IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,960,295
Granted Patent B2
US 8,960,295 · App. 13/266,116 · Granted Feb 24, 2015

Fracture valve tools and related methods

Inventors: Napoleon Arizmendi, Jr. (Magnolia, TX); Richard Paul Rubbo (The Woodlands, TX)
Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
E21B34/06E21B23/04E21B34/066E21B41/00E21B2034/002E21B2034/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,960,295
App. No.
13/266,116
Granted
Feb 24, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention disclose enhanced and improved well production tools for increasing the stability of production zones in a wellbore. Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate to apparatuses, systems, and processes for efficiently and effectively isolating zones within a wellbore.

Claims (37)

1. A fracture valve tool comprising

a mandrel,

a rotating sleeve,

wherein said mandrel comprises

at least a first mandrel port extending from an exterior surface of said mandrel to an interior surface of said mandrel; and,

a cement flowpath defined by a passage connecting at least a first opening and a second opening on the exterior surface of said mandrel which are positioned axially displaced from and at opposite sides of said first mandrel port, and

wherein said rotating sleeve is rotatably positioned on said mandrel, said rotating sleeve comprising at least one sleeve port, wherein said rotating sleeve rotates between at least a first position wherein said at least one sleeve port does not align with said at least one mandrel port and a second position wherein said at least one sleeve port is at least partially aligned with said at least one mandrel port.

2. The fracture valve tool of claim 1 , further comprising additional cement flowpaths.

3. The fracture valve tool of claim 1 , further comprising at least one packer assembly.

4. The fracture valve tool of claim 3 , wherein said at least one packer assembly is positioned about a hydrocarbon producing zone.

5. The fracture valve tool of claim 1 , further comprising a rotating sleeve actuator.

6. A completed wellbore system extending through at least a first production zone, said completed wellbore comprising a casing string, at least one fracture valve tool of claim 1 connected to said casing string and cement within an annular space exterior to said casing string.

7. The completed wellbore of claim 6 ,

wherein the annular space exterior to the at least one mandrel port is not cemented.

8. A process for producing a hydrocarbon from the completed wellbore of claim 6 comprising the steps of:

opening said fracture valve tool to expose a first production zone;

fracturing said first production zone; and,

producing hydrocarbon.

9. The process of claim 8 , further comprising the step of isolating said first

production zone.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the step of isolating said first production zone

further comprises the steps of:

placing a first packer below said first production zone in the annular space between said fracture valve tool and wellbore and

placing a second packer above said first production zone in the annular space between said fracture valve tool and wellbore.

11. A process for completing a wellbore for producing at least one hydrocarbon comprising the steps of:

drilling a wellbore through at least one production zone;

running a casing string comprising a fracture valve tool of claim 1 into said wellbore;

engaging a packer assembly in the annular space between said wellbore and said casing to at least partially isolate said at least one production zone;

flowing a cement into the wellbore such that the packer assembly diverts the flow of cement through said cement flowpath whereby the annular space between the casing string and said at least one production zone is substantially free of cement; and, producing at least one hydrocarbon.

12. The process of claim 11 , further comprising the step of fracturing said at least one production zone.

13. A well completion system comprising:

a rotary valve tool capable of being run with a casing string for providing access from the interior of the casing string to the exterior of the casing string through a valve port;

comprising a mandrel with said valve port and a sleeve that can be actuated to at least a first position wherein said sleeve is at least partially closes said valve port and a second position wherein said valve port is at least partially open,

wherein said rotary valve tool further comprises a cement flowpath defined by a passage connecting at least two openings positioned on opposite sides of said valve port on an exterior surface of said rotary valve tool.

14. The casing string of claim 13 , further comprising at least one packer.

15. A completed wellbore comprising the well completion system of claim 13 .

16. The well completion system of claim 13 , further comprising a packer assembly.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2018
From: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
To: COMPLETION TECHNOLOGY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 046003/0516 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2015
From: PRODUCTION SCIENCES, INC.
To: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
Reel/Frame 034708/0490 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2013
From: ARIZMENDI, NAPOLEON, JR.; RUBBO, RICHARD PAUL
To: PRODUCTION SCIENCES, INC. DBA INFICOMM, INC.
Reel/Frame 029905/0196 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61172676 · Apr 24, 2009
Related Publication 20120037380A1 · Feb 16, 2012