Pipe valve control and method of use

Abstract

The present invention applies to flowing wells. Within a flowing well, production tubing moves fluid upward under immense pressures and is greatly exposed to damage, either accidental, or intentional. Recently, there is increased concern in protecting our production wells from damage, either natural or man-made. The present invention is designed to address the problems of controlling hydrocarbon, and fluid flow, through production tubing after the production tubing is compromised by penetration or severance.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A flow control valve located between segments of production tubing within a borehole below a sea floor of a flowing oil and/or gas well, and wherein said flow control valve can be closed automatically through hydrostatic pressure change, severance of the production tubing above a mudline, or flow rate and not requiring surface control. 
     
     
         2 . The flow control valve of  claim 1  further comprising;
 A valve body;
 said valve body further comprising an upper and lower portion; 
 said valve body further comprising an internal sliding piston;
 said sliding piston having at least one perforation in its side; 
 said sliding piston further comprising a first and lower sealing surface; 
 said valve body containing a second and upper sealing element; 
 
 whereby sufficiently increased upward rate of flow of a fluid within a production tubing below said valve makes said piston slide upward so the first sealing element engages the second sealing element, thereby closing said valve body. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The flow control valve of  claim 1  further comprising;
 said borehole of said flow control valve is activated to close by the severance of a production tubing attached to and supporting said flow control valve. 
 
     
     
         4 . The flow control valve of  claim 3  further comprising;
 overlying production tubing; 
 said severance will transfer the weight of any remaining overlying production tubing of said production tubing attached to the upper portion of said valve body which has a lower sealing surface, and whereby said lower sealing surface will descend to engage said upper sealing surface of said lower flow control valve body, and whereby said flow control valve is closed, and the upward flow of hydrocarbon is stopped. 
 
     
     
         5 . The flow control valve of  claim 4  further comprising;
 Within said borehole the opening and closing of said flow control valve can be verified without raising the valve to the surface due to fluid flow rate and/or termination by a determination of flow rate above ground. 
 
     
     
         6 . The flow control valve of  claim 1  further comprising;
 A valve assembly wherein 
 said borehole said valve is activated to close by the severance of the support for a moving part of a valve assembly. 
 
     
     
         7 . The flow control valve of  claim 3  further comprising;
 an upper sliding piston in mechanical communication with the overlying and mechanically attached to said production tubing;
 said upper sliding piston having a base probe projecting downward; 
 said valve further comprising a lower sealing unit with an exposed upper trigger unit; 
 whereby severance of the production tubing somewhere above or below said water body will result in the removal of support for the production tubing overlying the upper sliding piston and thereby force the sliding piston downward; 
 whereby a probe on the base of the upper sliding piston will contact and depress the underlying trigger on the lower sealing unit, and thereby activate the valve to close. 
 
 
     
     
         8 . The fluid control valve of  claim 7  further comprising;
 wherein the upward movement of the probe accompanied by sufficiently increased fluid pressure above the valve body, will make said sliding piston slide downward so that the lower sealing element disengages from the uppermost sealing element, therein reopening the valve. 
 
     
     
         9 . The fluid control valve of  claim 8  further comprising;
 wherein the flowing well is drilled on land and the fluid control valve is activated to close by the severance of the production tubing somewhere above or below ground level. 
 
     
     
         10 . The fluid control valve in  claim 9  and wherein the valve can be reopened temporarily by reversing the flow of hydrocarbon above said valve body to downward after said severed production tubing is replaced. 
     
     
         11 . A control valve located between segments of production tubing within a borehole of a flowing oil and or gas well, under a water body and whereby severance of a pressure chamber and/or pressure tube attached to said pressure chamber or valve assembly, and penetration of a riser or of a surrounding tubing will expose the valve to that high hydrostatic pressure existing, around the riser of said well between sea level and the water body, and thereby closing said valve. 
     
     
         12 . The control valve of  claim 11  further comprising;
 a pressure chamber in fluid communication with said control valve, a fluid line attached to said pressure chamber wherein; fluid pumped into the pressure chamber through the fluid line causes the piston to slide so a first sealing element engages a second sealing element. 
 
     
     
         13 . A control valve for a pipe and/or production tubing comprising;
 A production tubing for fluid;   A valve located between segments of said production tubing and below a water body floor;
 Said valve further comprising a sliding piston; 
 Said sliding piston further comprising a first sealing surface and a second sealing element; whereby 
 increased rate of flow in the pipe below the valve makes the piston slide upward so the first sealing element engages the second sealing element therein closing the valve. 
   
     
     
         14 . The control valve of  claim 13  further comprising:
 said sliding piston further comprises a pawl. 
 
     
     
         15 . The control valve of  claim 13  further comprising;
 a pressure chamber in fluid communication with said control valve; 
 a fluid line attached to said pressure chamber; wherein
 fluid pumped into the pressure chamber through the fluid line causes the piston to slide so the first sealing element engages the second sealing element. 
 
 
     
     
         16 . The control valve of  claim 13  further comprising;
 multiple valves which can be located between the production tubing segments. 
 
     
     
         17 . A flow control valve located between segments of production tubing within a borehole below a sea floor of a flowing oil and gas well, and wherein said flow control valve can be closed automatically by the severance of an external lineal unit which supports a sliding weight unit external to said production tubing and whereby the lowering of said weight unit activates said valve to close.