Shifting sleeve operated with plug against two or more plug seats

Abstract

Provided is an inner sleeve, a downhole tool, and a method for cementing. The inner sleeve, in at least one aspect, includes a tubular having an uphole end, a downhole end, an inside tubular surface and an outside tubular surface. The inner sleeve, in accordance with this aspect, further includes two or more plug seat openings circumferentially positioned about the tubular and extending from the outside tubular surface to the inside tubular surface, the two or more plug seat openings configured to engage with two or more associated plug seats and allow the two or more associated plug seats to move between a radially retracted state and a radially extended state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inner sleeve, comprising:
 a tubular having an uphole end, a downhole end, an inside tubular surface, and an outside tubular surface; and   two or more plug seat openings circumferentially positioned about the tubular and extending from the outside tubular surface to the inside tubular surface, the two or more plug seat openings configured to engage with two or more associated plug seats and allow the two or more associated plug seats to move between a radially retracted state and a radially extended state.   
     
     
         2 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the two or more plug seat openings are two or more T-shaped plug seat openings. 
     
     
         3 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the two or more T-shaped plug seat openings each include a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. 
     
     
         4 . The inner sleeve a recited in  claim 3 , wherein a downhole sidewall of the vertical portion is angled downhole. 
     
     
         5 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 4 , further including two or more associated T-shaped plug seats engaged within the two or more T-shaped plug seat openings, the two or more T-shaped plug seat openings allowing the two or more associated T-shaped plug seats to move between the radially retracted state and the radially extended state. 
     
     
         6 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the two or more associated T-shaped plug seats each include a vertical plug seat portion and a horizontal plug seat portion, and further wherein a second downhole sidewall of the vertical plug seat portion is angled downhole. 
     
     
         7 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the two or more T-shaped plug seat openings each include a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, and further including two or more associated T-shaped plug seats engaged within the two or more T-shaped plug seat openings, the two or more associated T-shaped plug seats each including a vertical plug seat portion and a horizontal plug seat portion, and further wherein the vertical plug seat portion has a radius of curvature. 
     
     
         8 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 1 , further including four or more plug seat openings circumferentially positioned about the tubular and extending from the outside tubular surface to the inside tubular surface. 
     
     
         9 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 1 , further including a lock ring located within a lock ring groove in the outside tubular surface, the lock ring and lock ring grove located between the two or more plug seat openings and the downhole end of the tubular. 
     
     
         10 . The inner sleeve as recited in  claim 1 , further including one or more seals located within one or more seal grooves in the outside tubular surface, the one or more seals and one or more seal grooves located between the two or more plug seat openings and the uphole end of the tubular. 
     
     
         11 . A downhole tool, comprising:
 a valve connector housing; and   an inner sleeve located at least partially within the valve connector housing, the inner sleeve including:
 a tubular having an uphole end, a downhole end, an inside tubular surface, and an outside tubular surface; 
 two or more plug seat openings circumferentially positioned about the tubular and extending from the outside tubular surface to the inside tubular surface; and 
 two or more associated plug seats engaged with the two or more plug seat openings, the two or more associated plug seats configured to move between a radially retracted state and a radially extended state as the inner sleeve slides within the valve connector housing. 
   
     
     
         12 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 11 , further including:
 a body coupled to the valve connector housing and configured to fit within a casing string;   a first valve located within the body and configured to open and close a fluid flow path through the valve connector housing, wherein the first valve opens to a first valve open position in a direction towards a wellhead of the wellbore; and   a second valve located within the body and configured to open and close the fluid flow path through the valve connector housing, wherein the second valve opens to a second valve open position in a direction away from the wellhead of the wellbore.   
     
     
         13 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the first valve is configured to be in the first valve open position and the second valve is configured to be in a second valve closed position during placement of the downhole tool in the wellbore. 
     
     
         14 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the body includes one or more plug seat spaces, the one or more plug seat spaces configured to allow the two or more associated plug seats to move from the radially retracted state to the radially extended state as the inner sleeve slides within the valve connector housing. 
     
     
         15 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the two or more plug seat openings are two or more T-shaped plug seat openings. 
     
     
         16 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the two or more T-shaped plug seat openings each include a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. 
     
     
         17 . The downhole tool a recited in  claim 16 , wherein a downhole sidewall of the vertical portion is angled downhole. 
     
     
         18 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the two or more associated plug seats are two or more associated T-shaped plug seats, and further wherein the two or more associated T-shaped plug seats each include a vertical plug seat portion and a horizontal plug seat portion, and further wherein a second downhole sidewall of the vertical plug seat portion is angled downhole. 
     
     
         19 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 11 , further including four or more associated plug seats engaged with four or more plug seat openings. 
     
     
         201 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 11 , further including a lock ring located within a lock ring groove in the outside tubular surface, the lock ring and lock ring grove located between the two or more plug seat openings and the downhole end of the tubular. 
     
     
         21 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 11 , further including one or more seals located within one or more seal grooves in the outside tubular surface, the one or more seals and one or more seal grooves located between the two or more plug seat openings and the uphole end of the tubular. 
     
     
         22 . A method for cementing in a wellbore, comprising:
 obtaining a casing string and a downhole tool installed therein, wherein the downhole tool includes:
 a body coupled to the casing string; 
 a valve connector housing located within the body; 
 an inner sleeve located at least partially within the valve connector housing, the inner sleeve including:
 a tubular having an uphole end, a downhole end, an inside tubular surface, and an outside tubular surface; 
 two or more plug seat openings circumferentially positioned about the tubular and extending from the outside tubular surface to the inside tubular surface; and 
 two or more associated plug seats engaged with the two or more plug seat openings, the two or more associated plug seats held in radially retracted states via the valve connector housing; 
 
 a first valve located within the body and configured to open and close a fluid flow path through the valve connector housing, wherein the first valve is in a first valve open position; and 
 a second valve located within the body and configured to open and close the fluid flow path through the valve connector housing, wherein the second valve is in a second valve closed position; and 
   introducing the casing string and the downhole tool into a wellbore.   
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , further including introducing cement composition into an annulus located between a wall of the wellbore and an outside of the casing string after introducing the casing string and the downhole tool into the wellbore. 
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the two or more associated plug seats held in the radially retracted state extend radially inward from the inside tubular surface, and further including introducing a plug into the casing string and the inner sleeve, wherein the plug engages with the two or more plug seats to create a seal and a pressure differential, and wherein the pressure differential causes the inner sleeve to shift downhole. 
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the shift downhole moves the first valve to a first valve closed position and the second valve to a second valve open position. 
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the shift downhole allows the two or more associated plug seats to encounter one or more plug seat spaces in the body and move from the radially retracted state to the radially extended state. 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the pressure differential against the plug moves the two or more associated plug seats from the radially retracted state to the radially extended state when they encounter the one or more plug seat spaces in the body. 
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the move of the two or more associated plug seats from the radially retracted state to the radially extended state allows the plug to disengage from the two or more associated plug seats and leave the downhole tool. 
     
     
         29 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the two or more plug seat openings are two or more T-shaped plug seat openings. 
     
     
         30 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the two or more T-shaped plug seat openings each include a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. 
     
     
         31 . The method a recited in  claim 30 , wherein a downhole sidewall of the vertical portion is angled downhole. 
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the two or more associated plug seats are two or more associated T-shaped plug seats, and further wherein the two or more associated T-shaped plug seats each include a vertical plug seat portion and a horizontal plug seat portion, and further wherein a second downhole sidewall of the vertical plug seat portion is angled downhole.