Gravel pack and sand disposal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9447661-B2
Application number	US-201213614569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2012
Priority date	Oct 28, 2010
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus and method allow gravel pack slurry to be placed in a borehole annulus from the toe towards the heel to reduce the pressure acting upon the heel of the borehole during the gravel placement operation. By reducing the pressure on the heel, the gravel pack slurry may be placed in longer sections of the borehole in a single operation. Additionally, excess slurry in the inner string can be disposed in the borehole annulus around the shoe track of the apparatus, and fluid returns can flow up the apparatus through a bypass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gravel pack apparatus for a borehole, comprising:
a body having a body passage communicating from a heel to a toe and defining a first body port communicating the body passage with the borehole;
an inner string movably deploying in the body passage and defining a first fluid pathway with a first outlet port, the first outlet port of the inner string in a first selective position in the body passage selectively sealing with the first body port and communicating slurry from the first fluid pathway through the first outlet port to the borehole;
a first screen disposed on the body between the first body port and the toe and communicating the body passage with the borehole, the first screen for passing fluid returns of the slurry from the borehole into the body passage; and
a bypass disposed on the body and communicating the body passage on a first side of the first body port to a second side of the first body port, the bypass for passing the fluid returns in the body passage past the first outlet port of the inner string when selectively sealed with the first body port,
wherein the inner string defines a second fluid pathway in fluid isolation from the first fluid pathway, the second fluid pathway of the inner string in the first selective position being isolated from the bypass on the first side of the body port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second screen disposed on the body uphole of the first body port and communicating the body passage with the borehole, the second screen passing fluid returns of the slurry communicated out of the first outlet port from the borehole into the body passage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an isolation element disposed on the body uphole of the second screen and sealing against the borehole.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the inner string deployed in the first selective position in the body passage flows the slurry from the first body port toward the heel of the body and packs the borehole around the second screen.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the inner string in a second selective position maintains the first outlet port sealed in fluid communication with the first body port and places the second fluid pathway in fluid communication with the bypass on the first side of the first body port, whereby the inner string flows the slurry from the first body port toward the toe of the body and packs the borehole around the first screen.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the bypass on the first side of the first body port receives the fluid returns of the first screen communicated from the second fluid pathway of the inner string in the second selective position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body defines a second body port downhole of the first screen toward the toe; and wherein the inner string moved to a second selective position in the body passage seals the first outlet port in fluid communication with the second body port.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second body port comprises a valve permitting fluid communication from the body passage to the borehole and preventing fluid communication from the borehole into the body passage.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner string in a second selective position seals the first outlet port in fluid communication with the first body port and places the second fluid pathway in fluid communication with the bypass on the first side of the body port, the second fluid pathway communicating the fluid returns from the first screen to the bypass.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid pathway comprises:
a second outlet port defined in the inner string between the first outlet port and a distal end of the inner string; and
an inlet port defined in the inner string toward the distal end and in fluid communication with the second outlet port.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bypass comprises a conduit disposed outside the body, the conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with the body passage on the first side of the first body port and having an outlet in fluid communication with the body passage on the second side of the first body port.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bypass comprises an internal passage defined in the body, the internal passage having an inlet in fluid communication with the body passage on the first side of the first body port and having an outlet in fluid communication with the body passage on the second side of the first body port.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a closure selectively opening and closing fluid communication through the first body port.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the closure comprises a sleeve disposed in the body passage and movable therein between opened and closed conditions relative to the first body port.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the closure selectively opens and closes fluid communication through the bypass in conjunction with the selective opening and closing of the fluid communication through the first body port.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body port comprises a check valve, a sliding sleeve, a rotating sleeve, or a screen controlling fluid communication through the first body port.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the body comprises seats disposed in the body passage on each side of the first body port; and
wherein the inner string comprises:
seals disposed on each side of the first outlet port and sealing with the seats, or
polished surfaces on each side of the first outlet port and sealing with the seats.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an isolating element disposed in the body passage uphole of the first body port and selectively isolating the body passage downhole therefrom.

19. A gravel pack apparatus for a borehole, comprising:
a body deploying in the borehole, the body having a body passage communicating from a heel to a toe and defining a first body port communicating the body passage with the borehole;
an inner string deploying in the body passage, the inner string defining a first fluid pathway with a first outlet port and defining a second fluid pathway in fluid isolation from the first fluid pathway;
means for selectively communicating slurry from the first fluid pathway of the inner string to the borehole through the first outlet port in sealed fluid communication with the first body port;
first means disposed on the body downhole from the first body port for screening fluid returns of the slurry from the borehole into the body passage; and
means disposed on the body for selectively bypassing the fluid returns from a downhole side to an uphole side of the first body port,
wherein the means for selectively communicating the slurry from the inner string in a first selective position in the body passage isolates the second fluid pathway from the means for bypassing and prevents fluid communication therethrough.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the means for selectively communicating the slurry comprises means for selectively sealing the inner string in fluid communication with the first body port.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the means disposed on the body for bypassing the fluid returns comprises means disposed externally on the body for communicating the screened fluid return.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the means disposed on the body for bypassing the fluid r

Assignees

• Broussard John P
• Hall Christopher A
• Zimmerman Patrick J
• Ritchey Brian J
• Van Petegem Ronald
• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Broussard John P
• Hall Christopher A
• Zimmerman Patrick J
• Ritchey Brian J
• Van Petegem Ronald

Classifications

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B33/124

  Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space · CPC title

• E21B43/12

  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

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• E21B43/045

  Crossover tools · CPC title