Abstract:
A formation treatment system includes an annulus spanning member having one or more openings therein. A tubular having one or more ports therein in fluid communication with the one or more openings. A sleeve capable of isolating or communicating the one or more ports with an ID of the tubular. A method for effecting precision formation treatment is included.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     In downhole industries such as hydrocarbon recovery, and Carbon Dioxide sequestration, for example, formation treatments such as “fracing” and “acidizing” are well-known parts of downhole processes designed to increase permeability in or stimulate a formation. In general, a fracing process includes the employment of hyperbaric pressures applied from a surface location and directed through ports in a tubing string. The increased pressure while it does indeed result in formation fracture does not necessarily fracture the formation in optimum or even very controlled locations. Acidizing is similarly less than optimumly targeted. Since fractures and acidizing points can dramatically improve the efficiency of a downhole completion, the art will well receive alternate formation treatment systems and methods. 
     SUMMARY 
     A formation treatment system includes an annulus spanning member having one or more openings therein; a tubular having one or more ports therein in fluid communication with the one or more openings; and a sleeve capable of isolating or communicating the one or more ports with an ID of the tubular. 
     A method for effecting precision formation treatment including setting an annulus spanning member in a formation to bring one or more openings in the annulus spanning member proximate a formation wall; revealing one or more ports in a tubular member; communicating a tubular ID to the one or more openings in the annulus spanning member; applying fluid through the tubular ID; and directing the fluid to the formation through the one or more openings. 
     A method for effecting precision formation treatment including deploying a plug member to a formation treatment system includes an annulus spanning member having one or more openings therein; a tubular having one or more ports therein in fluid communication with the one or more openings; and a sleeve capable of isolating or communicating the one or more ports with an ID of the tubular; setting the annulus spanning member in a formation to bring one or more openings in the annulus spanning member proximate a formation wall by pressurizing a chamber defined by the annulus spanning member and the tubular; revealing one or more ports in the tubular member by moving the sleeve pursuant to pressure upon the plug on a seat in the sleeve; communicating a tubular ID to the one or more openings in the annulus spanning member; applying a fluid through the tubular ID; and directing the fluid to the formation through the one or more openings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a first embodiment of a formation treatment system as disclosed herein in a run in position; 
         FIG. 2  is the formation treatment system of  FIG. 1  in a formation treatment position; 
         FIG. 3  is another embodiment of a formation treatment system in a run in position; 
         FIG. 4  is the formation treatment system of  FIG. 3  in a setting position; 
         FIG. 5  is the formation treatment system of  FIG. 3  in a formation treatment position; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of a annulus spanning member with a nozzle opening. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a first embodiment of a formation treatment system  10  as disclosed herein is illustrated. The system  10  includes an annulus spanning member  12  (in a run-in or resting position) that may be a deformable element and may in some embodiments also act as a seal. The member  12  includes one or more openings  14  through which at least pressure is transmittable at selected times. It may however be desirable to plug the one or more holes at one or more times during the life cycle of the system. More information will be provided on this point later in this disclosure. In one embodiment the member  12  will include pips  16  that extend radially outwardly of a body  18  of the member  12  regardless of the position of the member  12 . Member  12  is positioned radially outwardly of a tubular  20  that includes one or more ports  22 . Further is a sleeve  24  acting as a valve in combination with the tubular  20 . The sleeve includes one or more passageways  26  extending radially therethrough. The sleeve  24  is translationally supported within the tubular  20  such that the one or more passageways  26  are alignable and misalignable with the one or more ports  22 . 
     In use, a first action is to cause the annulus spanning member  12  to span an annulus  28  between the system  10  and a formation  30  in which the system  10  is disposed. This can be done in a number of ways, some of which result in a compressive load being placed axially of the member  12 , resulting in its deformation radially outwardly as shown in  FIG. 2 . Also notable in  FIG. 2  is that the embodiment illustrated includes pips  16  and those pips  16  are embedded in the formation. This serves to segregate an annular space  32  in fluid connection with the one or more openings  14 , the one or more ports  22  and the one or more passageways  26  to provide a fluid conduit from the formation  30  to an inside dimension (“ID”) of the system  10 . The pips, then, assist in directing fluid pressure to the target area. The segregation of the area is also useful for purposes such as matrix acidizing since due to the confined nature of application, less acid would be needed to effect the desired result of formation stimulation, for example. 
     Those of skill in the art will recognize the system will be a part of a string  34  and the “ID” will be fluidically accessible to surface for pressurization. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the sleeve  24  has already been shifted to align the passageways  26  with the ports  22  and the openings  14 . It is to be assumed that somewhere downhole of the system  10  the ID is plugged so that applied pressure from uphole of the system  10  finds an exit from the string only at or at least primarily at the openings  14 . Because of this condition, applied pressure or acid is directed to a very small portion of the formation and fracture initiation is very likely to occur there and acid treatment will certainly be applied directly there. Accordingly, through use of the system and method hereof, great precision in fracture initiation or acidizing is effected. 
     In another embodiment, referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , a system  110  is illustrated that is similar to that of  FIGS. 1 and 2  but is configured for use in situations where one or more fractures are planned or areas for acid treatment along a borehole are planned. More specifically, the system  110  employs a ball or other droppable or pumpable plug member  140  can be used to plug a particular system  110  to treat a certain target spot and then another plug  140  can be used for a next target spot and so on for as many systems  110  as are employed in a particular borehole. 
     The system  110  includes a member  112  similar to the member  12  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  but that is actuated differently. The member  112  is configured to create a chamber  142  with tubing  120  upon which the member  112  may slide. The member  112  and tubing  120  are sealed to one another by o-rings  144  or equivalent. An actuation port  146  is located through the tubing  120  to allow pressure to be increased in the chamber  142  for actuation of the member  112 . 
     The system  110  further includes in one embodiment a one way movement configuration  148 , which in one embodiment may be a body lock ring or other ratcheting type configuration. The configuration  148  functions between the member  112  and tubing  120  to allow for the member  112  to move downhole relative to the tubing  120  (as illustrated but it is to be understood that this could be configured oppositely). The purpose and function of the configuration  148  is to accept movement imposed by the chamber  142  and then deny movement of the member  112  to a relaxed position after the force imposed by the chamber  148  is withdrawn. 
     System  110  further includes one or more openings  114  and one or more ports  122 . The ports  122  and openings  114  are initially fluidly isolated from the ID of the system  110  by a sleeve  150 . In one embodiment, the sleeve  150  includes an optional plug seat  152  receptive of a plug  140  as illustrated. The sleeve includes seals  154  that straddle the ports  122  during a nonoperational position of the system  110 . Finally the system  110  includes a release mechanism  156  which in some embodiments may be a shear arrangement such as one or more shear screws. 
     It is to be appreciated that the one or more openings  14  and  114  in annulus spanning members  12  and  112  can form a jet of fluid therethrough simply because the openings are relatively small in dimension. An even more effective jet can be formed if individual openings are configured through the thickness of the material of the annulus spanning member in a conical manner. The openings so configured would then act to some degree as nozzles. An enlarged schematic view of such is included as  FIG. 6 . Such a jet of fluid will aid in the initiation of a fracture by disrupting a surface of the formation through fluid erosion. 
     During use of the system  110 , the system is run to a target location in a borehole and then a plug  140  is dropped or pumped to the location of the system  110 . Upon seating in the seat  152 , the plug  140  prevents fluid in the ID of the string from flowing past the seat  152 . Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , fluid pressure accordingly builds on an uphole side of the plug  140  (could be reversed for downhole if desired but must be upstream of the fluid flow). Increasing pressure acts upon chamber  142  to increase a dimension thereof that is longitudinal of the system  110 . Increasing this dimension of the chamber  142  causes the member  112  to buckle radially outwardly toward and ultimately, in some embodiments, into contact with the formation  30 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , once a threshold pressure is reached at which it is expected the member  112  will be fully deployed, the release member  156  releases and the sleeve  150  moves downhole (downstream) thereby opening the one or more ports  122  to allow the application of pressure to reach the openings  114  and the formation  30 . Note that a shoulder  160  is provided to stop movement of the sleeve  150  after the one or more ports  122  are revealed. At this point the pressure can be increased to fracing pressure and the fracture will tend to initiate between pips  116  as in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2  (or as noted above, acid can be applied to the formation between the pips. The system  110  can work with other systems  110  further upstream since after the treatment occurs as stated, flow is restored sufficiently to land another plug  140  at a more uphole sleeve  150  and the process as described again is repeated. 
     While one or more 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.