Patent Abstract:
A tubular actuating system includes a tubular, a plurality of same plugs runnable within the tubular, an actuator disposed within the tubular, and a seatable member disposed at the actuator configured to be respositionable relative to the actuator between an unseated position and a seated position upon passage of at least one of the plurality of same plugs.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Tubular system operators are always receptive to new methods and devices to permit actuation of tubular tools such as those in industries concerned with earth formation boreholes, such as hydrocarbon recovery and gas sequestration, for example. It is not uncommon for various operations in these industries to utilize a temporary or permanent plugging device against which to build pressure to cause an actuation. 
         [0002]    Sometimes actuating is desirable at a first location, and subsequently at a second location. Moreover, additional actuating locations may also be desired and the actuation can be sequential for the locations or otherwise. Systems employing droppable members, such as balls, for example, are typically used for just such purpose. The ball is dropped to a ball seat positioned at the desired location within the borehole thereby creating the desired plug to facilitate the actuation. 
         [0003]    In applications where the first location is further from surface than the second location, it is common to employ seats with sequentially smaller diameters at locations further from the surface. Dropping balls having sequentially larger diameters allows the ball seat furthest from surface to be plugged first (by a ball whose diameter is complementary to that seat), followed by the ball seat second furthest from surface (by a ball whose diameter is complementary to that seat) and so on. 
         [0004]    The foregoing system, however, creates increasingly restrictive dimensions within the borehole that can negatively impact flow therethrough as well as limit the size of tools that can be run into the borehole. Additionally, the number of discrete ball/seat combinations that can be run is limited as a result of the increasingly restrictive dimensions. Systems and methods that allow operators to increase the number of actuatable locations within a borehole without the drawbacks mentioned would be well received in the art. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0005]    Disclosed herein is a tubular actuating system. The system includes, a tubular, a plurality of same plugs runnable within the tubular, an actuator disposed within the tubular, and a seatable member disposed at the actuator configured to be respositionable relative to the actuator between an unseated position and a seated position upon passage of at least one of the plurality of same plugs. 
         [0006]    Further disclosed herein is a method of actuating a tubular actuator. The method includes, running a runnable member within a tubular, contacting the tubular actuator with the runnable member, repositioning a seatable member, seating the seatable member, and pressuring up against the seated seatable member to actuate the tubular actuator. 
         [0007]    Further disclosed herein is a tubular actuator. The actuator includes, a body disposable within a tubular being movable relative to the tubular, and a member being repositionable relative to the body from an unseated position to a seated position upon passage of at least one runnable member thereby. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  depicts a partial cross sectional view of a tubular actuator disclosed herein being contacted with a runnable member; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  depicts a partial cross sectional view of the tubular actuator of  FIG. 1  shown being contacted with another runnable member; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  depicts a partial cross sectional view of the tubular actuator of  FIG. 1  shown with a seatable member in a seated position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    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. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , an embodiment of a tubular actuator disclosed herein is illustrated generally at  10 . The tubular actuator  10  includes, a body  14 , having a tubular shape, disposed within a tubular  18 , a seatable member  22 , illustrated in this embodiment as a flapper, a sleeve  26 , and an optional collar  30 . The flapper  22 , the sleeve  26  and the collar  30  are all repositionable relative to the body  14  in response to contact of the actuator  10  with runnable members  34 , also referred to herein as plugs or balls, which are runnable within the tubular  18 . The sleeve  26 , in this embodiment, is originally positioned in longitudinal alignment with and radially inwardly of the flapper  22 . This initial position of the sleeve  26  maintains the flapper  22  in an open position, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0014]    The sleeve  26  has a profile  38  on an inner radial surface  42  engagably receptive to the balls  34 , as best shown in  FIG. 2 . Pressure applied against the ball  34 , when engaged with the profile  38 , can urge the sleeve  26  to reposition to a downstream position as shown in  FIG. 3 . When in the downstream position the sleeve  26  is no longer longitudinally aligned with the flapper  22 , thereby allowing the flapper  22  to reposition from the open position to a closed position wherein the flapper  22  is seatingly engaged with a seat  46  on the body  14 . A biasing member  40 , illustrated herein as a torsional spring can rotationally bias the flapper  22  toward the closed position. When the flapper  22  is seatingly engaged with the seat  46  any pressure increases upstream of the flapper  22  will increase forces applied to the actuator  10  thereby urging actuation thereof. 
         [0015]    The optional collar  30 , if the actuator  10  is so equipped (as the one illustrated herein is), longitudinally overlaps the profile  38  of the sleeve  26  in its original position. This overlapping positioning holds collet fingers  50 , of the sleeve  26 , in a radially expanded position, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Since the profile  38  is on the radially expanded portion of the sleeve  26 , the ball  34  is able to pass thereby without engaging the profile  38 . A profile  54  on the collar  30 , also engagable with the balls  34 , allows pressure applied against a ball  34  seated therewith to reposition the collar  30  to a downstream position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Once the collar  30  is disengaged from the overlapping position with the sleeve  26  the profile  38  is able to return to an unexpanded position wherein it is engagable with the balls  34 . An annular recess  58  in the body  14  is receptive to radially expanded collet fingers  62  of the collar  30  such that the ball  34  is able to pass thereby. 
         [0016]    The foregoing construction allows an operator to run a ball  34  within the tubular  18  until it engages with the profile  54 . Pressuring up against the engaged ball  34  allows the sleeve to be moved downstream until the collet fingers  62  expand into the annular recess  58  thereby allowing the ball  34  to pass through the collar  30 , possibly to be used to actuate another tool located downstream thereof. The downstream movement of the collar  30 , in relation to the sleeve  26 , releases the collet fingers  50  thereby configuring the profile  38  to engage the next ball  34  to be run thereagainst. Pressure built upstream of the second ball  34  engaged with the profile  38  causes the sleeve  26  to move downstream thereby releasing the flapper  22  allowing the flapper  22  to move from the open position to the closed position. Once closed, the flapper  22 , being seated against the seat  46 , allows pressure to build upstream thereof to allow actuation of the actuator  10 . Such actuation may be used to open ports  66  through the tubular  18 , for example, to allow fluid treating such as fracturing or acidizing of a formation within which the tubular  18  is positioned, in the case of an application involved in the hydrocarbon recovery industry. 
         [0017]    By allowing one or more of the balls  34  to pass, prior to the closing of the flapper  22  and subsequent actuation of the actuator  10 , the system employing a plurality of the actuators  10  and/or other conventional actuators that actuate, for example, upon engagement with a first of the balls  34 , can increase the number of actuatable zones with balls  34  of a particular size. This system alleviates the concerns associated with conventional systems that incorporate a plurality of actuators, each with smaller dimensions than the last, to permit actuation with balls of ever decreasing size. Some concerns being the decrease in production flows due to the smaller flow areas created by the smaller dimensions, and restrictions on the size of tools that can be employed during intervention due to the smaller dimensions. Additionally, the increased number of actuators can be employed to open an increased number of ports such as the ports  66 , thereby increasing a number of zones that can be fractured or treated for a given well. 
         [0018]    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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4