Abstract:
An openable port includes a body, a sleeve movable relative to the body, and a plug disposed at the sleeve that is extrudable through the sleeve. And the sleeve is substantially occluded to flow therethrough by the plug prior to extrusion of the plug and is open to flow therethrough after extrusion of the plug.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    In fluidic systems, such as those used in the downhole drilling and completion industries, for example, devices and methods to allow a port that is initially closed to be subsequently opened are useful. It is also useful to have devices and methods that are able to move one component relative to another. Devices and methods, therefore, that allow an operator to perform both actions, relative movement of components and opening of a previously closed port, with a single input parameter are also useful. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0002]    Disclosed herein is an openable port. The port includes a body, a sleeve movable relative to the body, and a plug disposed at the sleeve that is extrudable through the sleeve. And the sleeve is substantially occluded to flow therethrough by the plug prior to extrusion of the plug and is open to flow therethrough after extrusion of the plug. 
         [0003]    Further disclosed herein is a method of opening a port. The method includes, pressuring up to a first pressure against a plugged sleeve disposed at a body, moving the sleeve relative to the body, pressuring up to a second pressure against the plugged sleeve disposed at the body, and extruding a plug through the sleeve. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  depicts a cross sectioned view of an openable port disclosed herein shown in an un-extended and un-extruded position; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  depicts a cross sectioned view of the openable port of  FIG. 1  shown in an extended and extruded position; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  depicts a partial cross sectioned perspective view of a support employed in the openable port of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures. 
         [0009]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of an openable port disclosed herein is illustrated generally at  10 . The openable port  10  includes, a body  14 , two collars  16 A,  16 B slidably engaged with the body  14 , a sleeve  18  slidably engaged with the collar  16 B, and a plug  22 , seatingly engagable with a seat  26  on the sleeve  18 . In this embodiment the body  14  is sealably fixed to a wall  30  of a tubular  34 , such as a casing or well bore liner as is used in downhole hydrocarbon recovery or carbon dioxide sequestration industries, for example. Seals  38 , illustrated herein as o-rings form seals between the body  14 , collars  16 A,  16 B and the sleeve  18 , while allowing them to slide relative to one another. The plug  22 , shown here as a ball, seals against the seat  26  thereby allowing pressure to build thereagainst. At selected forces, established by frictional engagement between the body  14 , collars  16 A,  16 B and the sleeve  18  (or optionally by force failing members  42 , such as shear screws shown, for example), the sleeve  18  will move relative to the collar  16 B, the collar  16 B will move relative to the collar  16 A, and the collar  16 A will move relative to the body  14  (from the positions shown in  FIG. 1  to the position shown in  FIG. 2 ). Additionally, at a selected force the plug  22  will extrude through the sleeve  18  by either deforming the seat  26 , deforming the plug  22  or deforming both the seat  26  and the plug  22 , thereby opening a port  46  in the sleeve  18 . Alternate embodiments are contemplated that have the sleeve  18  directly slidable engaged with the body  14  without the collar  16 A or  16 B located therebetween. 
         [0010]    The foregoing structure allows an operator to perform several actions via the single action of pumping fluid. The several actions include: telescopically extending the sleeve  18  relative to the collar  16 A, telescopically extending the collar  16 B relative to the collar  16 A, telescopically extending the sleeve  18  relative to the collar  16 B and extruding the plug  22  through the sleeve  18 . Upon completion of these actions, the operator can continue pumping fluid, which would then flow out of the tubular  34  in the direction of arrow  48  through the port  46  in the sleeve  18 . The openable port  10  could be used in a downhole wellbore application, for example, where it is desired to pump proppant into a formation  50  where there is an open annular space  54  between the wall  30  of the tubular  34  and the formation  50 . By extending the collars  16 A,  16 B and sleeve  18  radially beyond the body  14  the proppant can be pumped directly into openings  58  in the formation  50  where it is intended to be pumped rather than into the annular space  54 . Although the embodiment disclosed herein includes the two collars  16 A and  16 B, alternate embodiments could employ more than two or fewer than two collars, depending upon the dimension of radial extension that is desired. 
         [0011]    Forces required to extend the sleeve  18  and the collars  16 A,  16 B can be set to be less than a force required to extrude the plug  22  through the sleeve  18 . This force relationship assures that the sleeve  18  and collars  16 A,  16 B extend before the plug  22  is extruded. Such a force relationship may be desirable since extruding the plug  22  first allows fluid within the tubular  34  to flow through the port  46  making building pressure to extend the sleeve  18  and collars  16 A,  16 B more difficult. 
         [0012]    The body  14 , collars  16 A,  16 B, sleeve  18  and plug  22  can all be made of metal, as can the seals  38 . However, other materials may be used for any of these components including making the seals  38  and plug  22  of a polymeric material such as an elastomer to facilitate the sealing, sliding and extruding discussed above. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the seat  26  can be integrally formed as part of the sleeve  18  or can be formed on a separate part such as a support  62  that is attached to the sleeve  18  by methods such as press fitting, welding and threadably engaging, for example. In this embodiment the support  62  includes the seat  26  and a plate  66  with one or more holes  70  therethrough that define flow passageways. The holes  70  allow fluid to flow therethrough and provide pressure against the plug  22  when seated against the seat  26  to build the forces needed to extrude the plug  22  through the port  36 . 
         [0014]    Additionally, the plate  66  includes an alignment feature  74  that aligns the plug  22  with the seat  26 . The alignment feature  74  can be a hole through the plate  66  (as illustrated), an indentation in the plate  66 , or a plurality of raised protrusions on the plate  66 . The plate  66  can also include sufficient flexibility to act as a biasing member to hold the plug  22  against the seat  26  in a seated configuration to aid in developing pressure there against. Flexibility of the plate  66  can cause the openable port  10  to serve as a one way valve prior to extrusion of the plug  22  through the seat  26  by flexing to allow the plug  22  to move away from the seat  26  in response to a differential pressure across the openable port  10  being greater on an outside of the tubular  34  than on the inside of the tubular  34 . 
         [0015]    While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.