Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

Luke V Richey

Raymond Shaffer

Patrick James Zimmerman

Scott Earl Williamson

Justin P Vinson

John Tough

Eric M Blanton

Michael Shane Larisey

A downhole tool, such as a sliding sleeve, deploys on a tubing string in a borehole. The tool has a housing with an internal bore and at least one port communicating outside the housing. An insert disposed in the bore can move from a closed position to an opened position relative to the port so fluid can be communicated to the borehole. A burst band disposed outside the housing at the port can break away from the housing in response to a particular pressure level communicated through the open port. In particular, the insert can have a seat that engages a deployed plug or ball. The insert shifts open when a first level of applied pressure against the seated ball shears the insert free. This can give a first indication that the insert has moved open. Then, a second level of pressure can be detected when the burst band breaks as a second indication that the insert is opened.

Burst sleeve and positive indication for fracture sleeve opening

A sliding sleeve opens with a deployed ball. The sleeve has a seat disposed in the housing, and the seat has segments biased outward from one another with a C-ring or other biasing element. Initially, the seat has an expanded state in the sliding sleeve so that the seats segments expand outward against the housing's bore. When an appropriately sized ball is deployed downhole, the ball engages the expanded seat. Fluid pressure applied against the seated ball moves the seat into the inner sleeve's bore. As this occurs, the seat contracts, which increases the engagement area of the seat with the ball. Eventually, the seat reaches the shoulder in the inner sleeve so that pressure applied against the seated ball now moves the inner sleeve in the housing to open the sliding sleeve's flow port.

Sliding sleeve having contracting, segmented ball seat

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Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Luke V Richey