Inflow control device having elongated slots for bridging off during fluid loss control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10202829-B2
Application number	US-201414550000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

A sand screen joint screens borehole fluid during production and bridges off loss control fluid during loss control. The joint has a basepipe having a bore and defining at least one elongated slot therein. Filter media is disposed on the basepipe and screens the borehole fluid. At least one flow device is disposed on the basepipe and restricts communication of the borehole fluid from the filter media to the at least one elongated slot. During the production, the at least one elongated slot communicates the borehole fluid from the at least one flow device to the bore. During the loss control, the at least one elongated slot bridges off with particulate from the loss control fluid communicated from the bore to the at least one flow device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow control apparatus for a borehole, comprising:
a basepipe having a bore for conveying fluid and defining at least one elongated slot permitting fluid communication between the bore and outside the basepipe; and
at least one flow device disposed on the basepipe and having at least one flow restriction, the at least one flow restriction restricting fluid communication between outside the at least one flow device and the at least one elongated slot in the basepipe,
the at least one flow device permitting both inflow and outflow between outside the at least one flow device and the at least one elongated slot in the basepipe without closing off the inflow and the outflow,
the at least one elongated slot permitting both the inflow and the outflow between the at least one flow device and the bore of the basepipe,
the at least one flow device and the at least one elongated slot communicating the inflow of the borehole fluid from outside the at least one flow device into the bore of the basepipe during a production operation without closing off the inflow of the borehole fluid,
the at least one elongated slot and the at least one flow device initially communicating the outflow of basepipe fluid from the bore to outside the at least one flow device without closing off the outflow of the basepipe fluid during a loss control operation,
the at least one elongated slot subsequently bridging off with particulate in the outflow of the basepipe fluid communicated in the bore of the basepipe to close off the outflow of the basepipe fluid beyond the at least one elongated slot during the loss control operation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising filter media disposed on the basepipe, the filter media screening the inflow of the borehole fluid from outside the basepipe and communicating the inflow of the screened fluid with the at least one flow device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow restriction comprises at least one nozzle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow restriction comprises means for producing a pressure drop in the inflow of the borehole fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow device comprises:
a first end in fluid communication with the inflow of the borehole fluid from outside the basepipe; and
a second end in fluid communication with the at least one flow restriction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated slot defines parallel sides.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated slot defines sides angling away from one another toward an interior of the basepipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated slot defines a length greater than a width, the width being configured to engage a size of the particulate during the loss control operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated slot is defined along an axis of the basepipe.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated slot comprises a plurality of the elongated slot defined around an interior of the basepipe.

11. A sand screen joint for screening borehole fluid during a production operation and for bridging off with particulate in loss control fluid during a loss control operation, the joint comprising:
a basepipe having a bore and defining at least one elongated slot therein;
filter media disposed on the basepipe and screening the borehole fluid; and
at least one flow device disposed on the basepipe and restricting communication of the borehole fluid from the filter media to the at least one elongated slot,
the at least one flow device permitting both inflow and outflow between the filter media and the at least one elongated slot in the basepipe without closing off the inflow and outflow,
the at least one elongated slot permitting both the inflow and the outflow between the at least one flow device and the bore of the basepipe,
wherein during the production operation, the at least one flow device and the at least one elongated slot communicate the inflow of the borehole fluid without closing off the inflow from outside the at least one flow device into the bore,
wherein during the loss control operation, the at least one elongated slot and the at least one flow device initially communicate the outflow of the loss control fluid without closing off the outflow from the bore to outside the at least one flow device,
wherein during the loss control operation, the at least one elongated slot subsequently bridges off with the particulate in the outflow of the loss control fluid communicated in the bore of the basepipe to close off the outflow of the loss control fluid beyond the at least one elongated slot.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one flow device comprises at least one nozzle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one flow device comprises means for producing a pressure drop in the inflow of the borehole fluid.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one flow device comprises:
a first end in fluid communication with the borehole fluid from outside the basepipe; and
a second end in fluid communication with the at least one elongated slot.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one elongated slot defines parallel sides.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one elongated slot defines sides angling away from one another toward an interior of the basepipe.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one elongated slot defines a length greater than a width, the width being configured to engage a size of the particulate during the loss control operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one elongated slot is defined along an axis of the basepipe.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one elongated slot comprises a plurality of the elongated slot defined around an interior of the basepipe.

20. A flow control method for a borehole, comprising:
operating during a production operation permitting inflow of borehole fluid to communicate from outside at least one flow device to at least one elongated slot in a basepipe and to communicate from the at least one elongated slot to a bore of the basepipe without closing off the inflow of the borehole fluid by:
screening inflow of the borehole fluid from outside a screen and into at least one flow device on a basepipe;
restricting communication of the inflow of the screened fluid through at least one flow restriction of the at least one flow device; and
communicating the inflow of the restricted fluid through at least one elongated slot in the basepipe and into the bore of the basepipe;

operating during a loss control operation permitting outflow of loss control fluid to communicate from the bore to at least one elongated slot and to communicate from the at least one elongated slot to outside the at least one flow device by:
initially communicating the loss control fluid in the outflow from the bore of the basepipe and through the at least one elongated slot without closing off the outflow; and
subsequently closing off the outflow of the loss control fluid beyond the at least one elongated slot by bridging off the at least one elongated slot with particulate in the outflow of the loss control fluid communicated in the bore of the basepipe.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein restricting communication of the inflow of the screened fl

Assignees

• Weatherford Lamb Inc
• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Mcgeoch Andrew

Classifications

• E21B21/003 Primary

  Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid (plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138) · CPC title

• 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

• E21B43/08 Primary

  Screens or liners {(expandable screens or liners E21B43/108)} · CPC title