Abstract:
A wet connect arrangement for communication beyond obstructions in a wellbore such as gravel packs and lateral junctions, among others. The arrangement employs communication line at first and second tubulars and annular or part annular communication pathways between the lines when the first and second tubulars are in operable position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of an earlier filing date from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/425,348 filed Nov. 11, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Research over the last decade or more into efficient and reliable hydrocarbon recovery has led the industry to intelligent solutions to age old oil field (and other downhole industries) problems. Valving, sensing, computing, and other operations are being carried out downhole to the extent technology allows. Primary wellbores have “intelligent completion strings” installed therein that can zonally isolate portions of the well, variably control portions of the well and otherwise. These portions may be lateral legs of the well or different zones in the primary wellbore. 
     In multilateral wellbore structures, lateral legs can be very long and may pass through multiple producing and non-producing zones and may or may not be gravel packed. Both lateral legs and gravel packed zones, inter alia, create issues with regard to communication and control beyond these structures. Gravel packs have had communication pathways but they are difficult to align and work with; lateral legs are commonly controlled only at the junction with the primary wellbore because of difficulty in communicating past the junction. 
     Better communication beyond communication obstructing configurations would be beneficial to and well received by the hydrocarbon exploration and recovery industry. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed herein is a control line wet connection arrangement including a first tubular having one or more control line connection sites associated therewith each site terminating at a port at an inside dimension of the first tubular, the inside dimension surface of the first tubular having a seal bore and a second tubular having one or more control line connection sites associated therewith, each line terminating at a port at an outside dimension of the second tubular, the outside dimension surface having at least two seals in axial spaced relationship to each other, at least one on each side of each port at the outside dimension of the second tubular. 
     Further disclosed herein is a multi-seal assembly having a seal body, a plurality of seals and a plurality of feed-through configurations for control lines. The feed-through configurations are staggered. 
     Disclosed herein is a junction configured to facilitate communication with a lateral completion string having a junction, a primary bore and a lateral bore intersecting the primary bore. At least one communication opening through the junction from a location outwardly of an inside dimension of the lateral bore into the lateral bore is provided. 
     A well system is also disclosed having a tubing string with a primary bore and at least one lateral bore extending from and intersecting the primary bore at a junction. The well system includes an intelligent completion string in the at least one lateral bore, and an intelligent completion string in the primary bore. A communication conduit is provided for each of the string in the primary bore and the at least one lateral bore, the communication conduit for the string in the at least one lateral bore being disposed outwardly of an inside dimension of the tubing string at least at the junction of the primary bore and the lateral bore. 
     Also disclosed herein is a method of installing intelligent completion strings in lateral legs of a wellbore. The method includes running a junction having a primary leg and a lateral leg on a tubing string to depth with an umbilical disposed outwardly of an inside dimension of the string and junction, the junction further having at least one opening from the umbilical to an inside dimension of the junction. The method also includes running an intelligent completion string into the lateral leg and connecting with the at least one opening. 
     Further disclosed herein is a connection arrangement for a first and second control line associated with first and second nestable tubulars including a first tubular having a first control line associated therewith, a second tubular having a second control line associated therewith and the first and second tubulars configured to when nested, isolate an annular volume to communicatively connect the first control line to the second control line. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several figures: 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic representation of a radial wet-connect connector in the pre-connection condition; 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic representation of a radial wet-connect connector in the post-connection condition; 
         FIG. 2A  is a representation similar to  FIG. 1A  but with a frustoconical connection geometry; 
         FIG. 2B  is a representation similar to  FIG. 1B  but with a frustoconical connection geometry; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of a gravel pack configuration with the radial wet connector of  FIGS. 1A and 1B ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an anchor section of the radial wet connector; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a multilateral junction configured to facilitate installation of an intelligent well system completion in both legs; 
         FIG. 6  is a view of the  FIG. 5  multilateral junction with a schematically represented completion in the lateral leg; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a portion of the completion in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a multi-element staggered feed-through packer; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a multi-seal feed-through seal assembly with staggered feed-through; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a multilateral junction configured to facilitate installation of an intelligent well system completion in both legs; and 
         FIG. 11  is a view of the  FIG. 7  multilateral junction with a schematically represented completion in the lateral leg. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A hydraulic line wet connection arrangement is disclosed herein through two exemplary embodiments. For a better understanding of the arrangement however, the connection is first illustrated divorced from other devices.  FIGS. 1A and 1B  schematically illustrate just the connection itself in the pre-connection and post connection condition, respectively. A first tubular  12  has a larger inside dimension than a second tubular  14 . Such that second tubular  14  can be received concentrically within first tubular  12 , along with seals  22 . There need be at least two seals in this arrangement to create an annular (or part annular, functioning similarly) sealed space  23  for communication between a control line uphole (not shown in this view), which may be hydraulic, and a control line downhole  16  which may be hydraulic. Ports  18  (three shown, any number is possible) in first tubular  12  extend from an inside dimension of first tubular  12 , in a seal bore section  20  of the first tubular  12 , to a control line connection site  19 . Seal bore  20  is in one embodiment a polished bore. The control line connection site may be at an outside dimension of the first tubular  12  or may be between the outside dimension and inside dimension of the first tubular, the latter position being effected by providing a recess in the outside dimension surface of first tubular or by creating a control line termination at the site within the media of the first tubular  12 . The ports  18  are spaced axially from one another and may be located anywhere circumferentially in the seal bore  20  at first tubular  12 . 
     Second tubular  14  has a smaller outside dimension than the inside dimension of first tubular  12  so that it is possible to position second tubular  14  concentrically within first tubular  12 . Second tubular  14  further includes at least two seals  22  axially spaced from one another sufficiently to allow a gap between the seals  22  about the size of a port  18 . The outside dimension of second tubular  14  also is configured to facilitate interposition of seals  22  between the outside dimension of tubular  14  and the inside dimension of tubular  12 . Four seals are illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , which corresponds to the potential for connection of three individual control lines. This potential is realized if ports  18  are located in each annular space  23  bounded by seal bore  20 , seals  22  and second tubular  14 . Further, second tubular  14  would need to also have three ports  26  between respective seals  22  which ports  26  lead to control line connection sites  28  at second tubular  14 . It should be appreciated that as many or as few control line connections can be effected as are desired, limited only by the ability to deliver control lines to the connection annuluses, which ability is a function of control line cross sectional area and total available area in the borehole particularly around the circumference of the tubulars  12  and  14 . 
     In the embodiment of the connection device illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the seal bore  20  is a parallel surface to that of second tubular  14 . Such configuration allows for mating of first tubular  12  and second tubular  14 , thus effecting control line connection, without a pressure change in the respective control lines. This is desirable for some applications. 
     In another embodiment of the connection device, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the seal bore  20   a  is frustoconical in shape with a stepped surface  30 . For this embodiment, second tubular  14   a  also has a frustoconical stepped shape complementary to the seal bore  20   a . In this embodiment, ports located nearer the smallest outside dimension of second tubular  14   a  experience a larger pressure change upon connection than ports located nearer the largest outside dimension of second tubular  14   a . In other respects the tool functions as does the foregoing embodiment. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , one embodiment of a device employing the arrangement is illustrated. In this embodiment, the arrangement is employed with a gravel pack assembly  40 . One of skill in the art will recognize screen  42 , holed pipe  44  and sliding sleeve  46  as common portions of gravel pack assemblies. Other non-identified components are also common in the art. What is new is the arrangement for control line connection wherein the first tubular  12  as discussed above is in line with other gravel pack components. In this embodiment, three control line connection sites  48  are disposed in recesses  50 . It should be appreciated that the individual connection sites may be employed for connection to a control line or may be left unconnected as desired. Clearly, at least one of the connection sites must be connected to a control line for control downhole vis-a-vis the wet connect arrangement disclosed herein to have an effect downhole of the arrangement. When sites are not used for connection to control lines they are advantageously capped or plugged in a suitable manner. 
     Prior to connection with a reconnect anchor  56 , the ports as well as the seal bore  20  which in one embodiment is a polished bore, are protected by a wear bushing  52  with a pair of seals  54  to maintain the seal bore  20  and the ports  18  clean prior to mating with reconnect anchor  56 . 
     Reconnect anchor  56  comprises second tubular  14  connected to an engagement tool  58  to engage gravel pack packer  60 . Reconnect anchor  56  also supplies seals  62  at a downhole portion  64  of a gravel pack sliding sleeve  66 . Upon advance of reconnect anchor  56  into first tubular  12 , wear bushing  52  is pushed off seal bore  20  and second tubular  14  slides into engagement with seal bore  20 . In one embodiment, visible only in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , wear bushing  52  is provided with a retrieval latch  68  such that in the event anchor  56  is pulled, the wear bushing  52  is repositioned over seal bore  20  to prevent contamination thereof. 
     Reference is also made to  FIG. 4  providing a perspective view of the anchor  56 . 
     In another configuration employing the wet connect concept and arrangement, the arrangement is employed to create communication between control lines above and below a junction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  a schematic representation of a multilateral junction  110  is endowed with one or more umbilicals or control lines  112 ,  114  (two shown, but may be more). Each individual umbilical (as noted above “control line” and “umbilical” are used interchangeably herein) may be employed to control independent devices or independent strings such as intelligent completion strings. This is particularly beneficial where the well has several lateral legs. One embodiment hereof will have the same number of umbilicals as legs, one to feed each. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5 , umbilical  112  continues down primary leg  116  while umbilical  114  ends at a multibore landing nipple or seal bore  118  (similar to seal bore  20  in previous discussed configuration) in an uphole end of lateral leg  120 . In this example, umbilical  112  is intended to feed a more downhole device or lateral while umbilical  114  will feed the lateral leg ( 20 ) illustrated. It will now be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art that the arrangement as disclosed herein is stackable. 
     As illustrated, multibore landing nipple (or seal bore, these terms are used interchangeably herein)  118  includes three ports  122 ,  124  and  126  (more or fewer can be used depending upon axial length of landing nipple) which may be hydraulic ports, electrical ports, fiber optic ports or other types of communication ports singly or in combination such as where the control line is a combination including at least two of hydraulic, electrical and optical configurations depending upon the intended connection between the landing nipple and the tubing installed intelligent completion string. By providing umbilical  114  on the OD of junction  110 , and providing connection via the landing nipple  118 , the umbilical is not subjected to a Y-connection inside the tubing in order to connect to multiple lateral wellbores. 
     Drawing  FIG. 5  illustrates each of three conductors of any type within umbilical  114  (it is noted that more or fewer conductors might be employed) are directed to a specific port  122 ,  124  or  126  within multibore landing nipple  118 . Each of the ports  122 ,  124  and  126  may be open or covered in some manner. Open ports while effective if not contaminated, are susceptible to contamination by debris in a wellbore. One method of avoiding such contamination in hydraulic communication lines of the umbilical is to provide continuous application of positive pressure on each hydraulic line to avoid debris migration into the communication ports. It should also be noted as an ancillary matter that ports  122 ,  124  and  126  can act as a pneumatic pressure nozzle in order to inject gas into the fluid column. Alternatively, ports  122 , 124  and  126  may be physically closed to debris from drilling or well operations by provision of shear or rupture disks in each of the communication ports. These disks may be sheared or ruptured when desired through the controlled application of pressure on the umbilical from the surface or by mechanical, acoustic or electrical means. While shearing or rupturing may occur as desired at any time, it is envisioned that it will be more common to shear or rupture the disks after an intelligent completion string is tied back to the multibore landing nipple as is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
     Depicted in  FIG. 6  is the same schematic diagram of a multilateral junction as is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , however, in  FIG. 6  an intelligent well system completion has been installed in the lateral leg  120 . One of skill in the art will recognize four packers  128  that interface with the multibore landing nipple to create three sealed passages into which ports  122 ,  124  and  126  (respectively) exit. Each of the sealed passages will of course have an exit route to the appropriate continuing conduit (see  FIG. 10 ) through ports  123 ,  125  and  127  for operation of the intelligent well system completion. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a multi-element feed-through packer is illustrated. The packer  200  is a single packer with multiple elements  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208  and  210 . All of the elements are actuated by a common actuator, slips  212 , etc. and only the elements are repetitious. Element  202  as shown has four feed-through locations  214 . Element  204  has three feed-throughs; element  206 , two feed-throughs, and element  208 , one feed-through; thus are staggered. Feed-throughs rely on technology found in Premier Packers commercially available from Baker Oil Tools, Houston, Tex. As is appreciable by perusal of the figure each of the control lines  216 ,  218 ,  220  and  222  is terminated between different packing elements. This facilitates the communication as discussed above through the individual sealed annuluses created between packing elements. 
     As one of skill in the art will appreciate, a similar condition is achievable by employing multiple premier packers stacked atop each other. While this is functionally capable of achieving the desired result it unnecessarily duplicates components such as slips and actuators. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8  an alternate device for achieving the goals of the system described herein is illustrated. Multi-seal feed-through seal assembly  230  is similar to packer  200  in that it provides multiple annular (or, as in the foregoing embodiment, part annular while functioning similarly) sealed areas for creating communication between for example (see  FIGS. 5 and 10 ) ports  122 ,  124  and  126  to ports  123 ,  125  and  127 . Multi-seal feed-through assembly  230  comprises a plurality of seals which as shown number  5 , but more or fewer could be used. Seals  232 ,  234 ,  236 ,  238  and  240  are configured to provide annular sealed areas between each two seals. A control line enters each of these sealed areas as was the case in  FIG. 7 . In the case of  FIG. 8 , control lines  242 ,  244 ,  246 ,  248  feed through only as many elements as necessary to reach their respective annular sealed areas  250 ,  252 ,  254  and  256 ; thus are staggered. 
     It will be appreciated that conventional feed-through seal assemblies could be stacked to substitute for the device as disclosed herein but would unnecessarily duplicate components and thus would increase cost. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , an alternate embodiment is illustrated. The junction in this case illustrated as numeral  140  is similar to that of  FIG. 5 . Umbilical  112  is unchanged. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that umbilical  114  in  FIG. 5  does not go to surface and is indicated distinctly in this figure as numeral  142 . Umbilical  142  terminates at a downhole end identically to  FIG. 5  in multibore landing nipple  118 . Distinct from the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , however, umbilical  142  terminates at its uphole end at multibore landing nipple  144 . Landing nipple  144  includes ports  146 ,  148  and  150  which correspond respectively to ports  122 ,  124  and  126  to which they are connected by individual communication conduits of umbilical  142 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , it will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that another umbilical  152  to surface has been delivered downhole on string  154  and landed in nipple  144 . String  154  communicates with landing nipple  144  identically to the way in which completion string  130  in  FIG. 2  communicates with landing nipple  118  in  FIG. 2 . Once the string  154  has landed in landing nipple  144 , umbilical  152  is connected to each of the ports  146 ,  148  and  150 , and thereby to ports  122 ,  124 , and  126 , respectively for a continued communication pathway to the intelligent completion string  156  located in lateral  120 . 
     In each of these embodiments,  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  9 ,  10 , one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the primary borehole  116  remains open while the lateral borehole  120  is completed with an intelligent string  156 . Following the installation of the intelligent string  156  to the lateral borehole  120  a distinct intelligent string is deliverable down the primary wellbore. This string may deliver downhole its umbilical while it is being installed so the control is available over the primary completion string from a remote location without interference with the lateral completion string and without any Y-connections in the downhole environment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11  another embodiment is illustrated. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the distinction between  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 5  wherein umbilical  114  extends as does that umbilical in  FIG. 1  and terminates downhole in ports  122 ,  124  and  126 . Clearly absent from the  FIG. 9  illustration, however, is the multibore landing nipple illustrated in  FIG. 5  as numeral  118 . This embodiment is directed toward applications where no restriction in the inside diameter of the junction is permissible. In this case, the completion string  160  to be delivered to the lateral leg  120  will have a seal mechanism such as multiple packers  162  at the uphole end thereof to enable a pressure tight seal against the inside dimension  164  of bore  120  so that communication with the completion string may be had through ports  122 ,  124  and  126 . In addition to the avoidance of any restriction in the ID of the lateral bore  120 , this embodiment avoids potential damage to either the landing nipple or other components passing therethrough during installation of the completion string. In other respects, the embodiment of  FIG. 11  operates as do the embodiments of  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  9 ,  10 , all providing the capability of independently actuatable intelligent completion strings in the lateral bore and primary bore as well as being stackable for a true multilateral well system. 
     While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.