Apparatus and methods for autonomously shifting a downhole sliding sleeve. A shift tool includes a shifter arm, an artificial neural network, and a control circuit. The artificial neural network is trained to identify engagement of the shifter arm with a shifting feature of a sliding sleeve. The control circuit is configured to extend the shifter arm at a first pressure for seeking engagement with the shifting feature of the sliding sleeve, and responsive to the artificial neural network recognizing engagement of the shifter arm with the shifting feature of the sliding sleeve, extend the shifter arm at a second pressure for shifting the sliding sleeve.

A port assembly for controlling fluid flow through a flow port of a port sub. The port assembly comprises a dissolvable barrier, a burst disk for protecting the dissolvable barrier from fluids inside the port sub, and optionally a protective layer for protecting the dissolvable barrier from external fluids. When the burst disk is ruptured by increased fluid pressure inside the port sub, the dissolvable barrier starts disintegrating from exposure to the fluid. When the dissolvable barrier and protective layer are broken through, a flow passage is opened in the port assembly to permit fluid flow therethrough. The flow passage may be positioned tangentially in the port sub. The breakthrough time of the dissolvable barrier may be preconfigured by providing one or more thinner areas therein and/or placing a corrosive material in the port assembly.

A bit saver assembly having an inner valve sleeve that actuates upon the weight-on-bit (WOB) of the drill bit exceeding a threshold value to overcome the countervailing force provided by a spring contained within the bit saver assembly and the internal flow pressure of the drilling fluid at the area of the inner valve sleeve. Actuation of the inner valve sleeve opens a fluid passage to the wellbore annulus resulting in a reduction of drilling fluid flow pressure and the stretch of the drill string thereby reducing WOB of the drill bit without operator assistance.

An all mechanical counter dart including a mandrel, a plurality of shoulder members disposed upon the mandrel and movable from a more downhole portion of the mandrel to a more uphole portion of the mandrel, individual ones of the plurality of shoulder members moving from an inactive position to an active position and back to an inactive position while traversing the mandrel, and an upset on the mandrel supporting the individual ones of the plurality of shoulder members when in the active position.

Toe valves comprising a bore, a first sub, a second sub, and a housing. The bore extends through the valve. The first sub has separable elements. The separable elements comprise a first sub element and a sleeve element. The first sub element and sleeve element are joined by a relatively weak bridging portion adapted to break in a controlled manner in response to fluid pressure between the first sub element and the sleeve element. They thereby form an integral component comprised of the separable elements. The housing has a port and couples the first sub element and second sub.

A system includes a sleeved valve disposed within a casing string. The sleeved valve has a first cement port configured to open and close to an annulus and a first opening. The first opening and the first cement port are hydraulically connected within the sleeved valve. The system further includes a tool made of a tubular body having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the casing string. The tool includes a tool orifice and a cement injection needle in hydraulic communication with the tool orifice. The cement injection needle fits inside the first opening and, upon entering the first opening, a first hydraulic connection is created between the tool orifice and the first cement port.

A valve for use in a wellbore includes a replaceable choke device that is threaded into at least one opening formed through a sidewall of a tubular housing of the valve. The choke device is sealable on the sidewall of the tubular housing with an elastomeric sealing component, and the choke device controls at least one of fluid pressure within the tubular string and a pressure drop across the valve. The valve also includes a flow sleeve carried by the tubular housing for movement relative thereto between a first position in which fluid flow s permitted across the valve, a second position in which the flow sleeve prevents fluid flow across the valve, and a third position in which the flow sleeve is locked in place relative to the tubular housing by a lock ring.

An apparatus and downhole tool having a releasable locking mechanism for holding a line reliably connected to a tool in a wellbore for providing communication with and/or power to the tool, the releasable locking mechanism has: a movable holding device that can be in a locked state for holding the line reliably connected to the downhole tool or in a released state for allowing release of the line from the tool; and a movable locking device that can be in a locking state wherein the movable locking device engages with the movable holding device in a manner that restricts movement of the movable holding device, thereby locking the movable holding device in its locked state, or that can be in a releasing state for releasing the movable holding device to its released state.

A system includes a compression spring having a latch sleeve, a piston rod including a groove section, and a ratchet assembly that progressively moves the piston rod in a downward direction. A latch collet on the latch sleeve sits on the groove section of the piston rod in a first position of the system. The latch collet locks a spring force of the compression spring as the ratchet assembly progressively moves the piston rod in the downward direction. The latch collet becomes unsupported from the groove section when the piston rod has progressively moved a predetermined distance, causing the compression spring to release and provide a push force that actuates a hydraulic valve from the first position to a second position.

In a dart for a downhole device according to the present invention, a ball is formed of a first degradable material having a first degradation rate, a mandrel is formed of a second degradable material having a second degradation rate lower than the first degradation rate, and a sleeve is formed of the second degradable material or a third degradable material having a third degradation rate lower than the second degradation rate.