received by the International Bureau on 28 February 2017 (28.02.2017)

In the Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A valve for use in a wellbore, comprising:

a housing comprising a housing port;

a slidable closure member disposed in a bore of the housing and comprising a closure member port; and

a seal disposed in the housing;

wherein the closure member comprises a first position in the housing where fluid communication is provided between the closure member port and the housing port, and a second position axially spaced from the first position where fluid communication between the closure member port and the housing port is restricted;

wherein, in response to sealing of the bore of the housing by an obturating member sealingly engaging the seal, the closure member is configured to actuate from the first position to the second position.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the closure member comprises a sleeve.

3. The valve of claim 1, wherein the closure member comprises a third position in the housing axially spaced from the first position and the second position where fluid communication between the closure member port and the housing port is restricted.

4. The valve of claim 3, wherein the first position of the closure member is disposed axially between the second position and the third position.

5. The valve of claim 3, wherein, in response to sealing of the bore of the housing by the obturating member sealingly engaging the seal, the closure member is configured to actuate from the third position to the first position.

6. The valve of claim 1, further comprising a first shoulder configured to physically engage the obturating member such that the obturating member maintains sealing engagement with the seal as the closure member is actuated from the first position to the second position. 149

7. The valve of claim 6, wherein the first shoulder extends radially inwards from an inner surface of the housing.

8. The valve of claim 6, wherein the first shoulder extends radially inwards from an inner surface of the closure member.

9. The valve of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the housing comprises the seal.

10. The valve of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the closure member comprises the seal.

11. The valve of claim 1, further comprising a first lock ring disposed radially between the housing and the closure member, wherein the first lock ring comprises a first position permitting relative axial movement between the housing and the closure member, and a second position radially spaced from the first position that restricts relative axial movement between the housing and the closure member in both a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction.

12. The valve of claim 11, wherein the closure member comprises a radially translatable actuator configured to actuate the first lock ring between the first position and the second position.

13. The valve of claim 11, wherein, when the first lock ring is disposed in the second position, the closure member is locked in the first position.

14. The valve of claim 11, further comprising a second lock ring disposed radially between the housing and the closure member and axially spaced from the first lock ring, wherein the second lock ring comprises a first position permitting relative axial movement between the housing and the closure member, and a second position radially spaced from the first position that restricts relative axial movement between the housing and the closure member in both the first and second directions.

15. The valve of claim 14, wherein, when the second lock ring is disposed in the second position, the closure member is locked in the second position. 150

16. The valve of claim 11, further comprising:

a third lock ring disposed radially between the housing and the closure member and axially spaced from the first lock ring and the second lock ring, wherein the third lock ring comprises a first position permitting relative axial movement between the housing and the closure member, and a second position radially spaced from the first position that restricts relative axial movement between the housing and the closure member in both the first and second directions;

wherein the closure member comprises a third position in the housing axially spaced from the first position and the second position where fluid communication between the closure member port and the housing port is restricted;

wherein, when the third lock ring is disposed in the second position, the closure member is locked in the third position.

17. A valve for use in a wellbore, comprising:

a housing comprising a housing port; and

a slidable closure member disposed in a bore of the housing and comprising closure member port;

wherein the closure member comprises a first position in the housing where fluid communication is provided between the closure member port and the housing port, a second position axially spaced from the first position where fluid communication between the closure member port and the housing port is restricted, and a third position axially spaced from the first position and the second position where fluid communication between the closure member port and the housing port is restricted;

wherein the first position of the closure member is disposed axially between the second position and the third position.

18. The valve of claim 17, wherein:

an inner surface of the closure member comprises a first shoulder and a second shoulder axially spaced from the first shoulder;

in response to physical engagement between an obturating member and the first shoulder, relative axial movement between the obturating member and the closure member is restricted in a first direction; and in response to physical engagement between the obturating member and the second shoulder, relative axial movement between the obturating member and the closure member is restricted in a second direction opposite the first direction.

19. The valve of claim 18, wherein:

the inner surface of the closure member comprises a sealing surface disposed axially between the first shoulder and the second shoulder; and

in response to sealing of the bore of the housing by the obturating member sealingly engaging the sealing surface, the closure member is configured to actuate from the first position to the second position.

20. (Cancelled)

21. The valve of claim 17, further comprising:

a sealing surface disposed in the bore of the housing;

wherein, in response to sealing of the bore of the housing by the obturating member sealingly engaging the sealing surface, the closure member is configured to actuate from the third position to the first position;

wherein an inner surface of the housing comprises a first shoulder;

wherein, when the closure member is actuated from the third position to the first position, the first shoulder is configured to physically engage the obturating member to prevent actuation of the closure member from the first position to the second position.

22. The valve of claim 17, further comprising:

a first shear groove extending laterally through the housing;

a first pair of shear pins disposed in the first shear groove, wherein the first pair of shear pins is biased into physical engagement by a first pair of biasing members.

23. The valve of claim 22, further comprising:

a pin slot extending axially along an inner surface of the housing, wherein the pin slot intersects the first shear groove; and

an engagement pin extending from an outer surface of the closure member, wherein the engagement pin is disposed in the pin slot; wherein, in response to the application of an axial force to the closure member, the closure member is actuated from the first position to the second position and the engagement pin shears a terminal end of each shear pin of the first pair of shear pins.

24. The valve of claim 23, wherein, in response to the shearing of the terminal end of each shear pin of the first pair of shear pins, the first pair of biasing members displace the first pair of shear pins into physical engagement.

25. The valve of claim 23, further comprising:

a second shear groove extending laterally through the housing and axially spaced from the first shear groove; and

a second pair of shear pins disposed in the second shear groove, wherein the second pair of shear pins is biased into physical engagement by a second pair of biasing members;

wherein, in response to the application of the axial force to the closure member, the closure member is actuated from the third position to the first position and the engagement pin shears a terminal end of each shear pin of the second pair of shear pins.

26. The valve of claim 17, further comprising:

a seal cap comprising a bore disposed in an inner surface of the housing, wherein the seal cap comprises a sealing surface and the bore of the seal cap is in fluid communication with the housing port; and

an elongate seal member disposed on an outer surface of the closure member, wherein the elongate seal member comprises a sealing surface;

wherein, in response to physical engagement between the sealing surfaces of the seal cap and the elongate seal member, a metal-to-metal seal is formed between the seal cap and the seal member.

27. The valve of claim 26, wherein the elongate seal member does not extend around the circumference of the closure member.

28. The valve of claim 17, wherein the closure member comprises a sleeve.

29. A flow transported obturating tool for actuating a valve in a wellbore, comprising: 153

a housing comprising a first engagement member and a second engagement member, wherein the first and second engagement members each comprise an unlocked and a locked position; and

a core disposed in the housing, wherein the core is configured to actuate both the first engagement member and the second engagement member between the unlocked and locked positions;

wherein, when the first engagement member is in the locked position, the first engagement member is configured to locate the obturating tool at a predetermined axial position in the valve;

wherein, when the second engagement member is in the locked position, the second engagement member is configured to shift the valve from an open position to a closed position.

30. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 29, further comprising:

a seal disposed in the outer surface of the core and in sealing engagement with an inner surface of the housing;

wherein, in response to the application of a fluid pressure to a first end of the core, the core is configured to actuate both the first engagement member and the second engagement member between the unlocked and locked positions.

31. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 29, wherein:

the first engagement member comprises a first key comprising a radially expanded position corresponding to the locked position and a radially retracted position corresponding to the unlocked position;

the second engagement member comprises a second key comprising a radially expanded position corresponding to the locked position and a radially retracted position corresponding to the unlocked position;

the core comprises a first cam surface extending radially outwards from an outer surface of the core;

the core comprises a first position in the housing and a second position axially spaced from the first position; and

when the core is disposed in the first position, the first key is disposed in the radially expanded position and is physically engaged by the first cam surface.

32. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 31, wherein: 154

the second key is axially spaced from the first key;

the core comprises a second cam surface extending radially outwards from the outer surface of the core;

in response to displacement of the core from the first position to the second position, the second key is physically engaged by the second cam surface and displaced from the radially retracted position to the radially expanded position.

33. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 32, wherein, when the core is disposed in the second position, the first key is disposed in the radially retracted position within a first groove extending into the outer surface of the core.

34. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 32, wherein, when the first key is disposed in the radially expanded position, the first key is configured to physically engage a shoulder of the valve to restrict relative axial movement between the obturating tool and the valve.

35. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 32, wherein:

the housing comprises a third engagement member comprising an unlocked position and a locked position;

the core is configured to actuate the third engagement member between the unlocked and locked positions; and

when the third engagement member is in the locked position, the third engagement member is configured to restrict the obturating tool from being displaced uphole relative to the valve.

36. The flow transported obturating tool claim 35, wherein:

the third engagement member comprises a third key comprising a radially expanded position corresponding to the locked position and a radially retracted position corresponding to the unlocked position;

wherein the core comprises a third position in the housing that is axially spaced from the first position and the second position;

wherein, when the core is disposed in the third position, the third key is disposed in the radially expanded position and is physically engaged by a third cam surface extending radially outwards from the outer surface of the core. 155

37. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 36, wherein the second position of the core in the housing is disposed axially between the first and third positions of the core.

38. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 35, further comprising:

a carrier disposed radially between the housing and the core;

wherein the third engagement member comprises a third key comprising a radially expanded position corresponding to the locked position and a radially retracted position corresponding to the unlocked position;

wherein the carrier is configured to actuate the third key between the radially expanded position and the radially retracted position in response to axial displacement of the carrier in the housing.

39. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 31, further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the core towards the first position.

40. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 39, wherein the biasing member comprises: a pin slidably disposed in an atmospheric chamber, wherein the pin is coupled to the housing and the atmospheric chamber is coupled to the core; and

a seal coupled to an outer surface of the pin and in sealing engagement with an inner surface of the atmospheric chamber to seal the atmospheric chamber;

wherein the atmospheric chamber is filled with a compressible fluid.

41. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 40, wherein a volume of the atmospheric chamber increases in response to the displacement of the core from the first position to the second position.

42. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 31, further comprising an actuation assembly coupled to a lower end of the core, wherein the actuation assembly is configured to control the displacement of the core between the first position and the second position.

43. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 42, wherein the actuation assembly comprises:

a solenoid valve, wherein, when the core is disposed in the first position, the solenoid valve is disposed in the closed position; and 156

an electronics module in signal communication with the solenoid valve, and wherein the electronics module is configured to actuate the solenoid valve from the closed position to the open position to displace the core from the first position to the second position.

44. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 43, wherein:

the electronics module comprises a timer configured to be initiated for a predetermined period of time in response to the application of a threshold fluid pressure applied to a first end of the core; and

the electronics module is configured to actuate the solenoid valve from the closed position to the open position once the timer reaches zero.

45. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 42, wherein the actuation assembly comprises:

a valve body coupled to a lower end of the core and comprising a first seal in physical engagement with an inner surface of the housing; and

a groove disposed in the inner surface of the housing, wherein the groove is configured to provide fluid communication across the first seal of the valve body when the groove axially overlaps the first seal;

wherein the groove of the housing axially overlaps with the first seal of the valve body when the core is disposed in the first position;

wherein, when the core is disposed in the second position, the first seal is axially spaced from the groove in the housing.

46. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 45, wherein, when the core is disposed in the second position, the first seal sealingly engages the inner surface of the housing to form a hydraulic lock within a sealed chamber disposed in the housing.

47. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 46, wherein the actuation assembly further comprises:

a valve assembly in fluid communication with the chamber of the housing;

wherein, in response to the application of a threshold fluid pressure applied to the upper end of the core, the valve assembly is actuated from a closed position to an open position eliminating the hydraulic lock formed in the chamber of the housing. 157

48. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 29, further comprising a seal disposed in an outer surface of the housing, wherein the seal of the housing is configured to sealingly engage an inner surface of the valve.

49. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 29, further comprising:

a lock ring disposed radially between the housing and the core, wherein the lock ring comprises a first position permitting relative axial movement between the housing and the core, and a second position radially spaced from the first position that restricts relative axial movement between the housing and the core; and

a radially translatable bore sensor disposed in the housing and configured to actuate the lock ring between the first and second positions.

50. The flow transported obturating tool of claim 29, wherein:

the core comprises a first segment coupled to a second segment at a shearable coupling; wherein, in response to the application of a force to a first end of the first segment of the core, the shearable coupling is configured to shear to permit relative axial movement between the first segment of the core and the second segment of the core.

51. A method for orientating a perforating tool in a wellbore, comprising:

providing an orienting sub in the wellbore;

providing a perforating tool in the wellbore; and

engaging a retractable key of the perforating tool with a helical engagement surface of the orienting sub to rotationally and axially align a charge of the perforating tool with a predetermined axial and rotational location in the wellbore.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising retracting the retractable key to allow the perforating tool to pass through the orienting sub.

53. The method of claim 51, further comprising biasing the retractable key of the perforating tool into a radially expanded position to engage the retractable key with the helical engagement surface of the orienting sub. 158

54. The method of claim 51, further comprising engaging the retractable key of the perforating tool with the helical engagement surface of the orienting sub to rotationally and axially align the charge of the perforating tool with an indentation formed on the orienting sub.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising firing the charge through the indentation of the orienting sub to perforate a casing disposed in the wellbore.