U.S. patent application number 12/391067 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-26 for screen flow equalization system.
Invention is credited to Eddie Bowen, John T. Broome, Eugene Ratterman, Euin H. Vickery, Benn Voll.
Application Number | 20100212895 12/391067 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42629935 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100212895 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vickery; Euin H. ; et
al. |
August 26, 2010 |
Screen Flow Equalization System
Abstract
An assembly of inflow control devices on a string along with
isolation devices can be delivered into an existing or newly
delivered screen assembly that requires inflow control for balanced
flow from the formation. In newly delivered screen assemblies, any
gravel packing that needs to be done can be accomplished without
the presence of the inflow devices for faster circulation and
improved gravel deposition. External annular barriers can also be
delivered with an original screen assembly in a new well
installation. The inflow devices and barriers can be of a variety
of designs and the internal string can be removable if the barriers
are retrievable to facilitate further drilling or completion below
the screen assembly.
Inventors: |
Vickery; Euin H.; (Houston,
TX) ; Voll; Benn; (Humble, TX) ; Ratterman;
Eugene; (Spring, TX) ; Bowen; Eddie; (Porter,
TX) ; Broome; John T.; (The Woodlands, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mossman, Kumar and Tyler, PC
P.O. Box 421239
Houston
TX
77242
US
|
Family ID: |
42629935 |
Appl. No.: |
12/391067 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/278 ;
166/205; 166/373; 166/377; 166/386 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 43/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/278 ;
166/205; 166/386; 166/373; 166/377 |
International
Class: |
E21B 43/08 20060101
E21B043/08; E21B 33/12 20060101 E21B033/12; E21B 43/04 20060101
E21B043/04; E21B 34/06 20060101 E21B034/06; E21B 23/00 20060101
E21B023/00; E21B 43/10 20060101 E21B043/10 |
Claims
1. A flow distribution assembly for a screen assembly located
downhole, comprising: an inner tubular string assembly comprising
at least one inflow control device and at least one isolator, said
isolator selectively actuated into contact with the screen assembly
when said inner tubular string is inserted downhole into the screen
assembly to define at least two flow zones through which fluid flow
is balanced.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein: said at least one isolator
comprises at least two isolators disposed on opposed ends of said
inflow control device.
3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein: said at least one flow control
device comprises a plurality of flow control devices with each pair
of flow control devices having an isolator between them.
4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein: said flow control devices have
differing resistance to the same flow rate of a predetermined
fluid.
5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein: said at least two isolators
comprises a plurality of isolators with at least on pair of
adjacent isolators not having an inflow control device between
them.
6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein: said isolators are retrievable
to allow removal of said inner tubular string to facilitate access
to the wellbore past said screen assembly.
7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein: said isolator comprises a
swelling packer.
8. The assembly of claim 4, wherein: said isolator comprises a
swelling packer.
9. An assembly for balancing flow from a formation, comprising: an
outer screen assembly defining an outer annulus between itself and
a wellbore; an inner tubular string assembly comprising at least
one inflow control device and at least one inner isolator, said
inner isolator selectively actuated into contact with the screen
assembly when said inner tubular string is inserted downhole into
the screen assembly to define at least two flow zones through which
fluid flow is balanced, said inner tubular string assembly defining
an inner annulus between itself and said outer screen assembly in
which said isolator is disposed.
10. The assembly of claim 9, further comprising: at least one
external isolator disposed in said outer annulus.
11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein: said inner and outer
isolators are axially aligned.
12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein: said inner and outer
isolators are not axially aligned.
13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein: said external isolator
comprises a swelling packer.
14. The assembly of claim 9, wherein: said at least one isolator
comprises at least two isolators disposed on opposed ends of said
inflow control device.
15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein: aid at least one flow
control device comprises a plurality of flow control devices with
each pair of flow control devices having an isolator between
them.
16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein: said flow control devices
have differing resistance to the same flow rate of a predetermined
fluid.
17. The assembly of claim 14, wherein: said at least two isolators
comprises a plurality of isolators with at least on pair of
adjacent isolators not having an inflow control device between
them.
18. The assembly of claim 16, wherein: said isolators are
retrievable to allow removal of said inner tubular string to
facilitate access to the wellbore past said screen assembly.
19. The assembly of claim 9, wherein: said isolator comprises a
swelling packer.
20. The assembly of claim 16, wherein: said isolator comprises a
swelling packer.
21. The assembly of claim 16, wherein: said at least one external
isolator comprises a plurality of spaced isolators and said at
least one internal isolator comprises a plurality of internal
isolators, said internal and external isolators closest to each
other are either axially aligned or misaligned with each other.
22. The assembly of claim 21, wherein: said outer annulus contains
gravel between at least one pair of said outer isolators.
23. A completion method for downhole use, comprising: providing an
outer screen assembly in a wellbore to define an outer annulus;
inserting an inner assembly of a tubular string and at least one
inflow control device and at least one internal isolator into the
outer assembly that is already in the wellbore to define an inner
annulus between said assemblies; actuating the internal isolator
into contact with the outer assembly; defining by said internal
isolator actuation a plurality of zones through the outer screen
assembly for flow balancing therethrough.
24. The method of claim 23, comprising: gravel packing the outer
annulus before inserting said inner assembly.
25. The method of claim 23, comprising: providing at least one
external isolator in said outer annulus.
26. The method of claim 24, comprising: setting said external
isolator with swelling.
27. The method of claim 23, comprising: setting said internal
isolator with swelling.
28. The method of claim 24, comprising: providing at least one
external isolator in said outer annulus; setting said external
isolator after said gravel packing.
29. The method of claim 28, comprising: using a swelling packer for
said external isolator.
30. The method of claim 23, comprising: providing, on said inner
assembly, a plurality of spaced inflow control devices separated
from each other with a plurality of internal isolators.
31. The method of claim 30, comprising: providing different
resistance to a given flow of a predetermined fluid among said
inflow control devices.
32. The method of claim 25, comprising: setting said external
isolator with said inner assembly.
33. The method of claim 23, comprising: making said internal
isolator retrievable; unsetting said internal isolator; pulling the
inner assembly out of said outer screen assembly; conducting
downhole operations beyond said outer screen assembly.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The field of the invention is control of flow through screen
sections either newly run or retrofit in existing wells by using
internal flow control devices on an inner string separated by
barriers within the screen and optionally for new installations
additional external annular barriers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Formations with long production intervals frequently provide
an of imbalance of the incoming flow along the interval that leads
to problems with water coning or other water production challenges,
and also production of other undesirable fluids. Prior solutions
have included balancing the flow along a long production interval
with a plurality of inflow control devices, which may be designed,
tuned, or manipulated to segment and distribute the inflow across
the production interval to improve the inflow characteristics.
Typically these devices have been integrated into an assembly
including sand screen systems.
[0003] Inflow control devices in the past were incorporated within
sand screen systems which included a blank non-perforated base pipe
with a screen mounted to it and sealed at opposed ends to define an
annular space between the base pipe and the screen surrounding it
with an inflow control device provided in fluid communication with
both the main bore of the production tubing and this annular space
to control the fluid inflow profile of fluids produced through that
screen section, into the annular space, and into the production
tubing. The produced fluid would flow along the base pipe and
inside the screen to an inflow control device (ICD) which in the
case of the Equalizer.RTM. inflow control device sold by Baker Oil
Tools included a spiral flow path whose resistance to a given flow
rate could be designed to be higher in one location along the
production interval or lower in another. Thus, any number of ICDs
could be provided along a long production interval with zonal
isolation between the segments including an ICD to segment and
isolate the flow characteristics as desired to balance the
production of fluid and prevent undesired production complications
such as water coning or the like. The operation of an ICD in this
manner is well understood throughout the oil & gas completions
industry, and for a given screen section, the flow would travel
through the ICD and enter another annular space with a hole or
holes in the base pipe and from there all flows from a collection
of isolated screen sections would enter the base pipe and be
conducted to the surface through a tubing string. Some examples of
screen assembly flow control and balancing systems are illustrated
in the following patents: [0004] U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,022 Expandable
flow control device; [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 7,409,999 Downhole inflow
control device with shut-off feature; [0006] U.S. Pat. No.
7,290,606 Inflow control device with passive shut-off feature;
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,983 Coiled tubing strings and
installation methods; [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,817 Flow control
apparatus and methods; [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,454 Spooled
coiled tubing strings for use in wellbores; and [0010] U.S. Pat.
No. 5,896,928 Flow restriction device for use in producing
wells.
[0011] There are limitations to the integrated designs of screens
with inflow control devices described above. One limitation is the
ICDs limit the ability to circulate gravel packing slurries when
trying to do a gravel pack on an assembly of screen sections.
Another limitation is that for existing installations that have an
assembly of screen sections, there is no way to use the above
described integrated screen with ICD to retrofit an existing
screened well without running in a second screen assembly inside
the existing assembly, assuming space permits. Doing so would
greatly reduce flow altogether and create a new problem when trying
to solve the problem of misdistribution. Still further, the close
tolerances in the screen annulus between the screen and base pipe
of conventional systems limits applicability of ICD usage for
highly viscous or heavy oil production.
[0012] The present invention is directed at the limitations
described above and focuses on decoupling the integration of the
ICD from the primary sand screen assembly and separating the ICDs
from that screen assembly so that, for example, a retrofit of an
existing screen assembly can be done to provide flow balancing to a
screen assembly already in the hole; or so that the annular space
along which axial flow occurs can be spaced as desired limited only
by the isolation capabilities of a particular zonal isolation
device between isolated sections. This is accomplished by locating
a plurality of ICDs on a separate inner string separated from one
another by zonal isolation devices. The ICDs and the isolation
devices can be of a variety of types. The isolation devices are
preferably but not necessarily interventionless and allowed to set
themselves downhole, and the zones of interest can be adjacent or
separated by blank pipe. In that manner, an existing screen
assembly without ICDs can be retrofitted for balanced flow to
eliminate the issues relating to flow imbalance described
above.
[0013] In new installations, ordinary screens with optional
external annulus barriers can be run in first and if needed, gravel
packed without limits to circulation normally posed by the presence
of screens integrated with ICDs and the lack of perforated base
pipe along the production interval for taking circulation returns.
After gravel packing, if required, the internal string is run in
with the ICDs the same as if the installation were a retrofit
operation described above. The internal zonal isolation barriers
straddle the ICDs to define discrete zones within the screen
sections. The zonal isolation barriers outside the screen can be
self actuating packers such as swelling packers. Alternatively,
either the outer string with the sand screen or the inner string
with the ICDs (or both) can have ball seats and spaced seals around
a port that communicated to the external seals to set them. The
internal barriers can be retrievable to allow the string with the
ICDs to be pulled from inside the screens to facilitate drilling or
workover further downhole or to permit replacement of ICDs as
production profiles change during the life of a well. These and
other advantages of the present invention will be more apparent to
those skilled in the art from a review of the description of the
preferred embodiment and the associated drawings below while
understanding that the full scope of the invention is to be
determined from the claims appended below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] A tubing conveyed assembly of retrievable or non-retrievable
inflow control devices on a tubing string along with isolation
devices can be delivered into an existing or newly delivered screen
assembly that requires inflow control for balanced flow from the
formation. In newly delivered screen assemblies, any gravel packing
that needs to be done can be accomplished without the presence of
the inflow devices and with conventionally perforated base pipe for
faster circulation and improved gravel deposition. External annular
barriers can also be delivered with an original screen assembly in
a new well installation. The inflow devices and barriers can be of
a variety of designs and the internal string can be removable if
the barriers are retrievable to facilitate further drilling or
completion below the screen assembly.
[0015] In one aspect, an embodiment of the invention can include a
wellbore completion system, comprising an outer string including a
plurality of perforated base pipe joints. A plurality of such
joints may be perforated and open to flow of reservoir fluid from
an annulus between the screen joints and a production zone of a
reservoir; an inner inflow control string may be provided within
the screen joints. The inner string may include at least a
plurality of zonal isolation devices disposed along a string of
non-perforated base pipe to control the flow of fluid along the
inner string within an annulus between the inner and outer strings;
and at least one inflow control device may be provided between at
least two of the zonal isolation devices to control the inflow flow
of fluid into the inner inflow control string.
[0016] In another aspect, an embodiment of the invention can
include a method of gravel packing a well, comprising the steps of:
providing an outer string including a plurality of perforated base
pipe joints, wherein a plurality of such joints are perforated and
open to flow of reservoir fluid from an annulus between the screen
joints and a production zone of a reservoir; providing a gravel
pack work string within the outer string; pumping a gravel slurry
through the work string to deposit the gravel slurry within an
annulus between the outer string and a wall of a wellbore; removing
the work string from the outer string; providing an inner inflow
control string within the outer string, the inner string including:
at least a plurality of zonal isolation devices disposed along a
string of non-perforated base pipe to control the flow of fluid
along the inner string within an annulus between the inner and
outer strings; and wherein at least one inflow control device
between at least two of the zonal isolation devices to control the
inflow flow of fluid into the inner inflow control string.
[0017] In yet another aspect of the invention, an inflow control
system can provide inflow control to an existing completion having
existing permanently deployed perforated base pipe. The system may
comprise an inner inflow control string within the outer string,
the inner string, and may include at least a plurality of zonal
isolation devices disposed along a string of non-perforated base
pipe to control the flow of fluid along the inner string within an
annulus between the inner and outer strings. At least one inflow
control device may be provided between at least two of the zonal
isolation devices to control the inflow flow of fluid into the
inner inflow control string, and the inner inflow control string
adapted to be deposited and deployed within the existing
permanently deployed perforated base pipe.
[0018] In a further aspect, the invention may be directed to a
method of remediating an existing well completion, which includes
an existing perforated base pipe. In such an embodiment, an inner
inflow control string may be provided within the outer string,
wherein the inner string includes at least a plurality of zonal
isolation devices disposed along a string of non-perforated base
pipe to control the flow of fluid along the inner string within an
annulus between the inner and outer strings. In such an embodiment,
at least one inflow control device could be provided between at
least two of the zonal isolation devices to control the inflow flow
of fluid into the inner inflow control string.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a retrofit assembly for an existing screen
assembly to provide flow balancing capability;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a new installation of a screen assembly with
external annulus isolators and a series of inflow control devices
delivered on an internal string with barriers to separate the
inflow devices within the string assembly;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a section view of a portion of an outer screen
assembly with the portion of the inner string assembly between two
isolators installed in it.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] A pipe joint as used herein includes a section of interest
along a continuous string of coiled tubing or other tubular goods
and is not intended to be limited to threaded oil country tubular
goods ("OCTG"). A stand is intended to mean a given length of
interest of a tubular, and is not limited to any particular size or
length or configuration of such tubulars. Perforated can include
holes or other apertures, or any size and shape or configuration of
slots or other openings designed to permit flow therethrough. An
inflow control device some examples of which are a tortuous path,
an orifice or other opening or path designed to limit or moderate
flow at a desired rate of inflow in one zone of interest with
respect to another zone of interest.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 1 a wellbore 10 which can be open hole or
cased hole has a series of screen sections 12, 14, 16 and 18 joined
together to make an assembly 20. Although no blank pipe sections
are illustrated in assembly 20 it is within the scope of the
invention to use such blank pipe. An annular space 22 is defined
between the assembly 20 and the wellbore 10. Incoming flow from the
formation 10 is represented by arrows 24. That same flow enters the
annulus 22 and flows along that annulus 22 as indicated by arrows
26. The annular space 22 may have been gravel packed (not shown).
In the retrofit embodiment of the invention, the above described
structures are in the wellbore and the screen assembly has no
devices for balancing the incoming flow but production of water or
the need to isolate a zone or zones that are producing undesired
fluids is needed. In this embodiment of the invention, an inner
string 28 that comprises preferably a plurality of inflow control
devices (ICD) 30 that preferably differ in the offered resistance
to a predetermined flow rate of a given fluid is run into position
in the screen assembly 20. Each ICD allows flow into the inner
string 28 as indicated by arrows 32. Isolation devices 34
preferably straddle the ICDs 30 internal to the assembly while it
is possible that the topmost and lowermost ICDs may only have an
isolation device on one side. It is also possible that some pairs
of adjacent isolators 34 will have no ICDs. Zones of the assembly
that need to be isolated will not have an ICD on inner string 28,
for example. If the assembly 20 has blank pipe then the string 28
may also contain no ICDs 30 in the inner string 28 for proper
spacing out of the ICDs 30 to be adjacent to a portion of the outer
string assembly 20 that has screen sections.
[0024] Those skilled in the art will realize that the inner string
28 can have any number of ICDs 30 where adjacent ICDs 30 are
separated by an isolator 34. The isolators 34 can be any style and
can be permanent or retrievable. They can be swelling packers,
mechanically set, hydraulically set or inflatables to name some
possibilities. The ICDs 30 can be of a variety of types. They can
be tortuous paths or orifices to name a few possibilities. They can
be sensitive to density or other parameters to detect water or
other undesirable fluid production and shut off. They can be
selectively opened or closed and put into positions in between with
tools run in from the surface or with locally associated valve and
operators that can be operated by control line, wireline or by
remote operation from the surface such as with acoustic signals or
by a sonde delivered to the proximity of a given ICD 30 to move it
fully open or closed or positions in between mechanically or by
communicating to a locally mounted processor to trigger motor
operation to reconfigure the ICD 30. If the barriers 34 are
retrievable, the entire assembly of the string 28 with the ICDs 30
and barriers 34 can be pulled as an assembly to facilitate access
for further drilling or to complete a previously drilled portion of
the well or laterals exiting from a main bore.
[0025] Those skilled in the art will now appreciate that an
existing well bore having a screen assembly 20 that is made up of a
series of perforated base pipes covered by a screen material that
have no means for flow balancing in a given zone can be retrofitted
with an interior flow control string 28 that at minimum has one ICD
30 and one barrier 34 for subdividing the existing assembly of the
outer screen 20 so that flow can be balanced and even adjusted
automatically or by surface intervention to change the flow regime
through the assembly 20.
[0026] FIG. 2 is directed to a new completion and is virtually
identical to FIG. 1 in all respects from an equipment standpoint
except for the external isolators 36 placed between adjacent screen
stands such as 14'. The method of use differs from FIG. 1 in that
the assembly 20' is first run in with the external isolators 36 to
the zone or zones in question. An optional gravel pack can take
place outside the assembly 20' using known techniques with a
crossover tool such that some or all of the annulus 22' can be
filled. At this time the inner string 28' is not inside the
assembly 20' so that the ICDs 30 do not restrict fluid circulation
for the gravel pack and are not exposed to gravel erosion from the
circulating fluid that is used to deposit the gravel. As a result a
better gravel packing can be accomplished in less time than using a
screen assembly with integrated ICDs known in the prior art.
[0027] After the gravel packing equipment is removed the inner
string assembly 28' as previously described can be run in. The
external isolators 36 can be set in a variety of ways after the
gravel pack if one is required. The isolators 36 can set by
swelling after a time exposure to well fluids or by introduction of
well fluids from the surface that trigger the isolators 36 to set.
The setting can be mechanical, hydraulic, hydrostatic or with a
straddle tool to selectively actuate each isolator 36 in a desired
order. For example a space between two isolators 36 can be gravel
packed and an adjacent isolator 36 can be set before an adjacent
annular zone 22' is gravel packed. With a straddle tool the
preferred isolator style is an inflatable.
[0028] Alternatively, the inner assembly 28' can spaced seals with
a port in between that can straddle a fill port for a given
isolator 36 so that the isolators 36 can be set using the inner
assembly 28' such as for example with a series of seats to
accommodate different size balls for sequential setting of the
isolators 36 with inner string 28'.
[0029] In the preferred embodiment, the isolators 36 create
discrete zones within the annular space 22' while the isolators 34'
create preferably aligned zones in annulus 38 between the inner
assembly 28' and the outer screen assembly 20'. For example zones
40 and 42 are axially aligned. The isolators 36 and 34' are also
axially aligned but offsets between such isolator pairs are
contemplated.
[0030] While the assembly 20 or 20' is referred to as a screen
assembly it is intended to encompass perforated pipe as well as a
base pipe that has openings with a mesh or other type of overlay of
a filtering device.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates a known screen 100 mounted over a
perforated base pipe 102 with end seals 104 and 106. This assembly
is a part of what has been referred to as screen assembly 20 or
20'. A portion of the inner tubular 28 or 28' has the inflow
control device 30 between isolators or barriers 34.
[0032] The above description is illustrative of the preferred
embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in
the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be
determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims
below:
* * * * *