Patent Application
20220341296
In the resource recovery industry and as well in fluid sequestration industry, screens are well known and necessary components of downhole systems to exclude particulate matter from fluid streams such that particulate matter does not end up in places that are undesirable such as production streams or in equipment. Sand screens are complex multilayered devices that require significant time and effort to manufacture and hence are costly. Layered screens also are subject to failure modes and clogging due to inherent spacing between layers of the screen material. The art would well receive less costly and or more efficient screens.
An embodiment of a sand screen including a frame, a filtration media disposed in contact with the frame, the filtration media being of single-piece unitary construction and exhibiting varying flow properties over a surface of the media, or through a radial thickness of the media.
An embodiment of a filtration media being of single-piece unitary construction and exhibiting varying flow properties over a surface area of the media, or through a radial thickness of the media.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
The sand screen as disclosed herein is superior to the prior art in that the properties of the filtration media are adjustable during manufacture to match the properties of the formation. Specifically, the media may vary in flow properties along the media length, around the media circumference, or through a radial thickness of the media. The media may also be configured to reduce the skin and/or modify the permeability front face with the formation to achieve a minimum resistance or disturbance to flow.
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Properties modifiable in the media 12 include porosity, permeability, surface tension, hydrophobicity, oleophilicity, hydrophilicity; oleophobicity, etc.
Manufacture of the media 12 as disclosed herein is most efficiently done using an additive manufacturing process such as a powder bed fusion process including: a Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS); Selective Laser Sintering (SLS); Selective Heat Sintering (SHS); Electron Beam Melting (EBM), or Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM); Vat Polymerization using photopolymerization to cure each microfine layer using UV light; Material/binder jetting; or Direct Energy deposition where an electron beam laser mounted on an injection head melts either a wire or filament feedstock or powder material. Materials for use include all common additive manufacturing materials and also shape memory materials. The shape memory material (SMM) may be an alloy or a polymer. Metal SMMs include may be but not limited to nickel titanium alloy, nickel titanium zirconium alloy, titanium nickel copper alloy, copper aluminum manganese alloy, iron nickel cobalt aluminum tantalum boron alloy, copper aluminum niobium alloy, nickel manganese gallium alloy, zirconium copper alloy, polycrystalline iron nickel cobalt aluminum alloy, polycrystalline iron manganese aluminum nickel alloy, polycrystalline nickel titanium zirconium niobium alloy, or combinations including at least one of the foregoing. Activation of the SMMs may be by temperature, electrical exposure, chemical reaction, changes in stress, etc.
Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1: A sand screen including a frame, a filtration media disposed in contact with the frame, the filtration media being of single-piece unitary construction and exhibiting varying flow properties over a surface of the media, or through a radial thickness of the media.
Embodiment 2: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the surface is along a longitudinal length of the media.
Embodiment 3: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the surface is around a circumference of the media.
Embodiment 4: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the frame is also a part of the single piece unitary filtration media.
Embodiment 5: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the filtration media includes shape memory materials.
Embodiment 6: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the sand screen components are constructed simultaneously in an additive manufacturing process.
Embodiment 7: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the filtration media further includes a structure for flow conditioning.
Embodiment 8: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the structure is an inflow control configuration.
Embodiment 9: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the filtration media further includes a structure for compaction resistance.
Embodiment 10: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the varying flow property along the media length is porosity, permeability, or surface tension.
Embodiment 11: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the varying flow property around the circumference is porosity, permeability, or surface tension.
Embodiment 12: The sand screen as in any prior embodiment, wherein the varying flow property along the radial thickness is porosity, permeability, or surface tension.
Embodiment 13: A filtration media being of single-piece unitary construction and exhibiting varying flow properties over a surface area of the media, or through a radial thickness of the media.
Embodiment 14: A wellbore system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, a filtration media as in any prior embodiment disposed in the string.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of ±8% or 5%, or 2% of a given value.
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
