Modular safety valve system, valve module and method of setting parameters of a valve system

Abstract

A modular downhole safety valve system comprising a plurality of valve modules being selectable in the field, the valve modules being connectable to one another in the field to define a modular safety valve having desired parameters and is ready for downhole deployment without additional certification.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular downhole safety valve system comprising a plurality of valve modules being selectable in the field, the valve modules being connectable to one another in the field to define a modular safety valve having desired parameters and is ready for downhole deployment without additional certification. 
     
     
         2 . The modular safety valve system of  claim 1 , wherein more than one of a same type of the valve modules can be employed to define the desired parameters. 
     
     
         3 . The modular safety valve system of  claim 2 , wherein the valve modules are spring modules, and biasing forces of the more than one spring modules are additive. 
     
     
         4 . The modular safety valve system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the modules includes a first threaded end and a second threaded end, the first threaded end and the second threaded end of one of the valve modules being configured to threadably engage with threaded ends of other of the valve modules in a daisy-chain fashion. 
     
     
         5 . The modular safety valve system of  claim 1 , wherein the valve modules are selectable from the group comprising: a nipple adapter module, a control module, a spring module, a flapper module, and a bottom sub module. 
     
     
         6 . The modular safety valve system of  claim 1 , wherein the desired parameters including at least one of a valve closure mechanism and a valve operating mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The modular safety valve system of  claim 6 , wherein the valve closure mechanism includes at least one of an equalizing mechanism and a non-equalizing mechanism. 
     
     
         8 . The modular safety valve system of  claim 6 , wherein the valve operating mechanism includes at least one of a standard and a deep-set variant. 
     
     
         9 . A plurality of valve modules for a modular downhole safety valve ready for downhole deployment comprising at least a first valve module and a second valve module both being selected from the plurality of valve modules such that assembly of the first valve module to the second valve module defines the modular downhole safety valve having selected parameters and being ready for downhole deployment without additional certification. 
     
     
         10 . The valve module of  claim 9  wherein the first valve module and the second valve module each include a first threaded end and a second threaded end, the first threaded end and the second threaded end being configured to threadably engage with threaded ends of other module in a daisy-chain fashion. 
     
     
         11 . The valve module of  claim 9  wherein the first valve module is a first spring module configured to be connected in the field to the second valve module that is a second spring module to define a total valve biasing force. 
     
     
         12 . The valve module of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the first valve module and the second valve module determines whether a valve closure mechanism is an equalizing mechanism and a non-equalizing mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . The valve module of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the first valve module and the second valve module determines whether the valve operating mechanism is a standard or a deep-set variant. 
     
     
         14 . The valve module of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the first valve module and the second valve module determine a valve closure mechanism and a valve operating mechanism of the modular downhole safety valve. 
     
     
         15 . A method of setting parameters of a downhole safety valve in the field comprising:
 configuring a plurality of valve modules, each of the valve modules being connectable to others of the valve modules such that assembly of a first of the valve modules to a second of the valve modules defines the downhole safety valve having selected parameters and being ready for downhole deployment without additional certification; and   providing the plurality of the valve modules for selection in the field.   
     
     
         16 . The method of setting parameters of a safety valve of  claim 15 , further comprising certifying each of the plurality of valve modules in an API  14 A facility. 
     
     
         17 . The method of setting parameters of a safety valve of  claim 15 , further comprising configuring the plurality of valve modules to be connectable to others of the valve modules in an end-to-end daisy-chain fashion. 
     
     
         18 . The method of setting parameters of a safety valve of  claim 15 , further comprising configuring the plurality of valve modules to be connectable to others of the valve modules such that an operating parameter of the safety valve is determined by a number of a same type of the valve modules assembled. 
     
     
         19 . The method of setting parameters of a safety valve of  claim 15 , further comprising configuring the plurality of valve modules to be connectable to others of the valve modules such that at least one of a valve closure mechanism and a valve operating mechanism of the downhole safety valve is defined by which of the valve modules are assembled in the field.