Flow-Restricted Pressure-Activated Valve Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in efficiently injecting and producing fluids from subterranean formations, particularly in managing fluid flow and pressure during hydrocarbon recovery operations, including primary, secondary, and tertiary recovery phases, which require enhanced technologies for fluid injection and production.
Innovation Solution
A well completion system with a tubing string comprising injection and production segments, including fluid pressure-activated valves with breakable barriers and flow restrictions, allowing synchronized injection and production through concentric conduits and isolation segments, enabling toolless operation and controlled fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fluid injection is performed without flow restriction, then injection rate increases, but fluid pressure cannot be maintained for subsequent valve activation
Solution Approach 1:
The flow restriction component changes the flow parameters by creating a restricted flow path that increases flow resistance. This allows the system to maintain higher fluid pressures while controlling injection rates, enabling subsequent valve activations without requiring excessive injection rates that would deplete pressure
2Productivity
If multiple valves are activated simultaneously, then production efficiency increases, but fluid pressure is depleted before all valves can open
Solution Approach 1:
The flow restriction component is pre-installed in each valve assembly to control the activation sequence. By restricting flow to individual valves, the system ensures that valves activate in a controlled sequence rather than simultaneously, allowing fluid pressure to be maintained throughout the activation process for maximum production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The wellbore is divided into multiple segmented valve assemblies, each with its own flow restriction component. This segmentation allows independent control of each valve's activation, enabling staged opening of valves along the wellbore while maintaining fluid pressure for sequential activation
3Ease of operation
If breakable barrier is used for toolless operation, then operational complexity decreases, but precise control of valve activation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The breakable barrier is designed to automatically break when exposed to fluid pressure, eliminating the need for external tools or complex control mechanisms. The valve assembly activates itself through the self-service mechanism of pressure-induced barrier failure, simplifying operation while maintaining adequate control through the flow restriction component
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates efficient and synchronized fluid injection and production from subterranean formations, enhancing hydrocarbon recovery by managing fluid flow and pressure, and supporting operations like waterflooding, CO2 flooding, and geothermal operations.
Implementation Method 1
a breakable barrier installed within the injection port, the breakable barrier being fluid-activated to operate the injection valve between a closed configuration where the breakable barrier occludes the injection port
Implementation Method 2
The injection valve having a flow restriction component configured to restrict fluid flow between the injection fluid passage and the injection port
Data Source
AI summary
A well completion system for producing fluids from a wellbore provided in a subterranean reservoir is provided. The well completion system includes tubing segments connectable to one another along the wellbore. The tubing segments include injection segments provided along the wellbore in spaced-apart relation to each other, each injection segment has an injection valve toollessly operable between a closed configuration preventing fluid flow into the reservoir, and an open configuration allowing fluid flow into the reservoir. The tubing segments also include production segments provided along the wellbore in a staggered relation with respect to the injection segments and configured to allow fluids received from the reservoir to be produced from the reservoir. The tubing segments each are configured to include injection fluid passages and production fluid passages isolated from one another along the wellbore to enable synchronously injecting and producing fluids to and from the reservoir at respective fractured locations.