Dual type icd

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016369591-A1
Application number	US-201615184747-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to passive inflow control devices or ICDs having two types of fluidic pathways combined in the same device or well in series or in parallel. Also provided, are well configurations that can be used for e.g., steam assisted oil recovery methods, wherein steam flashing is prevented by included dual type passive inflow control devices in the completion.

First claim

1 . A dual type inflow control device (dual-type ICD), comprising:
a) a tube and a sleeve fitting over said tube, said sleeve having at least one inlet, and said tube having at least one outlet to an interior of said tube; b) an annulus between said tube and said sleeve having a fluidic pathway therein from said inlet to said outlet, said fluidic pathway having first a first pattern and a second pattern different from said first pattern, said first and second patterns being fluidly connected in series or in parallel.

2 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is tube or hybrid channel.

3 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is hybrid channel and wherein said helical channel fluidic pathway is optimized for a production phase of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and said hybrid channel fluidic pathway is optimized for a startup phase of SAGD.

4 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first and second patterns are arranged in series, and said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is tube or hybrid channel.

5 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first and second patterns are arranged in parallel, and said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is hybrid channel.

6 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first and second patterns are arranged in series, and said first pattern is helical and said second pattern is hybrid channel and wherein said helical channel fluidic pathway is optimized for a production phase of SAGD and said hybrid channel fluidic pathway is optimized for a startup phase of SAGD.

7 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in series and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch.

8 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in series and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch and wherein said first pattern is helical channel and is optimized for a production phase of SAGD and wherein said second pattern is hybrid channel and is optimized for a startup phase of SAGD.

9 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is a hybrid channel, wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in series and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch.

10 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is a hybrid channel, wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in series and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch and wherein said helical channel is optimized for a production phase of SAGD and wherein said hybrid channel is optimized for a startup phase of SAGD.

11 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first and second patterns are arranged in parallel, and said first pattern is helical and said second pattern is hybrid channel and wherein said helical channel fluidic pathway is optimized for a production phase of SAGD and said hybrid channel fluidic pathway is optimized for a startup phase of SAGD.

12 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in parallel and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch.

13 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in parallel and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch and wherein said first pattern is helical channel and is optimized for a production phase of SAGD and wherein said second pattern is hybrid channel and is optimized for a startup phase of SAGD.

14 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is a hybrid channel, wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in parallel and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch.

15 . The dual-type ICD of claim 1 , where said first pattern is helical channel and said second pattern is a hybrid channel, wherein said first and second patterns are arranged in parallel and flow through said first and second patterns is controlled with a temperature sensitive switch and wherein said helical channel is optimized for a production phase of SAGD and wherein said hybrid channel is optimized for a startup phase of SAGD.

16 . A well configuration, comprising a well completed with alternating ICD types.

17 . The well configuration of claim 16 , wherein said well is a horizontal well.

18 . The well configuration of claim 16 , comprising a pair of wells, each completed with a plurality of the dual-type ICDs.

19 . The well configuration of claim 18 , wherein said pair of wells are horizontal wells.

20 . A method of SAGD comprising:
a) providing a horizontal injection well above a horizontal production well, one or both wells completed with the dual type ICD of claim 1 ; b) injecting steam into said injection well; and c) recovering mobilized oil from said production well.

21 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising recovering mobilized oil from said production well mostly via said hybrid channel fluidic pathway during start up; and recovering mobilized oil from said production well mostly via said helical channel fluidic pathway after start up.

22 . A method of SAGD comprising:
a) providing a horizontal injection well above a horizontal production well, one or both wells completed with a plurality of dual type ICDs; b) injecting steam into said injection well; c) recovering mobilized oil from said production well via said hybrid channel fluidic pathway during start up; and d) recovering mobilized oil from said production well via said helical channel fluidic pathway after start up.

23 . An improved method of producing heavy oils by SAGD, wherein steam is injected into an upper horizontal well to mobilize oil which gravity drains to a lower horizontal well and flow is controlled in one or both wells with a plurality of ICDs, the improvement comprising providing a plurality of dual-type ICDs of claim 1 , in one or both horizontal wells, thus improving a CSOR of said lower horizontal well as compared to the same one or both wells with only single type of ICD.

24 . An improved method of producing heavy oils by SAGD, wherein steam is injected into an upper horizontal well to mobilize oil which gravity drains to a lower horizontal well and flow is controlled in one or both wells with a plurality of ICDs, the improvement comprising providing alternating type ICDs in one or both horizontal wells, thus improving a CSOR of said lower horizontal well as compared to the same one or both wells with only single type of ICD.

25 . An improved method of producing heavy oils by a steam based enhanced oil recovery method, wherein steam is injected into a well to mobilize oil and flow is controlled in said well with a plurality of ICDs, the improvement comprising providing a plurality of dual-type ICDs of claim 1 in said well, thus improving a CSOR of said well as compared to the same well with only single type ICDs.

Assignees

• Conocophillips Co

Inventors

• Vachon Guy

Classifications

• E21B43/12 Primary

  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

• E21B47/065

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B43/2406

  Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD] · CPC title

• E21B34/06 Primary

  in wells · CPC title