System and method for downhole operation using pressure activated valve and sliding sleeve

Abstract

An isolation system for producing oil and gas from one or more formation zones and methods of use are provided comprising one or more pressure activated valve and one or more tool shiftable valve. The tool shiftable valve may be actuated before or after actuation of the pressure activated valve.

1. A system for completing a well, comprising:
 a base pipe comprising a hole;  
 at least one packer in mechanical communication with said base pipe;  
 at least one screen in mechanical communication with said base pipe, wherein said at least one screen is proximate the hole in said base pipe;  
 an isolation pipe concentric within said base pipe and proximate to the hole in said base pipe, wherein an annulus is defined between said base pipe and said isolation pipe;  
 an annular flow valve in mechanical communication with said base pipe and said isolation pipe and adapted to control fluid flow through said annulus above and below said valve; and  
 a tool shiftable valve coupled to the isolation pipe.  
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the annular flow valve is a pressure activated valve. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional valve coupled to the isolation string, the additional valve comprising a pressure activated valve. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a crossover valve in mechanical communication with the base pipe. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tool shiftable valve comprises a sliding sleeve shiftable between an open position and a closed position. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the system is adapted to be inserted into a well to allow a gravel pack operation to occur prior to a closure of the sleeve to allow operation of the annular flow valve through pressurized fluid. 
     
     
       7. An isolation system, comprising:
 an isolation pipe comprising a pressure activated valve establishing a first flow path and coupled to the isolation pipe, and  
 a tool shiftable valve establishing a second flow path and coupled to the isolation pipe and in communication with the pressure activated valve and being shiftable by a tool between an opened and closed flow condition.  
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the tool shiftable valve is inserted into a well to allow a gravel pack operation to occur prior to closing the tool shiftable valve to allow operation of the pressure activated valve through pressurized fluid. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the isolation pipe defines at least one port, and wherein the open position of the tool shiftable valve allows fluid flow through the port. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a base pipe;  
 the isolation pipe being disposed within the base pipe, defining a volume between the base pipe and the isolation pipe;  
 the pressure activated valve comprising a valve adapted to allow flow between the volume formed by the isolation pipe and the base pipe and an internal portion of the isolation pipe.  
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 7 , wherein said pressure activated valve comprises:
 an outer sleeve having at least one opening and an inner sleeve, the sleeves being movable relative to each other and configurable in at least locked-closed, unlocked-closed, and open configurations, wherein the inner sleeve covers the at least one opening in the locked-closed and unlocked-closed configurations and the inner sleeve does not cover the at least one opening in the open configuration; and  
 a pressure area on at least one of the sleeves, wherein pressure acting on the pressure area configures the outer sleeve and inner sleeve between the locked-closed and unlocked-closed configurations.  
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a lock between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve that locks the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve in the locked-closed configuration. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a spring member adapted to bias the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve so that the inner sleeve does not cover the at least one opening of the outer sleeve in the open configuration when the lock is released. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the inner sleeve comprises at least one opening that is selectably aligned with the at least one opening in the outer sleeve to allow fluid flow therethrough. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a production screen, wherein fluid passing through the production screen is communicable with the pressure activated valve and the tool shiftable valve. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the production screen is wrapped around the outside of the pressure activated valve and the tool shiftable valve. 
     
     
       17. A method for isolating a production zone of a well, comprising:
 inserting a pipe into the well, the pipe comprising a pressure activated valve and a tool shiftable valve;  
 shifting the tool shiftable valve with a tool to a closed flow condition while the tool shiftable valve is disposed in the well; then  
 opening the pressure activated valve by pressurized fluid acting on the pressure activated valve.  
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein opening the pressure activated valve occurs while the tool shiftable valve remains in the well. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising performing a gravel pack operation on the well while the tool shiftable valve is open and the pressure activated valve is closed. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pipe comprises an isolation string. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising allowing production fluid to flow through the pressure activated valve, the tool shiftable valve, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17 , wherein shifting the tool shiftable valve comprises using a shifting tool to actuate the tool shiftable valve. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pressure activated valve comprises an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve having at least one opening, the sleeves being movable relative to each other in at least two directions and initially secured relative to each other in at least one direction, wherein the opening of the pressure activated valve comprises:
 applying a pressurized fluid to a pressure area on at least one of the sleeves to cause the sleeves to move relative to each other in a first direction;  
 reducing pressure to allow the sleeves to move relative to each other in a second direction;  
 at least partially uncovering the at least one opening to allow fluid flow therethrough.  
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising biasing the sleeves relative to each other with a spring member and allowing the sleeves to move relative to each other in the second direction with the spring member after reducing the pressure. 
     
     
       25. A method for isolating a production zone of a well having a perforated casing, comprising:
 running-in an isolation string into the well, the isolation string comprising a pressure activated valve and a tool shiftable valve;  
 setting the isolation string in the casing adjacent the perforations in the casing;  
 shifting the tool shiftable valve with a shifting tool to a no flow condition;  
 stinging a production string into the isolation string; and thereafter opening the pressure activated valve.  
 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , wherein the tool shiftable valve is closed during the opening of the pressure activated valve. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising performing a gravel pack operation on the well while the tool shiftable valve is open and the pressure activated valve is closed. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising withdrawing the shifting tool from the well after shifting the tool shiftable valve. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 25 , wherein the isolation string further comprises an annular flow valve, and further comprising opening the annular flow valve and allowing fluid flow into the annular flow valve. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29 , further comprising allowing fluid flow through the annular flow valve while allowing fluid flow through the pressure activated valve into an internal portion of the isolation pipe. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 29 , further comprising opening the annular flow valve with a pressurized fluid, actuating the pressure activated valve to an unlocked closed position with the pressurized fluid, reducing the pressure of the pressurized fluid to open the pressure activated valve, and allowing fluid flow through the annular flow valve and the pressure activated valve. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 29 , wherein fluid flow through the annular flow valve comprises a fluid from a first zone and the fluid flow through the pressure activated valve comprises a fluid from another zone. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the pressure activated valve is in fluidic contact with a second annular flow valve and the fluid flow through the pressure activated valve and second annular flow valve comprises the same fluid. 
     
     
       34. An isolation system for an oil or gas well, comprising:
 an isolation pipe;  
 a screen assembly adjacent a well formation;  
 a tool shiftable valve coupled to the isolation pipe for selectively communicating fluid to and/or from the screen assembly; and  
 a pressure activated valve coupled to the isolation pipe for selectively communicating fluid to and/or from the screen assembly.  
 
     
     
       35. The isolation system of  claim 34 , wherein the pressure activated valve comprises a slidable sleeve and the tool shiftable valve is shifted by a removable tool conveyed along an interior of the isolation pipe. 
     
     
       36. The isolation system of  claim 35 , wherein the pressure activated valve and the tool shiftable valve are arranged to control fluid in parallel. 
     
     
       37. The isolation system of  claim 36 , wherein the pressure activated valve is actuated by fluid pressure selected from the group consisting of isolation pipe pressure, annulus pressure uphole from a packer, annulus pressure adjacent a formation, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       38. The isolation system of  claim 37 , wherein the pressure activated valve is selected from the group consisting of: a valve for controlling flow through an annular space in the isolation system, a valve for controlling flow from or to an exterior of the isolation system, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
       39. An isolation system, comprising:
 a base pipe;  
 an isolation pipe disposed within the base pipe;  
 a volume defined between the base pipe and the isolation pipe;  
 a pressure activated valve coupled to the isolation pipe and comprising a valve adapted to allow flow between the volume and an internal portion of the isolation pipe; and  
 a tool shiftable valve coupled to the isolation pipe.  
 
     
     
       40. The isolation system of  claim 39 , wherein the pressure activated valve comprises a slidable sleeve and the tool shiftable valve is shifted by a removable tool conveyed along an interior of the isolation pipe. 
     
     
       41. The isolation system of  claim 40 , further comprising a wherein the pressure activated valve and the tool shiftable valve are arranged to control fluid in parallel. 
     
     
       42. The isolation system of  claim 41 , further comprising a screen assembly externally adjacent the pressure activated valve and the tool shiftable valve. 
     
     
       43. A method for isolating a production zone of a well, comprising:
 inserting a pipe into the well comprising a pressure activated valve having a movable sleeve, and a tool shiftable valve;  
 shifting the tool shiftable valve closed with a tool while the tool shiftable valve is disposed in the well;  
 thereafter opening the pressure activated valve by applying a pressurized fluid to a pressure area on the sleeve to cause the sleeve to move.  
 
     
     
       44. A method for producing from a well having a perforated casing,
 comprising:  
 running-in the well a production assembly comprising a pressure activated valve, an isolation string, a production screen and a tool shiftable valve;  
 setting the production assembly in the casing adjacent the perforations;  
 shifting the tool shiftable valve with a shifting tool;  
 stinging a production string into the production assembly; and  
 applying pressure to the pressure activated valve to open it.  
 
     
     
       45. An isolation system, comprising:
 an isolation pipe extending below a packer assembly comprising 
 a pressure activated valve establishing a first flow path and coupled to the isolation pipe, and  
 a mechanically activated valve establishing a second flow path and coupled to the isolation pipe and in communication with the pressure activated valve and being mechanically actuatable by a tool between opened and closed flow conditions.  
 
 
     
     
       46. A method for isolating a production zone of a well, comprising:
 inserting a pipe into the well comprising a pressure activated valve and a separate mechanically activated valve;  
 shifting the mechanically activated valve with a tool to prevent flow there through while the mechanically activating valve is disposed in the well; then  
 opening the pressure activated valve by pressurized fluid acting on the pressure activated valve.