Downhole sand control assembly with flow control and method for completing a wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107093-B2
Application number	US-201615204076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Aug 10, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A sand screen assembly offering alternate flow path technology for gravel slurry is provided. The sand screen assembly utilizes transport conduits along an outer diameter of a base pipe for transporting gravel slurry from sand screen to sand screen, thereby providing for a consistent gravel packing along the wellbore. The assembly also includes a unique in-flow control section. The in-flow control section allows the operator to restrict or control the flow of production fluids into the sand screen assembly once a gravel packing operation is completed. Multiple assemblies may be connected using a unique coupling assembly. A method for completing a wellbore in a subsurface formation using the sand screen assembly is also provided herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sand screen assembly residing within a wellbore, comprising:
a base pipe comprising a blank tubular body, the base pipe having a first end, a second end, and a bore there between forming a flow path for production fluids;
filter media disposed circumferentially around and residing along at least a portion of the base pipe, the filter media creating an annular flow path for production fluids moving from a surrounding subsurface formation towards an outer diameter of the base pipe during a subsurface production operation;
a first coupling assembly operatively connected at the first end of the base pipe, and a second coupling assembly operatively connected at the second end of the base pipe, wherein each coupling assembly comprises a manifold that receives gravel slurry from transport conduits across adjacent sand screen assemblies during a gravel packing operation;
one or more transport conduits residing along the outer diameter of the base pipe in the annular flow path, the transport conduits each having a bore for communicating gravel slurry to the first and second coupling assemblies during a gravel packing operation;
an in-flow control section disposed adjacent a coupling assembly along the base pipe comprising:
at least one gravel packing opening in the base pipe to allow fluid communication for gravel slurry leak-off between the annular flow path and the bore of the base pipe during a gravel packing operation;
one or more production fluids openings in the base pipe to allow fluid communication for production fluids between the annular flow path and the bore of the base pipe after production operations have commenced;
a cylindrical transition ring disposed between the at least one gravel packing opening and the one or more production fluid openings, the transition ring having (i) a body defining an inner diameter that sealingly receives the base pipe, and an outer diameter, (ii) radially-disposed openings around the body of the transition ring for transporting gravel slurry across adjacent sections of the filter media, and (iii) one or more fluid-flow conduits along the body for transporting wellbore fluids from the annular flow path around the base pipe to the at least one gravel packing opening or to the one or more production fluids openings;
an in-flow control device located along a flow path to the one or more production fluids openings; and
an impermeable housing defining a blank tubular body that resides around the in-flow control section to force production fluids to flow exclusively into the one or more production fluids openings once the at least one gravel packing opening is closed, such that the in-flow control section forms a less restrictive flow path into the bore of the base pipe for gravel slurry leak-off during the gravel packing operation than for production fluids during the production operation;
wherein, the in-flow control section is configured to close off flow to the at least one gravel packing opening once gravel packing operations are completed.

2. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the in-flow control section is further configured to selectively reduce or shut off the flow path for production fluids at some time after production operations have commenced.

3. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more production fluids openings are pre-tuned to restrict the flow of production fluids into the bore of the base pipe after production operations have commenced, as the in-flow control device.

4. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluid-flow conduits along the transition ring are pre-tuned to restrict the flow of production fluids into the bore of the base pipe after production fluids have commenced, as the in-flow control device.

5. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the transition ring comprises a first transition ring and a second transition ring;
the at least one gravel packing opening in the base pipe resides between the first transition ring and the first end of the base pipe; and
the one or more production fluids openings reside between the second transition ring and the second end of the base pipe.

6. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the transition ring comprises a first transition ring and a second transition ring;
the at least one gravel packing opening in the base pipe resides between the first transition ring and the second transition ring; and
the one or more production fluids openings reside between the second transition ring and one of the first and second ends of the base pipe.

7. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one cylindrical nozzle ring disposed along the base pipe intermediate sections of the filter media between the first end and the second end, the at least one nozzle ring having (i) a body defining an inner diameter that sealingly receives the base pipe, and an outer diameter, (ii) radially-disposed openings around the body of the nozzle ring for transporting gravel slurry across adjacent sections of the filter media, and (iii) one or more fluid-flow conduits along the body of the nozzle ring for transporting wellbore fluids across the annular flow paths of adjoining sections of the filter media.

8. The sand screen assembly of claim 7 , wherein the in-flow control-section further comprises:
one of the at least one nozzle rings;
the one or more production fluids opening in the base pipe reside between a transition ring and the first end of the base pipe; and
the at least one gravel packing opening resides between the nozzle ring and the second end of the base pipe.

9. The sand screen assembly of claim 7 , wherein the in-flow control-section further comprises:
one of the at least one nozzle rings;
the one or more production fluids opening in the base pipe resides between a nozzle ring and the transition ring; and
the at least one gravel packing opening resides between the transition ring and one of the first and second ends of the base pipe.

10. A sand screen assembly residing within a wellbore, comprising:
a first base pipe comprising a blank tubular body, the base pipe having a first end, a second end, and a bore there between forming a flow path for production fluids;
filter media disposed circumferentially around and residing along at least a portion of the base pipe, the filter media creating an annular flow path for production fluids moving from a surrounding subsurface formation towards an outer diameter of the base pipe;
at least one gravel packing opening in the base pipe to allow fluid communication for gravel slurry leak-off between the bore of the base pipe and the annular flow path during a gravel packing operation;
one or more transport conduits residing along the outer diameter of the first base pipe in the annular flow path, the transport conduits each having a bore for providing an alternate flow path for gravel slurry during the gravel packing operation;
a first coupling assembly operatively connected at the first end of the base pipe, and a second coupling assembly operatively connected at the second end of the base pipe, wherein each coupling assembly comprises a manifold that receives gravel slurry from the transport conduits across adjacent sand screen assemblies;
at least one cylindrical nozzle ring disposed along the base pipe intermediate sections of the filter media between the first end and the second end, the at least one nozzle ring having (i) a body defining an inner diameter that sealingly receives the base pipe, and an outer diameter, (ii) gravel packing openings around the body of the nozzle ring for transporting gravel slurry across adjacent sections of the filter m

Assignees

• Yeh Charles S
• Barry Michael D
• Hecker Michael T
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Yeh Charles S
• Barry Michael D
• Hecker Michael T

Classifications

• E21B43/12

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• E21B43/088 Primary

  Wire screens (comprising porous materials E21B43/082; comprising woven materials E21B43/084) · CPC title

• E21B47/1015 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B43/045 Primary

  Crossover tools · CPC title