Methods of fabricating sand control screen assemblies using three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258256-A1
Application number	US-201414648880-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2014
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of fabricating a sand control screen assembly includes determining an anatomy of a facsimile sand control screen assembly, the sand control screen assembly including one or more component parts. A virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly is then generated based on the anatomy. The virtual 3D model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly is provided to a 3D printer, and the 3D printer forms at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly based on the virtual 3D model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
determining an anatomy of a facsimile sand control screen assembly, the sand control screen assembly including one or more component parts; generating a virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly based on the anatomy; providing the virtual 3D model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly to a 3D printer; and forming at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly with the 3D printer based on the virtual 3D model.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more component parts are parts selected from the group consisting of a base pipe, concentric tubulars, a sand screen, a slotted screen, a perforated shroud, a sintered metal screen, a longitudinally-extending rib, a control line, a wash pipe, a cross-over tool, a shunt tube, an inflow control device, an inflow control valve, and a treatment fluid channel.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the anatomy of the facsimile sand control screen assembly comprises obtaining dimensions and geometry of the one or more component parts.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein obtaining dimensions and geometry of the one or more component parts comprises referencing at least one of manufacturer drawings and blueprints corresponding to a design of an actual sand control screen assembly.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein obtaining dimensions and geometry of the one or more component parts comprises manually measuring the dimensions and the geometry of each component part of an actual sand control screen assembly.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein obtaining dimensions and geometry of the one or more component parts comprises scanning each component part of an actual sand control screen assembly.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the anatomy of the facsimile sand control screen assembly comprises obtaining at least one of a chemical, a metallurgical, and a material composition of the one or more component parts.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein obtaining the at least one of a chemical, a metallurgical, and a material composition of the one or more component parts comprises referencing at least one of manufacturer drawings, blueprints and material orders corresponding to an actual sand control screen assembly.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein obtaining the at least one of a chemical, a metallurgical, and a material composition of the one or more component parts comprises detecting the chemical, the metallurgical, or the material composition of each component part using at least one of x-ray diffraction, near-infrared spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly comprises forming the entire facsimile sand control screen assembly over the course of a single, continuous printing process.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly further comprises:
individually printing the one or more component parts; and assembling the one or more component parts together to provide the facsimile sand control screen assembly.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly further comprises printing the facsimile sand control screen assembly with printing materials selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic, a conductive plastic composite, a rubber, an elastomer, a eutectic metal, a metal alloy, an elemental metal, a metal clay, a clay, a ceramic, a carbonate, silicon, silicon dioxide, magnesium oxide, calcium, a degradable material, a composite material, and any combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly further comprises printing a degradable material on an outermost surface of at least one of the one or more component parts, the degradable material being selected from the group consisting of a borate glass, polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polylactic co-glycolic acid, a galvanically- corrodible metal, an oil degradable polymer, a degradable polymer, a dehydrated salt, and any combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly further comprises modifying a surface of at least one of the one or more of the component parts while forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein modifying the surface of the at least one of the one or more of the component parts comprises applying a surface coating to the at least one of the one or more of the component parts with the 3D printer.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein modifying the surface of the at least one of the one or more of the component parts comprises altering a surface texture of the at least one of the one or more of the component parts with the 3D printer.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more component parts comprises a slotted pipe having a plurality of slots defined therein, and wherein forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly comprises printing the slotted pipe with the 3D printer such that a width of each slot is less than 0.012 inches.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising manually placing one or more sensors on at least one of the one or more component parts while forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing one or more sensors on at least one of the one or more component parts with the 3D printer while forming the at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly.

20 . A method, comprising:
extending a facsimile sand control sand screen assembly on a work string into a wellbore, the facsimile sand control sand screen assembly including one or more component parts and having been fabricated by:
determining an anatomy of the facsimile sand control screen assembly;
generating a virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly based on the anatomy;
providing the virtual 3D model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly to a 3D printer; and
forming at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly with the 3D printer based on the virtual 3D model; and
undertaking one or more wellbore operations while the facsimile sand control screen assembly is positioned in the wellbore.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the one or more component parts are parts selected from the group consisting of a base pipe, concentric tubulars, a sand screen, a slotted screen, a perforated shroud, a sintered metal screen, a longitudinally-extending rib, a control line, a wash pipe, a cross-over tool, a shunt tube, an inflow control device, an inflow control valve, and a treatment fluid channel.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein determining the anatomy of the facsimile sand control screen assembly comprises obtaining dimensions and geometry of the one or more component parts.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein determining the anatomy of the facsimile sand control screen assembly comprises obtaining at least one of a chemical, a metallurgical, and a material composition of the one or

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Philip D
• Ogle James William
• Sanders Michael W

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B28B17/0063

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• G05B2219/49023

  3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder · CPC title

• B22F5/10

  of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title