Wellbore annular safety valve and method

Abstract

A well system includes an annular barrier separating the tubing-casing annulus into an upper annulus and a lower annulus and a barrier valve coupled with the annular barrier, the barrier valve permitting one-way fluid communication from the upper annulus to the lower annulus. The annular barrier may include a female polished bore receptacle integrated in the casing and a male seal assembly integrated in the tubing. The tubing bore and an annular fluid conduit extend through the male seal assembly substantially parallel to one another and the barrier valve is connected in the annular fluid conduit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A well system, comprising:
 a wellbore extending downward from a surface, the wellbore comprising a tubing deployed in a casing;   an annular barrier disposed in a tubing-casing annulus of a wellbore separating the tubing-casing annulus into an upper annulus and a lower annulus; and   a barrier valve coupled with the annular barrier, the barrier valve permitting one-way fluid communication from the upper annulus to the lower annulus.   
     
     
         2 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the annular barrier is a polished bore receptacle. 
     
     
         3 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the annular barrier comprises:
 a female polished bore receptacle integrated in the casing; and   a male seal assembly integrated in the tubing.   
     
     
         4 . The well system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control line passing through the annular barrier. 
     
     
         5 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier valve is disposed in a side pocket mandrel integrated in the tubing. 
     
     
         6 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier valve is located above the annular barrier. 
     
     
         7 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier valve is operated to an open position in response to pressure in the upper annulus being greater than pressure in the lower annulus. 
     
     
         8 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier valve is located in a side pocket mandrel integrated in the tubing; and
 the polished bore receptacle comprises:
 a female polished bore receptacle integrated in the casing; and 
 a male seal assembly integrated in the tubing. 
   
     
     
         9 . The well system of  claim 8 , further comprising gas lift valves located in the tubing below the annular barrier. 
     
     
         10 . The well system of  claim 9 , further comprising a control line extending from above the annular barrier through the annular barrier to a device located below the annular barrier. 
     
     
         11 . An annular safety valve, comprising:
 a male seal assembly integrated in a tubing, wherein a tubing bore extends through the male seal assembly;   a fluid conduit extending through a body of the male seal assembly substantially parallel to the tubing bore;   a female polished bore receptacle integrated in a casing to receive the male seal assembly and form an annular barrier between the tubing and the casing; and   a barrier valve in connection with the fluid conduit to permit one-way fluid flow through the fluid conduit.   
     
     
         12 . The annular safety valve of  claim 11 , wherein the barrier valve is disposed in a side pocket mandrel integrated in the tubing. 
     
     
         13 . The annular safety valve of  claim 11 , wherein the seal assembly comprises a port formed longitudinally through the body to pass a control line across the male seal assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The annular safety valve of  claim 11 , wherein the barrier valve is normally closed. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 setting a casing in a wellbore, the casing comprising a female polished bore receptacle;   deploying a tubing in the casing, the tubing comprising a male seal assembly landed in the female polished bore receptacle forming an annular barrier across a tubing-casing annulus separating the tubing-casing annulus into an upper annulus and a lower annulus, wherein the male seal assembly comprises a fluid conduit extending substantially parallel to a tubing bore, and a barrier valve coupled with the fluid conduit to permit fluid flow from the upper annulus to the lower annulus;   communicating a fluid from the upper annulus through the barrier valve to the lower annulus; and   closing the barrier valve in response to pressure in the upper annulus being less than pressure in the lower annulus.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid is a pressurized gas and further comprising injecting the pressurized gas from the lower annulus through a gas lift valve into the tubing. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising a control line extending from the upper annulus through a body of the male seal assembly to a device located below the annular barrier. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the barrier valve is located in a side pocket mandrel integrated in the tubing. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the barrier valve is normally closed and the barrier valve is opened in response to pressure in the upper annulus being greater than pressure in the lower annulus. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the barrier valve is located in a side pocket mandrel integrated in the tubing;   the fluid is a pressurized gas; and   further comprising injecting the pressurized gas from the lower annulus through a gas lift valve into the tubing.