CN1402810A - Production valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A wellbore system formed in an earth formation including at least one hydrocarbon fluid reservoir, the wellbore system comprising a main wellbore and a plurality of branch wellbores, each branch wellbore extending from the main wellbore into the earth formation and providing fluid communication between said at least one hydrocarbon fluid reservoir and the main wellbore, each branch wellbore being provided with a production valve comprising anchoring means for fixedly anchoring the production valve in the branch wellbore and control means for controlling the flow rate of a stream of hydrocarbon fluid flowing from said at least one reservoir via the branch wellbore into the main wellbore.

Description

Production valve

technical field

The present invention relates to a wellbore system comprising a main wellbore and a plurality of lateral wellbores drilled in the earth's crust. Such a wellbore system is generally called a branched wellbore system, or a multi-lateral wellbore system. It should be noted that in the context of the present invention, the section of the wellbore extending from the surface to the underground first wellbore junction is called the main wellbore, while the other wellbore sections are called branch wellbores. For example, if the wellbore system consists of a vertical wellbore extending into an oil and gas reservoir and a branch wellbore extending from a connection point on the main wellbore into another reservoir, below the connection point The vertical wellbore section of the vertical wellbore is also considered as a branch wellbore, and the vertical wellbore section above the connection point is considered as the main wellbore.

Background technique

In a common multi-lateral wellbore system, attempts have been made to control the production volume of the well flow through a production valve arranged at the top wellhead of the main wellbore. However, a problem associated with the use of production valves arranged at the wellhead is that selective production of different reservoirs cannot be realized. And if the fluid pressure in one of the reservoirs is higher than the pressure in the other reservoirs, then there will be such a problem: the hydrocarbon fluid in the high-pressure reservoir will flow into the low-pressure reservoir, and the Not flow to the wellhead.

Contents of the invention

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to devise an improved wellbore system which overcomes the problems arising from the prior art.

In accordance with the present invention, a wellbore system is presented herein for drilling in a crustal formation comprising at least one reservoir of hydrocarbon-containing fluids, the wellbore system comprising a main wellbore and a plurality of branch wellbores, each branch The wellbores extend from the main wellbore into the crustal rock formation, and form a fluid communication relationship between the at least one reservoir and the main wellbore, and a production valve is set in each section of the branch wellbore, and the production valve includes An anchoring device and a control device, the anchoring device is used to fixedly anchor the production valve in the branch wellbore, and the control device is used to control the hydrocarbons flowing from the at least one reservoir through the branch wellbore into the main wellbore The flow of the stream is controlled.

By setting the production valve in the branch wellbore, the flow rate of the hydrocarbon fluid produced from different branch wellbores can be controlled separately. Additionally, the pressure drop across each production valve can be controlled in such a way that in the corresponding lateral wellbore, the fluid well flow pressure downstream of the production valve prevents fluid from flowing from one reservoir to another. set layer.

Description of drawings

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 schematically illustrates one embodiment of a production valve used in a wellbore system according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 schematically shows the details of the first part of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a second part of the details of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

Fig. 4 schematically shows the details of the third part of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 5 schematically shows the details of an alternative form of generator used in a modified implementation of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic sectional view along line 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Detailed ways

Figure 1 shows a production valve 1, which is fixedly arranged in a casing 2 of a wellbore (not shown in the figure) through a locking mandrel 4, wherein the mandrel 4 seals the production valve 1 in the casing 2, and is adapted to transmit acoustic signals from casing 2 to production valve 1. The wellbore is one of a plurality of branch wellbores of a lateral wellbore system for producing natural gas. The branch wellbore system is composed of a main wellbore and a plurality of branch wellbores, and each branch wellbore extends from the main wellbore into the natural gas reservoir, and different natural gas reservoirs have different fluid pressures. A main casing is set in the main wellbore, and a branch casing similar to the casing 2 in the figure is set in each branch wellbore, and each branch casing is sealed with the main casing in a metal connection.

The production valve 1 includes a tubular casing 6, in which a controllable valve A, a valve driving module B, and a generator C are arranged.

Figure 2 shows in detail said controllable valve A, which is symmetrical with respect to the axis 8, wherein, in the upper part of the axis of symmetry 8, the controllable valve A is shown in its open mode, while in the symmetrical The part on the lower side of the shaft 8, the controllable valve is shown in its closed mode. The controllable valve A comprises a flow channel 10 and a valve closing element 12, wherein the valve closing element 12 can move in the axial direction relative to the flow channel 10 between an open position and a closed position, in the open position, The valve closing element 12 opens the flow channel, and in the closed position, the valve closing element 12 closes the flow channel 10 . For this purpose, the closing element 12 is provided with a frustum portion 14 which is in sealing contact with a correspondingly shaped seating surface 16 surrounding the flow channel 10 when the closing element is in the closed position. The flow channel 10 communicates with two inlet holes 18 and an outlet 19, the two inlet holes 18 are designed so that when the closing valve element 12 moves from its open position to the closed position, the two inlet holes are gradually closed. of. A slotted tube 20 is connected at one end to the end of the closing element 12 opposite the frustum portion 14, and said slotted tube is provided with an annular shoulder 22 at its other end. A retaining ring 24 is arranged internally in the housing, which is designed such that the annular shoulder 22 of the tube 20 is in contact with the retaining ring 24 when the distance between the conical portion 14 of the valve closing element 12 and the valve seat surface 16 is very small. touch. Thus, when the valve closing member 12 abuts against the valve seat surface 16, the tube 20 exerts a pulling force on the valve closing member 12, thus acting as a spring member. An annular restrictor 26 is arranged in the flow channel 10 so that fluid entering the housing 6 via the inlet opening 18 flows through the annular restrictor 26 to the outlet opening 19 . A locking ring 28 threadedly connected to the housing locks and fixes the restrictor 26 .

Referring further to Fig. 3, described drive module B is shown in detail among the figure, and it comprises an electric stepper motor 30, and it has a drive shaft 32, has a first gear 34 on this drive shaft, the first gear A second gear 36 is driven. In the axial direction, a tubular mandrel 38 passes through the second gear 36, and the mandrel 38 and the second gear 36 are threaded with each other (not shown), so that when the second gear 36 rotates , the mandrel 38 moves in the axial direction. A guide pin 40 is fixedly installed in the housing by a fixed disk 42 in such a manner that the guide pin penetrates into the tubular mandrel 38 in the axial direction, so that when the mandrel 38 moves axially, It can be guided. The end of the mandrel 38 remote from the fixed disc 42 is connected to the valve closing element 12 by suitable connecting means (not shown in the figure). The drive module B also includes a set of control system 44, which is provided with a battery (not shown) for driving the motor and a microprocessor (not shown) with an acoustic sensor. The microprocessor is pre-programmed to control the operation of the stepper motor based on the acoustically encoded signal received by the acoustic sensor. The various components of the drive assembly B are locked in the casing 6 by four locking rings 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d.

Referring further to FIG. 4 , the generator C comprises a turbine having a housing element 48 fixedly connected to the tubular housing 6 by connecting threads 50 through which a shaft 52 passes concentrically. , the shaft is rotatably installed in a ceramic bearing 53, and an impeller 54 is arranged on the end of the shaft 52 opposite to the drive module B. The other end of the shaft 52 is provided with a thrust bearing 56 for preventing the shaft 52 from axially moving relative to the tubular casing. A plurality of magnets 58 are fixedly mounted on the shaft 52 at constant angular intervals in the circumferential direction. Fixedly mounted within the housing member 48 is a glass-sealed coil 60 surrounding each magnet 58, the coil being connected to the control system circuitry so that as the shaft 52 rotates, the coil 60 charges the battery.

An alternative form of generator 60 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , which may be installed in place of generator C in the production valve shown in FIG. 1 . The alternative generator 60 forms a jet generator comprising a generator body 62 comprising an outer body part 62a and an inner body part 62b fixedly mounted within the outer body part 62a. The outer body part 62a is provided with connecting threads 64 for screwing the generator 60 into the casing 6, and is provided with a fluid cavity 66 having a fluid inlet 68 and two bifurcated fluid outlets 70, 72. In the fluid chamber 66 is arranged a magnetic oscillator 74 on which are arranged two supports 76 of triangular cross-section, each of which has an edge in such a way as to rest against a groove (not shown in the figure): the oscillator 74 can produce angular oscillation relative to the edge, wherein the groove is made in the inner body part 62b. Thus, the oscillator divides fluid chamber 66 into two flow paths 66a, 66b along opposite sides thereof. A feedback channel 79 provides fluid communication between the channels 66a, 66b. Two electrical coils 80, 82 are provided in the outer body part 62a, which surround the magnetic oscillator 74, and circuit connections (not shown) are provided on the outer body part for connecting the coils in this way. 80, 82 are connected to the control system: when the oscillator 74 oscillates in the fluid chamber, the coils 80, 82 charge the battery.

A production valve is set on each branch wellbore, and all production valves are similar to production valve 1 except that the inner diameters of annular restrictors in different production valves are different. The selection of the different inner diameters will be discussed below for the normal working condition of the recovery valve 1 .

During the normal working process of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, natural gas is produced simultaneously from different reservoirs, whereby the natural gas well flow in each reservoir flows into the main wellbore through its respective branch wellbore, And flow from the main wellbore to the production equipment on the ground (shown in the figure). Thus, the different well flows are combined in the main wellbore to form the main well flow for the natural gas being produced. The inner diameters of the chokes 26 in the different production valves 1 are chosen such that the gas pressures of the different well flows downstream of the respective chokes 26 are substantially equal when the respective controllable valve A is in the open mode. This prevents natural gas flowing from one higher-pressure reservoir from flowing into another lower-pressure reservoir.

If it is desired to extract natural gas from the wellbore system with maximum flow rate, the controllable valve A in each extraction valve 1 is kept in the open mode. In this mode, the produced gas flows into the channel 10 at the maximum flow rate through the inlet hole 18 , and as the gas flows through the impeller 54 , the impeller rotates, causing the shaft 52 and the magnet 58 to rotate as well. This produces a current in the coil 60 which flows through the control system to the battery, thereby charging it. Since there is no critical flow situation at the position where the valve closing element 12 is located, but the gas flow reaches a critical state in the restrictor 26, the closure will not be aggravated because the gas flow flows through the valve closing element 12 at a critical flow rate. Corrosion of the valve element 12.

If it is desired to reduce the production of natural gas from one or more lateral wellbores, an acoustically encoded signal is generated in the main casing which represents a command to move the closing element 12 a selected distance in the flow channel 10 . The acoustic signal can be generated, for example, by causing a metal object to hit the main casing to generate a sound sequence. The acoustic signal propagates through the main casing, the branch casing 2 and the locking mandrel 4 to the acoustic sensor, which causes the microprocessor to control the stepper motor 30, thereby causing the drive shaft 32 to rotate a selected number of turns, which The number of turns corresponds to the required movement of the valve closing element 12 . The result is that the second gear rotates, thereby moving the spindle 38 and the closing element 12 in the flow channel 10 by the selected distance. This partially closes the flow opening 18 so that gas can only flow through the inlet opening 18 to the outlet 19 with a reduced flow rate.

If the production of natural gas from a branch wellbore is to be stopped, at this time, except that the instruction represented by the acoustic coded signal is to move and press the valve closing element 12 tightly onto the valve seat surface 16 of the casing 6, the process performed is the same as that of the above reduction. The process is the same for mining quantities. The result is that the valve closing element 12 is moved into a position pressed against the valve seat surface 16, so that the controllable valve A is in the closed mode. In this state, the annular shoulder 22 of the slotted tube 20 is in contact with the retaining ring 24 and the tube 20 exerts a pulling force on the closing member 12 which has the effect of biasing the closing member 12 away from the valve seat. Orientation of face 16.

If it is desired to return the closure assembly to the open mode, an acoustically coded signal is generated in the main sleeve which represents the command to move the closure element 12 to its open position. The initial phase of movement of the closing element 12 from its closed position to its open position is facilitated by the action of the pulling force of the slotted tube 20 .

For the modified embodiment of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, except that the electric current is produced by the alternator 60 instead of the generator C, its normal operation process is the same as that of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 Normal working process is similar. That is to say, the gas entering the fluid cavity 66 through the fluid inlet 68 flows through the flow channels 66a, 66b along the oscillator 74, and further flows through the fluid outlets 70, 72, and the feedback conduit 79 can pass through the flow channels 66a, 66b A Coanda effect (Coanda) is produced in 66b, so that the airflow enters the outlets 70, 72 alternately. Thus, the magnetic oscillator 74 oscillates angularly about the supporting edge of the support 76 . This produces current in the coils 80, 82 which flows through the control system to the battery to charge the battery.

Claims (13)

1. wellbore system that in earth's crust rock stratum, gets out, described rock stratum comprises at least one hydrocarbon fluid reservoir, described wellbore system comprises a main hole and a plurality of branch wellbore, each branch wellbore all extends to the described earth's crust rock stratum from main hole, and between described at least one reservoir and main hole, form fluid connecting relation, all be provided with a production valve in each branch wellbore, described production valve comprises anchor device and control device, anchor device is used for production valve is anchored on branch wellbore regularly, and control device is used for flowing out from described at least one reservoir, the flow that flow into the hydrocarbon well stream of main hole through this branch wellbore is controlled.

2. wellbore system according to claim 1, it is characterized in that, described production valve comprises a controlled valve and a critical flow jet pipe, and described controlled valve is used to regulate the flow of hydrocarbon well stream, and described critical flow jet pipe can be arranged so that well stream is from wherein flowing through.

3. wellbore system according to claim 2 is characterized in that described critical flow jet pipe is arranged on the downstream position of controllable valve.

4. according to claim 2 or 3 described wellbore systems, it is characterized in that described controlled valve comprises: a runner, it is used for making well stream to flow through from this runner; With a closure member, it can move on a selected direction with respect to runner, thereby covers described runner at least in part.

5. wellbore system according to claim 4, it is characterized in that, on described preferential direction, closure member can move between an enable possition and a fastening position, on the enable possition, closure member makes runner be in the state of opening basically, and on fastening position, closure member seals described runner.

6. according to claim 4 or 5 described wellbore systems, it is characterized in that described wellbore system also comprises: a driver module, it is used to control closure member motion in the selected direction.

7. wellbore system according to claim 6 is characterized in that, described driver module comprises a motor, and it is used to rotate a single mandrel, and described axle is designed to, and when axle is rotated, impels described closure member to move in the selected direction.

8. wellbore system according to claim 7, it is characterized in that described driver module also comprises a battery and a generator, described battery is used for powering to motor, and described generator is designed to and can be promoted by the hydrocarbon well stream, thereby described battery is charged.

9. wellbore system according to claim 8 is characterized in that, described generator can be selected from turbine and fluidic generator.

10. according to the described wellbore system of one of claim 6 to 9, it is characterized in that, described driver module comprises an acoustic sensor and a microprocessor, and described microprocessor is programmed to come the motion of described closure member is controlled according to the received encoded acoustic signal of sonic transducer.

11. wellbore system according to claim 10 is characterized in that, described anchor device comprises a lock mandrel, is used for production valve is locked at the sleeve pipe of branch wellbore, and described lock mandrel is suitable for described encoded acoustic signal is delivered to production valve from sleeve pipe.

12. according to each described wellbore system in the claim 1 to 11, it is characterized in that, described earth's crust rock stratum comprises described a plurality of hydrocarbon fluid reservoir with mutually different fluid pressure, and each branch wellbore all makes a corresponding hydrocarbon fluid reservoir be connected with main hole.

13. wellbore system, it is basically as preamble describes with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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