Shiftable Valve Seat Backpressure Valve for Plug Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
The drilling and completion industry faces significant challenges with the time-consuming and costly process of removing plugs from boreholes to access resource-bearing formations, as existing methods require withdrawing and re-running drill and production strings.
Innovation Solution
A downhole tool equipped with a backpressure valve cartridge that includes a pivotally mounted flapper valve, which can be shifted between closed and open configurations using a valve seat, and secured in the open position using a locking mechanism, allowing for efficient isolation and production without the need for frequent string operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional plug isolation method is used in boreholes, then the formation can be isolated effectively, but the time and cost for removing plugs and re-running strings increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical plug removal methods with a ball-drop actuation system. Instead of mechanically cutting or extracting plugs using drill strings, the system uses hydraulic pressure from dropped balls to automatically actuate the backpressure valve, shifting it from closed to open position. This substitution eliminates time-consuming mechanical operations while maintaining reliable isolation during completion and enabling rapid transition to production.
Solution Approach 2:
The backpressure valve system is designed to be self-actuating through the ball-drop mechanism. When a ball of appropriate size is dropped into the flowbore, it automatically engages the valve seat and triggers the valve shift without requiring external mechanical intervention. The system serves itself by using the kinetic energy and hydraulic pressure of the dropped ball to perform the valve actuation, eliminating the need for frequent string operations.
2Productivity
If frequent string operations are performed for plug removal, then resource production can be accessed, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical string operations with a low-cost ball-drop actuation system. The hydraulic actuation mechanism allows the backpressure valve to be shifted using simple gravity-driven ball drops, eliminating the need for costly drill string withdrawals and re-runs. This substitution dramatically reduces operational costs while maintaining the ability to access resource production efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter from mechanical force (string operations) to hydraulic pressure (ball-drop actuation). By using hydraulic pressure generated by the dropped ball to shift the backpressure valve, the system achieves the same functional result (valve opening for production) with significantly lower operational cost and complexity.
3Device complexity
If a backpressure valve with fixed valve seat is used, then the structure is simple, but the valve cannot be shifted to open configuration efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic elements to the valve structure, including the movable backpressure valve that can shift between closed and open positions, and the ball-drop actuation mechanism that provides dynamic triggering. The valve seat is designed with a ball receptacle that accepts dropped balls to initiate the shifting action. This dynamic design maintains relative structural simplicity while enabling efficient valve operation through the ball-drop mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the ball-drop actuation system) between the control input and the valve shifting action. The dropped ball serves as an intermediary that converts gravitational potential energy into hydraulic pressure, which then actuates the backpressure valve shift. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the overall structure by eliminating complex control systems while providing reliable valve shifting capability.
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
This solution reduces the time and cost associated with plug removal and resource production by enabling efficient isolation and production operations, minimizing the need for frequent string operations and enhancing the overall efficiency of resource exploration and recovery systems.
Implementation Method 1
a flapper valve pivotally mounted relative to the valve seat in the passage
Data Source
AI summary
A downhole tool includes a tubular having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a flowbore having a longitudinal axis, and a backpressure valve cartridge arranged in the flowbore. The backpressure valve cartridge includes a passage, a valve seat arranged in the passage, and a flapper valve pivotally mounted relative to the valve seat in the passage. The valve seat is shiftable within the backpressure valve cartridge along the longitudinal axis to shift the flapper valve between a first position, wherein the flapper valve is free to pivot relative to the valve seat, and a second position, wherein the flapper valve is pivoted away from the valve seat and maintained in an open configuration.