Baker Hughes Corporation

Thomas M Ashy

Gregory Lee Hern

Paul Lowell Connell

Jace E Melder

Downhole valves comprise a housing having a bore, a port, upper and lower recesses disposed in an inner wall surface of the bore, the upper recess disposed above the port and the lower recess disposed below the port, and upper and lower pistons disposed in the bore. The upper and lower pistons each comprise a bore with a port in communication with housing bore. During run-in, the housing port is blocked by the lower piston. Actuation of the lower piston unblocks the housing port and aligns the lower piston port with the lower recess. Actuation of the upper piston closes the housing port and aligns the upper piston port with the upper recess. Alignment of the ports of the pistons with their respective recesses permits fluid flow through the tool both when the valve is opened by the lower piston and closed by the upper piston.

Full function downhole valve and method of operating the valve

A tool and associated method allows a liner top to be dressed. Then while maintaining a lateral port closed the tool can be used to circulate while being rotated and reciprocated. The tool features discrete j-slot mechanisms. The upper j-slot allows the lateral port to initially open while the lower j-slot keeps the lateral port open despite movement of the tool in opposed directions in the hole due to a barrier to the pin in the lower j-slot. When enough weight is set or the barrier is otherwise removed, the lateral port can be closed and the test packer set by set down weight with the lateral port closed. After the packer is unset the lateral ports can be reopened and circulation and swiveling on a bearing can occur even if the packer is temporarily actuated from the setting down motion that reopened the lateral ports.

Growing community of inventors

Lafayette, LA, United States of America

Thomas M Ashy