This is a U.S. national phase under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2012/025368, titled “Fluid Bypass for Inflow Control Device Tube,” filed Feb. 16, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to devices for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore in a subterranean formation and, more particularly (although not necessarily exclusively), to inflow control devices controlling the flow rate of formation fluids in producing wells.
Inflow control devices can include equipment for controlling the rate of fluid flow from a well, such as an oil or gas well for extracting fluids that can include petroleum oil hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation. An inflow control device can be used to balance inflow throughout the length of a tubing string of a well system by balancing or equalizing pressure from a wellbore of horizontal well. For example, several inflow control devices disposed at different points along a tubing string of a well can be used to regulate the pressure at different locations in the tubing string. An inflow control device can also be used to stimulate production of fluid from a well. For example, an inflow control device can be used to inject fluid into the wellbore to stimulate the flow of production fluids, such as petroleum oil hydrocarbons, from a subterranean formation.
An inflow control device can include one or more inflow control device tubes through which fluid can flow in a production direction from the subterranean formation to the surface or be injected in an injection direction from a rig at the surface to the subterranean formation. An inflow control device tube can have a diameter sufficiently small to create a pressure differential from an inlet to an outlet of the inflow control device tube. The smaller diameter of an inflow control device tube can create a risk of blockage. For example, defects in production equipment can cause debris to be injected into the well during the injection process. Such debris can be sufficiently large to block or otherwise obstruct an injection inlet of an inflow control device tube.
It is desirable for an inflow control device to allow fluid to bypass an inlet blocked by debris during the injection process.
In some embodiments, an inflow control device tube is provided that can be disposed in a wellbore through a fluid-producing formation. The inflow control device tube can include a body, such as a tubular body, and an inlet portion at a first end of the body. The inlet portion can be integrally formed with the body. The inlet portion can be adapted to provide a fluid bypass for a fluid flowing from the inlet portion to an outlet portion at a second end of the body. The fluid bypass can be shaped to allow the fluid to bypass one or more objects causing a blockage at an opening of the inlet portion.
These illustrative aspects and features are mentioned not to limit or define the invention, but to provide examples to aid understanding of the inventive concepts disclosed in this application. Other aspects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent after review of the entire application.
Certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention are directed to an inflow control device tube that can be disposed in a wellbore through a fluid-producing formation. The inflow control device tube can include a fluid bypass at an inlet portion, such as an injection inlet, of the inflow control device tube. The fluid bypass can allow fluid to enter an inflow control device tube having a blockage or other obstruction at an opening of the inflow control device tube, such as the injection inlet. The fluid bypass can thus provide an alternate flow path for fluids, thereby preventing or reducing an undesired decrease in the rate of fluid flow through the inflow control device tube.
An inflow control device can be installed with a tubing string of a well system. An inflow control device can include a device or system deployed as part of a well completion. During a production process, the inflow control device can control the rate at which fluids are produced from a subterranean formation in a well system. The inflow control device can be used to balance or equalize wellbore pressure as fluids are produced from a horizontal well. During an injection process, the inflow control device can be used to stimulate the flow of production fluids from a subterranean formation by injecting fluid into the subterranean formation via the inflow control device.
The inflow control device can include a housing circumferentially surrounding a section of a tubing string, forming an annular chamber, and one or more inflow control device tubes. The housing can be coupled to the section of the tubing string by, for example, welding the housing to the section of the tubing string. Each inflow control device tube can have a length and a diameter sufficient to create a pressure differential from an inlet to an outlet of the inflow control device tube. For example, a inflow control device tube can have a length of 4.5 inches and a diameter of 0.100. In additional or alternative embodiments, an inflow control device tube can be shaped to form a nozzle, thereby creating a pressure differential as fluid flows through the inflow control device tube.
In some embodiments, an inflow control device tube can include a body, such as a tubular body, and an inlet portion at a first end of the body. An inlet portion can be, for example, an injection inlet for injection fluid during an injection process. A production outlet for fluid produced during a production process can be used as the injection inlet during an injection process. The inlet portion can be integrally formed with the body. The inlet portion can be adapted to provide a fluid bypass for a fluid flowing from the inlet portion to an outlet portion at a second end of the body. The fluid bypass can be shaped to allow the fluid to bypass one or more objects blocking or otherwise obstructing an opening of the inlet portion. Integrally forming an inlet portion with a fluid bypass can minimize the components required for operation of the inflow control device.
In additional or alternative embodiments, a fluid bypass of an inflow control device tube can be a ported fluid bypass. The ported fluid bypass can include a series of ports or other openings along a side of the inflow control device tube. The ports can be adjacent and perpendicular to the opening of the inlet portion. For example, a fluid bypass of an inflow control device tube can include a series of ports along the side of the body. Fluid can bypass a blockage of the opening at the inlet portion of the inflow control device and enter the inflow control device tube via the ports.
In additional or alternative embodiments, a fluid bypass of an inflow control device tube can be a slotted fluid bypass. The slotted fluid bypass can include slots in the inlet portion of the inflow control device tube. The slots can be of equal width or of varying widths. The slots can be formed by protrusions located at the inlet portion on the first end of the body. Each of the protrusions can extend from an inner surface of the body to an edge of the opening of the inlet portion. The protrusions can be placed at intervals along the perimeter of the opening. The slots can be formed by the space intervals between the protrusions along the perimeter of the opening of the inlet portion. For example, fluid can bypass a blocked or otherwise obstructed opening of the inlet portion and enter the body via a slot between protrusions.
These illustrative examples are given to introduce the reader to the general subject matter discussed here and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed concepts. The following sections describe various additional embodiments and examples with reference to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements, and directional descriptions are used to describe the illustrative embodiments but, like the illustrative embodiments, should not be used to limit the present invention.
A tubing string 112 extends from the surface within wellbore 102. The tubing string 112 can provide a conduit for formation fluids, such as production fluids produced from the subterranean formation 110, to travel from the substantially horizontal section 106 to the surface. Pressure from a bore in a subterranean formation can cause formation fluids, such as gas or petroleum, to flow to the surface. The rate of fluid flow can be controlled using one or more inflow control devices.
Each of the inflow control devices 114a-c, depicted as a functional block in
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The body 202 of the inflow control device 114 circumferentially surrounds a tubular section of the tubing string 112 to form an annular chamber 206. Injection fluid can flow through the inflow control device 114 device in an injection direction 208, as depicted by the rightward arrow. Production fluid can flow through the inflow control device 114 device in a production direction 210, as depicted by the leftward arrow. Fluid can be injected into or otherwise flow into the annular chamber 206. The fluid in the annular chamber 206 can flow into the inflow control device tubes 204a, 204b. In some embodiments, the annular chamber can be shaped to direct fluid to flow into the inflow control device tubes 204a, 204b. Each of the inflow control device tubes 204a, 204b can have a relatively small diameter, allowing the inflow control device 114 to regulate fluid flow. The lengths and inner diameters of the inflow control device tubes 204a, 204b can be selected to cause a pressure differential between the inlet and the outlet of each of the inflow control device tubes 204a, 204b as fluid flows through the inflow control device tubes 204a, 204b.
The pressure differential of inflow control device tubes 204a, 204b can be used to regulate the flow rate of fluid flowing through the tubing string 112. Pressure differentials of inflow control devices can be obtained using different lengths and diameters for inflow control device tubes. For example, one or more inflow control devices positioned at different locations along the tubing string 112 can modify the pressure of fluid flowing from a first section of the tubing string 112 through the inflow control device 114 to another section of the tubing string 112, thereby causing the fluid to flow through the tubing string 112 at a controlled rate.
In some embodiments, the inflow control device 114 may be remotely controlled via a downhole controller. A downhole controller may include a communication subsystem for communicating with the surface or another remote location.
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Inlet portion 302 can include an opening 304 and a ported fluid bypass 306. Fluid can enter the inflow control device tube 204 via the opening 304 and/or via the ported fluid bypass 306. The ported fluid bypass 306 can include the ports 308a-f. The ports 308a-c can provide a vertical ported fluid bypass, as depicted in the cross-sectional view of
A blockage at the opening 304 can cause fluid to flow into one or more of the ports 308a-f along the outer surface of the inflow control device tube 204. The ported fluid bypass 306 can thus allow fluid to bypass a blockage of the opening 304 that prevents or otherwise obstructs fluid from entering the inflow control device tube 204 via the opening 304.
A blockage at the opening 304 can cause fluid to flow into the body 312 via one or more of the slots 404a-d along the inner surface 408 of the inflow control device tube 204. The slotted fluid bypass 402 can thus allow fluid to bypass a blockage of the opening 304 that prevents or otherwise obstructs fluid from entering the inflow control device tube 204 via the opening 304.
The foregoing description of the embodiments, including illustrated embodiments, of the invention has been presented only for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications, adaptations, and uses thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this invention.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2012/025368 | 2/16/2012 | WO | 00 | 5/8/2014 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2013/122588 | 8/22/2013 | WO | A |
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International Patent Application No. PCT/US2012/025368, “International Search Report and Written Opinion” mailed Dec. 26, 2013, 13 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140311747 A1 | Oct 2014 | US |