Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080237993 | SUBSURFACE SAFETY VALVE WITH METAL SEAL - Disclosed herein is a biased actuator. The actuator includes, a reservoir, at least one piston in operable communication with the reservoir, at least one metal seal disposed about the at least one piston and in substantial sealing communication therewith, the at least one metal seal further being in substantial sealing communication with the reservoir and a biasing system in operable communication with both the reservoir and the at least one piston. | 10-02-2008 |
20080314599 | Tubing Pressure Balanced Operating System with Low Operating Pressure - A control system for a subsurface safety valve features a control line from the surface leading to one side of an operating piston. The operating piston is exposed to tubing pressure and is in pressure balance from tubing pressure. The opposite end of the operating piston is exposed to a chamber in the housing of the subsurface safety valve and that chamber is open through a port to the surrounding annulus. The operating piston is coupled to the flow tube and a power spring so that pressure in the control line shifts the operating piston and the flow tube against the power spring to rotate the flapper open. Provisions for fail closed mode if certain seals fail are also made though a passage extending from between seals near the upper end of the operating piston to the chamber open to the annulus. | 12-25-2008 |
20090032237 | Shape Memory Alloy Closure Spring for Subsurface Safety Valves Triggered by Well Fluids - A shape memory material is used for a power spring in a subsurface safety valve. The spring is sized for the force it will deliver when it goes past its transition temperature and reverts to an original shape. The force released by having the spring pass its transition temperature holds the valve closed against hydrostatic pressure. Since the force exerted by the spring does not increase as the valve opens less force is required to hold the valve in the open position, thus lowering opening pressure. The trigger to cross the transition temperature comes from the expected temperature of well fluids at the mounting position of the subsurface safety valve. Other downhole applications are anticipated. | 02-05-2009 |
20090050327 | Switching Apparatus Between Independent Control Systems for a Subsurface Safety Valve - A system is provided for switching between redundant control systems for a subsurface safety valve (SSV) while being able to isolate the closure spring from hydrostatic pressure in the control line of the system that is not being used. There are two control lines that connect to discrete operating pistons that are both coupled to the flow tube. Each operating piston is connected to a control rod with the control rods terminating near opposed ends of a pivoting member. Pushing down on one rod pushes up on the other rod so that the other rod is held supported and the hydrostatic pressure in its associated control line doesn't affect the force needed by the closure spring to close the SSV. Releasing control line pressure puts the system in neutral to allow either of the systems to be reselected. | 02-26-2009 |
20090078423 | Distortion Compensation for Rod Piston Bore in Subsurface Safety Valves - Piston bore distortions in a sub-surface safety valve are reduced or eliminated when valve body is subjected to high working pressures. In one embodiment, a piston is disposed in a sleeve that is disposed in a piston bore. The bore can distort but the sleeve within will not distort to the point of losing sealing pressure around the piston. In another approach additional bore or bores are provided adjacent the piston bore to make the pin end of the connection for the valve housing more uniform in the region of the piston bore so that pressure loading does not result in sufficient distortion of the piston bore to lose the piston sealing relation in its bore. | 03-26-2009 |
20090107670 | Downhole Seal Bore Repair Device - A tool is preferably landed in a downhole profile commonly found adjacent to seal bores. Once landed, preferably with coiled tubing, pressure in the coiled tubing triggers a switch to power a motor to rotate a polishing cylinder that features spirally wound vanes. A reservoir of resin or other repair material is connected to an injection pump to deliver the material as the vanes are rotating. The material exits between the vanes so that the vanes can spread it and work it into surface irregularities. After the material is sufficiently spread into voids and the requisite polishing completed, the seal bore is again ready to accept a tool in a sealed relationship. | 04-30-2009 |
20090250206 | TUBING PRESSURE INSENSITIVE ACTUATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD - A tubing pressure insensitive actuator system includes a housing having a bore therein; a force transmitter sealingly moveable within the bore the force transmitter defining with the bore two fluid chambers, one at each longitudinal end of the force transmitter; and at least two seals sealingly positioned between the housing and the force transmitter, one of the seals isolating one end of the force transmitter from tubing pressure and another of the seals isolating another end of the force transmitter from tubing pressure and method. | 10-08-2009 |
20100006296 | Lock Open and Control System Access Apparatus for a Downhole Safety Valve - A combination penetration tool for access to the control system of a subsurface safety valve also has a lockout for the flapper that operates by latching into a nipple profile near its upper end as a series of collet fingers pass through a sleeve that is held in the locked position on the valve housing. One or more dogs on the collet fingers line up with the flapper already pushed open by the advancing collet fingers to push the flapper further back. A second series of dogs get past the sleeve after moving through it. With a jar up force the second series of dogs overcomes a lock on the sleeve and shifts the sleeve to overlap the open flapper and allow the lock ring that moves with the sleeve to latch into the housing. The second series of dogs is sheared off but retained by the tool for removal from the well. The penetrator portion of the tool is a known device that preferably works by jarring up. | 01-14-2010 |
20100108312 | Method of Using a Charged Chamber Pressure Transmitter for Subterranean Tools - A sensor and transmitter is employed with a pressurized chamber of a downhole tool to be able to tell at a glance when the tool is delivered for service that it is properly charged. The sensor and transmitter can be integrated within the tool so as to be protected from damage during run in. While in service the sensor and transmitter can monitor pressure in real time and include a capability to send surface signals for real time monitoring of chamber pressures corrected for the service depth, temperature and density of the hydraulic fluid, for example. The signal can be acoustic through the control line or the annulus or delivered through a fiber optic cable or signal wire run in the hydraulic control line, an auxiliary line or through the annulus. | 05-06-2010 |
20100200220 | Pressure Equalization Device for Downhole Tools - A pressure equalizing tool can be run into a downhole tool on wireline or coiled tubing preferably and temporarily secured before being actuated to separate two components in a downhole tool that are in a sealing relation but are configured to be temporarily movable so as to allow pressure equalization before the downhole component is actuated. Once pressure is equalized the equalizing tool is released, usually with an applied pick up force and the downhole tool being equalized as to differential pressure can be operated with the preexisting actuation parts that are on the downhole tool. In a preferred embodiment the downhole tool is a ball valve and the equalizing tool is temporarily secured to the ball valve housing to temporarily part the ball from the uphole seat to equalize an annular space around the ball with tubing pressure. The ball is allowed to go back to contact with the seat when the equalizing tool is released and removed from the tubing. | 08-12-2010 |