Claims
- 1. An apparatus for filtering fluid flowing between a wellbore and a formation penetrated by said wellbore, comprising:
(a) an expandable filter disposable within said wellbore; (b) an expansion tool, disposable within said expandable filter, the expansion tool rotatable to expand said expandable filter; and (c) axial conveyance means insertable within said wellbore to dispose said expansion tool within said expandable filter.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
(a) a tubular is disposed within said wellbore; (b) said tubular contains a radial fluid flow conduit between said wellbore and said formation; and (c) said expandable filter is disposed within said tubular and encompasses said radial fluid flow conduit.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said radial fluid flow conduit is a perforation.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
(a) said expansion tool comprises an axial flow conduit therethrough; and (b) borehole fluid flows within said borehole above and below said expansion tool and through said axial flow conduit.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said axial conveyance means is coiled tubing.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fluid flows from said wellbore and through said expandable filter and into said formation.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said axial conveyance means moves said expansion tool downward into said expandable filter thereby expanding said expandable filter from top down.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said expandable filter comprises:
(a) an expandable carrier; and (b) a plurality of filter panels wherein
(i) each said filter panel comprises a first and a second edge, (ii) each said filter panel is pivotally mounted on said expandable carrier at said first edge, and (iii) each said filter panel contacts, at said second edge, an adjacent filter panel when said expandable carrier is expanded.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein;
(a) each said filter panel contacts said formation when said expandable carrier is expanded; and (b) said formation provides mechanical support to said filter panels against pressure exerted upon said filter panels by fluid flowing from said wellbore and through said filter and into said formation.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said filter panels comprise screen.
- 11. A method for filtering fluid flowing between a wellbore and a formation penetrated by said wellbore, comprising the steps of:
(a) disposing an expandable filter within said wellbore; (b) providing an axial conveyance means; (c) disposing an expansion tool within said expandable filter using said axial conveyance means; and (d) rotating said expander tool to expand said expandable filter to contact said wellbore.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein:
(a) a tubular is disposed within said wellbore; (b) said tubular contains a radial fluid flow conduit between said wellbore and said formation; and (c) said expandable filter is disposed within said tubular and encompasses said radial fluid flow conduit.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said radial fluid flow conduit is a perforation.
- 14. The method of claim 9 comprising the additional step of flowing borehole fluid above and below said expansion tool through an axial flow conduit within said expansion tool.
- 15. The method of claim 11 wherein said axial conveyance means is coiled tubing.
- 16. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional steps of:
(a) flowing said fluid from said borehole and through said expandable filter and into said formation; and (b) removing particulate material from said fluid with said expandable filter.
- 17. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional step of moving said expansion tool, with said conveyance means, downward into said expandable filter thereby expanding said expandable filter from top down.
- 18. The method of claim 11 wherein said expandable filter comprises:
(a) an expandable carrier; and (b) a plurality of filter panels wherein
(i) each said filter panel comprises a first and a second edge, (ii) each said filter panel is pivotally mounted on said expandable carrier at said first edge, and (iii) each said filter panel contacts, at said second edge, an adjacent filter panel when said expandable carrier is expanded.
- 19. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional steps of:
(a) expanding said expandable carrier so that each said filter panel contacts said formation; and (b) mechanically supporting said filter panels against said formation thereby preventing collapse of said expandable filter by pressure exerted upon said filter panels by fluid flowing from said wellbore and through said filter and into said formation.
- 20. The method of claim 11 wherein said filter panels comprise screen.
- 21. A method for expanding an expandable filter in a wellbore to remove particulate material from fluid flowing from said wellbore and through said filter and into a formation penetrated by said wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) axially conveying said expandable filter into said wellbore; (b) disposing within said expandable filter an expander tool, the expander tool rotatable and having a plurality of radially expandable elements which expand upon rotation thereby expanding said expandable filter; and (c) flowing said fluid from said wellbore through said expanded filter thereby removing said particulate material before said fluid enters said formation.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said expandable filter comprises:
(a) an expandable carrier through which fluid can flow; and (b) a plurality of filter panels wherein
(i) each said filter panel comprises a first and a second edge, (ii) each said filter panel is pivotally mounted on said expandable carrier at said first edge, and (iii) each said filter panel contacts, at said second edge, an adjacent filter panel when said expandable carrier is expanded.
- 23. The method of claim 22 comprising the additional steps of:
(a) expanding said expandable carrier so that each said filter panel contacts said formation; and (b) mechanically supporting each said filter panel against said formation thereby preventing collapse of said expandable filter by pressure exerted upon said filter panels by fluid flowing from said wellbore and through said filter and into said formation.
- 24 The method of claim 22 comprising the additional steps of:
(a) expanding said expandable carrier so that each said filter panel contacts an inner wall of a tubular within said wellbore, said tubular comprising at least one flow conduit through which said fluid flows; and (b) mechanically supporting each said filter panel against said inner wall and formation exposed by said flow conduit thereby preventing collapse of said expandable filter by pressure exerted upon said filter panels by fluid flowing from said wellbore and through said filter and through said at least one flow conduit and into said formation.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/828,508, filed Apr. 6, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/469,690, filed Dec. 22, 1999.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09469690 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
09828508 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09828508 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
09990092 |
Nov 2001 |
US |