Wellbore apparatus and methods for zonal isolations and flow control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9303485-B2
Application number	US-201113990803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2011
Priority date	Dec 17, 2010
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Method for completing a wellbore in a subsurface formation includes providing a sand control device representing one or more joints of sand screens, and a packer assembly along the joints with at least one mechanically-set packer with at least one alternate flow channel therein. Running the packer assembly and connected sand screen into the wellbore, setting a mechanically-set packer into engagement with the surrounding wellbore, injecting gravel slurry into the wellbore to form a gravel pack. An elongated isolation string is run into the sand control device across the packer assembly with valves that serve as an inflow control device. Thereafter, seals are activated around the isolation string and adjacent the packer assembly. A zonal isolation apparatus allows flow control to be provided above and below packer assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for completing a wellbore in a subsurface formation, the method comprising:
providing a sand control device comprising:
an elongated base pipe having at least two joints,
at least one alternate flow channel extending substantially along the base pipe, and
a filter medium radially surrounding the base pipe along a substantial portion of the base pipe so as to form a sand screen;

providing a packer assembly comprising at least one mechanically-set packer, each mechanically-set packer comprising:
a sealing element,
an inner mandrel, and
at least one alternate flow channel;

connecting the packer assembly to the sand screen intermediate the at least two joints so that the at least one alternate flow channel in the packer assembly is in fluid communication with the at least one alternate flow channel in the sand control device;
running the sand control device and connected packer assembly into the wellbore;
setting the at least one mechanically-set packer by actuating the sealing element into engagement with the surrounding wellbore;
injecting a gravel slurry into the wellbore in order to form a gravel pack above and below the packer assembly after the at least one mechanically-set packer has been set;
running a string of tubing into the wellbore with an elongated isolation string connected at a lower end of the string of tubing, the isolation string comprising:
a tubular body having an inner diameter defining a bore in fluid communication with a bore of the string of tubing, and an outer diameter configured to be received within the base pipe and the inner mandrel,
a first valve providing fluid communication between the bore of tubular body and an annular region formed between the outer diameter of the tubular body and the surrounding base pipe, and
one or more seals along the outer diameter of the tubular body;

placing the elongated isolation string within the base pipe and across the packer assembly such that:
the first valve is above or below the packer assembly, and
the one or more seals is adjacent to the set packer assembly; and

activating the one or more seals in order to seal an annular region formed between the outer diameter of the tubular body and the surrounding inner mandrel adjacent to a set packer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first valve comprises at least one through-opening through the tubular body, and the method further comprises:
closing at least one of the at least one through-opening, thereby partially restricting the flow of fluids through the tubular body along a selected zone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein closing at least one of the at least one through-opening is in response to (i) a mechanical force applied to the first valve, (ii) an electrical signal sent to the first valve, (iii) an acoustic signal delivered to the first valve, (iv) the passing of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag across the first valve, or (v) hydraulic pressure provided to the first valve.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the isolation string further comprises a second valve, and wherein:
either the first valve or the second valve is above the packer; and
the other of the first valve or the second valve is below the packer.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
closing the first valve, the second valve, or both.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
opening the first valve, the second valve, or both, thereby creating fluid communication between the selected valve and a bore of the base pipe.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filtering medium of the sand screen comprises a wire-wrapped screen, a membrane screen, an expandable screen, a sintered metal screen, a wire-mesh screen, a shape memory polymer, or a pre-packed solid particle bed.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wellbore is completed with a string of perforated casing; and
actuating the sealing elements of the at least one packer assembly into engagement with the surrounding wellbore means actuating the sealing elements into engagement with the surrounding perforated casing.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wellbore is completed with a section of non-perforated casing; and
actuating the sealing elements of the at least one packer assembly into engagement with the surrounding wellbore means actuating the sealing elements into engagement with the surrounding non-perforated casing.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wellbore is completed as an open-hole completion; and
actuating the sealing elements of the at least one packer assembly into engagement with the surrounding wellbore means actuating the sealing elements into engagement with a surrounding subsurface formation.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one mechanically-set packer further comprises:
a movable piston housing retained around the inner mandrel; and
one or more flow ports providing fluid communication between the alternate flow channels and a pressure-bearing surface of the piston housing.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
running a setting tool into the inner mandrel of the at least one mechanically-set packer before running the elongated isolation string into the sand control device;
manipulating the setting tool to mechanically release the movable piston housing from its retained position; and
communicating hydrostatic pressure to the piston housing through the one or more flow ports, thereby moving the released piston housing and actuating the sealing element against the surrounding wellbore.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
each of the at least one mechanically-set packer comprises a first mechanically-set packer and a second mechanically-set packer spaced apart from the first mechanically-set packer, the second mechanically-set packer being substantially a mirror image of or substantially identical to the first mechanically-set packer.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
running a setting tool into the inner mandrel of each of the first and second packers before running the elongated isolation string into the sand control device;
manipulating the setting tool to mechanically release the movable piston housing from its retained position along each of the respective first and second packers; and
communicating hydrostatic pressure to the piston housings through the one or more flow ports, thereby moving the released piston housings and actuating the sealing element of each of the first and second packers against the surrounding wellbore.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the packer assembly further comprises a swellable packer element intermediate the first mechanically-set packer and the second mechanically-set packer.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packer assembly further comprises:
a section of blank pipe intermediate the first mechanically-set packer and the second mechanically-set packer; and
placing a gravel pack around the section of blank pipe.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the gravel pack is between about 40 feet (12.19 meters) and 100 feet (30.48 meters) in length.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
conditioning a column of drilling mud residing in the wellbore before running the sand control device and connected packer assembly into the wellbore.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
producing hydrocarbon fluids from the subsurface formation and through the base pipe of the sand control device.

20. The method of cla

Assignees

• Hecker Michael T
• Barry Michael D
• Stevens Petrus A J
• Howell David A
• Yeh Charles S
• Macleod Iain M
• Mercer Lee
• Reid Stephen
• Elrick Andrew J
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Hecker Michael T
• Barry Michael D
• Stevens Petrus A J
• Howell David A
• Yeh Charles S
• Macleod Iain M
• Mercer Lee
• Reid Stephen
• Elrick Andrew J

Classifications

• E21B43/045

  Crossover tools · CPC title

• E21B33/13 Primary

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• E21B33/12 Primary

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title