Apparatus and methods for well control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9638013-B2
Application number	US-201414188568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A completion joint 100 has two sand control jackets 120 A-B connected on each end of an intermediately-mounted inflow control device 130 . Both jackets 120 A-B communicate with a housing chamber 155 through dedicated open end-rings 140 A-B. The basepipe's flow openings 118 are isolated from this housing chamber 155 by a sleeve 160 fitted with flow ports 170 . The housing 150 is removable to allow access to the flow ports 170 for pinning to configure the ports 170 open or closed for a given implementation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid flow control apparatus for a wellbore completion comprising:
a basepipe with a bore for conveying the production fluid to the surface;
a first screen and a second screen disposed on an exterior surface of the basepipe, each of the first and second screens disposed radially apart from the basepipe so as to create a first screen flow channel between the basepipe and the first screen and a second screen flow channel between the basepipe and the second screen, the first and second screens for screening fluid flowing through the screen and into the respective first screen flow channel and second screen flow channel; and
an intermediately-mounted inflow control device (ICD) positioned between the first and second screens and in fluid communication with screened fluid from the first screen flow channel and the second screen flow channel;
a housing located intermediate the first screen flow channel and the second screen flow channel, the housing creating a housing chamber annular area between an interior surface of the housing and an exterior surface of the basepipe and receiving screened fluid from each of the first screen flow channel and the second screen flow channel; and
a fluid port in the basepipe for conveying screened fluid from the ICD into the basepipe bore, wherein the ICD controls the rate of screened fluid flow into the basepipe;
wherein the ICD comprises (i) a flow sleeve external to the base pipe and in fluid communication with the housing chamber annular area, and (ii) a flow device supported in the flow sleeve, the flow device controlling screened fluid flow into the fluid port in the basepipe, the flow device comprising a flow port axially aligned parallel to a long axis of the basepipe, the flow port receiving screened fluid from the flow device and conveying the screened fluid from the flow device into the basepipe fluid port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a flow control device for controlling screened fluid flow from at least one of the first screen flow channel and the second screen flow channel to the ICD.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the flow control device automatically selectively controls screened fluid flow from the at least one of the first screen flow channel and the second screen flow channel to the ICD.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the flow control device manually selectively controls screened fluid flow from the at least one of the first screen flow channel and the second screen flow channel to the ICD.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is sealingly engaged with at least one of the first and second screens to confine screened fluid flow from the respective first screen flow channel or second screen flow channel into the housing chamber annular area between the housing and an exterior surface of the basepipe.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the sealing engagement further comprises an O-ring.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ICD further comprises an end fitting for engaging the housing with one of the first and second sand screens, the end fitting including a fluid conduit for conveying screened fluid from the engaged sand screen flow channel into the housing chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flow sleeve supporting the flow device, the flow device controlling screened fluid flow into the fluid port in the basepipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , the flow sleeve supporting a flow insert, the flow insert supporting the flow device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the flow device is responsive to a screened fluid viscosity.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flow device is responsive to a pressure differential between fluid in the basepipe bore and screened fluid external to the flow sleeve.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flow device is responsive to a density of the screened fluid within the housing chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ICD comprises a plurality of flow devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , whereby the housing is removable from the ICD.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , whereby the housing is removable from the ICD so internal components within the ICD can be configured before deployment and can be serviced or cleaned between operations.

16. A method for controlling fluid flow within a wellbore, the method comprising:
providing a basepipe within a wellbore, the basepipe including a bore for conveying the production fluid to the surface;
flowing wellbore fluid through at least one of a first screen and a second screen disposed on an exterior surface of the basepipe, the first and second screens screening particulates entrained within the wellbore fluid;
flowing screened wellbore fluid from at least one of the first screen and the second screen to a fluid port provided within the basepipe, the fluid port conveying fluid from the at least one of the first screen and second screen into the base pipe bore,
positioning an inflow control device (ICD) intermediate the first screen flow channel and the second screen flow channel to receive screened fluid from the first screen and the second screen;
providing a housing intermediate the first screen flow channel and second screen flow channel to create a housing chamber annular area between an interior surface of the housing and an exterior surface of the basepipe, the ICD being positioned within the housing chamber annular area;
providing the ICD with a flow sleeve, to control screened fluid flow from the housing chamber annular area to the fluid port, and supporting the flow sleeve within the housing chamber annular area;
providing the flow sleeve with a flow device and at least one corresponding flow port, the flow port being positioned with the flow sleeve and axially aligned parallel to a long axis of the base pipe and the flow device being supported within the flow sleeve;
controlling screened fluid flow from the housing chamber annular area into the base pipe fluid port with the control device and the corresponding flow port; and
flowing screened fluid from the flow device, through the flow port, then through the fluid port and into the basepipe bore.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising positioning the ICD intermediate the first screen and second screen.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising regulating flow into the at least one flow port using the flow device, wherein the flow device is responsive to at least one of wellbore fluid density, wellbore fluid viscosity, and wellbore fluid pressure.

19. The method of claim 16 , whereby the ICD regulates fluid flow from both the first and second screens into the base pipe bore.

20. The method of claim 16 , whereby the ICD regulates fluid flow from more sand screens into the base pipe bore than just the first sand screen and the second sand screen.

Assignees

• Yeh Charles S
• Moffett Tracy J
• Sladic John S
• Hall Christopher A
• Mcnamee Stephen
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Yeh Charles S
• Moffett Tracy J
• Sladic John S
• Hall Christopher A
• Mcnamee Stephen

Classifications

• E21B43/08 Primary

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

• E21B34/08

  responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) · CPC title