Substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement and method

A substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement including a housing having a port therein, a sleeve disposed within the housing and positionable to cover or uncover the port, the sleeve having a first seal at one end thereof presenting a first hydraulic dimension and a second seal at another end of the sleeve having a different hydraulic dimension, a biasing member operably connected to the sleeve and to the housing and configured to urge the sleeve to a position covering the port.

BACKGROUND

In the drilling and completion industry, there is often the need to dispose of mud and other operative fluids and particulate matter (“substance(s)”) when an operation is completed and regulations do not require the recovery of the substances to surface. In such situations, it may be desirable to “park” that substance downhole in an annular area of the borehole that is not in a target fluid bearing formation. This has been done in the art but there is always difficulty in keeping the substance in the annulus since it tends to want to flow back into the production tubing. The art would well receive alternative arrangements that facilitate deposition of such substances while avoiding the pitfalls of prior art technology.

SUMMARY

A substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement including a housing having a port therein, a sleeve disposed within the housing and positionable to cover or uncover the port, the sleeve having a first seal at one end thereof presenting a first hydraulic dimension and a second seal at another end of the sleeve having a different hydraulic dimension, a biasing member operably connected to the sleeve and to the housing and configured to urge the sleeve to a position covering the port.

A substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement including a housing having a port therein, a sleeve disposed within the housing and positionable to cover or uncover the port, the sleeve having a first seal at one end thereof presenting a first hydraulic dimension and a second seal at another end of the sleeve having a different hydraulic dimension, a convertible ball seat system disposed within the housing.

A substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement including a housing having a port and a check valve therein, a first sleeve having a first ball seat disposed within the housing, the sleeve movable between positions covering the port and uncovering the port, and a second sleeve having a second ball seat within the housing, the sleeve movable between positions covering the check valve and covering the port.

A borehole system including a tubing string disposed in the borehole, and a substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement disposed as a part of the tubing string.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, a first embodiment of a substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement10. The arrangement10includes a housing12with a port14. A sleeve16is slidably disposed within the housing12and includes a seal18at one end having a first piston dimension and a seal20at an opposite end of the sleeve16having a slightly smaller hydraulic dimension. A release member22secures the sleeve16in an initial position (depicted) in the housing12until released. Release may be occasioned by pressure increase acting on the sleeve, which causes a movement moment due to the unequal hydraulic dimensions of the seals18and20versus annulus pressure. Once a threshold force is generated on the release member22, it will release and allow the sleeve16to move. In an embodiment the release member22is a shear screw. Upon continued application of hydraulic pressure on the arrangement10, the sleeve16will move sufficiently to expose the port14whereafter substances to be discarded to the annulus (non target fluid bearing portion of formation) may be pumped through the port14. When pressure becomes equalized between tubing and annulus, the impetus for the sleeve remaining open is lost and the sleeve16may close. It is the duty of a biasing member24to bias the sleeve16back to the closed position. It will be evident to those of skill in the art that the force of the applied pressure also must initially overcome the biasing member24when opening the sleeve16. A protection sleeve26may be added in some iterations to protect the biasing member24from debris that might otherwise impede its performance.

Because of the biasing member24, the substances destined to be parked in the annulus can be pumped through the port14and then after pressure equalizes, the sleeve16will close over port14and prevent any flowback of the substances into the tubing string. The arrangement10is also open so that circulation from above remains possible.

Referring toFIG. 2, a somewhat similar embodiment of the arrangement is illustrated as numeral110. The arrangement110includes a housing112with a port114. A sleeve116is slidably disposed within the housing112and includes a seal118at one end having a first piston dimension and a seal120at an opposite end of the sleeve116having a slightly smaller hydraulic dimension. A release member122secures the sleeve116in an initial position (depicted) in the housing112until released. Release may be occasioned by pressure increase acting on the sleeve116, which causes a movement moment due to the unequal hydraulic dimensions of the seals118and120versus annulus pressure. Once a threshold force is generated on the release member122, it will release and allow the sleeve116to move. In an embodiment the release member122is a shear screw. Upon continued application of hydraulic pressure on the arrangement110, the sleeve116will move sufficiently to expose the port114whereafter substances to be discarded to the annulus (non target fluid bearing portion of formation) may be pumped through the port114. In this embodiment, the sleeve116does not close but rather is locked open through profile130.

Arrangement110further includes a convertible ball seat system132that is initially maintained in place with a seat release member134, which may be a shear screw. Further edification regarding convertible ball seat system132is provided below with reference toFIG. 3.

Referring toFIG. 3, one embodiment of the convertible ball seat system132is illustrated in an enlarged view. In each case the convertible ball seat system will present a seat to a dropped ball that will allow for a pressure event to shift the system into a second configuration wherein the ball is captured by the first seat though not sealed to it and is presented with another seat now uphole of the ball and against which sealing will occur is flow moves the ball in that direction. The system132hence presents a check valve to allow circulation flow downhole while preventing flow back uphole. As illustrated inFIG. 5, the system132uses a collet configuration having fingers136initially forming a seat138for a ball140. The fingers136extend to a check seat142, which seat is disposed in a recess144of the housing112to ensure initial passage of the ball140. Finally, the fingers136include a release tab146initially connected to seat release member134. Upon landing a ball140on the seat138and pressuring sufficiently to release the seat release member134, the system132shifts to move the seat138into recess148of housing112and bring check seat142radially inwardly (seeFIG. 4). It should be appreciated in theFIGS. 3 and 4that recess148is shallower than recess144. This is because recess144is intended to position the check seat142initially such that the ball diameter can pass through the seat142. With recess148, the intent is that the ball140remains captured by the seat138but that it does not seal against the ball140but rather allows fluid to move past the ball in the downhole direction. This is what ensures circulation from above is facilitated. When check seat142is removed from the recess144, it will be sufficiently reduced in diameter that it will seal against the ball140in the event flow urges the ball back in the uphole direction. Hence the check seat142is a check valve with the ball140. Accordingly, substance may be pumped downhole and through port114, leaving the port114permanently open but then dropping a ball140on the seat138, shifting the seat to convert the system132to a check valve with the ball so that no substance can flow back uphole.

Referring toFIG. 5, another arrangement is illustrated as210. Arrangement210includes a housing212having a port214therein. The housing212further includes a check valve216. There are two movable sleeves,218and220, and two ball seats222and224, respectively. The ball seats are not the same size so that the intended operation is facilitated. Ball seat222is configured to mate with a smaller ball than ball seat224. This allows for a smaller ball226to be dropped through the seat224and land on seat222and a larger ball228to subsequently be dropped and land on seat224. Each sleeve218and220has a release member230,232associated therewith. These release members230,232are similar to those discussed above in other embodiments. Accordingly upon sufficient threshold force on the associated sleeve, the release member will release and allow the associated sleeve to move. The force in this case is generated by a buildup of fluid pressure against a seated ball. The first ball226is dropped to seat222and through hydraulic input causes the sleeve218to move downhole revealing port214. Substances to be parked may then be pumped through the port214. Subsequent to pumping the substances into the annulus about the housing212, the second ball228is caused to land on seat224whereafter a pressure event will cause release member232to release allowing sleeve220to move downhole and cover the port214. This prevents the substance from flowing back to the tubing. Due to the balls on seats in this embodiment however, it may be noted by readers that the ability to circulate fluid above the arrangement210would apparently be compromised. This is addressed in that check valves216are positioned through the housing212and uncovered by the movement of sleeve220. Circulation is facilitated and yet the port214is permanently closed by sleeve220.

Any of the arrangements10,110,210discussed hereinabove may be employed as a part of a borehole system300wherein the arrangement is a part of a tubing string302, which may be a drill string or a production string within a borehole303. The arrangement will be positioned adjacent a non producing zone304of a formation306so that substances308(drilling mud, excess treatment chemicals, milling junk, etc.) may be disposed of and prevented from migrating back into the tubing302.

A substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement including a housing having a port therein, a sleeve disposed within the housing and positionable to cover or uncover the port, the sleeve having a first seal at one end thereof presenting a first hydraulic dimension and a second seal at another end of the sleeve having a different hydraulic dimension, a biasing member operably connected to the sleeve and to the housing and configured to urge the sleeve to a position covering the port.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the sleeve further includes a release member configured to maintain a first position of the sleeve until an input causes release of the release member.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the second seal presents a smaller hydraulic dimension.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the biasing member is a compression spring.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment further including a protector sleeve disposed to cover the biasing member.

A substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement including a housing having a port therein, a sleeve disposed within the housing and positionable to cover or uncover the port, the sleeve having a first seal at one end thereof presenting a first hydraulic dimension and a second seal at another end of the sleeve having a different hydraulic dimension, a convertible ball seat system disposed within the housing.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the sleeve further includes a release member configured to maintain a first position of the sleeve until an input causes release of the release member.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the second seal presents a smaller hydraulic dimension.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the convertible ball seat system comprises a first operative position to convert the seat and a second operative position to act as a check valve with a ball dropped therein.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the convertible ball seat system comprises fingers having a first seat on one end thereof and a check seat on another end thereof, the first seat being sealable with a dropped ball to convert the system and the second seat being sealable with the ball to prevent backflow through the arrangement.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment further comprising a release member connected to the convertible ball seat system.

A substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement including a housing having a port and a check valve therein, a first sleeve having a first ball seat disposed within the housing, the sleeve movable between positions covering the port and uncovering the port, and a second sleeve having a second ball seat within the housing, the sleeve movable between positions covering the check valve and covering the port.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the first ball seat is of smaller dimension than the second ball seat.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein each sleeve further includes a release member configured to maintain an initial position of the associated sleeve until an occurrence of a selected input.

The arrangement as in any prior embodiment wherein the check valve allows fluid flow radially outwardly of the housing and not radially inwardly of the housing.

A borehole system including a tubing string disposed in the borehole, and a substance deposition and backflow preventing arrangement disposed as a part of the tubing string.