Exterior Drain Tube for Well Screen Assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016003014-A1
Application number	US-201314346891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 26, 2013
Priority date	Mar 26, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A well screen system for use in a wellbore has an elongate base pipe and a screen encircling the base pipe. The screen is configured to filter against passage of particulate into a center bore of the base pipe. The base pipe has a fluid impermeable portion exterior to the screen. A cover sleeve resides over the fluid impermeable portion of the base pipe. A drain tube with a fluid permeable sidewall resides exterior to the base pipe and screen, affixed to the cover sleeve. The drain tube is adapted to communicate fluid from the wellbore around the fluid impermeable portion to the screen.

First claim

1 . A well screen system for use in a wellbore, comprising:
an elongate base pipe; a screen encircling the base pipe and configured to filter against passage of particulate into a center bore of the base pipe, the base pipe having a fluid impermeable portion exterior to the screen; a cover sleeve over the fluid impermeable portion of the base pipe; and a drain tube comprising a fluid permeable sidewall residing exterior to the base pipe and screen, affixed to the cover sleeve, and adapted to communicate fluid from the wellbore around the fluid impermeable portion to the screen.

2 . The well screen system of claim 1 , where the drain tube comprises a fluid permeable portion radially over the fluid impermeable portion of the base pipe and a fluid permeable portion radially over the screen.

3 . The well screen system of claim 1 , where the drain tube comprises a screen material arranged as a flattened tube.

4 . The well screen system of claim 1 , comprising an exterior shroud encircling the screen, and
where the drain tube encircles the shroud.

5 . The well screen system of claim 4 , where the drain tube encircles the cover sleeve.

6 . The well screen system of claim 5 , comprising a shunt tube residing between the screen and the shroud.

7 . The well screen system of claim 1 , where the drain tube resides along the side of the base pipe and the base pipe is outside of an interior center passage of the drain tube.

8 . The well screen system of claim 1 , where the base pipe and the screen comprise a first base pipe and a first screen of a first well screen assembly; and
the well screen system further comprises a second well screen assembly coupled end-to-end with the first well screen assembly; and where the drain tube spans between the first well screen assembly and the second well screen assembly and the fluid permeable sidewall of the drain tube resides radially over the fluid impermeable base pipe of the first well screen assembly and a fluid impermeable base pipe of the second well screen assembly.

9 . The well screen system of claim 8 , where an end of the drain tube resides radially over the exterior of the screen of the first well screen assembly and another end of the drain tube resides radially over the exterior of a screen of the second well screen assembly.

10 . The well screen system of claim 8 , comprising:
a first shunt tube axially spanning the screen and residing between the first screen and an exterior shroud of the first well screen assembly; a second shunt tube axially spanning a screen of the second well screen assembly and residing between the screen and an exterior shroud of the second well screen assembly; a jumper tube coupled to the first and second shunt tubes and residing radially over the fluid impermeable portions of the first and second base pipes; and an exterior cover sleeve over the jumper tube and the fluid impermeable portions of the first and second base pipes; and where the drain tube resides exterior to the cover sleeve.

11 . The well screen system of claim 10 , where the drain tube encircles the cover sleeve.

12 . The well screen system of claim 10 , where the drain tube resides along the side of the exterior shrouds of the first well screen assembly and the second well screen assembly, and the well screen assemblies are outside of an internal center passage of the drain tube.

13 . (canceled)

14 . A method, comprising:
collecting a carrier fluid of a gravel packing slurry in a well bore annulus at a fluid impermeable portion of a well screen assembly in a tubing; communicating the carrier fluid, via the tubing, through the gravel packing to a fluid permeable portion of the well screen assembly; and communicating the carrier fluid to a location radially over a fluid permeable screen of the well screen assembly.

15 . A method, comprising:
collecting a carrier fluid of a gravel packing slurry in a well bore annulus at a fluid impermeable portion of a well screen assembly in a tubing; and communicating the carrier fluid, via the tubing, through the gravel packing to a fluid permeable portion of the well screen assembly, where the tubing comprises a fluid permeable screen and where collecting the carrier fluid comprises collecting the carrier fluid through the sidewall of the tubing and filtering against particulate of a specified size or larger.

16 . (canceled)

17 . A well system, comprising:
a well screen assembly comprising a screen portion that is fluid permeable to a center bore of the assembly and a portion that is fluid impermeable to the center bore; and a conduit with fluid permeable sidewalls at the outer diameter of the well screen assembly and configured to communicate fluid from the fluid impermeable portion to the fluid permeable screen portion.

18 . The well system of claim 17 , where the conduit comprises a screen tube.

19 . The well system of claim 17 , where the conduit comprises a screen material encircling at least a portion of the fluid permeable screen portion and at least a portion of the fluid impermeable portion.

20 . The well system of claim 17 , comprising:
a second well screen assembly; and an exterior cover sleeve spanning the screen portion of the first well screen assembly to a screen portion of the second well screen assembly, and where the conduit comprises a screen tube residing outside the exterior cover sleeve, affixed to the cover sleeve and spanning between the screen portion of the first well screen assembly and the screen portion of the second well screen assembly.

Assignees

• Gano John C
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Gano John C

Classifications

• E21B43/045 Primary

  Crossover tools · CPC title

• E21B43/04

  Gravelling of wells · CPC title

• E21B43/08 Primary

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