Alternating valve method and apparatus

Claim 2

A well tool for selectively shutting in a well conduit at a desired location, including: a. a flow control assembly movable through a bore of a well conduit to the desired location and adapted to be secured with the well conduit at a desired operating location; b. a bore closure means operably connected with said flow control assembly for movement to and from an open position to align a bore closure flow port with the bore of the well conduit for enabling flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit and a closed position with the bore closure flow port positioned for blocking flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit with said bore closure means; and c. said flow control assembly having means for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means, depending upon the initial position of the bore closure means, to either the open or closed positions in response to the urging of a controlled sequence of preselected fluid pressure changes in the bore of the well conduit wherein the well tool is operated.

Claim 3

The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said bore closure means includes a ball member rotatable to and from the open and closed position, said ball having a flow passage therethrough which communicates the bore of the well conduit above and below said flow control assembly when said ball is in the open position to enable flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit with said flow passage moving to a position enabling said ball in the closed position to block flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit wherein rotation of the ball operates the well tool.

Claim 4

The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flow control assembly includes: a. a support member mounting a means for releasably securing said support member in the desired location in the bore of the well conduit; and b. an operator mechanism movably mounted with said support member and operably engaged with said bore closure means to effect desired movement thereof to and from the open and closed positions in response to the urging of the controlled sequence of preselected pressure changes wherein the well tool is operated.

Claim 5

The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said bore closure means having a flow blocking member arranged for rotational movement to and from the open and closed position.

Claim 6

A well tool for selectively shutting in a well conduit at a subsurface location, including: a. a flow control assembly movable through a bore of a well conduit to the subsurface location where said flow control assembly is adapted to be secured in the bore of the well conduit; b. a bore closure mEans operably connected with said flow control assembly for movement to and from an open position enabling flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit and a closed position blocking flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit; c. said flow control assembly having means for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means to and from the open and closed positions in response to the urging of a controlled sequence of preselected fluid pressure changes in the bore of the well conduit; d. a support member mounting means for releasably securing said support member in the bore of the well conduit; e. an operator mechanism movably mounted with said support member and operably engaged with said bore closure means to effect desired movement thereof to and from the open and closed positions in response to the urging of the controlled sequence of preselected pressure changes; f. a slide member mounted with said support member and movable relative thereto in response to the urging thereon of the preselected pressure to and from a first position for enabling the bore closure means to change positions; and g. a plunger movable relative to said slide for co-acting therewith to effect movement of said bore closure means to and from the open and closed positions in response to the position of said slide wherein the well tool is operated.

Claim 7

A well tool for selectively shutting in a well conduit at a subsurface location, including: a. a flow control assembly movable through a bore of a well conduit to the subsurface location where said flow control assembly is adapted to be secured in the bore of the well conduit; b. a bore closure mEans operably connected with said flow control assembly for movement to and from an open position enabling flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit and a closed position blocking flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit; c. said flow control assembly having means for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means to and from the open and closed positions in response to the urging of a controlled sequence of preselected fluid pressure changes in the bore of the well conduit; d. a support member mounting means for releasably securing said support member in the bore of the well conduit; e. an operator mechanism movably mounted with said support member and operably engaged with said bore closure means to effect desired movement thereof to and from the open and closed positions in response to the urging of the controlled sequence of preselected pressure changes; f. a slide member mounted with said support member and movable relative thereto in response to the urging thereon of the preselected pressure to and from a first position for enabling the bore closure means to change positions; and g. a plunger movable relative to said slide for co-acting therewith to effect movement of said bore closure means to and from the open and closed positions in response to the position of said slide wherein the well tool is operated.

Claim 8

The invention as set forth in claim 5, wherein: the movement of said slide member from the first position is guided to position said slide to co-act with said plunger to effect movement of the bore closure means to the open position wherein the well tool enables flow of fluid.

Claim 9

The invention as set forth in claim 5, wherein: the movement of said slide member from the first position is guided to position said slide to co-act with said plunger to effect movement of the bore closure means to the closed position wherein the well tool blocks flow of fluid.

Claim 10

The invention as set forth in claim 5, wherein: the movement of said slide member from the first position is guided to effect a change in the position of said bore closure means from the position of said bore closure means prior to the movement of said slide to the first position wherein the well tool is alternately operated open and closed by the controlled sequence of preselected pressure changes.

Claim 11

The invention as set forth in claim 8, wherein: the movement of said slide member from the first position is guided by a cam means for positioning said slide member to co-act with said plunger for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means.

Claim 12

The invention as set forth in claim 8, wherein said flow control assembly includes: biasing means for urging movement of said slide from the first position when the urging thereon of the preselected pressure is reduced wherein venting the preselected pressure operates the well tool.

Claim 13

The invention as set forth in claim 8, wherein: the movement of said slide member is guided to circumfrentially rotate said slide relative to said support member for positioning the slide to effect the desired change in the position of said bore closure means.

Claim 14

The invention as set forth in claim 8, wherein: the movement of said slide member is guided to longitudinally move said slide relative to said support member for positioning the slide to effect the desired change in the position of said bore closure means.

Claim 15

The invention as set forth in claim 5, wherein: said slide includes means for receiving a bridge plug therewith for urging movement of said slide to the first position in response to the preselected pressure urging on said bridge plug.

Claim 18

The invention as set forth in claim 14, including the step of: changing the position of the closure member each time the well pressure is increased to the preselected pressure and then decreased wherein the valve alternates between the open and closed position.

Claim 19

The invention as set forth in claim 14 including the step of: rotating the closure member when moving between the open and closed positions.

Claim 20

The invention as set forth in claim 14 wherein the step of guiding the closure operator includes the step of: rotating the closure operator circumferally while moving the operator longitudinally in the well.

Claim 21

The invention as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of actuating the closure operator includes the step of: rotating the operator circumferally while moving the operator longitudinally in the well.

Claim 22

The invention as set forth in claim 14, including the step of: exceeding the well shut in pressure when increasing the well pressure to the preselected pressure for actuating the closure operator wherein well pressure is blocked from actuating the well tool.

Claim 27

The invention as set forth in claim 21, including the steps of: a. injecting fluid into the well above the safety device for increasing the pressure in the well to a known reference pressure after the step of varying the pressure in the well to operate the safety device; b. gauging the quantity of fluid injected into the well to increase the pressure in the well to the known reference pressure; and c. Comparing the guaged quantity of fluid injected into the well to a known reference quantity of fluid for increasing the well pressure to the known reference pressure to determine if the safety device operated when the well pressure has varied wherein operation of the safety device is determined.

Claim 28

The invention as set forth in claim 21, including the steps of: a. injecting fluid into the well above the safety device for increasing the pressure in the well to a known reference pressure after the step of lowering the pressure in the well to operate the safety device; b. gauging the quantity of fluid injected into the well to increase the pressure in the well to the known reference pressure; and c. comparing the guaged quantity of fluid injected into the well to a known reference quantity of fluid for increasing the well pressurE to the known reference pressure to determine if the safety device operated when the well pressure was lowered wherein operation of the safety device is determined.

Claim 29

The invention as set forth in claim 23, including the steps of: repeating sequentially the steps of lowering the well pressure, injecting fluid to increase the well pressure to the reference pressure, gauging the fluid required to increase the well pressure to the reference pressure and comparing the gauged quantity of fluid with the known reference quantity of fluid while lowering the pressure in the well in preselected increments in each sequence for determining the well pressure for effecting operation of the safety device wherein the actual operating pressure of the safety device is determined.

Claim 30

The invention as set forth in claim 23, including the following steps performed prior to the step of shutting in the well at a location below the safety device: a. operating the safety device to close; b. reducing the pressure in the well to the pressure for operating the safety device to the closed position in response to low well pressure; c. adding fluid into the well for increasing the pressure in the well to a reference pressure greater than the well shut in pressure; d. measuring the quantity of injected fluid required to increase the well pressure from the safety device operating pressure to the reference pressure for establishing a reference quantity of fluid needed to effect this pressure change in the well above the safety device.

Claim 31

The invention as set forth in claim 21, wherein the step of operating the safety device to close includes the steps of; a. increasing the pressure in the well for operating the safety device to close in response to the increased pressure, and; b. venting the well pressure above the safety device for determining if the safety device is holding well pressure.

Claim 34

A well tool for selectively shutting in a well conduit at a desired location, including: a. a flow control assembly adapted to be secured with the well conduit at a desired operating location; b. a bore closure means operably connected with said flow control assembly for rotational movement to and from an open position to align a bore closure flow port with the bore of well conduit for enabling flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit and a closed position for blocking flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit; and c. said flow control assembly having means for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means depending upon the initial position of the bore closure means, to either the open or closed positions in response to the urging of a controlled sequence of preselected fluid pressure changes in the bore of the well conduit wherein the well tool is operated.

Claim 35

A well tool for selectively shutting in a well conduit at a desired location, including: a. a flow control assembly adapted to be secured with the well conduit at a desired operating location; b. a bore closure means operably connected with said flow control assembly for rotational movement to and from an open position to align a bore closure flow port with the bore of well conduit for enabling flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit and a closed position for blocking flow of fluid through the bore of the well conduit; and c. said flow control assembly having means for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means depending upon the initial position of the bore closure means, to either the open or closed positions in response to the urging of a controlled sequence of preselected fluid pressure changes in the bore of the well conduit wherein the well tool is operated.

Claim 36

The invention as set forth in claim 28, wherein said flow control assembly is movable through the bore of the well conduit to the desired location and includes: a. a support member mounting a means for releasably securing said support member in the desired location in the bore of the well conduit; and b. an operator mechanism movably mounted with said support member and operably engaged with said bore closure means to effect desired movement thereof to and from the open and closed positions in response to the urging of the controlled sequence of preselected pressure changes.

Claim 37

A well tool for selectively shutting in the bore of a well conduit at a subsurface location in a well from the surface, including: a. a tubular flow control assembly adapted to be mounted with the well conduit at a subsurface operating location in a well and having a longitudinal flow passage formed therethrough communicating the bore of the well conduit above and below said flow control assembly; b. a bore closure means mounted with said tubular flow control assembly for pivotal movement traverse to said longitudinal flow passage to and from an open position enabling flow of fluid through said longitudinal flow passage and a closed position for blocking flow of fluid through said longitudinal flow passage; and c. said flow control assembly having means for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means, depending upon the initial position of the bore closure means, to either the open or closed positions in response to the urging of a surface controlled sequence of preselected fluid pressure changes in the bore of the well conduit wherein the well tool is operated.

Claim 38

A well tool for selectively shutting in the bore of a well conduit at a subsurface location in a well from the surface, including: a. a tubular flow control assembly adapted to be mounted with the well conduit at a subsurface operating location in a well and having a longitudinal flow passage formed therethrough communicating the bore of the well conduit above and below said flow control assembly; b. a bore closure means mounted with said tubular flow control assembly for pivotal movement traverse to said longitudinal flow passage to and from an open position enabling flow of fluid through said longitudinal flow passage and a closed position for blocking flow of fluid through said longitudinal flow passage; and c. said flow control assembly having means for effecting desired movement of said bore closure means, depending upon the initial position of the bore closure means, to either the open or closed positions in response to the urging of a surface controlled sequence of preselected fluid pressure changes in the bore of the well conduit wherein the well tool is operated.