A SAFETY MECHANISM FOR A WELL, A WELL COMPRISING THE SAFETY MECHANISM, AND RELATED METHODS

摘要

A safety mechanism comprising:an obstructing member moveable between a first position where fluid flow is permitted, and a second position where fluid flow is restricted preferably blocked;a movement mechanism; and a wireless receiver, often an acoustic transceiver, adapted to receive a wireless signal;wherein the movement mechanism is operable to move the obstructing member from one of the first and second positions to the other of the first and second positions in response to a change in the signal being received by the wireless receiver. Embodiments of the invention thus provide a safety mechanism for a well such as a valve, packer, plug or sleeve, which can be operated wirelessly and so may allow operation of safety mechanisms in a well even when emergency situations have occurred.