tool of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is selectively slidable
along one
of the group of said top sub and said bottom sub to selectively provide fluid
communication between said inner passage way and said outer sleeve at least
one
window.
3. The well valve tool of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is connected to one of
the group
of said top sub and said bottom sub by at least one shear pin or a shear disc.
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4. The well valve tool of claim 1, wherein said sleeve includes a pressure
burst valve
for pressurizing said sleeve to cause said sleeve to slide along one of the
group of said
top sub and said bottom sub to selectively provide fluid communication between
said
inner passage way and said outer sleeve at least one window.
5. A method of operating a well valve tool comprising:
providing a top sub and a bottom sub;
connecting an outer sleeve between said top sub and said bottom sub, wherein
said outer sleeve includes at least one window;
connecting an inner sleeve between said top sub and said bottom sub and within
said outer sleeve to selective seal said outer sleeve from an area defined
within said top
sub, said bottom sub and said inner sleeve.
6. The method of operating a well valve tool of claim 5, further comprising:
running said valve tool within a well;
pouring cement within said valve tool;
removing said cement from said valve tool by moving a plug through said valve
tool.
7. The method of operating a well valve tool of claim 5, further comprising:
running said valve tool within a well;
pouring cement within said valve tool;
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removing said cement from said valve tool by moving a plug through said valve
tool;
pressurizing the inner passage of said valve tool;
said pressure operating to move the inner sleeve relative to said outer sleeve
to
allow fluid communication between the inner passage and said outer sleeve;
pumping fracking fluid through said at least one window of said outer sleeve.
8. The method of operating a well valve tool of claim 5, further comprising:
running said valve tool within a well;
pouring cement within said valve tool;
removing said cement from said valve tool by moving a plug through said valve
tool;
providing a pressure burst valve between said inner passage and an inner
sleeve
actuation chamber;
pressurizing the inner passage of said valve tool;
raising said pressure until said pressure burst valve bursts allowing
pressurization
of said inner sleeve actuation chamber;
said pressure in said inner sleeve actuation chamber operating to move the
inner
sleeve relative to said outer sleeve to allow fluid communication between the
inner
passage and said outer sleeve.
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Description

CA 02924084 2016-03-10
WO 2015/039097 PCT/US2014/055860
Mandrel-less Launch Toe Initiation Sleeve (TIS)
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
61/878,115,
filed Sept. 16, 2013, entitled Mandrel-less Launch Toe Initiation Sleeve
(TIS), which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] The present invention is directed to a valve utilized for hydraulically
fracturing
multiple zones in an oil and gas well without perforating the cement casing.
An oil/gas well
completion method involves the use of a valve that is installed as part of the
casing string
of the well. A mandrel-less casing provides for cement flow within the casing
when the
valve element is in a closed position and allows for axial flow of fracturing
fluid through the
cement casing to fracture the formation near the valve when the sleeve is
open. The
invention disclosed herein is an improved valve used in this process.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[003] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a valve tool according to at least
one aspect of
the current invention with the sleeve closed.
[004] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a valve tool according to at least
one aspect of
the current invention with the sleeve opened.
[005] Fig. 3 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a valve tool according to
at least one
aspect of the current invention.
[006] Figs. 4-8 are cross-sectional views of the various parts of the tool.
[007] Figs. 9-11 are cross-sectional views of the top and bottom subs and the
sleeve.
[008] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the valve tool according to at
least one
embodiment of the invention.
[009] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently
throughout the attached drawings.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[010] The present invention is directed to a valve utilized for hydraulically
fracturing
multiple zones in an oil and gas well without perforating the cement casing. A
mandrel-
s less casing provides for cement flow within the casing when the valve
element is in a
closed position and allows for axial flow of fracturing fluid through the
cement casing to
fracture the formation near the valve when the sleeve is open. The invention
disclosed
herein is an improved valve used in this process.
[011] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mandrell-less
casing for
providing cement flow within the casing.
[012] It is an object of the invention to provide a casing having a sleeve
within the casing
that protects openings in the casing from being in communication with cement
during the
cementing in process.
[013] It is an object of the invention to provide the casing with a moveable
sleeve that
can be moved by pressure or other devices to expose the windows/opening in the
casing
to prepare for the fracking process.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(s)
[014] The present invention is to a mandrel-less valve tool 10 having an upper
and lower
sub 12, 14. Each sub preferably has an extended cylindrical portion which acts
as a
cement barrier in conjunction with sleeve 16 to present a smooth, nearly
continuous wall
from one end of the tool 10 to the other.
[015] An upper body 18 and lower body 20 are provided about the upper and
lower
subs. The upper and lower body thread together or may be pinned together by a
pin or a
screw 19 and then to the subs to locate the subs relative to each other by set
screws 21
or the like. Alternatively, upper body 18 and lower body 20 could be formed as
a single
unit. A gap 22 between the subs of a predetermined size provides a window or
opening
that aligns with an opening 24 in the upper body so that fluid may selectively
be passed
between the interior of the tool 10 and the environment about the tool during
fracking.
[016] An upper end 30 of sleeve 20 abuts a collar 32 (Fig 3) to form a sleeve
chamber
between the upper end 30, the collar 32 and upper body 16. An opening through
the
upper sub is selectively blocked by a burst disk 34. An optional access port
36 may be
blocked by a pipe plug or the like for replacing or repairing the burst disk
34 or to allow
equalization of the pressure within the sleeve chamber while the tool is being
assembled.
The sleeve chamber is originally at atmospheric pressure, i.e., is
unpressurized. During
operation, as will be discussed further hereunder, a high pressure within the
upper sub
will burst the burst disk 34 causing an increase in pressure on the upper end
30 of the
sleeve biasing the sleeve to move downwardly. The sleeve is preferably
prevented from
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moving unintentionally by shear pins, a shear ring or the like, which may be
provided
between the lower body and the sleeve at 37 or at other locations (Figure 3).
0-rings or
other seals at the same locations 38,40,42 may also be provided to seal the
sleeve
chamber. Once the pressure in the sleeve chamber is sufficient to overcome the
force of
the shear pins, the sleeve will slide downwardly (into chamber 13) exposing
window 24 to
the interior of the valve tool 10. Movement of the sleeve will be stopped as
the lower end
44 of the sleeve strikes the collar 46 of the lower sub 14. Ratchets, lock
rings or other
devices may be used to ensure that the sleeve cannot travel in the reverse
direction and
cannot close the opening once opened. The chamber 13 may be bounded at one end
by
piston 15 for known purposes.
[017] In operation, the valve tool is attached onto a casing string at the
desired location.
The string is then lowered into a well bore. When the string is set to a
desired depth,
cement is pumped through the casing and out into the well bore using
appropriate tools or
openings. A plug or other device is then lowered through the casing to wipe
the casing to
remove residual cement. Because the walls of the interior are smooth (i.e., do
not include
exposed windows or apertures in a mandrel, etc.), the plug can readily remove
any
cement. When the sleeve 20 is closed, the upper and lower subs present
extended
cylindrical walls to the plug, and the sleeve 20 provides a cylindrical cover
bridging across
the gap 22 between the upper and lower sub. This is in distinction to prior
art devices,
such as the mandrel openings 23 of U.S. Patent 8,267,178, issued Sep. 18, 2012
to
Sommers et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Since the openings
are
exposed to the interior of the tool when the cement is being pumped through
the casing, it
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is possible for cement to creep into the openings in the mandrel of the prior
art device,
and for a plug to be unable to remove the cement from these openings, reducing
the
effective area of the openings.
[018] When it is desired to open the window of the valve tool 10, the pressure
is
increased in the casing. The increased pressure causes burst disk 34 to breach
allowing
pressure into the sleeve chamber. The pressure in sleeve chamber acts
downwardly on
sleeve 20. The downward pressure at a desired force level shears shear pin or
shear ring
37 allowing the sleeve to move out of alignment with gap 22. As the sleeve
retreats, the
gap 22 is exposed to window 24 of the upper body 16. With the openings aligned
and the
sleeve withdrawn, the interior of the valve tool 10 and the exterior
foundation adjacent the
valve tool are brought into fluid communication. Fracing fluid can then be
applied from
within to area outside the valve tool 10 to fracture the foundation adjacent
the valve or to
perform other such operations as necessary.
[019] While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it
is
understood that it is capable of further modifications, uses and/or
adaptations of the
invention following in general the principle of the invention and including
such departures
from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in
the art to
which the invention pertains and as maybe applied to the central features
hereinbefore
set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the
appended claims.
It is therefore to be understood that the present invention is not limited to
the sole
embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the
scope of the following claims.
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Representative Drawing