Abstract:
A screen device includes a foam body having a passageway that extends longitudinally through the foam body, the foam body has an open cell structure such that at least two surfaces of the foam body are in fluidic communication with one another through the foam body.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]    Screens are commonly used in tubular systems to separate particulate from fluids. Such systems are employed in the downhole completion industry to separate sand and other particulate from hydrocarbons such as oil, water and natural gas, for example. Communication across these screens can be difficult depending upon the construction of the screen itself. Screen devices that simplify communication thereacross are welcomed in the art. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION  
       [0002]    Disclosed herein is a screen device that includes a foam body having a passageway that extends longitudinally through the foam body. The foam body has an open cell structure such that at least two surfaces of the foam body are in fluidic communication with one another through the foam body. 
         [0003]    Further disclosed is a downhole screen including a tubular having a wall with perforations therethrough and a foam body, having an open cell structure, surroundingly disposed at the tubular. The open cell structure provides fluidic communication between an outer surface of the foam body and an inside of the tubular. The foam body also has a conduit extending longitudinally therethrough. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0004]    The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  depicts a cross-sectional view of a screen device disclosed herein; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  depicts a side view of the a screen device disclosed herein with a helical conduit; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a conduit shown in  FIG. 2  with a line running therethrough; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  depicts a partial cross-sectional view of an alternate conduit with a line running therethrough. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]    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. 
         [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a screen device disclosed herein is shown generally at  10 . The screen device  10  is shown within a wellbore  11  of an earth formation  12 . The screen device  10  has a foam, which in one iteration is an open cell foam, body  13  that surrounds a tubular  14  positioned within a void  18  that extends longitudinally through the screen device  10 . Additionally, a line  22  is shown positioned within a conduit  26  of the screen device  10 , also referred to herein as a passageway, that extends longitudinally through the screen device  10 . In this embodiment an axis  27 A of the void  18  is substantially parallel to an axis  27 B of the conduit  26 . Both the void  18  and the conduit  26  have perimetrically continuous walls  28 A,  28 B, which may be either permeable or non-permeable to fluid. The foam body  13  is an open cell structured foam  31  to allow fluid to flow therethrough from an outside  29  of the screen device  10 , defined by outer surface  30 , to the void  18  for embodiments wherein the walls  28 A are permeable. In this embodiment the open cell structured foam  31  provides filtering of fluid passing therethrough. Perforations  34  in the tubular  14  allow fluid passing through the screen device  10  to flow to an inside  38  of the void  18 . Once the fluid is on the inside  38  it can flow longitudinally through the tubular  14  in either direction. Fluid initially on the inside  38  can also flow out through the perforations  34 , through the open cell structured foam  31  and to the outside  29 . 
         [0011]    The conduit  26  provides an unobstructed passageway from a first end  42  of the screen device  10  to a second end  46  of the screen device  10 . As mentioned above, the walls  28 B of the conduit  26  may be permeable so that fluid is able to pass therethrough in either direction between the open cell structured foam  31  and the conduit  26 . An embodiment wherein the walls  28 B are permeable permits treatments therethrough. For example, chemical injection for treating the open cell structured foam  31  or the earth formation  12 , such as for acid treatments or corrosion inhibitor treatments. 
         [0012]    The anticipated treatments and environmental conditions in which the screen device  10  will be operational will influence materials used to construct the foam body  13 . Additional considerations include whether or not the foam body  13  needs to be deformable or not. As such, materials contemplated for the foam body  13  include resins, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyvinylchlorides, metals, ceramics and combinations thereof. 
         [0013]    Regardless of the material of the foam body  13 , running the line  22  through the conduit  26  provides a means of communicating through the screen device  10 . The line  22  can be one or more of several lines commonly used in downhole completion applications, such as, a hydraulic line, an electric line, a fiber optic cable and a chemical injection line, for example. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the line  22  can be free to slide within the conduit  26  by sizing the line  22  and the conduit  26  with an annular space  54  therebetween. Alternately, the line  22  can be fixedly attached to the conduit  26 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . One way to attach the line  22  to the conduit  26  is to surround the line  22  with a foam  58  that is radially small enough to be run into the conduit  26  prior to expansion of the foam  58  and subsequent adhesion to the walls  28 B. The foam  58  can be compacted or fabricated to a smaller radial dimension prior to running through the conduit  26 . The foam  58  can further be configured to expand radially in response to exposure to such things as temperature or chemical exposure, for example, that the foam  58  is anticipated to encounter once placed in application. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , attachment of the line  22  to the conduit  26  can be used to sense parameters of the screen device  10 . For example, use of fiber optic cable as the line  22  permits measurement of stresses encountered by the screen device  10 . 
         [0016]    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. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.