A wellscreen may be used on a production string in a hydrocarbon well and especially in a horizontal section of the wellbore. Typically, the wellscreen has a perforated base pipe surrounded by a screen that blocks the flow of particulates into the production string. Even though the screen may filter out particulates, some contaminants and other unwanted materials can still enter the production string.
To reduce the inflow of unwanted contaminants, operators can perform gravel packing around the wellscreen. In this procedure, gravel (e.g., sand) is placed in the annulus between wellscreen and the wellbore by pumping a slurry of liquid and gravel down a workstring and redirecting the slurry to the annulus with a crossover tool. As the gravel fills the annulus, it becomes tightly packed and acts as an additional filtering layer around the wellscreen to prevent the wellbore from collapsing and to prevent contaminants from entering the production string.
Ideally, the gravel uniformly packs around the entire length of the wellscreen, completely filling the annulus. However, during gravel packing, the slurry may become more viscous as fluid is lost into the surrounding formation and/or into the wellscreen. Sand bridges can form where the fluid loss occurs, and the sand bridges can interrupt the flow of the slurry and prevent the annulus from completely filling with gravel.
As shown in
To overcome sand-bridging problems, shunt tubes have been developed to create an alternative route for gravel around areas where sand bridges may form. For example, a gravel pack apparatus 100 shown in
The apparatus 100 includes a wellscreen assembly 105 having a base pipe 110 with perforations 120 as described previously. Wound around the base pipe 110 is a wire screen 125 that allows fluid to flow therethrough while blocking particulates. The wellscreen assembly 105 can alternatively use any structure commonly used by the industry in gravel pack operations (e.g. mesh screens, packed screens, slotted or perforated liners or pipes, screened pipes, prepacked screens and/or liners, or combinations thereof).
The shunt tubes 145 are disposed on the outside of the base pipe 110 and can be secured by rings (not shown). As shown in
At an upper end (not shown) of the apparatus 100, each shunt tube 145 can be open to the annulus 16. Internally, each shunt 145 has a flowbore for passage of slurry, and nozzles 150 dispose at ports 147 in the sidewall of each shunt tube 145 and allow the slurry to exit the tube 145. As shown in
In operation, the apparatus 100 is lowered into the wellbore 14 on a workstring and is positioned adjacent a formation. A packer (18;
Should a sand bridge 20 form and prevent further filling below the bridge 20, the gravel slurry continues flowing through the shunt tubes 145, bypassing the sand bridge 20 and exiting the various nozzles 150 to finish filling annulus 16. The flow of slurry through one of the shunt tubes 145 is represented by arrow 102.
Due to pressure levels and existence of abrasive matter, the flow of slurry in the shunt tubes 145 tends to erode the nozzles 150, reducing their effectiveness and potentially damaging the tool. To reduce erosion, the nozzles 150 typically have flow inserts that use tungsten carbide or a similar erosion resistant material. The resistant insert fits inside a metallic housing, and the housing welds to the exterior of the shunt tube 145, trapping the carbide insert.
For example,
A tubular carbide insert 160 of the nozzle 150 is held in alignment with the drilled port 147, and an outer jacket 165 of the nozzle 150 is attached to the shunt tube 145 with a weld 170, trapping the carbide insert 160 against the shunt tube 145 and in alignment with the drilled hole 147. The outer jacket 165 also serves to protect the carbide insert 160 from high weld temperatures, which could damage or crack the insert 160. With the insert 160 disposed in the outer jacket 165 in this manner, sand slurry exiting the tube 145 through the nozzle 150 is routed through the carbide insert 160, which is resistant to damage from the highly abrasive slurry.
The nozzle 150 and the manner of constructing it on the shunt tube 145 suffer from some drawbacks. During welding of the nozzle 150 to the shunt tube 145, the nozzle 150 can shift out of exact alignment with the drilled hole 147 in the tube 145 so that exact alignment between the nozzle 150 and the drilled hole 147 after welding is not assured. To deal with this, a piece of rod (not shown) may need to be inserted through the nozzle 150 and into the drilled hole 147 to maintain alignment during the welding. However, holding the nozzle 150 in correct alignment while welding it to the shunt tube 145 is cumbersome and requires time and a certain level of skill and experience.
In another drawback, the carbide insert 160 actually sits on the surface of the tube 145, and the hole 147 in the tube's wall is part of the exit flow path 102. Consequently, abrasive slurry passing through the hole 147 may cut through the relatively soft tube material and bypass the carbide insert 160 entirely, causing the shunt tube 145 to fail prematurely.
To address some of the drawbacks, other nozzles configurations have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,373,989 and 7,597,141, which are incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0314588 also discloses other nozzles for shunt tubes.
Although existing nozzles may be useful and effective, the arrangements still complicate manufacture of downhole tools, alter the effective area available in the tool for design and operation, and have features prone to potential failure. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
An erosion resistant nozzle is brazed directly to the surface of a tubular, such as a shunt tube of a wellscreen apparatus for use in a wellbore. The nozzle is elongated and defines an aperture for communicating exiting flow from the tubular's port. The lead end of the nozzle exposed downstream of the exiting flow can encompass most of the length of the nozzle to prevent erosion to the tubular from backwash, and the lead endwall of the nozzle's aperture can be angled relative to the nozzle's length and can be rounded to better align with the flow of slurry from the tubular. The nozzle can be composed of an erosion resistant material or can be composed of a conventional material having an erosion resistant coating or plating thereon. Being elongated with a low height, the nozzle can have a low profile on the tubular, and the aperture's elongation can be increased or decreased to increase or decrease the flow area through the nozzle.
The foregoing summary is not intended to summarize each potential embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure.
The shunt tube 200 can have a rectangular cross-section with a port 206 defined in one of the sidewalls 202 for the passage of slurry (fluid and sand) out of the tube's inner passage 204 and into a surrounding annulus of the wellscreen (not shown). Rather than using a typical nozzle having a housing welded to the shunt tube 200 to hold a carbide insert as in the prior art, the nozzle 210 of the present disclosure includes a single body 211 affixed directly to the sidewall 202 of the shunt tube 200 at the port 206.
Referring concurrently to
The nozzle's body 211 has a top surface 212 and a bottom surface 214 and defines an aperture 220 therethrough. A lead end 216 of the body 211 is disposed on one side of the aperture 220, while a tail end 218 is disposed on the other side. The top surface 212 is curved about the width of the body 211, and the tail and lead ends 216 and 218 each define a taper. The contours of the top surface 212 and these ends 216 and 218 create a smooth profile to the nozzle 210 and removes any pinch or hang points that could catch during run-in or pull-out of the shunt tube 200.
As shown in
As noted herein, the flow of slurry or any other fluid exiting the port 206 can cause erosion, but the nozzle 210 resists the erosion to protect the port 206 and shunt tube 200. To do this, the body 211 is resistant to erosion and can be composed of an erosion-resistant material, such as a tungsten carbide, a ceramic, or the like. Alternatively, the nozzle's body 211 can be composed of a material with an erosion-resistant coating or electroplating. For example, the erosion resistant body 211 can be composed of a standard material, such as 316 stainless steel, and can have an erosion-resistant coating of hard chrome or electroplating of silicon carbide disposed thereon.
During gravel packing, frac packing, or the like, backwash of exiting flow from a conventional nozzle's aperture can tend to cause more erosion downstream of the port 206. The disclosed nozzle 210 preferably addresses this tendency for backwash erosion. When slurry flows out the shunt's port 206, for example, the slurry passes through the aperture 220 in the nozzle's body 210. The tail end 218 is upstream of the exiting slurry and tends to experience less of the flow, while the lead end 216 experiences more of the flow, and especially backwash of flow redirected back toward the shunt tube 200 after exiting the nozzle's aperture 220. This backwash can be caused by the redirection of exiting flow when engaging the borehole, protective screen, or the like. Therefore, the lead end 218 is preferably more reinforced as it is more likely to receive the backwash.
For example, the lead end 216 can encompass more of the body 211 than the tail end 218. In other words, the body's lead end 216 can define a longer extent along the length L1 of the body 211 than the tail end 218 (i.e., L4 is greater than L5), or the portion of the top surface on the lead end 216 can encompass more of the surface area of the body 211 than the tail end 218. Depending on the characteristics of the implementation, the lead end 216 can be increased or shortened in length than currently depicted. Additionally, the ends 216 and 218 could be the same as long as the lead end 216 is sufficiently long or dense enough to inhibit erosion to the tube 200.
As best shown in
A tail endwall 228 of the aperture can define a second angle, which can be the same as or greater than the first angle of the lead endwall 226. Having a square shoulder as shown (even slightly angled backwards) can facilitate manufacture of the nozzle 210. (As shown alternatively in
As shown in
For thoroughness, some exemplary dimensions are provided for the nozzle 210 for use on a standard-sized shunt tube. For reference, the port 206 as shown in
The brazing alloy used can be any suitable alloy for the application at hand. For a shunt tube of a wellscreen apparatus, the brazing alloy can preferably be composed of a silver-based braze, such as Braze 505 suited for 300-series stainless steels. Braze 505 has a composition of Ag (50%), Cu (20%), Zn (28%), and Ni (2%), although other possible alloys could be used. As is known, the flux covers the area to be brazed to keep oxygen from oxidizing the materials in the brazing process, which weakens the bond. Therefore, the flux is preferably suited for high-temperature and for use with the desired materials.
A torch brazing technique can be employed, although other techniques, such as furnace brazing, known in the art can be used. As is typical, the brazing temperature is preferably as low as possible, which will reduce the chance of damaging the components. In this way, the process of brazing the nozzle 210 to the surface of the tube 200 can be performed at a low temperature, which can minimize the risk of damage to the nozzle's contour, dimensions, etc.
To help orient the nozzle 210 and to protect the shunt tube's port 206, the nozzle 210 can have a lip 230, such as shown in
Rather than just a lip 230, the entire outer edge of the nozzle 210 can dispose in the aperture 220 and can affix thereto so that the entire bottom surface 214 of the nozzle 210 can be positioned in the flow tube 200 and not on the tube's exterior surface. In this arrangement, the top surface 212 of the nozzle 210 may or may not extend a distance beyond the exterior surface of the flow tube 200, although the nozzle 210 can have other features disclosed herein.
As seen in previous illustrations, the nozzle 210 disposes on the exterior surface of the shunt tube 200. To help physically protect the nozzle 210, deflectors 246 and 248 as shown in
As noted previously, the nozzle 210 disposes on the exterior surface of the shunt tube 200 with the nozzle's bottom surface affixing to the exterior surface by brazing or the like. As such, the nozzle 210 is a separate component from the shunt tube 200. In an alternative shown in
The length of the body 211a in
Finally, as shown in
As noted herein, the disclosed nozzles 210 can be used on shunt tubes 200 or the like for a gravel pack or frac pack assembly. Along these lines,
As can be seen, the nozzles 210 have a low profile against the shunt tubes 200. This reduces the amount of space required downhole, which can be a benefit in design and operation. The low profile of the nozzle 210 also reduces possible damage to the nozzle 210 during run-in or pull-out, especially if no shroud 135 is used.
Although the nozzle 210 has been shown for use on a flat sidewall of a shunt tube 200, the disclosed nozzle 210 can be used on any type of tubular typically used downhole. For example,
The bottom surface 214 of the nozzle's body 211 is countered to match the tubular's cylindrical surface. In this way, the nozzle 210 can have a rounded bottom surface 212 and can be used on any typical tubular used downhole, such as crossover tool, sliding sleeves, or any other downhole tubular where exiting flow could cause erosion. The flow through the tubular and exiting the nozzle 210 does not need to be a slurry either, because the nozzle 210 may be useful in any application having abrasive fluids or erosive flow.
As an alternative to the separate body 211 of the nozzle 210 disclosed previously, another embodiment of a nozzle 310 as shown in
In brief, the weld material of the bead 311 is built-up during the welding process around the port 306 in the tube 300. The weld is constructed dimensionally to provide desired erosion protection and accommodate different slot openings and can preferably have the features of the nozzles disclosed herein. The material used for the weldment bead 311 can include hard banding or a WearSox® thermal spray metallic coating. (WEARSOX is a registered trademark of Wear Sox, L.P. of Texas). A coating or plating composed of any other suitable material, such as “hard chrome,” can be applied to the surfaces for erosion resistance.
As an alternative to the tungsten carbide for the nozzle 210 disclosed previously, another embodiment of a nozzle 410 as shown in
This hard treated surface 413 can be a plating of “hard chrome” or other suitable industrial material applied by electroplating or other procedure to the inside of the aperture 420. The hard treated surface 413 can be configured for a suitable hardness and thickness for the expected application and erosion resistances desired. In this way, the body 411 can be composed of a material other than tungsten carbide or the like. Yet, the nozzle 410 does not require a separate insert for erosion resistance as in the prior art.
As shown in
In
The body 432 can be composed of a conventional material, such as a stainless steel or the like, can be cylindrical or other shape, and can affix to the shunt 400 in a known fashion. The exterior hard treated surface 436 can be a hard surface treatment, hard chrome plating, hard banding, or other comparable application integrally formed (i.e., coated, electroplated, or otherwise deposited) on the exterior of the nozzle 430. During use in erosive flow, the inner body 432 may erode sacrificially during pumping of slurry or the like through the flow aperture 434, but the hard exterior surface or coating 436 can limit or control the overall erosion that occurs.
Although not shown, another nozzle of the present disclosure can include the features of each of
The foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicants. It will be appreciated with the benefit of the present disclosure that features described above in accordance with any embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter can be utilized, either alone or in combination, with any other described feature, in any other embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter.
In exchange for disclosing the inventive concepts contained herein, the Applicants desire all patent rights afforded by the appended claims. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims include all modifications and alterations to the full extent that they come within the scope of the following claims or the equivalents thereof.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2800912 | McCamish et al. | Jul 1957 | A |
3145776 | Pittman | Aug 1964 | A |
3198256 | Kirby, II | Aug 1965 | A |
3823789 | Garner | Jul 1974 | A |
4037661 | Ford | Jul 1977 | A |
4126193 | Brown et al. | Nov 1978 | A |
4189243 | Black | Feb 1980 | A |
4476020 | Cheetham | Oct 1984 | A |
4498543 | Pye et al. | Feb 1985 | A |
4782896 | Witten | Nov 1988 | A |
4826217 | Guerrero | May 1989 | A |
5577559 | Voll et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
5597040 | Stout et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
5636691 | Hendrickson et al. | Jun 1997 | A |
5661767 | Roux | Aug 1997 | A |
5823273 | Ravi et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
5829539 | Newton et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
5842516 | Jones | Dec 1998 | A |
5918911 | Sims | Jul 1999 | A |
6006838 | Whiteley et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6138777 | Fraim et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
6227303 | Jones | May 2001 | B1 |
6491097 | Oneal et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6557634 | Hailey, Jr. et al. | May 2003 | B2 |
6749023 | Nguyen et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
6973974 | McLoughlin et al. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
7096946 | Jasser et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7373989 | Setterberg, Jr. | May 2008 | B2 |
7419002 | Dybevik et al. | Sep 2008 | B2 |
7497267 | Setterberg, Jr. et al. | Mar 2009 | B2 |
7503384 | Coronado | Mar 2009 | B2 |
7559357 | Clem | Jul 2009 | B2 |
7597141 | Rouse et al. | Oct 2009 | B2 |
7841396 | Surjaatmadja | Nov 2010 | B2 |
7886819 | Setterberg, Jr. et al. | Feb 2011 | B2 |
7913763 | D'Amico | Mar 2011 | B2 |
20020108752 | Morey et al. | Aug 2002 | A1 |
20020125006 | Hailey, Jr. et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20040140089 | Gunneroed | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20050028977 | Ward | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050061501 | Ward et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050082060 | Ward et al. | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20050236153 | Fouras et al. | Oct 2005 | A1 |
20050284643 | Setterberg, Jr. | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20060022073 | King et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060151174 | Cantin et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20060237197 | Dale et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |
20080314588 | Langlais et al. | Dec 2008 | A1 |
20090255667 | Clem et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
20110266374 | Hammer | Nov 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2608050 | Apr 2008 | CA |
0935050 | Aug 1999 | EP |
1609946 | Dec 2005 | EP |
640310 | Jul 1950 | GB |
2178342 | Feb 1987 | GB |
2426989 | Dec 2006 | GB |
2004018837 | Mar 2004 | WO |
2011137074 | Mar 2011 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Office Action received in corresponding Canadian Application No. 2,794,302 dated Jan. 24, 2014. |
First Examination Report in counterpart Australian Appl. 2012241190, dated Jan. 28, 2014. |
Pedroso, CA, et al., “Lighweight Proppants: Solution for Gravel Packing Horizontal Wells Under Extreme Conditions”, SPE 98298; Feb. 2006; 1-12. |
Porter, DA, et al., “Designing and Completing High-Rate Oil Producers in a Deepwater Unconsolidated Sand”, SPE 58735; Feb. 2000; 1-19. |
Ross, Colby M., “New Tool Designs for High Rate Gravel Pack Operations”, SPE 29276; Mar. 1995; 227-234. |
Hill, Leo E, “Completion Tools Proven Successful in Deepwater Frac Packs and Horizontal Gravel Packing”, IADC/SPE 74492; Feb. 2002, 1-15. |
Mendez, A, et al., “A Quantum Leap in Horizontal Gravel Pack Technology”, SPE 94945; Jun. 2005; 1-7. |
Burton, R.C., et al., Innovative Completion Design and Well Performance Evaluation for Effective Frac-Packing of Long Intervals: A Case Study from the West Natuna Sea, Indonesia, SPE 74351; Feb. 2002; 1-24. |
EP Search report in counterpart EP App;. 12191982.3, dated Mar. 14, 2014. |
Welltonic, “Abrasive Jetting Sub,” Brochure, available from http://www.welltonic.co.uk, obtained on undated. |
Weatherford, “Conventional Well Screens,” Brochure, copyright 2004-2010. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20130112399 A1 | May 2013 | US |