Compliant screen shroud to limit expansion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11118435-B2
Application number	US-202016779293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

Compliant wellbores screens may be arranged to radially expand in a wellbore. The screens include an outer shroud layer including a perforation pattern thereon arranged for limiting the degree to which the screens are expand. The perforation patterns may permit the screens to be expanded to a predetermined limit by imparting a stable or relatively low expansion force. Once the predetermined limit is reached, the outer shrouds may require a sharp increase in the expansion force for further expansion. The sharp increase will prevent over-expansion of the screens, particularly where precise control over an expansion force imparted to expand the screens proves difficult. The perforation pattern may include arc-shaped perforations formed in sheet metal, spaces between braided metal strands, or many other arrangements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of deploying a wellbore screen, the method comprising:
determining a target displacement for the expansion of the wellbore screen in the wellbore;
selecting the wellbore screen that includes an outer shroud having a plurality of perforations defined therein, the perforations arranged in a pattern which will permit the outer shroud to expand to the target displacement in response to an expansion force applied thereto, the target displacement at a limit where further expansion of the outer shroud requires an increase in the expansion force for further expansion, and wherein the limit is defined at an acceleration of the expansion force required for further radial displacement of the outer shroud;
running the wellbore screen into the wellbore on a tubing string; and
applying the expansion force to the outer shroud to expand the outer shroud to the target displacement.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filling an expandable chamber disposed beneath the outer shroud with a pressurized fluid and applying the expansion force to the outer shroud with the expandable chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising stretching a material defined between perforations in the outer shroud in response to applying the expansion force to displace the outer shroud beyond the limit.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing slack in an arrangement of braided strands in response to applying the expansion force to displace the outer shroud up to the limit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the target displacement includes selecting a target outer diameter for the wellbore screen expanded by the target displacement wherein the target outer diameter is at least an inner diameter of the wellbore.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the expansion force to the outer shroud induces the outer shroud to expand to within a predetermined tolerance of about 25% of the limit and the target displacement.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a longitudinal length of the outer shroud while applying the expansion force to expand the outer shroud.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the group consisting of injecting fluid and producing fluid through the plurality of perforations in the wellbore.

9. A wellbore screen system, comprising
a base pipe connected in a tubing string;
a filtration layer disposed around the base pipe, the filtration layer forming a tubular covering over the base pipe and operable filter against passage of particulates larger than a specified size; and
an outer shroud disposed around the base pipe, the outer shroud having a plurality of perforations defined therein, the perforations arranged in a pattern which will provide a limit at a target displacement where further expansion of the outer shroud requires an increase in the expansion force for further expansion, wherein the limit is defined at an acceleration of the expansion force required for further radial displacement of the outer shroud.

10. The wellbore screen system of claim 9 , further comprising an expansion mechanism carried on the base pipe and selectively operable to apply the expansion force to the outer shroud.

11. The wellbore screen system of claim 10 , wherein the expansion mechanism comprises at least one expandable chamber disposed beneath the outer shroud and responsive to being filled with a pressurized fluid to apply the expansion force to the outer shroud.

12. The wellbore screen system of claim 11 , further comprising at least one drainage layer bridging a flow channel defined between adjacent expandable chambers of the at least one expandable chamber.

13. The wellbore screen system of claim 9 , wherein the outer shroud comprises a plurality of braided strands arranged to include a predetermined amount of slack therein, wherein the limit is defined where the slack is removed.

14. The wellbore screen system of claim 13 , wherein the outer shroud is disposed beneath the filtration layer.

15. The wellbore screen system of claim 9 , wherein the outer shroud comprises a sheet metal layer comprising a plurality of elongated perforations defined therethrough to provide compliance to the outer shroud.

16. The wellbore screen system of claim 15 , wherein the elongated perforations include a plurality of elongated arc-shaped perforations having a dimple defined at an approximate midsection thereof.

17. The wellbore screen system of claim 9 , wherein for each unit of increase in the expansion force beyond the limit only a 10% increase in the radial displacement is induced compared to each unit increase in the expansion force below the limit.

18. A wellbore screen system, comprising
a base pipe connected in a tubing string;
a filtration layer disposed around the base pipe, the filtration layer forming a tubular covering over the base pipe and operable filter against passage of particulates larger than a specified size; and
an outer shroud disposed around the base pipe, the outer shroud having a plurality of perforations defined therein, the perforations arranged in a pattern which will provide a limit at a target displacement where further expansion of the outer shroud requires an increase in the expansion force for further expansion;
wherein the outer shroud comprises a plurality of braided strands arranged to include a predetermined amount of slack therein, wherein the limit is defined where the slack is removed.

19. The wellbore system of claim 18 , wherein the limit is defined at an acceleration of the expansion force required for further radial displacement of the outer shroud.

20. The wellbore system of claim 19 , wherein for each unit of increase in the expansion force beyond the limit only a 10% increase in the radial displacement is induced compared to each unit increase in the expansion force below the limit.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Greci Stephen Michael
• Fripp Michael Linley
• Grant David

Classifications

• E21B43/108 Primary

  Expandable screens or perforated liners · CPC title

• E21B43/10

  Setting of casings, screens, liners {or the like} in wells · CPC title

• E21B43/086

  Screens with preformed openings, e.g. slotted liners (comprising porous materials E21B43/082) · CPC title