Downhole Valve Bypass for Well Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Downhole valves often fail during well completion, leading to costly downtime and potential damage to the well when remedial actions like milling or drilling are required to remove the obstructed valve, as these actions can create perforations in the production tubing or well casing.

Innovation Solution

A tubing-mounted completion assembly with independently operable contingency devices that can actuate the downhole valve assembly to open or close it when it fails to do so, or control fluid flow around the valve to maintain production without the need for remedial actions like milling or drilling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If remedial action (milling or drilling) is taken to remove a failed valve, then the production path can be restored, but the well may suffer damage such as perforations in the production tubing or well casing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction path restorationVSAvoidwell damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the failed valve from the production path by providing a bypass mechanism that routes fluid around the obstructed valve, effectively removing the valve's blocking effect without physically extracting the valve itself through milling or drilling operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a bypass channel as an intermediary pathway that allows fluid to flow around the failed valve, mediating between the obstructed valve and the production requirements to restore flow without damaging the well structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If remedial action (milling or drilling) is taken to remove a failed valve, then the production path can be restored, but costly downtime occurs during the remedial operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction path restorationVSAvoidproduction downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention prepares a bypass mechanism in advance that can be activated when valve failure occurs, allowing rapid restoration of production without the time-consuming milling or drilling operations that would otherwise be required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If a single downhole valve assembly is used, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability is reduced when the valve fails

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve assembly structureVSAvoidproduction continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the flow path by providing separate bypass channels that are independent from the main valve assembly, creating alternative pathways that can operate when the primary valve fails, thereby enhancing system reliability without significantly increasing overall complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9316088B2Downhole contingency apparatus

Publication Date: 2016.04.19 HALLIBURTON MFG & SERVICES

AI summary

A tubing mounted completion assembly that includes at least one downhole valve assembly and at least one contingency device. The contingency device or devices can be associated with and can be separate from the downhole valve assembly. The contingency device or devices can be adapted to operate upon failure of operation of the downhole valve assembly.