Claims
- 1. A well completion system for use in segregating the flows of production fluids from a plurality of lateral wellbores, comprising: a tubular housing having a plurality of angularly spaced drain means on the walls thereof, each of said drain means being arranged to receive production fluids from a lateral wellbore; flow segregating body means being positioned at a selected orientation in said housing; flow passage means in said flow segregating body means having inlet means aligned with each of said drain means, and having longitudinal passages extending upward from each of said inlet means and opening through the upper end of said flow segregating body means; and isolating means providing pressure-sealed communication between said drain means and said inlet means.
- 2. The well completion system of claim 1 further including valve means for controlling the flow of production fluids through each of said longitudinal passages.
- 3. The well completion system of claim 2 further including means for sensing a characteristic property of the production fluids present in each of said longitudinal passages.
- 4. The well completion system of claim 3 further including means for operating said valve means and said sensor means from the top of the well.
- 5. The well completion system of claim 1 further including means on said flow segregating body means and said tubular housing for positioning said flow segregating body means at a predetermined angular orientation in said tubular housing so that said inlet means are aligned with said drain means.
- 6. The well completion system of claim 5 wherein said positioning means includes helical guide surfaces on said flow segregating body means cooperable with key means on said tubular housing to automatically orient said flow segregating body means so that said drain means and said inlet means are aligned.
- 7. The well completion system of claim 1 wherein each of said longitudinal passages has a lower portion that is curved outward to provide a smooth transition to an adjacent drain means.
- 8. The well completion system of claim 1 further including means in said flow segregating body means for injecting lift gas into the production fluids flowing through a respective one of said flow passage means to place a lateral wellbore producing therethrough on gas lift.
- 9. The well completion system of claim 1 wherein said isolating means comprises annular seal means engaging between said flow segregating body means and said tubular housing above and below each of said inlet means.
- 10. The well completion system of claim 1 wherein said isolating means comprises conduit means extending through each of said longitudinal passages in said flow segregating body means and into respective ones of said drain means.
- 11. The well completion system of claim 10 wherein said conduits are movable from retracted positions within said flow segregating body means to extended positions where lower end portions of said conduits extend into adjacent drain means.
- 12. The well completion system of claim 11 further comprising first seal means for preventing fluid leakage between said conduits and said flow segregating body means and second seal means for preventing fluid leakage between said conduits and said drain means.
- 13. A well completion apparatus for use in segregating the flows of production fluids from a plurality of lateral wellbores having their inner ends in communication with a main wellbore, comprising: a generally cylindrical flow segregating body means adapted to be lowered into said main wellbore to a location adjacent said inner ends; flow passage means in said flow segregating body means including inlet means adapted to be aligned with said inner ends and to receive production fluid flow therefrom, isolating seal means establishing pressure sealed flow paths between said inner ends of said lateral wellbores and said inlet means, passages extending upwardly in said flow segregating body means from said inlet means and opening through the upper end of said flow segregating body means, and orientation means on said flow segregating body means for positioning said inlet means to receive production fluid flow from said inner ends of said lateral wellbores.
- 14. The well completion apparatus of claim 13 wherein said passages have upper and lower portions, said lower portions being curved outward to provide smooth transitions to said inner ends of said lateral wellbores.
- 15. The well completion apparatus of claim 14 further comprising valve means in said upper portions of said passages for controlling the flow of production fluids through said passages.
- 16. The well completion apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for sensing a characteristic property of the production fluids present in each of said passages.
- 17. The well completion apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for operating said valve means and said sensing means from the top of said main wellbore.
- 18. A well completion apparatus for use in segregating the flows of production fluids from a plurality of lateral wellbores having their inner ends in communication with a main wellbore, comprising: a generally cylindrical flow segregating body means adapted to be lowered into said main wellbore to a location adjacent said inner ends, flow passage means in said flow segregating body means having inlet means adapted to be aligned with said inner ends and to receive production fluid flow therefrom, passages extending upwardly in said flow segregating body means from said inlet means and opening through the upper end of said flow segregating body means, orientation means on said flow segregating body means for positioning said inlet means to receive production fluid flow from said inner ends of said lateral wellbores, and isolating means for providing pressure-sealed flow paths between said inner ends of said lateral wellbores and said inlet means and isolating said pressure-sealed flow paths from one another.
- 19. The well completion apparatus of claim 18 wherein said isolating means comprises annular seal means on said flow segregating body means above and below each of said inlet means.
- 20. The well completion apparatus of claim 18 wherein said isolating means comprises conduits movable from retracted positions in said flow segregating body means to extended positions, said conduits in said extended positions having outer portions that extend outwardly of said flow segregating body means.
- 21. The well completion apparatus of claim 20 further comprising means for preventing fluid leakage between said conduits and said body means in the said extended positions of said conduits.
- 22. A method of segregating the flows of production fluids from a plurality of lateral wellbores having their inner ends in communication with a main wellbore that extends upward to the surface, comprising the steps of: positioning multidrain housing means within said main wellbore, lowering a generally cylindrical flow segregating body means into said main wellbore to a location within said multidrain housing means and adjacent said inner ends; providing flow passage means in said flow segregating body means comprising inlet means adapted to be aligned with said inner ends and to receive production fluid therefrom, said flow passage means comprising passages that extend upwardly in said flow segregating body means from said inlet means to the upper end of said body means; rotationally orienting said flow segregating body means within said multidrain housing means to position said inlet means to receive production fluid flow from said inner ends of said lateral wellbores; and establishing sealed and isolated production fluid flow communication between said inner ends of said lateral wellbores and said inlet means.
- 23. The method of claim 22 including the further step of controlling the flow of production fluids through said flow passage means.
- 24. The method of claim 23 including the further step of sensing a characteristic property of production fluids present in each of said passages.
- 25. The method of claim 22 including the further step of providing isolated, pressure-sealed communication between said inner ends of said lateral wellbores and said inlet means.
- 26. A well completion apparatus for use in segregating the flows of production fluids from a plurality of lateral wellbores having their inner ends in communication with a main wellbore, comprising: a tubular multi-drain housing adapted for positioning within said main wellbore and having a plurality of angularly spaced drain means, each of said drain means adapted for receiving production fluids from a lateral wellbore, a generally cylindrical flow segregating body means adapted to be lowered into said main wellbore to a location within said tubular multi-drain housing and adjacent said inner ends, flow passage means in said flow segregating body means comprising inlet means adapted to be aligned with said inner ends and to receive production fluid flow therefrom and passages extending upwardly in said body means from said inlet means and opening through the upper end of said body means, orientation means on said body means for positioning said inlet means to receive production fluid flow from said inner ends of said lateral wellbores, and isolating seal means establishing sealing between said tubular multi-drain housing and said flow segregating body means and isolating each of said inlet means from one another and providing pressure-sealed flow paths between said inner ends of said lateral wellbores and said inlet means.
- 27. The well completion apparatus of claim 26 wherein said isolating seal means comprises sealing means establishing sealing of said inlet means to said body means and establishing sealing of said inlet means to said inner ends of said lateral wellbores.
- 28. The well completion apparatus of claim 26 wherein said isolating seal means comprises housing seal means establishing sealing of said flow segregating body means with said tubular multi-drain housing and isolating said angularly spaced drain means from one another, said isolating seal means having inlet seal means establishing sealing of said inlet means to said inner ends of said lateral wellbores and establishing sealing of said inlet means to said flow segregating body means.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/010,656, filed Jan. 26, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (32)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2 274 864 |
Jan 1996 |
GBX |
WO 9623953 |
Aug 1996 |
WOX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Halliburton Advertisement in Oil & Gas Journal, May 13, 1996, "Always Raising the Bar in Mulitlateral Technology". |