eRED
Description
Our (patented) eRED valve represents the state-of-the-art in truly intelligent downhole flow control equipment. Typically run below a plugging assembly such as a lock or bridge plug, the eRED can be opened and closed multiple times, controlling flow through the tubing without the need for any intervention or an umbilical control line.
The integrated, programmable electronics and sensors monitor and respond to the actual downhole conditions, opening and closing the eRED as per pre-determined instructions. By applying tubing pressure at surface, the operator can effectively communicate with the eRED in order to open or close it.
Well data such as time, temperature and pressure (above and below the seal) is also recorded and can be downloaded once the eRED is retrieved.
Triggers and actions
An eRED action, such as opening or closing, is initiated only when a specific well condition
(known as a trigger) is detected. Upon successful completion of that action, the eRED can
look for another trigger which in turn initiates the next action. Using a series of different
trigger and action combinations, the eRED can be used in complex well programs, opening
and closing as required without intervention.
There are two trigger types: the Pressure Window Trigger and a selection of General Triggers. The trigger parameters for each deployment are set using proprietary software which is run on a standard PC and communicates with the eRED via a USB link.
Pressure Window Trigger
This allows the operator to communicate with the eRED in order to remotely initiate an
action by applying pressure to the tubing string. The eRED only responds to the pre-defined
pressure being applied for the pre-defined time. Any pressure applied outside the defined
values will be ignored by the eRED, allowing unlimited and various pressure cycles to be
applied to the tubing without activating the eRED.
Onboard data analysis, allows the eRED to distinguish its own commands from other external factors such as naturally fluctuating hydrostatic or reservoir pressure. This enables the eRED to behave as planned, even if the downhole conditions have changed unexpectedly.
General Triggers
General Triggers respond to the downhole conditions and allow the eRED to initiate an action based on the ambient temperature, pressure or after a timer has expired. Each General Trigger can initiate an action by itself or can be used in conjunction with any of the other triggers to build more elaborate instructions. For example, the eRED could be set to initiate an action when it detects hydrostatic pressure greater than 5,000 psi but only after 20 days downhole.
Actions
Once a particular trigger has been detected, the eRED will fulfil the associated action for that trigger. Typically this is either to open or close the eRED valve. However, several other actions are available that can be used in programming more elaborate operational sequences.
