초록 ▼

A downhole sleeve has an insert movable in the sleeve's bore from a closed condition to an opened condition when a ball dropped in the bore engages an indexing seat in the sliding sleeve. In the closed condition, the insert prevents communication between the bore and the sleeve's port, while the ins

A downhole sleeve has an insert movable in the sleeve's bore from a closed condition to an opened condition when a ball dropped in the bore engages an indexing seat in the sliding sleeve. In the closed condition, the insert prevents communication between the bore and the sleeve's port, while the insert in the opened condition permits communication between the bore and port. Keys of a seat extend into the bore to engage the ball and to move the insert open. After opening, the keys retract so the ball can pass through the sleeve to another cluster sleeve or to an isolation sleeve of an assembly. Insets or buttons disposed in the sleeve's port temporarily maintain fluid pressure in the sleeve's bore so that a cluster of sleeves can be opened before treatment fluid dislodges the button to treat the surrounding formation through the open port.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A downhole sliding sleeve disposed on a tubing string with at least one other sliding sleeve in a wellbore and actuated by application of fluid pressure against a plug deployed in the sliding sleeve, the sliding sleeve comprising: a housing defining a bore and defining at least one port communica

1. A downhole sliding sleeve disposed on a tubing string with at least one other sliding sleeve in a wellbore and actuated by application of fluid pressure against a plug deployed in the sliding sleeve, the sliding sleeve comprising: a housing defining a bore and defining at least one port communicating the bore outside the housing;an insert disposed in the bore and being movable from a closed condition to an opened condition relative to the at least one port;a seat disposed on the insert, the seat engaging the plug when the insert has the closed condition, the seat moving the insert from the closed condition to the opened condition with the application of the fluid pressure against the engaged plug, the seat releasing the plug when the insert has the opened condition; andat least one inset member disposed in the at least one port, the at least one inset member at least temporarily maintaining the fluid pressure in the tubing string after the insert has moved to the opened condition at least until the at least one other sliding sleeve on the tubing string is opened with the maintained fluid pressure. 2. The sliding sleeve of claim 1, wherein the insert defines slots, and wherein the seat comprises a plurality of keys movable between extended and retracted positions in the slots. 3. The sliding sleeve of claim 1, further comprising seals disposed between the bore and the insert and sealing off the at least one port when the insert is in the closed condition. 4. The sliding sleeve of claim 1, further comprising a catch temporarily holding the insert in the closed condition. 5. The sliding sleeve of claim 1, further comprising a lock locking the insert in the opened condition. 6. The sliding sleeve of claim 1, wherein the at least one inset member defines at least one orifice therethrough. 7. The sliding sleeve of claim 6, wherein the at least one orifice produces a pressure differential across the insert in the closed condition and facilitates the movement of the insert to the opened condition. 8. The sliding sleeve of claim 6, wherein the at least one inset member defines at least one slot on at least one side thereof. 9. The sliding sleeve of claim 8, wherein the at least one slot intersects the at least one orifice in the at least one side. 10. The sliding sleeve of claim 8, wherein the at least one slot comprises a plurality of slots intersecting at a center in the at least one inset member. 11. The sliding sleeve of claim 10, wherein the at least one orifice is defined at the center in the at least one inset member, and wherein the at least one inset member comprises a plurality of additional orifices therethrough, each of the additional orifices intersected by one of the slots. 12. The sliding sleeve of claim 1, wherein the at least one inset member dislodges from the at least one port with the application of an increased fluid pressure, breaks up in the at least one port, erodes from the at least one port, or performs a combination thereof to subsequently permit fluid communication through the at least one port. 13. The sliding sleeve of claim 12, wherein the at least one inset member dislodges from the at least one port when subjected to the increased fluid pressure of a frac operation. 14. A downhole well fluid system, comprising: a plurality of sliding sleeves disposed on a tubing string in a wellbore,each of the sliding sleeves being closed relative to at least one port in each sliding sleeve,each of the sliding sleeves opening with fluid pressure applied against a first plug deployed in each sliding sleeve;wherein a first of the sliding sleeves comprises an inset member being temporarily disposed in the at least one port, the inset member at least temporarily maintaining the fluid pressure in the tubing string and allowing the maintained fluid pressure to act against the first plug at least until a second of the sliding sleeves on the tubing string is opened with the maintained fluid pressure. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first sliding sleeve comprises: an insert disposed in the first sliding sleeve and being movable from a closed condition to an opened condition relative to the at least one port; anda seat disposed on the insert, the seat engaging the first plug when the insert has the closed condition, the seat moving the insert from the closed condition to the opened condition with the application of the fluid pressure against the first plug, the seat releasing the first plug when the insert has the opened condition. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one inset member defines at least one orifice producing a pressure differential across the insert in the closed condition and facilitating the movement of the insert to the opened condition. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the second sliding sleeve comprises second components similar to first components of the first sliding sleeve. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the second sliding sleeve comprises an isolation sleeve engaging the first plug and preventing fluid communication in the tubing string therepast. 19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a third of the sliding sleeves disposed on the tubing string either uphole or downhole of the first sliding sleeve, the third sliding sleeve being closed relative to the at least one port in the third sliding sleeve, the third sliding sleeve opening with the fluid pressure applied against a second plug deployed in the third sliding sleeve. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the third sliding sleeve passes the first plug therethrough without being opened, passes the second plug down the tubing string after opening, or engages the second plug after opening and prevents fluid communication in the tubing string therepast. 21. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one inset member defines at least one orifice therethrough, the at least one orifice producing a pressure differential across the first sliding sleeve in the closed condition and facilitating opening of the first sliding sleeve. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one inset member defines at least one slot on at least one side thereof. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one slot intersects the at least one orifice in the at least one inset member. 24. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one slot comprises a plurality of slots intersecting at a center in the at least one inset member. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one orifice is defined at the center in the at least one inset member, and wherein the at least one inset member comprises a plurality of additional orifices therethrough, each of the additional orifices intersected by one of the slots. 26. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one inset member dislodges from the at least one port with the application of an increased fluid pressure, breaks up in the at least one port, erodes from the at least one port, or performs a combination thereof to subsequently permit fluid communication through the at least one port. 27. A wellbore fluid treatment method, comprising: deploying at least two sliding sleeves on a tubing string in a wellbore;engaging a first plug in a first of the at least two sliding sleeves, the first sliding sleeve being closed relative to at least one first port in the first sliding sleeve;opening the closed first sliding sleeve relative to the at least one first port by applying fluid pressure against the engaged first plug;passing the first plug through the open first sliding sleeve to a second of the at least two sliding sleeves on the tubing string; andmaintaining the fluid pressure in the tubing string at least until the second sliding sleeve is opened by at least temporarily preventing loss of the fluid pressure in the tubing string out the at least one first port after opening the first sliding sleeve and passing the first plug therethrough. 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising facilitating opening of the closed first sliding sleeve by permitting wellbore pressure through the at least one first port in the closed first sliding sleeve. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein facilitating opening of the closed first sliding sleeve comprises producing a pressure differential across an insert in a closed condition in the closed first sliding sleeve with the wellbore pressure permitted through an orifice in a temporary restriction of the at least one first port. 30. The method of claim 27, further comprising: engaging the first plug in the second sliding sleeve, the second sliding sleeve being closed relative to at least one second port in the second sliding sleeve; andopening the second sliding sleeve relative to the at least one second port by applying the fluid pressure against the engaged first plug. 31. The method of claim 30, further comprising passing the first plug through the open second sliding sleeve. 32. The method of claim 30, further comprising seating the first plug in the open second sliding sleeve and preventing fluid communication in the tubing string therepast. 33. The method of claim 27, further comprising permitting fluid communication through the at least one first port in the open first sliding sleeve by dislodging a temporary restriction of the at least one first port with application of an increased fluid pressure against the temporary restriction, by breaking up the temporary restriction, by eroding the temporary restriction, or by a combination thereof. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein dislodging the temporary restriction of the at least one first port with the application of the increased fluid pressure against the temporary restriction comprises applying the increased fluid pressure for a frac operation. 35. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least two sliding sleeves deployed on the tubing string comprise a third sliding sleeve disposed uphole on the tubing string from the first sliding sleeve, the third sliding sleeve being closed relative to at least one third port in the first sliding sleeve. 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising passing the first plug through the closed third sliding sleeve to the first sliding sleeve without opening the closed third sliding sleeve. 37. The method of claim 35, further comprising: opening the third sliding sleeve with the first plug;passing the first plug through the open third sliding sleeve to the closed first sliding sleeve; andpermitting opening of the closed first sliding sleeve with the first plug by at least temporarily preventing loss of the fluid pressure in the tubing string out the at least one third port after opening the third sliding sleeve. 38. The method of claim 35, further comprising: engaging a second plug in the closed third sliding sleeve; andopening the closed third sliding sleeve relative to the at least one third port by applying the fluid pressure against the engaged second plug. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the second plug has a larger size than the first plug. 40. The method of claim 38, further comprising: passing the second plug through the open third sliding sleeve; andpermitting opening of the closed second sliding sleeve with the second plug by at least temporarily preventing loss of the fluid pressure in the tubing string out the at least one third port after opening the third sliding sleeve.