Granted Patent B1

US 12,735,957 · App. 19/230,437 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Pranay Asthana (Dhahran, SA); Ahmed Y. Bukhamseen (Dhahran, SA); Muhammad Arsalan (Dhahran, SA); Abubaker Saeed (Dhahran, SA)

Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company

E21B34/142E21B23/08E21B2200/06

Abstract

Claims (40)

1 . An autonomous downhole tool, comprising:

a housing comprising one or more modular sleeves that ride on the housing, the one or more modular sleeves comprising a first modular sleeve that rides on the housing and is configured to adjust to conceal or expose a shift latch that comprises a latch profile, the latch profile shaped to interface with a shift sleeve profile of a shift sleeve of a downhole valve installed in a wellbore tubular that extends through a wellbore formed from a terranean surface into a subterranean formation, the one or more modular sleeves comprising a second modular sleeve that rides on the housing and is configured to adjust to conceal or expose a tubing seal from the housing, the tubing seal configured to engage the wellbore tubular to maintain the housing at a stationary location in the wellbore; and

an autonomous carrier coupled with the housing and comprising an actuator module configured to generate a shift force to adjust the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with the shift latch engaged with the shift sleeve through mechanical engagement of the latch profile with the shift sleeve profile.

2 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an untethered housing configured to move through the wellbore exclusive of a downhole conveyance that extends through the wellbore from the terranean surface to the housing.

3 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 2 , wherein the tubing seal is configured to generate a pressure differential on the housing when engaged with the wellbore tubular to generate the shift force.

4 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 2 , wherein the autonomous carrier comprises a sensor module configured to detect and confirm the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve.

5 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 4 , wherein the actuator module comprises one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations, each of the one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations comprising a unique downhole valve installed in the wellbore tubular.

6 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 5 , wherein the wellbore tubular comprises production tubing, and the downhole valve comprises an inflow control device or inflow control valve.

7 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the tubing seal is configured to generate a pressure differential on the housing when engaged with the wellbore tubular to generate the shift force.

8 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises an untethered housing configured to move through the wellbore exclusive of a downhole conveyance that extends through the wellbore from the terranean surface to the housing.

9 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous carrier comprises a sensor module configured to detect and confirm the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve.

10 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the actuator module comprises one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations, each of the one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations comprising a unique downhole valve installed in the wellbore tubular.

11 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore tubular comprises production tubing, and the downhole valve comprises an inflow control device or inflow control valve.

12 . The autonomous downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein:

the autonomous carrier comprises a sensor module configured to detect and confirm the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve,

the actuator module comprises one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations, each of the one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations comprising a unique downhole valve installed in the wellbore tubular, and

the wellbore tubular comprises production tubing, and the downhole valve comprises an inflow control device or inflow control valve.

13 . A method of operating a downhole valve, comprising:

running an autonomous downhole tool into a wellbore tubular that extends through a wellbore formed from a terranean surface into a subterranean formation, the autonomous downhole tool comprising:

a housing comprising one or more modular sleeves that ride on the housing; and

an autonomous carrier coupled with the housing and comprising an actuator module;

moving the autonomous downhole tool to a particular location in the wellbore tubular at which a downhole valve is installed;

adjusting a first modular sleeve of the one or more modular sleeves to expose a shift latch, the shift latch comprising a latch profile shaped to interface with a shift sleeve profile of a shift sleeve of the downhole valve;

engaging the latch profile of the shift latch with the shift sleeve profile of the shift sleeve;

generating a shift force to adjust the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with the shift latch engaged with the shift sleeve;

adjusting a second modular sleeve of the one or more modular sleeves to expose a tubing seal from the housing; and

engaging the wellbore tubular with the tubing seal to maintain the housing at a stationary location in the wellbore.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein moving the autonomous downhole tool comprises moving the housing through the wellbore exclusive of a downhole conveyance that extends through the wellbore from the terranean surface to the housing.

15 . The method of claim 14 , comprising generating a pressure differential on the housing in response to engaging the tubing seal with the wellbore tubular to generate the shift force.

16 . The method of claim 14 , comprising detecting and confirming the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with a sensor module of the autonomous downhole tool.

17 . The method of claim 16 , comprising moving the autonomous downhole tool to one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations subsequent to detecting and confirming the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with the sensor module of the autonomous downhole tool.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the wellbore tubular comprises production tubing, and the downhole valve comprises an inflow control device or inflow control valve.

19 . The method of claim 13 , comprising generating a pressure differential on the housing in response to engaging the tubing seal with the wellbore tubular to generate the shift force.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein moving the autonomous downhole tool comprises moving the housing through the wellbore exclusive of a downhole conveyance that extends through the wellbore from the terranean surface to the housing.

21 . The method of claim 13 , comprising detecting and confirming the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with a sensor module of the autonomous downhole tool.

22 . The method of claim 21 , comprising moving the autonomous downhole tool to one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations subsequent to detecting and confirming the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with the sensor module of the autonomous downhole tool.

23 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the wellbore tubular comprises production tubing, and the downhole valve comprises an inflow control device or inflow control valve.

24 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the wellbore tubular comprises production tubing, and the downhole valve comprises an inflow control device or inflow control valve, the method comprising:

detecting and confirming the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with a sensor module of the autonomous downhole tool; and

moving the autonomous downhole tool to one or more pre-programmed wellbore locations subsequent to detecting and confirming the adjustment of the shift sleeve on the downhole valve with the sensor module of the autonomous downhole tool.

Assignments (1)

References Cited (48)