Abstract:
Disclosed is a sliding sleeve valve and a selective pressure operated shifting tool engageable in the selected sleeve valve for shifting the valve sleeve between open and closed positions. The sleeve valve is connectible in a well conduit and is especially useful in highly deviated and horizontal wells. The sleeve valve has a longitudinal flow passage through, centralizers for centralizing the valve in well conduits, longitudinal flow slots on the valve body and ports connecting the flow slots and flow passage. The pressure operated shifting tool is connected to reeled tubing by a quick disconnect. The shifting tool includes an invertible shifting module which may be inverted to shift the valve sleeve to closed or open position. The shifting tool keys are locked retracted for running and on complete shifting of the sleeve are automatically released from the valve sleeve and returned to locked retracted position for retrieving. Complete shifting of the sleeve is signaled by circulation down reeled tubing back to surface. The shifting tool also includes a section which may be operated to retract and release the shifting tool keys from the valve sleeve if the sleeve is not completely shifted.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention pertains to a sleeve valve useful in a well conduit and a selective pressure operated shifting tool which will locate in the sleeve valve and open the sleeve valve for flow between the outside and inside of the valve or close the sleeve valve to flow. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     When completing a deviated earth well for production, it is known to use a number of the same well tools such as sliding sleeve valves spaced apart in the well conduit. Other known well tools may or may not be interspersed between the sleeve valves in the conduit. During the course of well completion and production, it may be desirable to operate the sleeve valves to be opened or closed in sequence from top to bottom or bottom to top of the conduit, or to open or close a particular sleeve valve selected from the group of sleeve valves. 
     Each sleeve valve is usually selectively opened to establish a flow path between the interior and exterior of the sleeve valve or closed by engaging a shifting tool in a sliding sleeve in the sleeve valve for movement of the sliding sleeve between open and closed positions. It is also known to lower such shifting tools into deviated wells on jointed or continuous lengths of reeled tubing to supply sufficient weight, especially in the non-vertical well sections, for proper operation of sleeve valves in the conduit. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a sleeve valve for use in a well conduit and a selective pressure operated shifting tool which is lowered into the sleeve valve on a continuous length of reeled tubing or smaller tubing for shifting the sleeve valve to open or closed position. The sleeve valve was particularly designed for use in the horizontal section of a deviated well and will operate as well as in the vertical section of a well. The sleeve valve includes upper and lower housings each having a centralizer, slotted for flow, to centralize the sleeve valve when used in the deviated section of a well. The lower housing also includes a number of ports for flow between the outside and inside of the sleeve valve when in open position. Each port is aligned with an elongated flow slot and lower centralizer flow slot. The lower housing and flow slots may be made any length required to extend the complete width of the horizontal producing formations for collection and direction of production to the sleeve valve ports. The invention sleeve valve has a locator recess in the upper valve housing in which the shifting tool selectively locates on being lowered into the valve and an internal sleeve which on being shifted upwardly to open position, opens the ports for flow. The sleeve also has upper and lower internal recesses for engagement by keys on the shifting tool and upper and lower seals for sealing across the sleeve ports when the sleeve is in the down closed position. The pressure operated shifting tool is connected to reeled tubing by a quick disconnect which may be operated by dropping a ball and pressuring down the reeled tubing to disconnect the reeled tubing from the shifting tool if the need arises anytime after the shifting tool has engaged the sliding sleeve valve sleeve. 
     The selective pressure operated shifting tool assembly includes the emergency disconnect disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,632 to Charles W. Pleasants, herein incorporated for reference, the releasable locator tool of U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,721 to William R. Welch, herein incorporated for reference, an invertible shifting module for shifting the sleeve to open or closed position and a two-way valve. The shifting module has keys mounted on a piston which are releasably retained in a retracted position on the shifting tool as the assembly is lowered into the well to engage an internal sleeve recess for opening or closing the sleeve valve. The retracted keys assure free passage of the shifting tool assembly through any tools in the well conduit which may be inadvertently operated by passage of the shifting tool. 
     The selective releasable locator has keys which engage locator recesses in the upper valve housing and locate the shifter module keys adjacent either the upper or lower sleeve internal recess for shifting the sleeve. The shifter module may be inverted for shifting the sleeve upwardly to open or downwardly to close. 
     The two-way valve on the lower end of the shifter assembly permits fluid to flow into a flow passage through the shifter assembly and into reeled tubing as they are lowered into the well. When the shifting tool assembly is located in the sleeve valve and reeled tubing is pressurized, the two-way valve closes to permit pressurized fluid to be delivered into the key carrying piston on the shifting module. Pressure in the reeled tubing will move the piston on the shifting module to release shifting keys from retracted position to engage one of the sleeve recesses for shifting the sleeve. Complete shifting of the internal sleeve is indicated by a drop of pressure in the reeled tubing and circulation back to surface. If complete shifting of the sleeve is indicated, the shifting keys automatically release from the sleeve recess and are automatically returned to and retained in retracted position for retrieval from the well. The shifting tool assembly may now be retrieved back to surface by pulling sufficiently on the reeled tubing to release the releasable locator from engagement with the locator recesses in the sleeve valve. 
     If the shifting tool assembly does not completely shift the sleeve or cannot be released from the sleeve valve, the shifting tool may be operated to retract and release the keys from the sleeve recess. The shifting tool keys are mounted on an operating section of the shifting tool assembly and may be operated to retract and release from the sleeve recess the same as the sleeve shifter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,634 to Gazda. The &#39;634 patent is incorporated herein for reference. 
     If the shifting tool assembly cannot be retrieved on reeled tubing, the quick disconnect may be operated by applying sufficient pressure in the reeled tubing to open the two-way valve and permit a ball to be pumped down reeled tubing to operate the quick disconnect and disconnect the reeled tubing from the shifting tool for retrieval to surface. 
     OBJECTS 
     An object of this invention is to provide a sliding sleeve valve for use in deviated and horizontal wells having upper and lower centralizers and elongated flow slots for enhancing flow from outside the sleeve valve through open ports in the sleeve valve to inside the sleeve valve. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a pressure operated shifting tool for running on reeled tubing, which is engageable in the sliding sleeve valve for opening or closing the sleeve valve to flow. 
     Also an object of this invention is to provide a pressure operated shifting tool which holds shifting keys retracted while the shifting tool is being run. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a pressure operated shifting tool which will automatically release from the sliding sleeve valve and automatically retract shifting keys and retain them in retracted position for retrieval on complete opening or closing of the sleeve valve. 
     Also an object of this invention is to provide a shifting tool which can be operated to release from the sleeve valve if sleeve valve opening or closing is not complete. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a pressure operated shifting tool from which reeled tubing may be disconnected if the shifting tool cannot be released or retrieved from the sleeve valve on reeled tubing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned schematic view of a deviated earth well having a horizontal section and showing the system of the present invention installed in the well casing. 
     FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C together are a sectioned drawing in elevation of the sliding sleeve valve of this invention in open position. 
     FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C together are a partially sectioned longitudinal view of the pressure operated shifting tool assembly of this invention located in the sleeve valve of FIG. 2A-C. 
     FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C together are a drawing similar to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C showing the shifting tool after operation to shift the sleeve valve to closed position. 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B together are a sectioned drawing in elevation of a portion of the invention shifting tool inverted for shifting the sleeve valve to open position. 
     FIG. 6 is a drawing in elevation of a portion of the shifting tool shown operated for emergency release from the sliding sleeve valve. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows a deviated earth well having casing 10 passing through a formation 11. Perforations 10a have been formed through the casing for flow between the formation and inside of the casing. A sliding sleeve valve assembly 12 is connected in production tubing 14 and two axially-spaced packers 15 anchor the tubing and seal it to the casing, forming a sealed annular space 16 and isolating perforations 10a from other perforations (not shown) which may be formed through the casing. 
     Reeled tubing 17 is stored on reel 18 on the surface and is injected into or withdrawn from the well tubing by injector 19. There is sufficient auxiliary equipment on the surface (not shown) to pump fluid into and through the reeled tubing. 
     FIG. 1 also shows the pressure operated shifting tool of this invention 20 has been connected to a work string 21 which has been connected to reeled tubing 17. The shifting tool and work string have been run into production tubing 14 through injector 19 until the shifting tool has located in sliding sleeve valve assembly 12 to open or close the sleeve valve. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the sliding sleeve valve assembly 12 includes an upper tubular housing 22 and a lower tubular housing 23 which are sealed and connected together at thread 24. Around the upper housing is a centralizer 25 with a number of flow slots 25a. A number of selective locating recesses 26 and upper and lower positioning grooves 27 have been formed in the upper housing. A valve sleeve 28 is slidably mounted and sealed with seals 29 in seal bore 30, which also extends into the upper end of lower housing 23. The valve sleeve has upper and lower camming surfaces 31 and shifting recesses 32 each with a shifting surface 32a. Valve sleeve 28 also has biased lugs 33 which engage upper positioning groove 27 to retain the valve sleeve in open position as shown in FIG. 2 or lugs 33 engage lower positioning groove 27 to retain the valve sleeve in closed position as shown in FIG. 4. The upper and lower housings each have like camming surfaces 34. 
     Around the lower tubular housing is a lower centralizer 25 having a number of flow slots 25a. Aligned with each flow slot is a longitudinal flow slot 35 of equal width formed partially through the lower housing. Ports 36 extend between slots 35 and the inside of the sleeve valve housing. There is a longitudinal flow passage 37 through sleeve valve 12. 
     The pressure operated selective shifting tool assembly 20 of this invention, as shown in FIG. 3, has a flow passage 20a and includes an emergency disconnect assembly 39 disclosed in previously incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,362 and connected to reeled tubing, the releasable locator 40 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,721, an invertible shifting module 41 and a two-way valve assembly 42. 
     The emergency disconnect assembly 39 releasably connects the reeled tubing 17 to releasable locator 40. Disconnect assembly 39 includes a mandrel 43, a sleeve 44 releasably positioned in the mandrel by shearable pin 45 and slidably sealed in the mandrel by seals 46 above and below the pin. The mandrel is connectible to reeled tubing and has openings 43a in which are mounted radially moveable lugs 47. Sleeve 44 has a seat 44a, a groove 44b and expanding surface 44c. The disconnect body 48 has an internal groove 48a, an internal fishing neck 49 connected on its upper end, is sealably connected to releasable locator 40 at 50 and sealed to the mandrel with seal 51. The disconnect mandrel and body are locked connected as shown in FIG. 3 by sleeve expander surface 44c holding lugs 47 expanded into body groove 48a. 
     FIG. 3 also shows keys 52 on releasable locator 40 have engaged selective locator recesses 26 in the sleeve valve housing 22 to locate shifting tool 20 in the sleeve valve to close the sleeve valve. Keys 52 extend through openings in key mandrel 53. The keys are held in position extending through the key mandrel openings by sleeve 54, which is releasably positioned by shearable pin 55. 
     Invertible shifting module 41 is sealably connected to locator 40 at 56, as shown in FIG. 3. The shifting module has upper and lower mandrels 57 and 58 sealably connected at 59. The lower mandrel has a groove 58a. Connected and sealed around the upper housing is a tubular cover 60 having openings 60a. Releasably positioned by shearable pin 61 in the cover is a piston 62, which is slidably mounted around the upper and lower mandrels. The piston is slidably sealed to the cover with seal 63 and to the lower mandrel with seal 64 forming a variable volume pressure chamber 65. There are openings 66 in the upper mandrel and piston for pressure communication between shifting tool flow passage 20a through openings 66 and clearance C between the outside of the upper mandrel and inside of the piston to chamber 65. 
     Connected to the piston is an extension 67. Connected on the piston extension at 68 is a retracting sleeve 69 (See also FIG. 6). Slidably mounted on the piston extension and releasably connected to the retracting sleeve by shareable pin 70 is a key retainer 71. Each key 72 is urged radially outward by a spring 73 and each key has a shifting surface 72b and ears 72a which extend into retracting slots 69a on retracting sleeve 69. Keys 72 include opposed camming surfaces 72c. Slidably mounted around the retracting sleeve and piston extension is a lock sleeve 74, which has an internal groove 74a. A spring 75 around the lock sleeve has been compressed by moving the lock sleeve down. The lock sleeve is releasably positioned down by radially moveable lugs 76 held engaged in lock sleeve groove 74a by the outer surface on lower mandrel 58. A guide 77 is connected on the lower end of the piston extension. 
     Sealably connected on the lower end of lower mandrel 58 is two-way valve 42. The two-way valve comprises an upper housing 78 sealably connected to a lower housing 79, which has openings 79a. Positioned in the upper housing is a ball retainer 80 which has a flow passage 80a. Slidably sealed in the lower housing with seal 81 is a ball seat 82, which has a longitudinal flow passage 82a. This seat is releasably positioned in the housing with shearable pin 83 and is sealingly engageable by valve ball 84. A guide cap 85 is connected on lower housing 79. Flow may occur between the outside of two-way valve 42 and inside of the pressure operated shifting tool through lower housing openings 79a, seat flow passage 82a and ball retainer flow passage 80a. 
     To use the pressure operated shifting tool 20 of this invention to shift valve sleeve 28 of the invention sleeve valve assembly 12 downwardly to closed position, position shift module 41 for down shifting as shown in FIG. 3 and connect the shifting tool quick disconnect mandrel 43 to reeled tubing. Shifting keys 72 are locked in the retracted position for running by cover 60. Reeled tubing carrying shifting tool 20 is run through injector 19 down production tubing until releasable locator 40 engages selective locator recesses 26 in the sleeve valve and stops downward movement of the shifting tool and reeled tubing. The shifting tool and reeled tubing fills through two-way valve flow passages 79a, 82a and 80a as they are being lowered in the production tubing. Pressure applied to reeled tubing at the surface acts downwardly through reeled tubing and into shifting tool passage 20a to sealingly engage two-way valve ball 84 with seat 82 closing the two-way valve. Now, pressure in the shifting tool acts through openings 66 in upper mandrel 57 and piston on seal 63 and through clearance C into chamber 65 and on seal 64. Increasing pressure in reeled tubing shears pin 61 and moves piston 62, extension 67, and sleeve 69 downwardly. Downward movement of sleeve 69 moves keys 72 from inside cover 60 and permits compressed springs 73 to move the keys outwardly into engagement with the lower shifting recess 32 in sleeve valve sleeve 28. Continued downward movement of keys 72 engages shifting surface 72b with sleeve recess shifting surface 32a and moves sleeve 28 to closed position where upper and lower seals 29 close ports 36 to flow and biased lugs 33 in lower positioning groove 27 retaining the sleeve in closed position--see FIG. 4. 
     FIG. 4 shows sleeve 28 has been moved completely downward with the key opposed camming surfaces engaging camming surfaces 31 and 34 and lower sleeve camming surface 31 has moved close enough to lower housing camming surface 34 to cam the keys inwardly disengaging key shifting surfaces 72b from sleeve shifting surface 32a and releasing the keys from sleeve recess 32. Also shown in FIG. 4, the piston extension has moved downward along lower mandrel 58 until lugs 76 were adjacent mandrel groove 58a, compressed spring 75 has cammed the lugs into groove 58a and released lock sleeve 74 to move upwardly to engage and lock the keys in retracted position and cam lugs 76 into mandrel groove 58a, locking the piston extension to mandrel 58. If the sleeve is shifted completely down and the keys release from the sleeve shifting recess, as shown in FIG. 4, seal 63 on the piston will be moved below openings 60a in the cover and establish a flow path for pumping down reeled tubing and return back to surface. Fluid pumped down reeled tubing into shifting tool passage 20a will sealingly engage two way valve ball 84 with seat 82 and flow through openings 66 in the piston 62, down through clearance between the piston and cover 60, and through openings 60a in the cover. Flow back to surface from openings 60a will occur through clearances between the outside of the shifting tool and inside of the sleeve valve assembly and the annular area between reeled tubing and production tubing. 
     Flow back to surface is an indication of complete sleeve shifting and proper shifting tool release. If flow back to surface after pumping down reeled tubing does not occur, the sleeve has not shifted completely and/or released. If the shifting tool is shifting the sleeve valve sleeve downwardly as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shifting tool may be retrieved to surface by pulling on the reeled tubing with sufficient force to shear releasable locator pin 55 and operate the releasable locator 40 to release as described in detail in incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,632. Operation of the releasable locator will permit shifting tool 20 to be raised out of sleeve valve 12 lifting key shifting surface 72b from shifting recess surface 32a and retracting the key from the recess. 
     If the shifting tool shift module 41 has been inverted to shift the sleeve valve sleeve upwardly (FIG. 5) and the sleeve cannot be shifted completely or does not retract the shifting keys to release the shifting tool keys from the upper shifting tool recess, key 72 cannot be lifted from recess 32 as spring 73 will move surface 72b to engage surface 32a. In order to release keys 72 and shifting tool 20 from valve sleeve 28 and sleeve valve assembly 12, reeled tubing must be pulled on to shear releasable locator pin 55 and pin 70 simultaneously. Further upward movement of shifting tool 20 and piston extension 67 will operate releasable locator 40 to release from selective locator recesses 26 and retract and release keys 72 from upper sleeve recess 32 permitting tool 20 and the reeled tubing to be retrieved to surface. Keys 72 are operated to retract and release from upper sleeve recess 32 as disclosed in previously incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,634. 
     At any required time after shifting tool 20 engages sliding sleeve valve 12 to open or close the sleeve valve, disconnect assembly 39 may be operated to disconnect the reeled tubing from shifting tool 20. Sufficient pressure must first be applied in reeled tubing at surface to act down the reeled tubing and shifting tool to sealingly engage two-way valve ball 84 with seat 82, shear pin 83 and move the seat and seal 82 below openings 79a in lower valve housing 79, opening a flow path between shifting tool passage 20a and sleeve valve passage 27 through openings 79a. A ball (not shown) may now be introduced into reeled tubing at surface and pumped down reeled tubing to sealingly engage disconnect sleeve seat 44a. Increasing pressure in reeled tubing will shear pin 45 and move sleeve groove 44b adjacent lugs 47. When reeled tubing is pulled, disconnect mandrel 43 will cam lugs 47 into groove 44b and release mandrel 43 from disconnect body 48 for retrieval of reeled tubing and mandrel 43 back to surface.