Coupled Gate Valve and Flow Restricting Assemblies for Wellbore Plugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wellbore flow control devices face challenges in efficiently regulating fluid flow, as they can become plugged or damaged by particulate matter, leading to incomplete production and increased access of undesired fluids, and lack protection from damaging conditions.
Innovation Solution
The coupling of a gate valve assembly with a flow restricting assembly, where both are located on the exterior of the wellbore pipe, with the flow restricting assembly in fluid communication with the interior, allows for improved control of fluid flow by bypassing the flow restricting assembly if it becomes plugged or damaged, ensuring continuous production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flow restricting assembly is used to regulate fluid flow, then discrimination between desired and undesired fluids is improved, but the device becomes susceptible to plugging and damage from particulate matter
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate assemblies: a flow restricting assembly for fluid regulation and a gate valve assembly for protection and bypass. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function while reducing the vulnerability of the flow restricting assembly to particulate damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate valve assembly acts as an intermediary protective element between the formation and the flow restricting assembly. It can be closed to protect the flow restricting assembly from particulate matter or opened to bypass it if plugging occurs, thereby mediating the interaction between harmful particles and the sensitive flow regulation component.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the gate valve assembly is closed to shut off production, then protection from undesired fluids is improved, but production from the subterranean zone is completely stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides localized protection by allowing the gate valve to be closed at specific locations where undesired fluids are problematic, while other zones with the flow restricting assembly remain open and productive. This enables selective protection without complete production shutdown.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to changing conditions by allowing operators to switch between protective mode (gate valve closed) and production mode (gate valve open with flow restricting assembly active), or to bypass a plugged flow restricting assembly by opening the gate valve, thereby maintaining productivity while providing protection when needed.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If downstream regulation is added to protect the inflow control device, then device protection is improved, but the volume reduction proves detrimental for production rates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding downstream regulation that reduces volume, the invention places protective functionality (gate valve assembly) upstream of the flow restricting assembly. This dimensional repositioning in the flow path allows protection without the volume reduction penalties associated with downstream regulation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Wellbore flow control devices can be used in various subterranean operations to regulate access of formation fluids to the interior of a wellbore pipe and/or to limit the access of unwanted fluids thereto. Coupling of flow regulating assemblies to one another in the wellbore flow control devices can result in improved operational performance in regulating formation fluid flow to the interior of the wellbore pipe compared to using the flow regulating assemblies in an uncoupled state. Wellbore flow control devices can comprise a gate valve assembly that is in fluid flow communication with a flow restricting assembly, where each assembly is located on the exterior of a wellbore pipe and the flow restricting assembly is in fluid flow communication with the interior of the wellbore pipe.