EP1132571A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for frac/gravel packs
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Inc
•
Filing: 2001-02-16
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Granted: —
•
Expires: 2021-02-16
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for fracturing a formation or for gravel packing a borehole includes a screen assembly (12) having a plurality of screens (18) mounted on an apertured base member (14). A flow-control service assembly (27) is disposed within the bore of the screen assembly and includes an outer tubular member (26) and an inner tubular member (40). The outer tubular member includes a plurality of ports (25) that communicate with the apertures in the screen assembly. The inner tubular member and outer tubular member form an inner annulus (32), the outer tubular member and screen assembly form a medial annulus (34), and the screen assembly forms an outer annulus (30) with the wall of the borehole. Barriers (24) are placed around the ports on the outer tubular member to prevent the formation of gravel bridges across the inner annulus. The inner annulus (32) provides alternative flow paths around the ports upon the ports becoming closed to fluid flow such as by bridges.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald G. Dusterhoft
- 👤 Travis T. Hailey Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 10:11
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/02; E21B43/025; E21B34/00; E21B34/06; E21B43/04; E21B43/10; E21B43/25; E21B43/26; E21B43/267
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
An assembly for fracturing a formation or gravel packing a borehole
extending through the formation, said assembly comprising a first member having
a length adapted for disposal adjacent the formation and including a plurality of
screens and a plurality of first apertures; a second member disposed within said
first member forming a flow path along said length and having a plurality of
second apertures communicating with said first apertures; and wherein said
apertures are disposed along said length at predetermined intervals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
An assembly according to claim 1, further including a barrier
extending over each of said apertures, wherein the or each said barrier is preferably
open at each end to pass fluids and is radially spaced from said apertures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
An assembly according to claim 2, wherein said barriers are disposed
on said second member over said second apertures.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
An assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further including a third
member disposed within said second member forming a flow passageway
communicating with said apertures.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
An assembly according to claim 4, further including a multi-position
valve having a first position preventing flow between a flowbore in said third
member and said flow path and between said flowbore and said flow passageway,
a second position allowing flow between said flowbore and said flow path, and a
third position allowing flow between said flowbore and said flow passageway.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said second
member is adapted for removal from within said first member upon completion of
said fracturing or gravel packing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 6, further including
closure members disposed adjacent said apertures and adapted to close said
apertures, said closure members preferably having flow ports therethrough.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
An assembly according to claim 7, wherein said second member
includes an actuator member to actuate said closure members to close said first
apertures.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
An assembly according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said closure
members are disposed on said first member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 9, further including
channel members disposed internally of said second member forming alternative
flow paths around said second apertures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
151 words
An assembly for completing a well having a borehole extending
through a formation, said assembly comprising an inner tubular member disposed
within an outer tubular member and forming an inner annulus; said inner tubular
member and outer tubular member being disposed within a screen member, said
outer tubular member and screen member forming a medial annulus and said
screen member adapted to form an outer annulus with the borehole; said outer
tubular member and screen member forming a plurality of apertures
communicating said inner annulus with said outer annulus, said apertures being
spaced along said outer tubular and screen members at predetermined intervals;
said inner annulus adapted to receive fluid to flow through said apertures and into
said outer annulus; said medial annulus adapted to receive fluid through said
screen member from said outer annulus; and said inner tubular member having a
flowbore adapted to receive fluid from said medial annulus.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
An assembly according to claim 11, further including radial barriers
on said outer tubular member adjacent said apertures to prevent the formation of
sand bridges across said inner annulus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
An assembly according to claim 11 or 12, further including an
alternative flow path through said inner annulus upon one of said apertures
becoming closed to fluid flow.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
An assembly according to claim 11, further including a barrier
assembly disposed within said outer tubular member and forming a plurality of
flow paths across said plurality of apertures.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
74 words
An assembly according to claim 14, wherein said barrier assembly
includes a tubular barrier member forming a first inner annulus with said screen
member and barrier vanes extending radially to said screen member adjacent said
apertures, and wherein preferably said tubular barrier member forms a second
inner annulus with said inner tubular member and preferably includes a wall
having a plurality of holes therethrough to provide communication between said
first and second inner annuli.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
69 words
An assembly for positioning within a borehole of a well, said
assembly comprising a screen member having a wall forming a bore and a
plurality of ports through said wall; an outer tubular member disposed within said
bore having a plurality of ports aligned with said screen member ports and forming
an inner annulus with said screen member; and a plurality of barrier members
extending over said aligned ports.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
An assembly according to claim 16, wherein said outer tubular
member is removable from the well.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
An assembly according to claim 16 or 17, wherein said screen
member ports are disposed on connectors for connecting adjacent perforated base
members having screens mounted thereon, said connectors having sleeves that can
be shifted to close said screen member ports, and wherein said outer tubular
member preferably includes actuator members adapted to engage said sleeves to
shift said sleeves over said screen member ports.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
An assembly according to claim 18, wherein said sleeves include
latches to maintain said sleeves in a closed position, and/or said sleeves include
axial flow bores extending therethrough.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
51 words
An assembly according to any of claims 16 to 19, wherein said
barrier members are disposed within said outer tubular member creating a plurality
of flow paths; and/or said barrier members block a radial build of sand around said
ports; and/or said barrier members are attached to said outer tubular member.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
An assembly according to any of claims 16 to 19, wherein said
barrier members are attached to an internal tubular member disposed within said
outer tubular member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
An assembly according to any of claims 16 to 19, further including
an internal tubular member disposed within said outer tubular member forming a
second inner annulus between said internal tubular member and said outer tubular
member, said assembly preferably further including a closing device to control
flow through a flowbore in said internal tubular member.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
85 words
A method of flowing fluids into an unconsolidated subterranean zone
penetrated by a wellbore, which method comprises disposing a length of screen
assembly in the wellbore adjacent the unconsolidated subterranean zone, the
screen assembly including a plurality of screens and having apertures along said
length at predetermined intervals; disposing a flow-control member within said
screen assembly to direct fluid flow through the apertures and not through the
screens; and passing frac fluids through the flow-control member, through the
apertures and into the unconsolidated subterranean zone.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 23, further including applying a
substantially uniform fluid pressure through the apertures along the length of the
screen assembly.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 23 or 24, further including creating
fractures uniformly along the unconsolidated subterranean zone from top to
bottom.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method according to claim 23, 24 or 25, wherein the flow-control
member includes inner and outer members forming a flowbore within the inner
member, an annular flow area between the inner and outer members, and ports in
the outer member communicating with the apertures in the screen assembly, the
outer member forming an annular passageway with the screen assembly; said
method preferably further including flowing fluid into the annular flow area,
through the ports and apertures, and into the formation.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 26, further including preventing the
extent of radial build up of sand at the ports and providing an alternative flow
route around the sand build up in the outer member.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 26, further including flowing fluids
through the screens, into the annular passageway and into the flowbore of the inner
member.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 26, further including controlling flow
through the inner member using a valve member.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
29 words
A method according to any of claims 23 to 29, wherein the flow-control
member includes internal alternative flow paths allowing particulate
material to flow through or around the ports.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
33 words
A method according to any of claims 23 to 30, further including
closure members to close the apertures, the closure members having flow
passageways allowing flow between the flow-control member and screen
assembly.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
15 words
A method according to any of claims 23 to 31, further including
closing the apertures.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
20 words
A method according to any of claims 23 to 32, further including
moving the flow-control member to close the apertures.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
19 words
A method according to any of claims 23 to 33, further including
removing the flow-control member from the wellbore.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
242 words
A method of completing an unconsolidated subterranean zone
penetrated by a wellbore having an upper and lower end comprising the steps of:
placing in the lower end of the wellbore a screen assembly having open ports and
an outer tubular member disposed therein having open ports that align with said
screen assembly ports whereby a first annulus is formed between the screen
assembly and the outer tubular member and a second annulus is formed between
the screen assembly and the lower end of said wellbore; hanging an internal
tubular member within said outer tubular member whereby a third annulus is
formed between the internal tubular member and the outer tubular member;
isolating said second annulus between the lower wellbore end and the upper
wellbore end in the zone; injecting particulate material into said third annulus,
through said aligned open ports, and into said second annulus; creating fractures in
said subterranean zone while injecting the particulate material into the second
annulus; depositing particulate material in said fractures; uniformly packing the
particulate material along the screen assembly in said second annulus; closing off
the internal tubular member to fluids entering from within the well; injecting
particulate-free liquid through said internal tubular member into said third annulus
and flowing said liquid up to the surface through said third annulus; closing said
screen assembly ports; removing the outer tubular member and the internal tubular
member from the wellbore; and placing the unconsolidated subterranean zone on
production.
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