Downhole flow controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022178225-A1
Application number	US-202017437325-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 8, 2019
Publication date	Jun 9, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flow control apparatus for producing hydrocarbon material from a subterranean formation is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing that defines a housing passage, and a flow communicator that extends through the housing for effecting fluid communication between the housing passage and the subterranean formation. The apparatus includes a flow controller within the housing for modulating flow communication between the housing passage and the subterranean formation via the flow communicator. The flow controller includes a filter medium-defining counterpart and a shroud-defining counterpart, and the filter medium-defining counterpart has a filter medium. The flow controller is configurable for disposition relative to the flow communicator to open, close, or screen the flow communicator. While the filter medium and the flow communicator are not aligned, the housing and shroud-defining counterpart shields the filter medium from the housing passage and the external environment.

First claim

1 . A flow control apparatus comprising:
a housing including a housing passage and a flow communicator for effecting flow communication between an environment external to the housing and the housing passage; a flow controller, for controlling flow communication, via the flow communicator, between the housing passage and the external environment, including:
a filter medium-defining counterpart; and
a shroud-defining counterpart;
wherein:
the filter medium-defining counterpart and the shroud-defining counterpart are co-operatively configured for being disposed in a releasably coupled configuration, wherein, in the releasably coupled configuration, the filter medium-defining counterpart is displaceable with the shroud-defining counterpart;
the housing and the flow controller are co-operatively configured such that, while the filter medium-defining counterpart and the shroud-defining counterpart are co-operating to define the releasably coupled configuration, and a force is being applied to the shroud-defining counterpart with effect that the shroud-defining counterpart is being displaced through the housing passage and the filter medium-defining counterpart is being displaced with the filter medium shroud-defining counterpart:
the filter medium-defining counterpart becomes retained relative to the housing, with effect that:
the filter medium-defining counterpart is released from the shroud-defining counterpart such that the filter medium-defining counterpart and the shroud-defining counterpart become independently displaceable relative to one another; and
the filter medium-defining counterpart is disposed relative to the flow communicator with effect that a flowpath becomes defined, via the flow communicator, between the external environment and the filter medium-defining counterpart.

2 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ;
wherein:
the housing defines a retaining profile;
the filter medium-defining counterpart defines a retainable profile engager for interacting with the retaining profile; and
the retainable profile engager and the retaining profile are co-operatively configured such that, while the filter medium-defining counterpart is being retained relative to the housing, the retainable profile engager is interacting with the retaining profile.

3 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 2 ;
wherein:
the interacting is established in response to alignment between the retainable profile engager and the retaining profile.

4 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 3 ;
wherein:
the retainable profile engager is biased into the interaction.

5 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 ;
wherein:
the retaining profile is defined by a recess;
the retainable profile engager is defined by a protuberance; and
the interaction includes disposition of the retainable profile engager within the retaining profile.

6 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 ;
wherein:
the interacting between the retainable profile engager and the retaining profile is with effect that displacement of the filter medium-defining counterpart, relative to the housing, in a first direction is prevented; and
the housing and the filter medium-defining counterpart are co-operatively configured such that, while the filter medium-defining counterpart is retained relative to the housing, the filter medium-defining counterpart is disposed in abutting engagement with a stop defined by the housing for preventing displacement of the filter medium-defining counterpart, relative to the stop, in the first direction.

7 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 ;
wherein:
the housing and the filter medium-defining counterpart are co-operatively configured such that, while the filter medium-defining counterpart is retained relative to the housing, release of the retention of the filter medium-defining counterpart, relative to the housing, is resisted.

8 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 ;
wherein:
the housing and the flow controller are further co-operatively configured such that, in response to the retention of the filter medium-defining counterpart relative to the housing, the displaceability of the filter medium-defining counterpart with the shroud-defining counterpart is defeated.

9 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 ;
wherein:
each one of the filter medium-defining counterpart and shroud-defining counterpart, independently, is configured to modulate flow communication via the flow communicator.

10 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 ;
wherein:
the filter medium-defining counterpart defines a filter medium;
the retention of the filter medium-defining counterpart relative to the housing is with effect that the filter medium becomes disposed relative to the flow communicator with effect that a flowpath becomes defined, via the flow communicator, between the external environment and the filter medium.

11 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 10 ;
wherein:
the housing and the flow controller are co-operatively configured such that, while the filter medium is disposed relative to the flow communicator with effect that a flowpath becomes defined, via the flow communicator, between the external environment and the filter medium, in the absence of occlusion of the filter medium, flow communication is effected between the external environment and the housing passage via the filter medium.

12 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 10 or 11 ;
wherein:
the flow control apparatus is configurable in an open configuration; and
while the flow control apparatus is disposed in the open configuration:
the flow communicator is disposed in an open condition;
there is an absence of occlusion of the flow communicator by the flow controller; and
the shroud-defining counterpart is occluding the filter medium.

13 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 ;
wherein the shroud-defining counterpart is nested within the filter medium-defining counterpart.

14 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 ;
wherein each one of the filter medium-defining counterpart and the shroud-defining counterpart, independently, is in the form of a sleeve.

15 . The flow control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 ;
wherein the shroud-defining counterpart is configured for engagement to a shifting tool.

16 . A flow control apparatus, configurable in at least a closed configuration and a production configuration, comprising:
a housing including a housing passage and a flow communicator for effecting flow communication between an environment external to the housing and the housing passage; a flow controller for controlling flow communication, via the flow communicator, between the housing passage and the external environment, including:
a filter medium-defining counterpart defining a filter medium; and
a shroud-defining counterpart defining a shroud;
wherein:
while the flow control apparatus is disposed in the closed configuration, the flow communicator and the flow controller are co-operatively disposed such that the flow communicator is disposed in a closed condition, and the filter medium-defining counterpart and the shroud-defining counterpart are co-operatively disposed such that the shroud shields the filter medium from material within the housing passage; and
while the flow

Assignees

• Ncs Multistage Inc

Inventors

• Mberia Stanley
• Brunskill Doug

Classifications

• E21B2200/08

  Down-hole devices using materials which decompose under well-bore conditions · CPC title

• E21B34/14 Primary

  operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B43/08

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

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• E21B43/103

  of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like · CPC title