Apparatus for removal of wellbore particles

Claim 1

In wellbore apparatus wherein a deep wellbore passes through at least one hydrocarbon fluid producing subterranean formation and an apertured liner is carried in said wellbore adjacent said hydrocarbon fluid producing formation, said liner defining an enclosed inner chamber within said liner and an external zone which extends from the outer wall of said liner to the wall of said wellbore, the improvement comprising: an elongated coilable tubing insertable into said wellbore, said coilable tubing being configured to include first conduit means having inner and outer walls and which is in communication with the surface of the earth and extends into said inner chamber, said first conduit means extending for a substantial portion of the length of said inner chamber, said first conduit means having a plurality of spaced apart nozzle means carried on a portion thereof extending over substantially the entire length of said first conduit means in said inner chamber and adapted to direct flow of fluid radially outwardly into said inner chamber, and said nozzle means being arranged such as to induce substantially vortex flow of fluid emitting from said nozzle means within said inner chamber, at least second conduit means having inner and outer walls and which is in fluid communication with the surface of the earth separately from said first conduit means, said second conduit means extending around said first conduit means and forming a generally annular zone between the inner wall of said second conduit means and the outer wall of said first conduit means to provide a path by which fluid and entrained solids are removed from said inner chamber by way of said second conduit means, said annular zone having a cross-sectional flow area approximately the same as the cross-sectional flow area of said first conduit means so as to maintain a flow velocity of said fluid which will substantially prevent settling out of said solid particles in said inner chamber or said annular zone, said second conduit means terminating near the top of said inner chamber close to but spaced from the point where said nozzle means first appear on said first conduit means so that said second conduit means does not overlap said nozzle means, said improvement providing for circulating fluid through the interior of said first conduit means and out through said nozzle means into said inner chamber to entrain solid particles in said circulated fluid, said fluid then being removed from said inner chamber by way of said second conduit means whereby said solid particles that pass from said external zone through said liner and collect in said inner chamber are swept out of said inner chamber by said circulated fluid as it passes from said nozzle means through said inner chamber into said second conduit means.