Filter Media For Sand Control Screen Assemblies

Abstract

A sand control screen assembly having a filter medium that provides a controlled offset between a shroud and the filter medium, and/or between a base pipe and the filter medium. The sand control screen assembly may also include a drainage layer positioned about the base pipe. The sand control screen assembly is utilized for preventing the flow of particulate material of a predetermined size therethrough and allowing the flow of production fluids therethrough.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates generally to structures adapted for filtering particulates from a flowing fluid in a wellbore that traverse a subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formation, and in particular, to filter media for sand control screen assemblies.

BACKGROUND

Sand exclusion screen assemblies are employed in wellbores during the production of hydrocarbon fluids from subterranean formations. Conventional sand screen assemblies include a perforated base pipe, a drainage layer, a filter medium, and a protective jacket or shroud. Such screen assemblies are designed to filter out particles, such as formation sand or placed gravel/proppant, while facilitating the passage of hydrocarbon fluids into the wellbore. One drawback in the deployment of such screen assemblies is the erosion of the filter medium by particle impingement contained in the fluids that pass the screen assemblies. The presence of particulate in the flow stream, coupled with the current designs and manufacturing methods of the screen assemblies, can cause erosion. For instance, current designs and manufacturing methods minimize the space, or offset, between the sand screen components for a number of reasons, which can increase erosion of the filter medium. When the filter medium becomes eroded, then particles are produced from the well, which is highly undesirable. Production of these particles can cause excessive erosion of production tubulars, downhole equipment and surface equipment, and lead to high maintenance costs and undesirable downtime of wells.

Accordingly, a need has arisen for a sand control screen assembly that is capable of filtering fines out of a production stream from a subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formation and that does not readily suffer from erosion.

SUMMARY

The present application is generally related to filter media for sand control screen assemblies for filtering particulates from a flowing fluid in a wellbore that traverses a subterranean hydrocarbon bearing formation.

In an example embodiment, a sand control screen assembly includes a base pipe having openings through a thickness of the pipe, a filter medium disposed about the base pipe, and a radial extension extending from the filter medium's inner surface and/or outer surface. The radial extension generally ensures substantially uniform radial spacing relative to the filter medium's inner and/or outer surface. In example embodiments, the radial extension may be a wire assembly and/or comprise metal sheet strips.

In another example embodiment, a sand control screen assembly includes a perforated base pipe, a filter medium disposed about the base pipe, and an offset means for providing a radial spacing relative to the filter medium's inner surface and/or outer surface. In example embodiments, the radial extension may be a wire assembly and/or comprise metal sheet strips.

These and other aspects, objects, features, and embodiments will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a wellbore environment including a pair of sand control screen assemblies, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of a sand control screen assembly, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a partial cut away view of the sand control screen assembly of FIG. 2A, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2C is an exploded view of the sand control screen assembly of FIG. 2A, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2D is a side cross-sectional view of the sand control screen assembly of FIG. 2A, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a section of a sand control screen assembly, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a side cross-sectional view of the sand control screen assembly section of FIG. 3A, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3C is a top view of the sand control screen assembly section, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3D is a bottom view of the sand control screen assembly section, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application provides sand control screen assemblies that are more resistant to erosion than conventional sand control screen assemblies. By limiting erosion loss, it is not required to reduce the rate of oil and gas production, which is common in instances of sand screen erosion.

The invention may be better understood by reading the following description of non-limitative, exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like parts of each of the figures are identified by the same reference characters. In the following description of the representative embodiments of the invention, directional terms, such as “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “top”, “bottom”, etc., are used for convenience in referring to the accompanying drawings. In general, “above”, “upper”, “upward” and similar terms refer to a direction toward the earth's surface along a wellbore, and “below”, “lower”, “downward” and similar terms refer to a direction away from the earth's surface along the wellbore towards the bottom of well.

Referring to FIG. 1, illustrated is a wellbore system 100 that may employ the principles of the present disclosure, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. As depicted, the wellbore system 100 includes a wellbore 105 having production intervals 110, 115, having sand control screen assemblies 120, 125, respectively, positioned therein. The wellbore 105 extends through various formations 130, 135 in the earth strata. A casing 140 is supported within wellbore 105 by cement 145. A production or completion string 150 includes various tools, such as sand control screen assembly 120 that is positioned within production interval 110 between packers 160, 165. In addition, the production or completion string 150 includes a sand control screen assembly 125 that is positioned within production interval 115 between packers 170, 175. The sand control screen assemblies 120, 125 serve the primary functions of filtering particulate matter out of the production fluid stream and may also include flow control capabilities or other additional functionality. One or more control lines 180 may extend from a ground surface within annulus 185 and pass through sand control screen assemblies 120, 125 to provide instructions, carry power, signals and data, and transport operating fluid, such as hydraulic fluid, to sensors, actuators and the like associated with sand control screen assemblies 120, 125 and other tools or components positioned downhole. Sensors (not shown) operably associated with production or completion string 150 may be used to provide valuable information to the operator via control line 180 during the production phase of the well, such as fluid temperature, pressure, velocity, constituent composition and the like, such that the operator can enhance the production operations.

Even though FIG. 1 depicts sand control screen assemblies 120, 125 in a cased hole environment, one skilled in the art will recognize that the sand control screen assemblies of the present invention are equally well suited for use in open hole environments. Also, even though FIG. 1 depicts a vertical completion, one skilled in the art will recognize that the sand control screen assemblies of the present invention are equally well suited for use in well having other directional configurations including horizontal wells, deviated wells, multilateral wells, and the like.

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sand control screen assembly 200 for use in wellbore 105 (FIG. 1). Along with the other sand control screen assemblies described in the present application, the sand control screen assembly 200 may replace one or more of the screen assemblies 120, 125 described in FIG. 1 and may otherwise be used in the exemplary wellbore system 100 depicted therein.

The screen assembly 200 generally includes a perforated base pipe 205, a drainage layer 210, a filter medium 215, and a protective jacket or shroud 220. Generally, during hydrocarbon production, fluid from the subterranean formation flows in a direction from the formation, through the shroud 220, and towards a central axis Ac of the base pipe 205. The base pipe 205 provides structural support to the assembly 200, and also provides flow communication via openings 225 with the production or completion string 150 (FIG. 1) in the wellbore 105. The drainage layer 210 occasionally is a slotted screen and includes a plurality of ribs 235 that are substantially symmetrically disposed or positioned about the central axis Ac of the base pipe 205. In certain embodiments, the slotted screen is made up of wrapped wires. The drainage layer 210 is placed around the surface of the base pipe 205 and typically distributes inflow to the base pipe 205. In certain embodiments, the drainage layer 210, composed of the slotted screen and the plurality of ribs 235, can be replaced by other porous structures such as metal meshes. The filter medium 215 that surrounds the drainage layer 210 is utilized for particle control and/or particle filtration of a predetermined size. The filter medium 215 is a generally woven, wire-wrapped, or slotted liner. The shroud 220 surrounds the filter medium 215 and provides protection to the assembly 200 during installation. In certain exemplary embodiments, the shroud 220 is a perforated jacket. In alternative embodiments, the shroud 220 may be a wire-wrapped jacket, a slotted screen jacket, or a stamped jacket.

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a section 300 of a sand control screen assembly for use in a wellbore. The sand control screen assembly of FIGS. 3A-3D may replace the sand control screen assembly 200 described in FIGS. 2A-D and may otherwise be used in the exemplary wellbore system 100 (FIG. 1) depicted therein.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3D, the sand control screen assembly section 300 includes a perforated base pipe 305 having openings 325, a filter medium 315, and a perforated protective shroud 320 having openings 345. In certain other embodiments, a drainage layer (not shown) may be included between the base pipe 305 and the filter medium 315. For instance, when a mesh filter medium is utilized, a drainage layer may be included. In cases where a wire-wrapped or slotted liner is utilized, a drainage layer may be excluded. Generally, fluid flows in a direction from the shroud 320 towards the base pipe 305.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the filter medium 315 may include an offset D1 provided by a radial extension 350. The radial extension 350 protrudes radially outwards from a central axis of a sand control screen assembly, and provides offset D1 between the shroud 320 and the filter medium 315. The offset D1 can be in the range of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 inch. In certain embodiments, the radial extension 350 is provided by a wire or wire assembly. In certain other embodiments, the radial extension 350 can be oriented helically, longitudinally, or circumferentially on the weave tube. In other embodiments, the radial extension 350 is provided by metal sheet strips, either in sections or for the entire length of the tube. The radial extension 350 may be coupled to the filter medium 315 in any suitable manner known to one having ordinary skill in the art, such as welding or diffusion bonding. Once the sand control screen assembly is constructed, the offset D1 allows for dispersion of fluid flow and therefore a decay of velocities approaching the filter medium 315. The lower approach velocity results in a lower erosion rate over conventional filter media utilized. In addition, in certain embodiments, the offset D1 may also provide some structural support for the shroud 300.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the filter medium 315 may also include an offset D2 provided by a radial extension 360. The radial extension 360 protrudes radially inwards towards a central axis of a sand control screen assembly, and provides offset D2 between the base pipe 305 (or a drainage layer, if one is included) and the filter medium 315. The offset D2 can be in the range of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 inch. In certain embodiments, the radial extension 360 is provided by a wire or wire assembly. In certain other embodiments, the radial extension 360 can be oriented helically, longitudinally, or circumferentially on the weave tube. In other embodiments, the radial extension 360 is provided by metal sheet strips, either in sections or for the entire length of the tube. The radial extension 360 may be coupled to the filter medium 315 in any suitable manner known to one having ordinary skill in the art, such as welding or diffusion bonding. Once the sand control screen assembly is constructed, the offset D2 allows for increased drainage and thus lower erosion by reducing the flow concentration towards the base pipe perforation holes that have a limited opening ratio.

In addition, while the present figures illustrate radial extensions 350, 360 having a elliptical cross-sectional profile, one having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that in alternative embodiments, the radial extensions can have any profile shape configuration, such as triangular, rectangular, circular, oval, square, quatrefoil, curvilinear triangular, trapezoidal, pentagon, hexagon, other polygons, asymmetrical, and the like. In certain exemplary embodiments, the radial extensions 350, 360 line up in pairs when the filter medium 315 is assembled. In certain other embodiments, the radial extensions 350, 360 may be offset from one another when the filter medium 315 is assembled. One having ordinary skill in the art will also recognize that the radial extensions 350, 360 can vary in size, number, frequency, arrangement, and the like, from application to application.

Although embodiments described herein are made with reference to example embodiments, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the example embodiments described herein are not limited to any specifically discussed application and that the embodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. From the description of the example embodiments, equivalents of the elements shown therein will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and ways of constructing other embodiments using the present disclosure will suggest themselves to practitioners of the art. Therefore, the scope of the example embodiments is not limited herein.

Claims

1. A sand control screen assembly, comprising: a base pipe having openings through a thickness of the pipe;a filter medium disposed about the base pipe; anda radial extension for ensuring substantially uniform radial spacing relative to at least one of the filter medium's inner surface and outer surface.

2. The sand control screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the radial extension comprises a wire assembly adjacent the inner or outer surface of the filter medium.

3. The sand control screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the radial extension comprises a metal sheet strips

4. The sand control screen assembly of claim 3, wherein the metal sheet strips are assembled in sections along at least one of the filter medium's inner surface and outer surface.

5. The sand control screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the radial extension is coupled to the filter medium.

6. The sand control screen assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shroud disposed about the filter medium for protecting the filter medium.

7. The sand control screen assembly of claim 6, wherein the radial extension is disposed between the shroud and the filter medium.

8. The sand control screen assembly of claim 1, further comprising a drainage layer disposed between the base pipe and the filter medium.

9. The sand control screen assembly of claim 8, wherein the radial extension is disposed between the drainage layer and the filter medium.

10. The sand control screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the radial spacing is in the range of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 inch.

11. A sand control screen assembly, comprising: a perforated base pipe;a filter medium disposed about the base pipe; andan offset means for providing a radial spacing relative to at least one of the filter medium's inner surface and outer surface.

12. The sand control screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the offset means is oriented helically, longitudinally, or circumferentially about the filter medium's outer surface.

13. The sand control screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the offset means is oriented helically, longitudinally, or circumferentially along the filter medium's inner surface.

14. The sand control screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the offset means is assembled in sections along at least one of the filter medium's inner surface and outer surface.

15. The sand control screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the offset means comprises metal sheet strips.

16. The sand control screen assembly of claim 11, further comprising a shroud disposed about the filter medium for protecting the filter medium.

17. The sand control screen assembly of claim 11, further comprising a drainage layer disposed between the base pipe and the filter medium.

18. The sand control screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the radial spacing is in the range of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 inch.