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CN-122003539-A - Annular barrier and downhole system

CN122003539ACN 122003539 ACN122003539 ACN 122003539ACN-122003539-A

Abstract

The invention relates to an annulus barrier (1) to be expanded in an annulus (2) with an annulus pressure between a well tubular metal structure (3) downhole and an inner wall (4) of a wellbore (5), for providing zone isolation between a first zone (101) and a second zone (102) of the wellbore, comprising a tubular metal part (7) for being installed as part of the well tubular metal structure, the tubular metal part having a bore (37) with a bore Pressure (PB), and an expandable metal sleeve (8) surrounding the tubular metal part (7), each end (9) of the expandable metal sleeve being connected with the tubular metal part, and an expandable space (10) between the expandable metal sleeve and the tubular metal part, wherein the annulus barrier further comprises a pressurizing unit (20) with a first opening (31) in fluid communication with the annulus or the bore, for increasing the pressure of fluid from the annulus or the bore before the fluid enters the expandable space, the fluid pressure is activated with the annulus pressure unit (80) and the annulus pressure is further activated with the pressure increasing unit (36) for increasing the annulus pressure, or the cavity pressure is higher than the annulus pressure or the bore pressure. The invention also relates to a downhole system comprising a well tubular metal structure and at least one annulus barrier, wherein a tubular metal part is installed as part of the well tubular metal structure.

Inventors

  • Ricardo Reeves Vasquez

Assignees

  • 维尔泰克制造中心竣工公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20240909
Priority Date
20230908

Claims (14)

  1. 1. An annulus barrier (1) to be expanded within an annulus (2) having an annulus pressure between a well tubular metal structure (3) downhole and an inner wall (4) of a wellbore (5) for providing zone isolation between a first zone (101) and a second zone (102) of the wellbore, the annulus barrier comprising: A tubular metal part (7) for installation as part of the well tubular metal structure, the tubular metal part having a bore (37) with a bore pressure (P B ), -An expandable metal sleeve (8) surrounding the tubular metal part, each end (9) of the expandable metal sleeve being connected to the tubular metal part, and An expandable space (10) between the expandable metal sleeve and the tubular metal part, Wherein the annulus barrier further comprises a pressurizing unit (20) having a first opening (31) in fluid communication with the annulus or the bore for increasing the pressure of the fluid before the fluid from the annulus or the bore enters the expandable space, the annulus barrier further comprising an activation chamber (80) having a chamber pressure and in fluid communication with a second opening (36, 52, 57, 67 b) of the pressurizing unit for creating a pressure difference between the annulus pressure/bore pressure and the chamber pressure for activating the pressurizing unit for increasing the pressure of the fluid, the chamber pressure being lower than the annulus pressure or the bore pressure or the chamber pressure being higher than the annulus pressure or the bore pressure.
  2. 2. The annular barrier according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing unit (20) has a first bore (21) with a first bore portion (23) with a first bore end (81) and a second bore portion (24) with a second bore end (82), the first bore portion having a first outer diameter (ID 1 ), the second bore portion (24) having a second inner diameter (ID 2 ), and a piston unit (22) with a first piston (25) with a first outer diameter (OD 1 ) corresponding to the first inner diameter and a second piston (26) with a second outer diameter (OD 2 ) corresponding to the second inner diameter, and the second piston being connected to the first piston by a connecting rod (27), the connecting rod (27) having an outer diameter smaller than the second piston, the first outer diameter smaller than the second outer diameter, the first bore portion having the first opening (31) and the second bore portion (36).
  3. 3. An annular barrier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston unit is movable between a first position, in which the first piston (25) is closer to the first bore end than the second bore end (24), and a second position, in which the first piston (25) is closer to the second bore end (24) than the first bore end.
  4. 4. An annulus barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first opening (31) is in fluid communication with the annulus via a first fluid passage (41) in which a first check valve (28) is arranged allowing fluid to enter the first opening.
  5. 5. An annular barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second bore portion has the second opening (36) closer to the first bore portion than the second bore end portion.
  6. 6. An annular barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first bore portion has a third opening (33) in fluid communication with the expandable space through a second check valve (29).
  7. 7. The annular barrier of claim 6, wherein the second bore portion has a fourth opening (34) for fluid ingress for movement of the first piston in a first direction, fluid egress to the expandable space through the third opening, and for fluid egress for movement of the first piston in a second direction opposite the first direction.
  8. 8. The annular barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the supercharger further comprises a sequence piston (30) having a first sequence position in which the sequence piston allows fluid communication between the second opening and the fourth opening and a second sequence position in which the sequence piston allows fluid communication between the second opening and the fourth opening for moving the piston unit in the first direction.
  9. 9. An annular barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the activation chamber is filled with pressurized nitrogen or a similar gas.
  10. 10. An annular barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the activation chamber is a low pressure chamber.
  11. 11. An annular barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the activation chamber is closed at the surface such that the chamber pressure is about 1 atmosphere, such as 101325 pa, or 1.01325 bar.
  12. 12. An annulus barrier according to any preceding claim wherein the cavity pressure is below 1/5 of the annulus pressure or the pore pressure, preferably below 1/8 of the annulus pressure or the pore pressure, more preferably below 1/10 of the annulus pressure or the pore pressure.
  13. 13. An annular barrier according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cavity volume of the activation cavity is at least 5% higher than the expandable space of the annular barrier in the expanded state.
  14. 14. A downhole system (100) comprising a well tubular metal structure and at least one annulus barrier according to any of claims 1-13, wherein the tubular metal component is installed as part of the well tubular metal structure.

Description

Annular barrier and downhole system Technical Field The present invention relates to an annular barrier to be expanded in an annulus (annulus) between a well tubular metal structure downhole and an inner wall of a wellbore for providing zone isolation between a first zone and a second zone of the wellbore. The invention also relates to a downhole system comprising a well tubular metal structure and at least one annulus barrier, wherein the tubular metal component is installed as part of the well tubular metal structure. Background The annulus barrier is used downhole to isolate around a well tubular metal structure, meaning any type of tubing, pipe, casing, tubing, liner, string, etc. used downhole in connection with oil or gas production. Typically, the interior of the well tubular metal structure is pressurized to expand the annulus barrier, but when the interior of the well tubular metal structure further comprises a screen, perforations or similar openings, the well tubular metal structure cannot be pressurized to expand the annulus barrier. A known method of expanding such well tubular metal structures is to employ intervention tools within the well tubular metal structure and isolate the area around the expanded opening of the annulus barrier in order to pressurize the area and expand the annulus barrier. Disclosure of Invention The object of the present invention is to wholly or partly overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art. More specifically, it is an object to provide an improved annulus barrier which expands even if the well tubular metal structure has other openings, such as screens, perforations, etc. The above objects, together with numerous other objects, advantages, and features, which will be evident from below, are accomplished by the use of an annular barrier according to the present invention to be expanded in an annulus having an annular pressure between a well tubular metal structure downhole and an inner wall of a wellbore for providing zone isolation between a first zone and a second zone of the wellbore, the annular barrier comprising: a tubular metal part for installation as part of a well tubular metal structure, the tubular metal part having a hole with a hole pressure, -An expandable metal sleeve (sleeve) surrounding the tubular metal part, both ends of the expandable metal sleeve being connected to the tubular metal part, and An expandable space between the expandable metal sleeve and the tubular metal part, Wherein the annulus barrier further comprises a pressurizing unit having a first opening in fluid communication with the annulus or the bore for increasing the pressure of the fluid from the annulus prior to the fluid entering the expandable space, the annulus barrier further comprising an activation chamber having a chamber pressure and being in fluid connection with a second opening of the pressurizing unit for creating a pressure differential between the annulus pressure/bore pressure and the chamber pressure for activating the pressurizing unit to increase the pressure of the fluid, the chamber pressure being substantially lower than the annulus pressure or the bore pressure, or the chamber pressure being substantially higher than the annulus pressure or the bore pressure. Thus, the activation chamber creates a pressure differential, thereby operating the pressurizing unit. The booster unit has a high pressure side and a low pressure side for operation. The activation chamber is connected to the low pressure side of the pressurizing unit if the activation chamber is to provide an operating low pressure to the pressurizing unit and to the high pressure side of the pressurizing unit if the activation chamber is to provide an operating high pressure to the pressurizing unit. Thus, the annulus barrier may expand independent of the annulus pressure even if the well tubular metal structure is perforated. Thus, the annulus barrier will automatically expand, which means that no additional pressure needs to be applied other than the pore pressure, which is not possible in well tubular metal structures with screens, perforations or similar openings. By having the pressure of the activation chamber lower or higher than the annulus pressure/pore pressure connected to the pressurizing unit 20, the annulus barrier can be expanded even if the well tubular metal structure has other openings (e.g., screens, perforations, etc.), without openings in the tubular metal components that need to be closed after expansion. Further, the pressurizing unit may have a first hole having a first hole portion and a first hole end portion with a first inner diameter, and a second hole portion and a second hole end portion with a second inner diameter, and a piston unit having a first piston having a first outer diameter corresponding to the first inner diameter and a second piston having a second outer diameter corresponding to the second inner diameter, the second pis