Apparatus and method for a gas lift valve

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a valve assembly comprising a valve section, a power section, and an electronics section. The valve assembly is configured to mate with a tubing sub (and/or mandrel) inserted in-line with a tubing string inserted into a wellbore. The valve allows for injection into or production from the tubing string. The valve assembly comprises an electric motor and a motor controller permitting fine control over the valve, as well as sensors which measure various parameters, such as fluid flow, valve position, pressure, temperature, and/or water cut. A cable connects the valve assembly to the surface and provides power and data telemetry and allows control of the valve assembly with a remote electronic signal. Multiple valve assemblies may be provided at spaced intervals along the tubing string and individually monitored and/or controlled by a remote location. Also disclosed is a method for operation of such valve assemblies.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hydrocarbon well, comprising:
 a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation;   downhole tubing that extends within the wellbore and defines a tubing conduit, wherein the wellbore and the downhole tubing together define an annular space there between;   a production conduit defined by one of the tubing conduit and the annular space that is configured to produce a reservoir fluid from the subterranean formation;   a gas lift supply conduit that is defined by the tubing conduit and the annular space;   a plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies spaced apart along a length of the downhole tubing, wherein each of the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies comprises
 (i) a gas injection conduit extending between the production conduit and the gas lift supply conduit; 
 (ii) a valve assembly orifice that defines an orifice portion of the gas injection conduit; 
 (iii) at least one pressure sensor; 
 (iv) an electrically actuated valve that defines a valve portion of the gas injection conduit and is configured to be selectively and electrically actuated between an open state, in which the electrically actuated valve permits fluid flow through the gas injection conduit, and a closed state, in which the electrically actuated valve restricts fluid flow through the gas injection conduit; 
 (v) a controller programmed to selectively provide a respective control signal to each electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly to control the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies between the open state and the closed state based, at least in part, on measurements provided by the at least one pressure sensor; and 
   a valve power supply system configured to supply an electric current to electrically power the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies.   
     
     
         2 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises a first pressure sensor positioned to measure an annular space pressure and a second pressure sensor positioned to measure a downhole tubing pressure. 
     
     
         3 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 2 , wherein each electrically actuated gas lift valve is configured to measure a pressure differential between the annular space and the downhole tubing pressure at a position proximate to the valve. 
     
     
         4 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to selectively actuate each of the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies between the open state and the closed state based, at least in part, on the corresponding pressure differential measured by the electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 1 , wherein each electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly comprises a flow sensor configured to detect a flow rate of the gas lift stream. 
     
     
         6 . The hydrocarbon well of  claim 1 , wherein each electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly comprises an electric motor coupled to the electrically actuated valve. 
     
     
         7 . A downhole valve system, comprising:
 a plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies spaced apart along a length of downhole tubing within a subterranean formation, wherein each of the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies comprises
 (i) a valve assembly orifice that defines an orifice portion of a gas injection conduit; 
 (ii) at least one pressure sensor; 
 (iii) an electrically actuated valve that defines a valve portion of the gas injection conduit and is configured to be selectively and electrically actuated between an open state, in which the electrically actuated valve permits fluid flow through the gas injection conduit, and a closed state, in which the electrically actuated valve restricts fluid flow through the gas injection conduit; 
 (iv) a controller programmed to selectively provide a respective control signal to each electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly to control the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies between the open state and the closed state based, at least in part, on measurements provided by the at least one pressure sensor; and 
   a valve power supply system configured to supply an electric current to electrically power the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies.   
     
     
         8 . The downhole valve system of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises a first pressure sensor positioned to measure an annular space pressure and a second pressure sensor positioned to measure a downhole tubing pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The downhole valve system of  claim 8 , wherein each electrically actuated gas lift valve is configured to measure a pressure differential between the annular space and the downhole tubing pressure at a position proximate to the valve. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole valve system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to selectively actuate each of the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies between the open state and the closed state based, at least in part, on the corresponding pressure differential measured by the electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The downhole valve system of  claim 7 , wherein each electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly comprises a flow sensor configured to detect a flow rate of the lift gas stream through the gas injection conduit. 
     
     
         12 . The downhole valve system of  claim 7 , wherein each electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly comprises an electric motor coupled to the electrically actuated valve. 
     
     
         13 . A method of providing gas lift in a hydrocarbon well, comprising:
 providing a plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies coupled to a tubing string in a wellbore,
 wherein each of the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies comprises an electric motor, a motor controller, a valve assembly orifice, and one or more pressure sensors, wherein each of the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies comprises a plurality of continuously variable positions between a fully open position and a fully closed position, 
   measuring a pressure differential between an annular tubing pressure and a tubing string pressure at a position proximate to each of the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies,   selectively opening a selected electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly based, at least in part, on the measured pressure differential from the one or more pressure sensors; and   controlling fluid flow through the selected electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly between an inner portion of the tubing string and an annulus of the tubing string based on the measured pressure differential.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein a production conduit is defined by one of the tubing conduit and the annular space that is configured to produce a reservoir fluid from the subterranean formation,   wherein a gas lift supply conduit is defined by the tubing conduit and the annular space,   further comprising providing a gas lift stream to the production conduit via the selected electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises
 (i) repeating the measuring step;   (ii) selectively closing the selected electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly based, at least in part, on a change in the respective pressure differential;   (iii) selectively opening another electrically actuated gas lift valve assembly in the plurality of electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies based, at least in part, on the change in the respective pressure differential; and   (iv) providing the gas lift stream to the production conduit via one or more of the other electrically actuated gas lift valve assemblies.