Wellbore cementing tool having one way flow

Abstract

A stage tool for reverse annular cementing a wellbore, comprising: a main body including a tubular wall with an outer surface and a longitudinal bore extending from a top end to a bottom end; a fluid port through the tubular wall providing fluidic access between the longitudinal bore and the outer surface; and a valve for controlling flow through the fluid port between the outer surface and the inner bore, the valve including a closure for the fluid port and a check valve for permitting one way flow through the fluid port in a direction from the outer surface to the inner bore, the check valve being normally inactive and only acting on fluid flows through the fluid port when activated. The stage tool may be run in closed and opened for cementing by hydraulic actuation of the valve. After sufficient cement has been introduced to the annulus, the stage tool fluid port can be closed to hold the cement in the annulus.

1 . A wellbore assembly comprising: a tubular string having an upper end, a lower end and a tubular wall with an inner bore defined within the tubular wall and an outer surface; a packer encircling the outer surface and spaced from the upper end; a fluid port through the tubular wall providing fluidic access between the inner bore and the outer surface; and a valve for controlling flow through the fluid port between the outer surface and the inner bore, the valve permitting only one way flow through the fluid port in a direction from the outer surface to the inner bore. 
     
     
         2 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 1  further comprising an activating mechanism for maintaining the valve in an inoperative position until activated. 
     
     
         3 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 2  further comprising a bypass about the valve and the activating mechanism is operable to close the bypass to activate the valve. 
     
     
         4 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 1  wherein the activating mechanism is triggerable to activate the valve when the fluid port is opened. 
     
     
         5 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 2  further comprising an opening mechanism for the fluid port and wherein the activating mechanism and the fluid port opening mechanism are responsive to hydraulic pressure applied through the tubing string from surface. 
     
     
         6 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 5  further comprising a shiftable member including a ball seat and wherein the valve is activated and the fluid port is opened by launching a ball to land in the shiftable member to create a piston face drivable by hydraulic pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 5  wherein the activating mechanism and the fluid port opening mechanism are linked such that the valve is activated and the fluid port is opened simultaneously. 
     
     
         8 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a second valve positioned along the tubing string between the fluid port and the lower end, wherein the second valve holds pressure from below. 
     
     
         9 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 8  wherein the fluid port is positioned between the valve and the second valve. 
     
     
         10 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 2  wherein the activating mechanism is responsive to pressuring up the inner bore of the stage tool to be greater than an annular pressure at the outer surface. 
     
     
         11 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 10  further comprising a packer setting mechanism and wherein the activating mechanism and the packer setting mechanism operate in response to the pressuring up the tubing string. 
     
     
         12 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 10  wherein the valve, when activated, activates a check valve for the fluid port, the check valve being openable to reverse flow through the fluid port from the outer surface to the inner bore. 
     
     
         13 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 10  further comprising a final closing sleeve moveable to close the fluid port. 
     
     
         14 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 13  wherein the final closing sleeve is moveable by hydraulic pressure. 
     
     
         15 . The wellbore assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a frac port in the tubing string, the frac port extending through the tubular wall and positioned between the packer and the lower end. 
     
     
         16 . A stage tool for wellbore annular cementing, comprising:
 a main body including a tubular wall with an outer surface and a longitudinal bore extending from a top end to a bottom end; a fluid port through the tubular wall providing fluidic access between the longitudinal bore and the outer surface; and a valve for controlling flow through the fluid port between the outer surface and the inner bore, the valve including a closure for the fluid port and a check valve for permitting one way flow through the fluid port in a direction from the outer surface to the inner bore, the check valve being normally inactive and only acting on fluid flows through the fluid port when activated.   
     
     
         17 . The stage tool of  claim 16  further comprising an activation mechanism for the check valve and wherein the activation mechanism is responsive to movement of the closure from a closed to an open condition. 
     
     
         18 . The stage tool of  claim 17  wherein the activating mechanism is triggerable to activate the check valve when the fluid port is opened. 
     
     
         19 . The stage tool of  claim 17  further comprising a bypass about the check valve and wherein the activating mechanism closes the bypass to activate the check valve. 
     
     
         20 . The stage tool of  claim 17  further comprising an opening mechanism for the closure and wherein the activating mechanism and the fluid port opening mechanism are hydraulically activated. 
     
     
         21 . The stage tool of  claim 17  further comprising a shiftable member including a ball seat and wherein the check valve is activated and the fluid port is opened by launching a ball to land in the shiftable member to create a piston face drivable by hydraulic pressure. 
     
     
         22 . The stage tool of  claim 20  wherein the activating mechanism and the fluid port opening mechanism are linked such that the check valve is activated and the fluid port is opened simultaneously. 
     
     
         23 . The stage tool of  claim 16  further comprising a second valve positioned between the fluid port and the bottom end. 
     
     
         24 . The stage tool of  claim 23  wherein the fluid port is positioned between the check valve and the second valve. 
     
     
         25 . The stage tool of  claim 16  wherein the stage tool is configurable in at least three positions:
 a. a run in position, wherein the closure is in a position closing the fluid port and the check valve is inactive; 
 b. a cementing position, wherein the closure is open allowing fluid flow through the fluid port and the check valve is active to permit only one way flow through the fluid port; and 
 c. a cement retaining position, wherein the closure is in a position closing the fluid port. 
 
     
     
         26 . The stage tool of  claim 16  wherein the closure and the check valve are the same member. 
     
     
         27 . The stage tool of  claim 16  wherein a sliding sleeve operates as the closure and is biased to act as the check valve. 
     
     
         28 . The stage tool of  claim 17  wherein the activating mechanism is responsive to pressuring up the inner bore of the stage tool to be greater than an annular pressure at the outer surface. 
     
     
         29 . The stage tool of  claim 17  wherein the check valve, when activated, is openable to reverse flow through the fluid port from the outer surface to the inner bore. 
     
     
         30 . The stage tool of  claim 27  further comprising a final closing sleeve moveable to close the fluid port. 
     
     
         31 . The stage tool of  claim 30  wherein the final closing sleeve is moveable by hydraulic pressure. 
     
     
         32 . The stage tool of  claim 27  wherein the sliding sleeve moves along the outer surface. 
     
     
         33 . The stage tool of  claim 27  wherein the stage tool is configurable in at least three positions:
 a. a run in position, wherein the sliding sleeve is locked in a positioned over the fluid port; 
 b. a cementing position, wherein the sliding sleeve is moveable relative to the fluid port and is biased into a position over the fluid port but is moveable by application of a pressure at the outer surface greater than the pressure in the inner bore; and 
 c. a cement retaining position, wherein the sliding sleeve is biased into a position over the fluid port. 
 
     
     
         34 . The stage tool of  claim 33  wherein the cement retaining position further includes a final closing sleeve positioned over the fluid port. 
     
     
         35 . A method for cementing a tubing string in a wellbore, the wellbore having a heel transitioning from a substantially vertical section to a substantially horizontal section, the method comprising: running into a wellbore toward bottom hole with a tubing string to a position in the wellbore, an annulus being defined between the tubing string and the wellbore wall; opening a circulation path from the annulus into the tubing string; introducing cement to the annulus to flow down to at least the heel; and closing the circulation path to hold the cement in the annulus to provide time for the cement to set. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the circulation path is opened through a fluid port in a stage tool, the stage tool including a valve for controlling flow through the fluid port between the outer surface and the inner bore, the valve permitting only one way flow through the fluid port in a direction from the outer surface to the inner bore and the valve is maintained in an inoperative position until activated. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the valve is activated when the fluid port is opened. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the valve is activated and the fluid port is opened by hydraulic pressure applied through the tubing string from surface. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the valve is activated and the fluid port is opened by launching a ball to land in a shiftable member and create a piston face drivable by hydraulic pressure. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the valve is activated and the fluid port is opened simultaneously. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising a second valve positioned in the tubing string between the fluid port and the lower end. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the fluid port is positioned between the valve and the second valve. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the valve is activated by pressuring up the inner bore of the stage tool to be greater than an annular pressure at the outer surface. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein pressuring up the inner bore also sets a packer carried on the tubing string downhole of the stage tool. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the valve, when activated, renders the fluid port openable by reverse flow through the fluid port from the outer surface to the inner bore. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising moving a final closing sleeve to close the fluid port as a redundant closure. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein moving includes pressuring up the string relative to the annulus. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 35  further introducing a frac treatment through the string after the cement sets. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising setting a packer in the wellbore annulus. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the tubing string includes a tool-actuated mechanism and the method further comprises, after closing the circulation path, launching a tool to pass down and actuate the tool-actuated mechanism. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising after closing the circulation path, fracturing a formation accessed by the wellbore below the cement. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 35  wherein positioning includes placing a cementing port adjacent an open hole region of the wellbore and introducing cement introduces sufficient cement to extend upwardly from the open hole region to a casing point in the wellbore. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 35  wherein closing the circulation path occurs before the cement passes from the annulus into the tubing string.