Erosion resistant shunt tube assembly for wellscreen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465485-B2
Application number	US-201715814522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A wellscreen has a gravel pack assembly installed that can communicate slurry from a transport tube to a pack tube. A bypass has erosion resistant surfaces exposed to flow of the conveyed slurry and diverts portion of the conveyed slurry from the fluid bore of the transport tube to a tube opening, from which the pack tube extends. The bypass can be incorporated into the top ring for supporting the filter on the basepipes. A sheath of erosion resistance can be formed on or installed in a channel of the end ring to be covered by a cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gravel pack assembly for delivering slurry along tubing of a wellscreen, the assembly comprising:
an end ring having first and second sides opposing one another and defining a channel therein, the channel having a first tube opening on the first side and having second and third tube openings on the second side;
a transport tube having a first end positioning in fluid communication with the second tube opening on the second side of the end ring and positioning along the tubing of the wellscreen;
a pack tube having a second end positioning in fluid communication with the third tube opening on the second side of the end ring and positioning along the tubing of the wellscreen; and
an erosion-resistant sheath comprising one or more inserts having erosion-resistant surfaces disposed inside the channel and exposed to the conveyed slurry, the one or more inserts defining a first fluid passage therethrough communicating the first tube opening with the second tube opening, the first fluid passage defining a longitudinal axis from the first tube opening to the second tube opening, the one or more inserts defining a second fluid passage therethrough communicating the first tube opening with the third tube opening, the second fluid passage defining an angled section communicating off the longitudinal axis of the first fluid passage and defining a longitudinal section communicating with the third tube opening.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the end ring comprises segments positioning about the tubing, at least one of the segments defining the channel.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the channel is exposed externally on the end ring, the assembly further comprising a cover positioning against the end ring and enclosing the channel.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the erosion-resistant surfaces of the one or more inserts comprises a hard surfacing of erosion resistance disposed on an inside surface of the first and second fluid passages.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inserts are composed of an erosion resistant material having the erosion-resistant surfaces.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the erosion-resistant surfaces of the one or more inserts comprise a coating of erosion resistant material disposed on an inside surface of the first and second fluid passages.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a basepipe having a throughbore; and a filter disposed on the basepipe and separating fluid communication between the throughbore and the borehole annulus, the end ring supporting one end of the filter on the basepipe.

8. A gravel pack assembly for delivering slurry along tubing of a wellscreen, the assembly comprising:
an end ring positioning about the tubing, the end ring defining a slot;
a transport tube extending from the end ring along the tubing of the wellscreen and defining a fluid bore therethrough for conveying the slurry, the transport tube positioning in the slot and having a first side port;
a first bypass body having erosion-resistant surfaces exposed to flow of the conveyed slurry and positioned on the transport tube at the first side port, the first bypass body defining a channel, the channel having a second side port and having an outlet, the second side port communicating with the first side port, the first bypass body diverting a portion of the conveyed slurry from the fluid bore of the transport tube to the outlet; and
a first pack tube in fluid communication from the outlet of the first bypass body and extending along the tubing of the wellscreen and having at least one first outlet port.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first bypass body is composed of an erosion-resistant material having the erosion-resistant surfaces.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the erosion-resistant surfaces of the first bypass body comprise a hard surfacing of erosion resistance disposed on an inside surface of the channel.

11. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the erosion-resistant surfaces of the first bypass body comprise a coating of erosion resistant material disposed on an inside surface of the channel.

12. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the transport tube has another first side port, the assembly further comprising:
a second bypass body having erosion-resistant surfaces exposed to flow of the conveyed slurry and positioned on the transport tube at the other first side port, the second bypass body defining another channel, the other channel having another second side port and having another outlet, the other second side port communicating with the other first side port of the transport tube, the second bypass body diverting another portion of the conveyed slurry from the fluid bore of the transport tube to the other outlet; and
a second pack tube in fluid communication from the other outlet of the second bypass body and extending along the tubing of the wellscreen and having at least one second outlet port.

13. The assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a basepipe having a throughbore; and a filter disposed on the basepipe and separating fluid communication between the throughbore and the borehole annulus, the end ring supporting one end of the filter on the basepipe.

14. A gravel pack assembly for delivering slurry along tubing of a wellscreen, the assembly comprising:
an end ring positioning about the tubing;
a slot defined in the end ring;
a transport tube extending from the end ring along the tubing of the wellscreen and defining a fluid bore therethrough for conveying the slurry, the transport tube disposed in the slot and having a first side port;
a channel defined in the end ring, the channel having a second side port in fluid communication with the first side port and having an outlet;
an erosion resistant sheath positioned inside the channel and having the erosion-resistant surfaces exposed to the conveyed slurry, the erosion resistant sheath diverting a portion of the conveyed slurry from the fluid bore of the transport tube to the outlet; and
a pack tube in fluid communication from the outlet and extending along the tubing of the wellscreen and having at least one outlet port.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the erosion resistant sheath comprises an angled insert disposed in the second side port and communicating with the first side port; and a pocket insert disposed in the outlet and communicating the angled insert with the pack tube.

16. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the erosion-resistant sheath is composed of an erosion-resistant material having the erosion-resistant surfaces.

17. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the erosion-resistant surfaces comprise a hard surfacing of erosion resistance.

18. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the erosion-resistant surfaces comprise a coating of erosion resistant material.

19. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the angled insert and the pocket insert each comprise one of: an erosion-resistant material having the erosion-resistant surfaces, a hard surfacing of erosion resistance for the erosion-resistant surfaces, and a coating of erosion resistant material for the erosion-resistant surfaces.

20. The assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a basepipe having a throughbore; and a filter disposed on the basepipe and separating fluid communication between the throughbore and the borehole annulus, the end ring supporting one end of the filter on the basepipe.

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Sessa Michael J
• Mcnamee Stephen
• Sladic John S

Classifications

• E21B43/08

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

• E21B43/045 Primary

  Crossover tools · CPC title

• E21B43/088

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