DOWNHOLE TUBULAR SLEEVE VALVE AND USE OF SUCH A SLEEVE VALVE

摘要

A downhole tubular sleeve valve (10) includes a rotary coaxial valve sleeve (14) with a plurality of circumferentially spaced sleeve flow paths (20) extending through the valve sleeve (14). The valve sleeve (14) is located inside a housing (12). A plurality of circumferentially spaced outer bores (24) extend through the housing (12) and can be aligned with the plurality of sleeve flow paths (20). A protruding ring (26) surround each of the circumferentially spaced outer bores (24) inside the housing and form a protruding sealing surface (52) conforming to a ported surface (18) in the sleeve (14). A chamber (28) exposed to the pressure outside the valve is formed between the housing (12) and the sleeve (14), whereby a piston formed by the sleeve is exposed to the pressure outside the valve. A tension element (29) biases a sealing surface on the sleeve towards each of the protruding ring surfaces (52). The sleeve valve (10) may be used to control fluid flow between a hydrocarbon reservoir and tubing in an oil well in the hydrocarbon reservoir, or to inject fluids into a formation surrounding a well.