Patent ID: 11891874
Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 0:
1. A system for use downhole in a wellbore comprising:
a tubing string positionable downhole in a wellbore; and
a porous gravel pack positionable in an annulus defined at least in part by a surface of the tubing string, the porous gravel pack comprising a plurality of grains, each grain of the plurality of grains having an unexpanded position and an expanded position, wherein each grain of the plurality of grains comprises:
a core comprising an expandable material, the expandable material configured to expand from the unexpanded position to the expanded position in response to coming in contact with a fluid; and
a sheath surrounding a portion of the core, wherein the sheath does not fully extend over at least one end of the core in the unexpanded position, wherein the sheath is deformable in response to the expansion of the core into the expanded position,, wherein in the expanded position, each grain of the plurality of grains has a length to diameter ratio that is greater than 1, and, wherein in the expanded position a fluid passageway is formed between a first grain of the plurality of grains and a second grain of the plurality of grains, the fluid passageway being defined by a deformed first sheath of the first grain and a deformed second sheath of the second grain, wherein the deformed first sheath and the deformed second sheath prevent a portion of the core of the first grain of the plurality of grains from contacting a portion of the core of the second grain of the plurality of grains for defining the fluid passageway.