Unlimited Downhole Fracture Zone System
Apparatus and method are provided for diverting treatment fluids in wells. Sliding sleeves or valves are sequentially opened by dropping balls that may be of uniform size. Opening of one valve moves a collet into position such that the same size ball can be used to open a second valve. Any selected number of valves can be opened with the same size balls. Systems using the valves are also disclosed, along with methods for operating.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a system for injecting treatment fluids into a selected isolated interval in an oil and gas well. More particularly, valves disposed along a tubular are opened sequentially by pumping balls of one size down the tubular, causing one valve to open and another valve mechanism to be moved into position to be opened by a following ball.
2. Description of Related Art
Treatment fluids, such as hydraulic fracturing or acidizing fluids, are often used to treat multiple zones or segments of the earth penetrated by a wellbore. It is usually preferable to treat each zone or segment individually and to divert the treating fluid to another zone or segment when a designed amount of treating fluid has been injected into a zone or segment. In vertical wells, different zones of a producing formation are normally treated individually. In the horizontal wellbore portion of “horizontal wells,” different segments of the horizontal wellbore are often treated individually. This treatment may be a hydraulic fracturing treatment. It is common to isolate segments of horizontal wellbores by packers, either on casing in open hole or on tubing in a cased and perforated well. Packers are provided to isolate the zone to be treated so that fluid under pressure will be directed outwardly of the well and confined within a given zone or segment. In a horizontal well in shale gas reservoirs, it has become common to isolate the horizontal wellbore into ten or more segments and fracture each segment independently. The goal is to create multiple hydraulic fractures transverse to the wellbore, which are critical to producing gas from the well at economic rates.
A common method for opening valves disposed along a casing or tubing in a well is the use of sliding sleeves, which may be opened by a tool run into the well. Another method is to place a ball in the injected fluid at a time when it will seat on a receiving apparatus connected to a sliding sleeve when it is desired to open the sliding sleeve. Fluid pressure behind the ball opens the sleeve or valve. To open a plurality of valves, it is necessary to use different size balls, starting with the smallest ball to seat on the lowest sleeve apparatus, which will pass through the larger seats. Balls of increasing size are injected to divert fluid to another zone or segment. The use of such apparatus and method is described in the article “Considered approach improves hydraulic fracturing in horizontal open holes,” E&P Magazine, Jul. 1, 2009. This article discusses some of the limitations of the present method. The use of sequentially smaller ball seats on sleeves within the well results in a limited number of unique seats for a given tubing size and in a limited number of unique zones for a fracture project. Drastically reduced internal seat diameters are required as the distance from the well head to the fracturing zone increases. This results in reduced production from the lower zones and frequently requires post-fracturing drilling operations to remove the seats.
This approach is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,387,165. This requires a complicated ball launching system for balls of varying diameter and opens up the possibility of mis-ordering the balls, which would then unintentionally block off a given zone.
What is needed is apparatus and method for diverting treating fluids in a wellbore that does not require balls of varying size, such that any selected number of zones or intervals in a well can be treated.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention as disclosed includes a well treating system that may include a lower initiation tool and a plurality of intermediate diverter valves that are positioned in zones or segments that are isolated by packers. Each diverter valve includes a sliding valve member that is axially moved as a result of a spherical ball being captured by a collet within the valve. All the balls are of the same diameter. Opening of the lowermost valve results in the next uphole valve being placed in a set position so that after the fracturing process is completed in the adjacent downhole fracturing zone, the valve is ready to be actuated by directing a subsequent ball down the well bore.
The invention overcomes many of the above noted deficiencies with the prior art. A single size ball is employed which allows for a larger diameter production tube to be employed. This increases production compared to the prior art which requires sequentially smaller diameter balls and tubing. Since all the balls are of the same size, the possibility of mis-ordering the balls is eliminated and consequently accidental isolation of fracturing zones is eliminated, as is the requirement for post-fracturing drilling operations to remove the ball seats. Also, since the balls are of a uniform size and there is no need to reduce the diameter of the ball seats, an unlimited number of fracturing zones or intervals can be isolated and treated for a given well.
The drawings provided herein are meant to illustrate the principles of the invention in general terms and are not intended to limit the invention to the specific details shown the drawings. Other shapes and sizes for the various structural members could be used without departing from the invention, which is set forth in the accompanying claims. Also the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings depict the invention in a vertical direction, but it should be understood that the apparatus can be used in vertical or horizontal wells or wells at any angle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONReferring to
To begin the fracturing process for the first fracturing zone a ball is initially placed or dropped down through tubing 2 and rests upon ball seat 10. The fracturing fluid under pressure will exert a downward force on the ball and cause valve sleeve 7 to move axially after shearing the pins 11. As shown in
Details of a diverter valve 35 will now be discussed with reference to
A collet 43 is located within the valve housing 40 and is axially movable within the housing. At its lower end the collet is provided with a plurality of collet fingers 44. A hydraulic logic piston 46 is attached to an intermediate portion of collet 43 by a plurality of shear pins 49. An annular chamber 45 is formed between the logic piston 46 and an interior wall portion of the valve housing 40. A passageway 92 communicates with jumper conduit 16 and chamber 45. The upper surface area 93 of hydraulic logic piston 46 is greater than that of its lower portion 94 so that fluid pressure within the diverter valve urges the logic piston 46 and consequently the collet in a downward direction as viewed in
The upper portion of a diverter valve 35 is shown in
As mentioned above, when the lower initiation tool is in the open position shown in
When the fracturing process is completed in the first fracturing zone, another ball 30 is introduced into the tubing. The ball is captured by the flexible fingers 44 of the collet which is in the set position as shown in
When the fracturing process is completed, flow of the fracturing fluid is stopped and the pressure acting on the balls is eliminated. At this point all of the balls can be flowed back out of the well. All of the collets are returned to their original position by springs 48 and full flow through the tubular can now occur. The diverter valves are now in the reset made as shown in
The operation of the fracturing system is as follows. The lower initiation tool and all of the diverter valves are positioned in the well in a closed mode. The first ball is dropped down to the lower initiation tool, and comes to rest on shoulder 10. At this point the pressure of the fracturing fluid will cause valve sleeve 7 to shift downwardly bringing valve sleeve ports 8 into alignment with outlets 9. Shear pins 11 are severed and snap ring 13 moves into snap ring groove 14. Packers 3 isolate the fracturing zone so that fracturing fluid is confined under pressure within the fracturing zone. Movement of the valve sleeve 7 also opens up vent port 81 which relieves pressure within chamber 45 in the adjacent diverter valve so that hydraulic logic piston 46 in the diverter valve can move under pressure to its lower position which in turn moves collet 43. Collet fingers 44 are thereby compressed inwardly by surface 91 to the set position shown in
When fracturing of the first zone is completed, the next ball is launched and is captured by the compressed collet fingers in the diverter valve above the first zone. The fracturing fluid pressure now causes collet 43 to move to the open position in
This process can be continued indefinitely with the same size balls. Once all fracturing operations are complete, all of the balls can be flowed back out of the well. When fracturing fluid flow and pressure are removed, the collets in all of the diverter valves are returned to their original position by springs 48. They are now reset as shown in
Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as disclosed. For example, the lower initiation tool may be replaced by a diverter valve with the collet pinned in the set position. Other modifications will be apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art.
Claims
1. A diverter valve for releasing fluid from a tubular string located within a well to a selected zone or segments of formations to be treated comprising:
- a housing having upper and lower connections and having a flow-through fluid passageway;
- a collet having a plurality of flexible fingers positioned within the flow-through fluid passageway and axially moveable therein;
- at least one outlet formed in the periphery of the housing;
- a valve sleeve positioned within the flow-through fluid passageway and axially moveable therein, said valve sleeve having at least one outlet port; and
- a connector sleeve slidably receiving an upper end of the collet and a lower end of the valve sleeve.
2. The valve of claim 1 further including:
- a chamber positioned between the housing and collet;
- a hydraulic logic piston slidably mounted on the collet in the chamber; and
- an outlet passageway between the chamber and the exterior surface of the housing.
3. The valve of claim 1 wherein the flow through fluid passageway includes a first beveled surface and a second beveled surface downstream of the first beveled surface.
4. The valve as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hydraulic logic piston is connected to the collet by shear pins.
5. The diverter valve of claim 1 further including a spring in the housing resisting axial movement of the collet and valve sleeve.
6. The diverter valve of claim 3 further including an annular chamber located between an upper portion of the valve sleeve and the valve body and an outlet vent communicating with the annular chamber.
7. The diverter valve of claim 1 further including first and second shoulders located on the valve sleeve and a plurality of ports in the circumference of the valve sleeve between the first and second shoulders.
8. The diverter valve of claim 1 further including a plurality of shear pins extending between the collet and valve sleeve, a snap ring carried by the valve sleeve and a snap ring recess in the flow through passageway of the valve body.
9. The diverter sleeve of claim 1 wherein the connector sleeve is of the lost motion type whereby one of the valve sleeve and collet can move axially with respect to each other.
10. Apparatus for fracturing a plurality of selected zones or segments of formations extending outwardly from an oil or gas well comprising:
- a tubular string;
- at least one packer mounted on the tubular string; and
- a plurality of diverter valves according to claim 1 connected in the tubular string.
11. Apparatus according to claim 10 further including a plurality of balls of similar diameter.
12. A lower initiation tool for use in apparatus for hydraulic fracturing comprising:
- a valve housing having upper and lower connection portions for connecting the tool to a tubular;
- a flow-through fluid passageway;
- a valve sleeve positioned within the flow-through passageway having at least one side outlet port and a ball valve seat;
- at least one outlet provided on the wall of the housing adapted to align with the outlet port in the valve sleeve when the valve sleeve moves a selected distance within the valve housing;
- an annular chamber formed between the valve sleeve and the valve housing; and
- a fluid passageway in the valve housing connectable to a jumper conduit at one end and extending to an interior surface of the flow through passageway.
13. A lower initiation tool according to claim 12 further including shear pins extending between the valve housing and valve sleeve,
- a snap ring carried by the valve sleeve, and
- a snap ring recess on an interior surface of the valve housing.
14. A method for treating selected zones or segments of formations extending outwardly from an oil or gas well comprising:
- positioning a tubular string within a bore of the well, said tubular string comprising tubulars, at least one packer on the tubulars, and a plurality diverter valves according to claim 1,
- initiating a flow of treating fluid within the tubular string;
- diverting the treating fluid flow at the last diverter valve to the zone or segment to be treated by dropping a ball of a selected size into the tubular string;
- causing the next upstream diverter valve to be placed in a set position; and
- dropping a second ball of the same diameter into the tubular string to terminate treating of the first zone or segment and simultaneously diverting treating fluid from the next diverter valve into the next zone or segment to be treated.
15. The method according to claim 14 further including terminating the flow of treating fluid and recovering the balls from the tubular string.
16. A method of treating selected zones or segments of formations extending outwardly from an oil or gas well comprising:
- isolating a plurality of zones or segments;
- directing treating fluid into the well;
- injecting treating fluid into a first one of the zones or segments to be treated;
- terminating the flow of treating fluid to the first one of the zones or segments and concurrently diverting the flow of treating fluid into a second zone or segment to be treated by introducing a ball of a selected size; and
- terminating the flow of treating fluid to the second zone or segment while concurrently diverting the flow of treating fluid to a third zone or segment by introducing a second ball of the same size as the first ball into the tubular string.
17. A diverter valve for releasing fluid from a tubular string located within a well to a selected zone or segments of formations to be treated comprising:
- a housing having upper and lower connections and having a flow-through fluid passageway;
- the flow-through fluid passageway having a variable size diameter portion;
- at least one outlet formed in the periphery of the housing; and
- a valve sleeve positioned within the flow-through fluid passageway and axially moveable therein in response to a change in diameter of the flow-through fluid passageway, said valve sleeve having at least one outlet port.
18. A diverter valve according to claim 17 wherein the variable size diameter portion of the flow-through fluid passageway comprises a collet having a plurality of flexible fingers at one end thereof and axially movable within the flow-through fluid passageway.
19. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 18 and further comprising a connector sleeve slidably receiving an upper end of the collet and a lower end of the valve sleeve.
20. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 18 wherein the flow-through fluid passageway includes first and second frustoconical portions, a downstream portion of the second frustoconical portion being of less diameter than a downstream portion of the first frustoconical portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 15, 2010
Publication Date: Aug 18, 2011
Applicant: TEJAS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING, LP (The Woodlands, TX)
Inventors: Jason C. Mailand (The Woodlands, TX), Demetri M. White (The Woodlands, TX)
Application Number: 12/705,915
International Classification: E21B 34/06 (20060101); E21B 34/00 (20060101); E21B 33/12 (20060101);