Granted Patent B2

US 12,378,843 · App. 18/409,057 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventors: Ronnie B. Beason (Lexington, OK); Nicholas J. Cannon (Washington, OK)

Assignee: Downing Wellhead Equipment, LLC

E21B34/02E21B33/068E21B41/00E21B43/11E21B43/26E21B43/2607

Abstract

Claims (110)

1. A method, comprising:

permitting passage of a tethered object through a valve apparatus and into a wellhead, said valve apparatus being operably coupled:

to the wellhead, opposite a wellbore; and

between the wellhead and a latch, said latch detachably securing a lubricator to the valve apparatus, opposite the wellhead;

wherein the wellhead comprises one or more wellhead valves and a frac tree operably coupled to the one or more wellhead valves, opposite the wellbore;

wherein permitting the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises:

while a first valve of the valve apparatus is closed to at least partially fluidically isolate an operating volume of the valve apparatus from the wellhead:

permitting fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while permitting the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, permitting pressurization of the operating volume via a conduit, said conduit being operably coupled:

to the valve apparatus operably coupled between the first valve and the latch; and

from a pressure source other than the lubricator detachably secured by the latch;

and

after permitting the pressurization of the operating volume via the conduit:

continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, opening the first valve to permit the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead that comprises the frac tree and the one or more wellhead valves;

wherein the operating volume of the valve apparatus is defined between:

the first valve of the valve apparatus; and

a second valve of the valve apparatus;

and

wherein pressurization of the operating volume and the lubricator is permitted, and continues to be permitted, from the pressure source as a result of the second valve of the valve apparatus being or remaining opened.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein permitting the pressurization of the operating volume via the conduit comprises opening a another valve operably coupled to the conduit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein permitting the pressurization of the operating volume via the conduit comprises permitting pressurization from the wellhead to the operating volume via the conduit.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

pressurizing the operating volume via the conduit.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein pressurizing the operating volume via the conduit comprises opening another valve operably coupled to the conduit.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

passing the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein passing the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises the opening of the first valve.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

closing the first valve before permitting the pressurization of the operating volume via the conduit.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a frac line is operably coupled to the frac tree.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

opening one or more zipper valves to permit communication of hydraulic fracturing fluid to the frac tree via the frac line.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tethered object permitted passage through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises a tethered tool deployable from the lubricator detachably secured by the latch.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tethered tool is a wireline tool.

13. A method, comprising:

permitting passage of a tethered object through a valve apparatus and into a wellhead, said valve apparatus being operably coupled:

to the wellhead, opposite a wellbore; and

between the wellhead and a latch, said latch detachably securing a lubricator to the valve apparatus, opposite the wellhead;

wherein the wellhead comprises one or more wellhead valves and a frac tree operably coupled to the one or more wellhead valves, opposite the wellbore;

wherein permitting the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises:

while a first valve of the valve apparatus is closed to at least partially fluidically isolate an operating volume of the valve apparatus from the wellhead:

permitting fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while permitting the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, opening another valve operably coupled to a conduit, said conduit being operably coupled:

to the valve apparatus operably coupled between the first valve and the latch; and

from a pressure source other than the lubricator detachably secured by the latch;

and

after opening the another valve operably coupled to the conduit:

continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, opening the first valve to permit the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead that comprises the frac tree and the one or more wellhead valves;

wherein the operating volume of the valve apparatus is defined between:

the first valve of the valve apparatus; and

a second valve of the valve apparatus;

and

wherein pressurization of the operating volume and the lubricator is permitted, and continues to be permitted, from the pressure source as a result of the second valve of the valve apparatus being or remaining opened.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein opening the another valve operably coupled to the conduit permits pressurization of the operating volume via the conduit.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein opening the another valve operably coupled to the conduit permits pressurization from the wellhead to the operating volume via the conduit.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

pressurizing the operating volume via the conduit.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein pressurizing the operating volume via the conduit comprises the opening of the another valve operably coupled to the conduit.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

passing the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein passing the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises the opening of the first valve.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

closing the first valve before opening the another valve operably coupled to the conduit.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein a frac line is operably coupled to the frac tree.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

opening one or more zipper valves to permit communication of hydraulic fracturing fluid to the frac tree via the frac line.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tethered object permitted passage through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises a tethered tool deployable from the lubricator detachably secured by the latch.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the tethered tool is a wireline tool.

25. A method, comprising:

permitting passage of a tethered object through a valve apparatus and into a wellhead, said valve apparatus being operably coupled:

to the wellhead, opposite a wellbore; and

between the wellhead and a latch, said latch detachably securing a lubricator to the valve apparatus, opposite the wellhead;

wherein the wellhead comprises one or more wellhead valves and a frac tree operably coupled to the one or more wellhead valves, opposite the wellbore; and

wherein permitting the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises:

while a first valve of the valve apparatus is closed to at least partially fluidically isolate an operating volume of the valve apparatus from the wellhead:

permitting fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while permitting the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, opening a second valve operably coupled to a conduit, said conduit being operably coupled:

to the valve apparatus between the first valve and the latch; and

from a pressure source other than the lubricator detachably secured by the latch;

and

after opening the second valve operably coupled to the conduit:

continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, opening the first valve to permit the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead that comprises the frac tree and the one or more wellhead valves;

wherein the operating volume of the valve apparatus is defined between:

the first valve of the valve apparatus; and

another valve of the valve apparatus;

and

wherein permitting the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus comprises opening, or maintaining open, the another valve of the valve apparatus.

26. A method, comprising:

permitting passage of a tethered object through a valve apparatus and into a wellhead, said valve apparatus being operably coupled:

to the wellhead, opposite a wellbore; and

between the wellhead and a latch, said latch detachably securing a lubricator to the valve apparatus, opposite the wellhead;

wherein the wellhead comprises one or more wellhead valves and a frac tree operably coupled to the one or more wellhead valves, opposite the wellbore; and

wherein permitting the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead comprises:

while a first valve of the valve apparatus is closed to at least partially fluidically isolate an operating volume of the valve apparatus from the wellhead:

permitting fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while permitting the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, permitting pressurization of the operating volume via a conduit, said conduit being operably coupled:

to the valve apparatus between the first valve and the latch; and

from a pressure source other than the lubricator detachably secured by the latch;

and

after permitting the pressurization of the operating volume via the conduit:

continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus; and

while continuing to permit the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus, opening the first valve to permit the passage of the tethered object through the valve apparatus and into the wellhead that comprises the frac tree and the one or more wellhead valves;

wherein the operating volume of the valve apparatus is defined between:

the first valve of the valve apparatus; and

another valve of the valve apparatus;

and

wherein permitting the fluid communication between the lubricator and the operating volume of the valve apparatus comprises opening, or maintaining open, the another valve of the valve apparatus.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (18)

References Cited (5)