PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FILTERS FOR ENHANCED SAND CONTROL

Abstract

A screen assembly for use within a wellbore. The screen assembly may include a primary screen filter and a base pipe. The base pipe may be positioned within the primary screen filter such that an annular space is formed between the primary screen filter and the base pipe. The base pipe may include a plurality of secondary screen filters positioned along an axial length of the base pipe such that particulates from an inflowing fluid stream from the wellbore create a sand bridge in the annular space if the primary screen filter becomes damaged.

Description

BACKGROUND

In many oil and gas well applications, a borehole is drilled into the earth and subsequently completed with equipment, i.e. completion equipment, to facilitate production of desired fluids from a reservoir. The completion equipment may comprise various types of sand control equipment, e.g. sand screen filters, which block the inflow of sand as the oil and/or gas flow into the completion equipment.

The completion equipment may be assembled by connecting sand screen joints and deploying the sand screen joints downhole into the wellbore to a desired well zone. In a variety of applications, the wellbore may comprise multiple well zones and several sand screen joints may be disposed along each of the well zones. Within each well zone, the individual sand screen joints may comprise inflow ports through which the well fluid flows into the interior of the completion equipment for production to the surface.

SUMMARY

A screen assembly for use within a wellbore according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes a primary screen filter and a base pipe. The base pipe is positioned within the primary screen filter such that an annular space is formed between the primary screen filter and the base pipe. The base pipe includes a plurality of secondary screen filters positioned along an axial length of the base pipe such that particulates from an inflowing fluid stream from the wellbore create a sand bridge in the annular space if the primary screen filter becomes damaged.

A production system disposable within a wellbore according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes a tubing string disposable within the wellbore and a screen assembly coupled to the tubing string. The screen assembly includes a primary screen filter and a base pipe. The base pipe is positioned within the primary screen filter such that an annular space is formed between the primary screen filter and the base pipe. The base pipe includes a plurality of secondary screen filters positioned along an axial length of the base pipe such that particulates from an inflowing fluid stream from the wellbore create a sand bridge in the annular space if the primary screen filter becomes damaged.

A method for producing formation fluids from formation according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes positioning a tubular comprising a screen assembly within a wellbore extending through the formation. The method also includes filtering an inflowing fluid stream from the wellbore via the screen assembly. The method further includes creating a sand bridge in an annular space of the screen assembly formed between a primary screen filter of the screen assembly and secondary screen filters of a base pipe of the screen assembly when the primary screen filter becomes damaged.

However, many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain embodiments of the disclosure will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying figures illustrate the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various described technologies. The drawings are as follows:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a well system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a screen assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a base pipe according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a screen assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the screen assembly of FIG. 4 with a damaged primary screen filter; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a screen assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.

In the specification and appended claims: the terms “connect,” “connection,” “connected,” “in connection with,” “connecting,” “couple,” “coupled,” “coupled with,” and “coupling” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via another element.” As used herein, the terms “up” and “down,” “upper” and “lower,” “upwardly” and “downwardly,” “upstream” and “downstream,” “uphole” and “downhole,” “above” and “below,” and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe some embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a well system 100 that includes a wellbore 102 having a deviated wellbore section 104 extending into a formation 106 containing hydrocarbon fluids. Depending on the application, the wellbore 102 may comprise one or more deviated wellbore sections 104, e.g. horizontal wellbore sections, which may be cased or un-cased. In the example illustrated, a tubing string 108 is deployed downhole into wellbore 102 and comprises a downhole well completion 110 deployed in the deviated, e.g. horizontal, wellbore section 104.

The downhole well completion 110 may be constructed to facilitate production of well fluids and/or injection of fluids. By way of example, the downhole well completion 110 may comprise at least one screen assembly 112, e.g. a plurality of screen assemblies 112. Each screen assembly 112 may include a shroud 114 that cover a screen filter, as described in more detail below, through which fluid may enter the corresponding screen assembly 112 for production to a suitable location, e.g. a surface location. For example, hydrocarbon well fluids may flow from formation 106, into wellbore 102, and into the screen assemblies 112 via sand screens 114. In some embodiments, the downhole well completion 110 also may comprise a plurality of packers 116 which may be used to isolate sections or zones 118 along the wellbore 102.

Turning now to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a screen assembly 212 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As described above, multiple sand screen assemblies 212 may be coupled to a tubing string, such as the tubing string 108 described above. The sand assembly 212 includes a primary screen filter 200 disposed around a base pipe 202 such that an annular space 204 is created between the primary screen filter 200 and the base pipe 202.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, there may be ribs 206 positioned within the annular space 204 and extending between the primary screen filter 200 and the base pipe 202. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the primary screen filter 200 may include a metallic material. For example, the primary screen filter 200 may include wire wrapped around the base pipe 202, as that shown in FIG. 2.

Turning now to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a base pipe 302 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In the exemplary embodiment, the base pipe 302 includes a tubular member 300 having multiple holes 304. As shown in FIG. 3, a secondary screen filter 306 is disposed within each of the holes 304 via welding, sintering, a threaded connection, adhesives, or any other similar methods of bonding a screen filter to the tubular member 300. In other embodiments, the secondary screen filters 306 may be formed from the base pipe via machining or other similar methods.

In some embodiments, the secondary screen filters 306 may have orifices sized between approximately 100 microns and approximately 700 microns. In other embodiments, the secondary screen filters may have orifices smaller than 100 microns or larger than 700 microns. Further, the secondary screen filters 306 may include or be coated with an erosion resistant material. For example, the secondary screen filters 306 may include or be coated with a ceramic material, tungsten carbide, a porous powdered metal, or other similar materials.

Turning now to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a screen assembly 412 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In operation, the screen assembly 412 is deployed downhole in a wellbore via a tubing string, as described above. The primary screen filter 400 of the screen assembly 412 filters particulates from the inflowing fluid stream and the secondary screen filters 406 increases well production through the screen assembly 412 by creating an inflow control device (ICD) effect. The ICD effect due to the secondary screen filters 406 can be further controlled by adjusting the number and size of the screen filters, as well as adjusting the size of the secondary screen filter orifices. Due to the ICD effect created by the secondary screen filters 406 disposed in the holes 404 in the base pipe 402, the fluid stream is directed into the holes 404, and fine particulates are filtered from the fluid stream through the secondary screen filters 406. Thereafter, the fluid stream is directed into the interior bore of the base pipe 402.

If the primary screen filter becomes damaged, such as the damaged shown at location 500 of FIG. 5, the screen assembly 412 is configured to pack particulates 502 (e.g., sand) from the inflowing fluid stream in the annular space between the primary screen filter 400 and the base pipe 402 to create a sand bridge due to the secondary screen filters 406 in the holes 404 in the base pipe 402. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the sand bridge reduces an amount of the particulates from the inflowing fluid stream that will enter the interior bore of the base pipe 402 through the secondary screen filters 406 for production at the surface. In this way, sand flow control and well production effectiveness may be maintained, even in the event of damage to a primary screen filter 400 in one or more zones. Moreover, sand bridging between the primary screen filter 400 and the secondary screen filters 406 in the holes 404 in the base pipe 402 reduces screen erosion in the screen assembly 412.

Turning now to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a screen assembly 612 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The screen assembly 612 is similar in many respects to the screen assembly 412 discussed above with regard to FIGS. 4 and 5. Accordingly, like reference numbers have been used to indicate similar, if not identical, features. FIG. 6 differs from FIGS. 4 and 5 primarily in that there is a single secondary screen filter 606 positioned between the primary screen filter 600 and the base pipe 602. Further, there are no screen filters positioned in the holes 604 of the base pipe 602.

Although there are no screen filters within the holes 604 of the base pipe 602, if the primary screen filter becomes damaged, the screen assembly 612 is configured to pack particulates (e.g., sand) from the inflowing fluid stream in the annular space between the primary screen filter 600 and the base pipe 602 to create a sand bridge due to the secondary screen filter 606, as described above. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the sand bridge reduces an amount of the particulates from the inflowing fluid stream from entering the interior bore of the base pipe 602 through the secondary screen filter 606 for production at the surface. In this way, sand flow control and well production effectiveness may be maintained, even in the event of damage to the primary screen filter 600.

As used herein, a range that includes the term between is intended to include the upper and lower limits of the range; e.g., between 50 and 150 includes both 50 and 150. Additionally, the term “approximately” includes all values within 5% of the target value; e.g., approximately 100 includes all values from 95 to 105, including 95 and 105. Further, approximately between includes all values within 5% of the target value for both the upper and lower limits; e.g., approximately between 50 and 150 includes all values from 47.5 to 157.5, including 47.5 and 157.5.

Although a few embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A screen assembly for use within a wellbore, the screen assembly comprising: a primary screen filter; anda base pipe positioned within the primary screen filter such that an annular space is formed between the primary screen filter and the base pipe, the base pipe comprising a plurality of secondary screen filters positioned along the base pipe such that particulates from an inflowing fluid stream from the wellbore create a sand bridge in the annular space if the primary screen filter becomes damaged.

2. The screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the secondary screen filters are formed from the base pipe.

3. The screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the secondary screen filters are disposed within holes formed in the base pipe.

4. The screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the secondary screen filters each comprise an erosion resistant material.

5. The screen assembly of claim 4, wherein the erosion resistant material comprises at least one of a ceramic material, tungsten carbide, or a porous powdered metal.

6. The screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the primary screen filter comprises a metallic material.

7. The screen assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ribs positioned within the annular space and extending between the primary screen filter and the base pipe.

8. The screen assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shroud disposed around the primary screen filter.

9. A production system disposable within a wellbore, the production system comprising: a tubing string disposable within the wellbore; anda screen assembly coupled to the tubing string and comprising: a primary screen filter; anda base pipe positioned within the primary screen filter such that an annular space is formed between the primary screen filter and the base pipe, the base pipe comprising a plurality of secondary screen filters positioned along the base pipe such that particulates from an inflowing fluid stream from the wellbore create a sand bridge in the annular space if the primary screen filter becomes damaged.

10. The production system of claim 9, wherein the secondary screen filters are formed from the base pipe.

11. The production system of claim 9, wherein the secondary screen filters are disposed within holes formed in the base pipe.

12. The production system of claim 9, wherein the secondary screen filters each comprise an erosion resistant material.

13. The production system of claim 12, wherein the erosion resistant material comprises at least one of a ceramic material, tungsten carbide, or a porous powdered metal.

14. The production system of claim 9, wherein the primary screen filter comprises a metallic material.

15. The production system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of ribs positioned within the annular space and extending between the primary screen filter and the base pipe.

16. The production system of claim 9, further comprising a shroud disposed around the primary screen filter.

17. A method for producing formation fluids from a formation, the method comprising: positioning a tubular comprising a screen assembly within a wellbore extending through the formation; andfiltering an inflowing fluid stream from the wellbore via the screen assembly; andcreating a sand bridge in an annular space of the screen assembly formed between a primary screen filter of the screen assembly and secondary screen filters of a base pipe of the screen assembly when the primary screen filter becomes damaged.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising positioning a plurality of ribs within the annular space and extending between the primary screen filter and the base pipe.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming the secondary screen filters from an erosion resistant material.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the erosion resistant material comprises at least one of a ceramic material, tungsten carbide, or a porous powdered metal.