Downhole sand control assembly with flow control, and method for completing a wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816361-B2
Application number	US-201414456565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A method for completing a wellbore in a subsurface formation includes providing a first base pipe and a second base pipe. Each base pipe comprises a tubular body forming a primary flow path. Each base pipe has transport conduits along an outer diameter for transporting fluids as a secondary flow path. The method also includes connecting the base pipes using a coupling assembly. The coupling assembly has a manifold, and a flow port adjacent the manifold that places the primary flow path in fluid communication with the secondary flow path. The method also includes running the base pipes into the wellbore, and then causing fluid to travel between the primary and secondary flow paths. A sand screen assembly is also provided that allows for control of fluid between primary and secondary flow paths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sand screen assembly residing within a wellbore, comprising:
a first base pipe and a second base pipe connected in series, each base pipe comprising a blank tubular body having a first end, a second end, and a bore there between forming a primary flow path for production fluids;
filter media disposed circumferentially around and residing substantially along the tubular body of each base pipe, the filter media creating an indirect flow path for production fluids moving from a surrounding subsurface formation towards an outer diameter of the base pipes;
one or more transport conduits residing along selected portions of the outer diameter of the base pipes, the transport conduits each having a bore for providing a secondary flow path for production fluids;
a cylindrical in-flow ring disposed along the base pipes intermediate sections of the filter media, each in-flow ring having (i) a body defining an inner diameter that sealingly receives a base pipe, and (ii) one or more flow conduits in the body of the in-flow ring placing the bore of each transport conduit in fluid communication with the filter media as part of the secondary flow path;
a coupling assembly operatively connecting the second end of the first base pipe to the first end of the second base pipe, wherein the coupling assembly comprises a manifold that receives fluids from the transport conduits; and a flow port proximate the manifold that places the primary flow path in fluid communication with the secondary flow path; and
one or more in-flow control devices for controlling fluid flow between the primary flow path and the secondary flow path;
wherein the filter media comprises;
at least one primary filtering conduit, the primary filtering conduit forming a first annular region between the tubular body and the surrounding primary filtering conduit,
at least one secondary filtering conduit adjacent each primary filtering conduit at an end, the secondary filtering conduit forming a second annular region between the tubular body and the surrounding secondary filtering conduit; and
a blank tubular housing circumscribing the second filtering conduit and forming a third annular region between the second filtering conduit and the surrounding housing; and

wherein the transport conduits reside within each first annular region.

2. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , wherein each in-flow ring resides between a primary filtering conduit and a laterally adjacent secondary filtering conduit.

3. The sand screen assembly of claim 2 , wherein the flow conduits of the in-flow ring comprise (i) one or more primary in-flow channels providing fluid communication between the first annular region and the third annular region, and (ii) one or more secondary in-flow channels providing fluid communication between the second annular region and the bores of the transport conduits.

4. The sand screen assembly of claim 3 , wherein the in-flow ring has an outer diameter that sealingly receives the blank tubular housing at an end.

5. The sand screen assembly of claim 4 , wherein:
the primary filtering conduit of each base pipe defines a pair of primary filtering conduits residing at opposing ends of the secondary filtering conduit, thereby forming a pair of opposing first annular regions along each base pipe; and
in-flow rings are disposed along the base pipes at opposing ends of the second filtering conduit.

6. The sand screen assembly of claim 3 , wherein each of the at least one transport conduits along the base pipes extends substantially along the length of the respective first annular region.

7. The sand screen assembly of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the transport conduits along the base pipes also extends substantially along the length of the second annular region.

8. The sand screen assembly of claim 3 , wherein:
the in-flow control device is placed along (i) one or more of the primary in-flow channels, (ii) one or more of the secondary in-flow channels, or (iii) one or more transport conduits; and
whereby the in-flow control device is configured to control the flow of production fluids along the secondary flow path.

9. The sand screen assembly of claim 3 , wherein the coupling assembly comprises:
a first sleeve mechanically connected proximate to the first end of the second base pipe;
a second sleeve mechanically connected proximate to the second end of the first base pipe; and
an intermediate coupling joint comprising a main tubular body defining a bore in fluid communication with the primary flow path, the main tubular body having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is threadedly connected to the second end of the first base pipe, and the second end is threadedly connected to the first end of the second base pipe.

10. The sand screen assembly of claim 9 , wherein:
(i) the first sleeve is a load sleeve and the second sleeve is a torque sleeve; or (ii) the first sleeve is a torque sleeve and the second sleeve is a load sleeve; and
each sleeve comprises a tubular body having a plurality of transport channels therein.

11. The sand screen assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the first sleeve is a load sleeve and the second sleeve is a torque sleeve;
the load sleeve and the torque sleeve each comprises:
a tubular body defining an inner bore therein in fluid communication with the primary flow path, and
transport channels disposed longitudinally along main tubular body of the sleeves in fluid communication with the secondary flow path; and
the coupling joint further comprises:
a coaxial sleeve positioned around the main tubular body, the sleeve forming an annual region between the main tubular body and the coaxial sleeve, with the annular region defining the manifold, and the manifold placing the transport conduits of the load sleeve and of the torque sleeve in fluid communication.

12. The sand screen assembly of claim 11 , wherein a second filtering conduit along the second base pipe resides adjacent a load sleeve.

13. The sand screen assembly of claim 11 , wherein a primary filtering conduit along the second base pipe resides adjacent a load sleeve.

14. The sand screen assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the in-flow control device is placed along (i) the transport channels of the load sleeve, or (ii) the transport channels of the torque sleeve;
whereby the in-flow control device is configured to increase or decrease fluid flow through the corresponding sleeve.

15. The sand screen assembly of claim 14 , wherein the flow port comprises (i) a through opening in the main tubular body of the coupling joint, (ii) a through-opening in the second end of the first base pipe, or (iii) a through-opening in the first end of the second base pipe.

16. The sand screen assembly of claim 15 , wherein:
the in-flow control device is placed along the coupling joint adjacent an opening in the flow port;
whereby the in-flow control device is configured to increase or decrease fluid flow through the flow port.

17. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , wherein the filter media of each filtering conduit comprises a wire-wrapped screen, a slotted liner, a ceramic screen, a membrane screen, a sintered metal screen, a wire-mesh screen, a shaped memory polymer, or a pre-packed solid particle bed.

18. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a packer assembly residing at the second end of the second base pipe, the packer assembly comprising an inner mandrel and at least one sealing element.

19. The sand screen assembly of claim 1 ,

Assignees

• Yeh Charles S
• Hecker Michael T
• Barry Michael D
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Yeh Charles S
• Hecker Michael T
• Barry Michael D

Classifications

• E21B43/08

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

• E21B43/14 Primary

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B43/086

  Screens with preformed openings, e.g. slotted liners (comprising porous materials E21B43/082) · CPC title