IP Library › Granted Patent US 12704050

Granted Patent B1

US 12704050 · App. 19/223,255 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Flow control assembly, method and well system employing a sliding piston assembly

Inventors: Ibrahim El Mallawany (Dhahran, SA); Luis Herrera-Cruz (Dhahran, SA); Abdullah Adam Abdulhalim (Dhahran, SA)

Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

E21B43/12 E21B34/06

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12704050
App. No.: 19/223,255
Filed: May 30, 2025
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B1
Examiner: BOMAR, THOMAS S
Art Unit: 3674
USPC: 166/316

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Abstract

Provided is a flow control assembly, a method and a well system. The flow control assembly, in one aspect, includes a sliding piston assembly located in a piston chamber, the sliding piston assembly movable between a run-in-hole state and an activated state. In at least one aspect, the sliding piston assembly is configured to: 1) keep a flow control housing plug member within a flow control housing flow nozzle chamber and prevent fluid flow from an annulus of a wellbore to an inside diameter (ID) of a downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in a run-in-hole state; and 2) allow the flow control housing plug member to traverse into the piston chamber and allow fluid flow from the annulus of the wellbore to the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in the activated state.

Claims (75)

1 . A flow control assembly, comprising:

an outer housing disposed about a downhole tubular, the outer housing including a flow control housing, the flow control housing including a flow control housing flow nozzle chamber, the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber configured to provide a fluid path between an inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and an annulus of a wellbore;

a flow control housing flow control device positioned within the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber, the flow control housing flow control device configured to control a fluid flow rate through the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber;

a flow control housing plug member positioned within the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber, the flow control housing plug member moveable to plug the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber in response to fluid flow from the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular towards the annulus of the wellbore;

a piston chamber defined between the outer housing and the downhole tubular, the piston chamber in fluid communication with the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber and the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular; and

a sliding piston assembly located in the piston chamber, the sliding piston assembly movable between a run-in-hole state and an activated state, the sliding piston assembly configured to:

keep the flow control housing plug member within the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber and prevent fluid flow from the annulus of the wellbore to the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in the run-in-hole state; and

2 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , further including one or more sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper seals, the one or more sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper seals configured to form a seal between the sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper and the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber to prevent fluid flow from the annulus of the wellbore to the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in the run-in-hole state.

3 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper includes an internal flow channel fluidly coupling the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber and the piston chamber and a sliding piston assembly plug member seat, the flow control housing plug member configured to engage with the sliding piston assembly plug member seat to prevent fluid flow from the annulus of the wellbore to the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in the run-in-hole state.

4 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , further including a sliding piston assembly bar located radially inside and coupled to the sliding piston assembly sleeve, the sliding piston assembly bar coupling the sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper to the sliding assembly piston sleeve.

5 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the downhole tubular includes a downhole tubular opening coupling the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and an outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular.

6 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 5 , further including a downhole tubular inner sleeve located radially inside of the downhole tubular, the downhole tubular inner sleeve configured to slide between an open state exposing the downhole tubular opening to allow fluid flow between the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and the outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular, and a closed state covering the downhole tubular opening to prevent fluid flow between the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and the outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular.

7 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , further including a screen assembly positioned in a fluid flow path between the annulus of the wellbore and the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber, the screen assembly configured to filter debris out of fluids flowing from the annulus of the wellbore toward the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular.

8 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the outer housing further includes a flow ring housing, an adjustment ring housing, and a sleeve housing.

9 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , further including a flow control device retainer, the flow control device retainer configured to disengage from the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber to allow a removal and replacement of the flow control housing flow control device.

10 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , further including a sliding piston assembly shear feature, the sliding piston assembly shear feature configured to shearingly hold the sliding piston assembly in the run-in-hole state.

11 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 10 , wherein the sliding piston assembly shear feature is configured to shear in response to a predetermined threshold pressure in the downhole tubular, the predetermined threshold pressure configured to move the sliding piston assembly from the run-in-hole state to the activated state.

12 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 11 , further including one or more sliding piston assembly seal features positioned radially between the outer housing and the sliding piston assembly, the one or more sliding piston assembly seal features configured to provide a seal area for the predetermined threshold pressure from the downhole tubular to engage to move the sliding piston assembly from the run-in-hole state to the activated state.

13 . The flow control assembly as recited in claim 1 , further including a sliding piston assembly lock feature, the sliding piston assembly lock feature configured to allow the sliding piston assembly to move toward and then lock within the activated state.

14 . A method, comprising:

positioning a flow control assembly within a wellbore, the flow control assembly including:

a sliding piston assembly located in the piston chamber, the sliding piston assembly movable between a run-in-hole state and an activated state, the sliding piston assembly configured to:

applying a predetermined threshold pressure from the downhole tubular to the sliding piston assembly to move the sliding piston assembly from the run-in-hole state to the activated state.

15 . The method as recited in claim 14 , further including one or more sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper seals, the one or more sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper seals configured to form a seal between the sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper and the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber to prevent fluid flow from the annulus of the wellbore to the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in the run-in-hole state.

16 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper includes an internal flow channel fluidly coupling the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber and the piston chamber and a sliding piston assembly plug member seat, the flow control housing plug member configured to engage with the sliding piston assembly plug member seat to prevent fluid flow from the annulus of the wellbore to the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in the run-in-hole state.

17 . The method as recited in claim 14 , further including a sliding piston assembly bar located radially inside and coupled to the sliding piston assembly sleeve, the sliding piston assembly bar coupling the sliding piston assembly flow nozzle chamber stopper to the sliding assembly piston sleeve.

18 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the downhole tubular includes a downhole tubular opening coupling the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and an outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular.

19 . The method as recited in claim 18 , further including a downhole tubular inner sleeve located radially inside of the downhole tubular, the downhole tubular inner sleeve configured to slide between an open state exposing the downhole tubular opening to allow fluid flow between the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and the outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular, and a closed state covering the downhole tubular opening to prevent fluid flow between the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and the outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular.

20 . The method as recited in claim 14 , further including a screen assembly positioned in a fluid flow path between the annulus of the wellbore and the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber, the screen assembly configured to filter debris out of fluids flowing from the annulus of the wellbore toward the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular.

21 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the outer housing further includes a flow ring housing, an adjustment ring housing, and a sleeve housing.

22 . The method as recited in claim 14 , further including a flow control device retainer, the flow control device retainer configured to disengage from the flow control housing flow nozzle chamber to allow a removal and replacement of the flow control housing flow control device.

23 . The method as recited in claim 14 , further including a sliding piston assembly shear feature, the sliding piston assembly shear feature configured to shearingly hold the sliding piston assembly in the run-in-hole state.

24 . The method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the sliding piston assembly shear feature is configured to shear in response to a predetermined threshold pressure in the downhole tubular, the predetermined threshold pressure configured to move the sliding piston assembly from the run-in-hole state to the activated state.

25 . The method as recited in claim 24 , further including one or more sliding piston assembly seal features positioned radially between the outer housing and the sliding piston assembly, the one or more sliding piston assembly seal features configured to provide a seal area for the predetermined threshold pressure from the downhole tubular to engage to move the sliding piston assembly from the run-in-hole state to the activated state.

26 . The method as recited in claim 14 , further including a sliding piston assembly lock feature, the sliding piston assembly lock feature configured to allow the sliding piston assembly to move toward and then lock within the activated state.

27 . A well system, comprising:

a wellbore extending through one or more subterranean formations; and

a flow control assembly located in the wellbore, the flow control assembly including:

a sliding piston assembly located in the piston chamber, the sliding piston assembly movable between a run-in-hole state and an activated state, the sliding piston assembly configured to:

28 . The well system as recited in claim 27 , further including a wellbore tubular located in the wellbore, the flow control assembly coupled with the wellbore tubular.

29 . A flow control assembly, comprising:

a sliding piston assembly located in the piston chamber, the sliding piston assembly movable between a run-in-hole state and an activated state, the sliding piston assembly configured to:

allow the flow control housing plug member to traverse into the piston chamber and allow fluid flow from the annulus of the wellbore to the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular when the sliding piston assembly is in the activated state, wherein the downhole tubular includes a downhole tubular opening coupling the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and an outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular, and further including a downhole tubular inner sleeve located radially inside of the downhole tubular, the downhole tubular inner sleeve configured to slide between an open state exposing the downhole tubular opening to allow fluid flow between the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and the outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular, and a closed state covering the downhole tubular opening to prevent fluid flow between the inside diameter (ID) of the downhole tubular and the outside diameter (OD) of the downhole tubular.

30 . A flow control assembly, comprising:

a sliding piston assembly located in the piston chamber, the sliding piston assembly movable between a run-in-hole state and an activated state, the sliding piston assembly configured to: