Claims
- 1. Proppant containment apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:
- first and second tubular members, each of said first and second tubular members having first and second opposite ends, said first tubular member second opposite end being coaxially attached to said second tubular member first opposite end, said second tubular member having first and second internal surfaces and said first tubular member having a third internal surface, said first internal surface being adjacent said second tubular member first opposite end and said first tubular member second opposite end, and said first internal surface being radially outwardly disposed relative to each of said second and third internal surfaces;
- a screen disposed within said second tubular member radially inward relative to said first internal surface, said screen having an outer peripheral edge portion, said outer peripheral edge portion being disposed radially outward relative to each of said second and third internal surfaces, such that said screen is retained axially intermediate said second and third internal surfaces;
- a third tubular member having first and second opposite ends and fourth, fifth, and sixth internal surfaces formed therein, said third tubular member first opposite end being attached to said second tubular member second opposite end such that said second internal surface is in fluid communication with said fourth internal surface, said fifth internal surface being disposed axially intermediate said fourth and sixth internal surfaces and having a ball sealing surface formed thereon; and
- a ball disposed axially intermediate said screen and said ball sealing surface, said ball being capable of sealingly engaging said ball sealing surface,
- such that, a fluid flow directed from said first tubular member first opposite end to said third tubular member second opposite end biases said ball to sealingly engage said ball sealing surface.
- 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fifth internal surface further has a groove formed thereon, said groove permitting fluid communication between said fourth internal surface and said sixth internal surface when said ball sealingly engages said ball sealing surface.
- 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth tubular member having a first internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially flowed, an axial portion having a side wall section with an outlet opening therein through which said slurry material may be outwardly discharged from said first internal flow passage, and a second internal flow passage formed axially through said side wall section, said fourth tubular member being attached to said first tubular member first opposite end, said second internal flow passage being in fluid communication with said third internal surface and said outlet opening being in fluid communication with said second internal surface.
- 4. Apparatus operatively positionable within a subterranean well, the apparatus comprising:
- a slurry delivery flowpath extending in the apparatus and adapted to deliver a slurry including a mixture of fluid and particulate matter into the well;
- a fluid return flowpath extending in the apparatus and isolated from fluid communication with the slurry delivery flowpath by an erodable barrier;
- a filtering device disposed relative to the fluid return flowpath, the filtering device limiting flow of the particulate matter through the fluid return flowpath and permitting flow of the fluid from the slurry delivery flowpath to the fluid return flowpath through the erodable barrier when the barrier erodes; and
- a well screen interconnected between the slurry delivery flowpath and the fluid return flowpath, the screen preventing flow of the particulate matter from the slurry delivery flowpath to the fluid return flowpath therethrough.
- 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the filtering device is disposed between the erodable barrier and the screen in the fluid return flowpath.
- 6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the filtering device prevents flow of the particulate matter from the erodable barrier to the screen through the fluid return flowpath when the barrier erodes.
- 7. Apparatus operatively positionable within a subterranean well, the apparatus comprising:
- a slurry delivery flowpath extending in the apparatus and adapted to deliver a slurry including a mixture of fluid and particulate matter into the well;
- a fluid return flowpath extending in the apparatus and isolated from fluid communication with the slurry delivery flowpath by an erodable barrier;
- a filtering device disposed relative to the fluid return flowpath, the filtering device limiting flow of the particulate matter through the fluid return flowpath and permitting flow of the fluid from the slurry delivery flowpath to the fluid return flowpath through the erodable barrier when the barrier erodes; and
- a sealing device permitting flow of the fluid through the filtering device in a first direction and substantially restricting flow of the fluid through the filtering device in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
- wherein the sealing device is positioned between the filtering device and a well screen, the screen being interconnected between the slurry delivery and the fluid return flowpaths.
- 8. A well completion apparatus, comprising:
- a slurry delivery flowpath extending in the apparatus;
- a fluid return flowpath extending in the apparatus;
- a well screen filtering particulate matter from a slurry delivered through the slurry delivery flowpath in normal operation of the apparatus;
- an erodable barrier separating the slurry delivery flowpath from the fluid return flowpath in the apparatus; and
- a filtering device filtering the particulate matter from the slurry in the fluid return flowpath when the erodable barrier erodes and permits fluid communication between the slurry delivery and fluid return flowpaths in the apparatus.
- 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a sealing device permitting substantially unrestricted flow of fluid through the fluid return flowpath in a first direction and substantially restricting flow of fluid through the fluid return flowpath in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
- 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sealing device is positioned in the fluid return flowpath between the well screen and the filtering device.
- 11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the filtering device is positioned in the fluid return flowpath between the erodable barrier and the well screen.
Parent Case Info
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 08/587,352, filed Jan. 16, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,985, such prior application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
US Referenced Citations (22)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
587352 |
Jan 1996 |
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