IP Library › Granted Patent US 12698693
Granted Patent B2
US 12698693 · App. 19/010,421 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Biasing piston based equiflow ROV for preventing well kick off issue

Inventors: Mohan Gunasekaran (Dhahran, SA); Ibrahim El Mallawany (Dharan, SA); Eddie Perez (Carrollton, TX); Luis Herrera-Cruz (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
E21B34/103E21B23/03E21B2200/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12698693
App. No.
19/010,421
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Implementations of a system, an apparatus, and a method are disclosed herein. In one implementation, a system configured for use in a wellbore drilled through one or more subsurface formations comprises a tubing string including one or more tubulars, a sliding side door (SSD) sleeve configured to move between an open position and a closed position, at least one snap ring, and a pressure-biased tubular, wherein the pressure-biased tubular and the SSD sleeve are coupled via the at least one snap ring.

Claims (40)

1 . A system configured for use in a wellbore drilled through one or more subsurface formations, the system comprising:

a tubing string comprising one or more tubulars, wherein an annulus exists between the tubing string and the wellbore;

a sliding sleeve configured to move between an open position and a closed position;

a biasing piston configured to move between an open position and a run-in position; and

a snap ring configured to selectively couple the sliding sleeve and the biasing piston, wherein the snap ring is configured to couple the biasing piston in the run-in position to the sliding sleeve, and wherein the biasing piston and the sliding sleeve are configured to decouple from the snap ring when the biasing piston is in the open position.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more shear screws, wherein the one or more shear screws are configured to hold the biasing piston a in the run-in position during conveyance to a first depth in the wellbore, and wherein the one or more shear screws are configured to shear when a tubing pressure threshold is reached.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the biasing piston and the sliding sleeve are configured to be coupled via the snap ring during conveyance to a first depth in the wellbore, wherein the sliding sleeve is configured to remain in the closed position during the conveyance to the first depth, and wherein the sliding sleeve in the closed position is configured to prevent a first fluid in the annulus from entering an interior of the tubing string.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the biasing piston includes a larger cross-sectional area than a second portion of the biasing piston, and wherein the biasing piston is configured to move via a pressure differential between the annulus and an interior of the tubing string.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a shoulder configured to limit an axial travel of the biasing piston from the run-in position to the open position, wherein the biasing piston is configured to move when an application of tubing pressure exceeds an annular pressure of the annulus, and wherein the snap ring and the sliding sleeve are configured to move with the biasing piston from the run-in position to the open position.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a female profile configured to receive the snap ring, wherein the biasing piston and the sliding sleeve are configured to move a first axial distance, wherein the snap ring is configured to snap into the female profile after the biasing piston has moved the first axial distance, and wherein the sliding sleeve and the biasing piston are configured to separate when the snap ring has snapped into the female profile.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the snap ring is configured to limit an uphole travel of the biasing piston after the snap ring has snapped into the female profile.

8 . An apparatus configured for use in a wellbore formed in one or more subsurface formations, the apparatus comprising:

a sliding sleeve configured to move between an open position and a closed position;

a biasing piston configured to move between an open position and a run-in position; and

a snap ring configured to selectively couple the sliding sleeve and the biasing piston, wherein the snap ring is configured to couple the biasing piston in the run-in position to the sliding sleeve, and wherein the biasing piston and the sliding sleeve are configured to decouple from the snap ring when the biasing piston is in the open position.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

one or more shear screws, wherein the one or more shear screws are configured to hold the biasing piston in the run-in position during conveyance to a first depth in the wellbore, and wherein the one or more shear screws are configured to shear when a tubing pressure threshold is reached.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the biasing piston and the sliding sleeve are configured to be coupled via the snap ring during conveyance to a first depth in the wellbore, wherein the sliding sleeve is configured to remain in the closed position during the conveyance to the first depth, and wherein the sliding sleeve in the closed position is configured to prevent a first fluid in an annulus external to a tubing string from entering an interior of the tubing string, wherein the tubing string includes one or more tubulars.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a first portion of the biasing piston includes a larger cross-sectional area than a second portion of the biasing piston, and wherein the biasing piston is configured to move via a pressure differential between the annulus and the interior of the tubing string.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

a shoulder configured to limit an axial travel of the biasing piston from the run-in position to the open position, wherein the pressure biasing piston is configured to move when an application of tubing pressure exceeds an annular pressure of the annulus, and wherein the snap ring and sliding sleeve are configured to move with the biasing piston from the run-in position to the open position.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

a female profile configured to receive the snap ring, wherein the biasing piston and the sliding sleeve are configured to move a first axial distance, wherein the snap ring is configured to snap into the female profile after the biasing piston has moved the first axial distance, and wherein the sliding sleeve and the biasing piston are configured to separate when the snap ring has snapped into the female profile.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the snap ring is configured to limit an uphole travel of the biasing piston after the snap ring has snapped into the female profile.

15 . A method comprising:

conveying a remotely operated valve (ROV) assembly into a wellbore formed in one or more subsurface formations, wherein the ROV assembly includes a sliding sleeve and a biasing piston selectively coupled via a snap ring, and wherein the sliding sleeve is in a closed position when the ROV assembly is conveyed into the wellbore;

applying a tubing pressure to the biasing piston to move the ROV assembly, wherein the sliding sleeve is moved to an open position after the biasing piston has moved a first axial distance; and

decoupling, via the snap ring, the biasing piston from the sliding sleeve after the biasing piston has moved the first axial distance.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ROV assembly is coupled to a tubing string including one or more tubulars, wherein the sliding sleeve in the closed position forms an annulus-to-tubing seal between the tubing string and an annulus formed between the tubing string and the wellbore, and wherein the annulus-to-tubing seal prevents a fluid in the annulus from entering the tubing string.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a first portion of the biasing piston includes a larger cross-sectional area than a second portion of the biasing piston, and wherein the larger cross-sectional area biases the biasing piston to move via a pressure differential between the annulus and an interior of the tubing string.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ROV assembly includes one or more shear screws, wherein the biasing piston is configured to move between a closed position and a run-in position, and wherein the one or more shear screws are configured to hold the pressure biasing piston in the run-in position when the ROV assembly is conveyed into the wellbore.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

applying a tubing pressure such that the applied tubing pressure exceeds a tubing pressure threshold;

shearing the one or more shear screws when the applied tubing pressure has exceeded the tubing pressure threshold; and

moving, via the applied tubing pressure, the biasing piston and the sliding sleeve the first axial distance.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein decoupling the biasing piston from the sliding sleeve comprises:

snapping the snap ring into a female profile of the ROV assembly, wherein the snapped snap ring separates the sliding sleeve from the biasing piston, and wherein a movement of the biasing piston is halted, at least in part, by a shoulder and the snapped snap ring.