Abstract: An apparatus and method for use in a wellbore includes a sensor having an optical fiber and a strain sensitive member that is continuously bonded to a portion of the optical fiber. The optical fiber portion is strained in response to an environmental parameter of the wellbore that is being monitored by the sensor. The strain on the optical fiber portion changes a property of light signals propagating in the optical fiber.

Abstract: The invention is generally directed to a curved flapper and seat for use in a subsurface safety valve. The flapper is biased to a normally closed position to prevent fluid flow through the wellbore. The curved flapper has a sealing surface for engaging a corresponding sealing surface on a seat when the flapper is in its closed position. The sealing surface of the flapper is configured to contact the sealing surface of the seat along a sinusoidal sealing line, or seam, such that the reactive force from the seat is normal to the sinusoidal seating line. In one aspect, the sealing surface of the flapper has a convex spherical configuration relative to the seat. The sealing surface of the seat, in turn, has a concave conical shape relative to the flapper. When well conditions dictate, a resilient soft seat may optionally be used, and is disposed on the seat proximate the sinusoidal seating line.

Abstract: A curved flapper and seat is disclosed for use in a subsurface safety valve. The flapper is biased to a normally closed position to prevent fluid flow through the wellbore. The curved flapper has a sealing surface for engaging a corresponding sealing surface on a seat when the flapper is in its closed position. The sealing surface of the flapper is configured to contact the sealing surface of the seat along a sinusoidal sealing line, or seam, such that the reactive force from the seat is normal to the sinusoidal seating line. In one aspect, the sealing surface of the flapper has a convex spherical configuration relative to the seat. The sealing surface of the seat, in turn, has a concave conical shape relative to the flapper. When well conditions dictate, a resilient soft seat may optionally be used, and is disposed on the seat proximate the sinusoidal seating line.

Abstract: In a broad aspect, the invention may include a subsurface safety valve for controlling a fluid flow through a well conduit. The valve may include a housing that has a bore and is disposed within an annulus defined by the space between the well conduit and the housing. The valve may also have a valve closure member that is movable between an open position and a closed position, and adapted to restrict the fluid flow through the bore when in the closed position. The valve may also include a flow tube that is moveably disposed within the housing and adapted to shift the valve closure member between its open and closed positions. The valve may also include a piston that is moveably disposed within a cylinder in the housing and in mechanical communication with the flow tube. The piston may have a first seal disposed adjacent an upper end of the piston, a second seal disposed adjacent a lower end of the piston, and a third seal disposed between the first and second seals.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of operating devices (such as devices in a wellbore or other types of devices) utilizes actuators having expandable or contractable elements. Such expandable or contractable elements may include piezoelectric elements, magnetostrictive elements, and heat-expandable elements. Piezoelectric elements are expandable by application of an electrical voltage; magnetostrictive elements are expandable by application of a magnetic field (which may be generated by a solenoid in response to an electrical current); and heat-expandable elements are expandable by heat energy (e.g., infrared energy or microwave energy). Expandable elements are abutted to an operator member such that when the expandable element expands, the operator member is moved in a first direction, and when the expandable element contracts, the operator member moves in an opposite direction.

Abstract: An actuator assembly includes an operating actuator and a holding actuator that are engageable with an operator member of a device. The operating actuation is cycled between on and off states to move the operator member in incremental steps, and the holding actuator is maintained in an active state to maintain or latch the current position of the operator member. Each of the operating and holding actuators may include one of the following: a solenoid actuator; and an actuator including one or more expandable elements, such as a piezoelectric element, a magnetostrictive element, and a heat-expandable element.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of operating devices (such as devices in a wellbore or other types of devices) utilizes actuators having expandable or contractable elements. Such expandable or contractable elements may include piezoelectric elements, magnetostrictive elements, and heat-expandable elements. Piezoelectric elements are expandable by application of an electrical voltage; magnetostrictive elements are expandable by application of a magnetic field (which may be generated by a solenoid in response to an electrical current); and heat-expandable elements are expandable by heat energy (e.g., infrared energy or microwave energy). Expandable elements are abutted to an operator member such that when the expandable element expands, the operator member is moved in a first direction, and when the expandable element contracts, the operator member moves in an opposite direction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of operating devices (such as devices in a wellbore or other types of devices) utilizes actuators having expandable or contractable elements. Such expandable or contractable elements may include piezoelectric elements, magnetostrictive elements, and heat-expandable elements. Piezoelectric elements are expandable by application of an electrical voltage; magnetostrictive elements are expandable by application of a magnetic field (which may be generated by a solenoid in response to an electrical current); and heat-expandable elements are expandable by heat energy (e.g., infrared energy or microwave energy). Expandable elements are abutted to an operator member such that when the expandable element expands, the operator member is moved in a first direction, and when the expandable element contracts, the operator member moves in an opposite direction.

Abstract: The invention provides an eccentric subsurface safety valve that may include an eccentric body member having a thick side, a thin side, and a longitudinal bore therethrough. A closure member, such as a curved flapper, is mounted within the body member to control fluid flow through the longitudinal bore, and is moveable between an open and a closed position. The curved flapper may be disposed within a recess in the thick side of the eccentric body member when in its open position. A valve actuator, such as a flow tube, may be disposed within the body member and remotely shiftable to move the curved flapper between its open and closed positions. The flow tube may be shifted downwardly in response to movement of a piston. At least one return spring and/or a contained volume of pressurized gas may be provided to urge the flow tube away from the curved flapper. The piston may be connected to an eccentric plate slidably disposed about the flow tube and between a first and a second shoulder on the flow tube.

Abstract: A subsurface valve with a pressure equalizing mechanism is provided to permit pressure above and below a valve closure member to equalize prior to the opening of the valve closure member. An actuating key is releasably engageable with a recess in a flow tube that is moveably disposed within a longitudinal bore of the safety valve. An equalizing plug is disposed for reciprocal movement within a plug bore, and is moveable in response to movement of the actuating key. To open the valve closure member, the flow tube moves downwardly into engagement with the actuating key, thereby carrying the actuating key into engagement with the equalizing plug to shift the equalizing plug to an open or equalizing position. Pressure above and below the valve closure member is equalized through the equalizing plug prior to the opening of the valve closure member by further downward movement of the flow tube.

Abstract: The present invention is a connector which connects a first control line in a downhole well tool to a second control line. The connector may include a main body having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a tubular extension threadably secured within a mounting bore in the well tool, and a metal seal ring disposed between a shoulder on the tubular extension of the main body and having an outer conical surface engaged with a conical surface of the mounting bore. The connector may also include a sealing sleeve having a longitudinal bore including a first conical surface adjacent a first end of the sealing sleeve and a second conical surface adjacent a second end of the sealing sleeve; a first ferrule, a second ferrule, and a third ferrule, each being an annular member having an outer conical surface and disposed within the longitudinal bore of the main body.

Abstract: A subsurface well safety valve having a flow tube telescopically movable in a housing for controlling the movement of a valve closure member. A piston and cylinder assembly actuates the flow tube and is in communication with hydraulic control fluid from the well surface on one side and a gas biasing chamber on the second side and includes a spring acting on the flow tube to close the valve. An equalizing system equalizes fluid pressure on opposite sides of the piston and cylinder assembly in the event of a failure in the seal between the piston and cylinder thereby allowing the spring to close the valve. The equalizing system uses fewer components than previous designs and utilizes a new reference chamber design that allows the reference chamber and the piston to be positioned within the same axial length reducing the overall length of the safety valve over previous designs.

Abstract: An improved fluid actuator is provided. The fluid actuator (25) comprises a variable volume fluid chamber (124). A first tube (162) is fixed within the variable volume fluid chamber (124). The first tube (162) has a first sealing surface (142) and a second sealing surface (144). A piston (100) is slidably disposed within the variable volume fluid chamber (124) and slidably movable over the first tube (162) between a first position and a second position. The piston (100) comprises a first sealing surface (140) and a second sealing surface (146). The piston first sealing surface (140) and the first tube first sealing surface (142) cooperate to form a seal between the piston (100) and the first tube (162) when the piston (100) is in the first position. The piston second sealing surface (146) and the first tube second sealing surface (144) cooperate to form a seal between the piston (100) and the first tube (162) when the piston (100) is in the second position.

Abstract: A reduced travel operating mechanism for downhole tools is provided. The reduced travel operating mechanism (57) includes a load ratio system (59) which may include compression ring (102) disposed within circumferential guide pocket (123) and a linkage system (61) disposed within mechanism pocket (125). The linkage system (61) may include first link (112), master link (114), and second link (116) coupled between compression ring (102) and connecting member (118). A loading system (63), which may include a hydraulic piston (100), acts on compression ring (102) to move compression ring (102) a first distance. Connecting member (118) moves a second distance in response to the movement of compression ring (102) a first distance. The linkage system (61) may operate such that the second distance is greater than the first distance or operate such that the first distance is greater than the second distance.

Abstract: A control system for applying power to a solenoid operated valve in a well completion within a borehole. The control system includes a programmable power supply for selectively applying electric power to a solenoid coil of the valve. The control system operates to apply a higher value of current to the solenoid to open the valve and a second lower value of current to maintain the operation of the solenoid in an open state and also to interrupt all current to the solenoid to close the valve. A timer controls the length of time the higher current value can be applied to the solenoid if the valve does not open and the length of delay time which must be included before again attempting to open the valve. The control system continuously monitors the state of actuation of the valve by means of an inductance monitor for determining the position of the armature of the solenoid and, thus, the state of the valve.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a subterranean well annulus pressure safety valve. In one embodiment, the valve is full opening to permit complete access therethrough of wireline and other remedial tools, and contains the annulus safety valve members completely offset from the central housing. The invention also relate to an annulus safety valve wherein a series of valve elements are placed exterior of a central housing and may be staged to open in series upon incremental increase of pressure thereacross. The annulus safety valve also provides pressure equalization means to equalize pressure across the valve cluster prior to opening of the cluster. The annulus safety valve also has selectively disengagable sealing plug means therein which may be removed while the valve is in the well to increase total fluid flow area through the valve components of the apparatus. A method of controlling an annular area interior of casing within a well using the annulus safety valve also is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a subterranean well annulus pressure safety valve. In one embodiment, the valve is full opening to permit complete access therethrough of wireline and other remedial tools, and contains the annulus safety valve members completely offset from the central housing. The invention also relates to an annulus safety valve wherein a series of valve elements are placed exterior of a central housing and may be staged to open in series upon incremental increase of pressure thereacross. The annulus safety valve also provides pressure equalization means to equalize pressure across the valve cluster prior to opening of the cluster. The annulus safety valve also has selectively disengagable sealing plug means therein which may be removed while the valve is in the well to increase total fluid flow area through the valve components of the apparatus. A method of controlling an annular area interior of casing within a well using the annulus safety valve also is disclosed.

Abstract: A solenoid operated valve system for petroleum production wells including a solenoid operated valve securable in a well bore connected to the lower end of a tubing string extending to the surface. The valve of the system includes an outer housing, an inner wall defining a flow passageway therethrough and an annular cavity therebetween for receiving the solenoid coil and associated electrical components. The spaces in the annular cavity surrounding the solenoid coil and components is filled with an electrically insulative filler material to protect the electrical elements from borehole fluids. The solenoid operated valve has an operator tube formed of tubular sections of different magnetic characteristics so that the valve is opened against a biasing spring by a high current flow and held open by a current flow of a lower value. The valve solenoid is operable by either AC or DC current.

Abstract: A solenoid operated valve system for petroleum production wells including a solenoid operated valve securable in a well bore connected to the lower end of a tubing string extending to the surface. The valve of the system includes an outer housing, an inner wall defining a flow passageawy therethrough and an annular cavity therebetween for receiving the solenoid coil and associated electrical components. The spaces in the annular cavity surrounding the solenoid coil and components is filled with an electrically insulative filler material to protect the electrical elements from borehole fluids. The solenoid operated valve has an operator tube formed of tubular sections of different magnetic characteristics so that the valve is opened against a biasing spring by a high current flow and held open by a current flow of a lower value. The valve solenoid is operable by either AC or DC current.

Abstract: A solenoid operated valve system for petroleum production wells including a solenoid operated valve securable in a well bore connected in electrically insulated relation with the lower end of a tubing string extending to the surface and a tubing string below the valve to a well packer and an electric circuit from a control system at the surface through the tubing string to the valve and back to the surface in the casing the tubing and casing serving as the electrical conductors for opening the valve and monitoring the valve position. The solenoid operated valve has an operator tube formed of tubular sections of different magnetic characteristics so that the valve is opened against a biasing spring by a high current flow and held open by a current flow of a lower value. The valve solenoid is operable by either AC or DC current.