Patent Publication Number: US-8985207-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for use with an inflow control device

Description:
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/354,597, entitled, “WASHPIPE FREE RUNNING OF INFLOW CONTROL DEVICES USING REACTIVE MATERIAL,” which was filed on Jun. 14, 2010, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for use with an inflow control device. 
     When well fluid is produced from a subterranean formation, the fluid typically contains particulates, or “sand.” The production of sand from the well typically is controlled for purposes like preventing erosion and protecting upstream equipment. One way to control sand production is to install screens in the well and form a filtering substrate around the screens to filter sand from the produced well fluid. A typical sand screen is formed from a cylindrical mesh that is placed inside the borehole of the well where well fluid is produced. Another typical sand screen is formed by wrapping wire in a helical pattern with controlled distance between each adjacent winding. Using a gravel packing operation, gravel is deposited in the annular region that surrounds the sand screen to form a filtering substrate. 
     In a conventional gravel packing operation, the gravel is communicated downhole via a slurry, which is a mixture of a carrier fluid and the gravel. A gravel packing system in the well directs the slurry around the sand screen so that when the fluid in the slurry disperses, gravel remains around the sand screen. 
     SUMMARY 
     In an embodiment of the invention, a technique includes running a completion assembly downhole into a well. The assembly includes a valve and a material that is adapted to initially configure the valve to prevent fluid flow through the valve in at least one direction. The technique includes performing a downhole completion operation in the well and disintegrating the material to allow the prevented fluid flow through the valve. The valve includes a nozzle that is used to regulate production or injection in the well. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a completion apparatus includes a base pipe, a screen to circumscribe the base pipe, a valve disposed in the base pipe and a material. A nozzle of the valve regulates the injection or production of fluid between a central passageway of the base pipe and an annular region that surrounds the screen. The material is disposed in the valve when the completion apparatus is run into the well to prevent a fluid flow through the valve in at least one direction and thereafter be disintegrated to allow the prevented fluid flow. 
     In yet another embodiment of the invention, a system that is usable with a well includes a tubular string that includes completion assemblies to be installed downhole in a wellbore of the well to regulate production or injection. At least one of the completion assemblies includes a base pipe, a screen and valves that are disposed in the base pipe. The base pipe forms part of the tubular string, and the screen circumscribes the base pipe. Nozzles of the valves regulate the production or injection fluid between a central passageway of the tubular string and an annular region that surrounds the screen. The completion assembly includes materials, where each material is adapted to configure one of the valves to initially prevent fluid communication through the valve in at least one direction to allow a completion operation to be performed in the well and thereafter being disintegrated to allow the prevented fluid communication through the valve. 
     Advantages and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following drawing, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a well according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a completion screen assembly having a sleeve valve that is open according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the completion screen assembly when the sleeve valve is closed according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram depicting a technique to initially configure an inflow control device nozzle using a reactive material according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are cross-sectional views of inflow control device nozzles having reactive material plugs according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of an inflow control device valve with a nozzle having a reactive material to initially prevent fluid flow through the nozzle according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 8 and 10  are cross-sectional views of inflow control device valves with nozzles having balls that provide check valve functionality and reactive materials to allow future disabling of the check valve functionality according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of an inflow control device valve with nozzle having a ball that provides check valve functionality that is initially dormant due to a reactive material according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram of a completion screen assembly according to another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , in accordance with embodiments of the invention, a well system  10  may include a deviated or lateral wellbore  15  that extends through one or more formations. Although the wellbore  15  is depicted in  FIG. 1  as being uncased, the wellbore  15  may be cased, in accordance with other embodiments of the invention. Moreover, the wellbore  15  may be part of a subterranean or subsea well, depending on the particular embodiment of the invention. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 1 , a tubular completion string  20  extends into the wellbore  15  to form one or more isolated zones for purposes of producing well fluid or injecting fluids, depending on the particular embodiment of the invention. In general, the tubular completion string  20  includes completion screen assemblies  30  (exemplary completion screen assemblies  30   a  and  30   b  being depicted in  FIG. 1 ), which either regulate the injection of fluid from the central passageway of the string  20  into the annulus or regulate the production of produced well fluid from the annulus into the central passageway of the string  20 . In addition to the completion screen assemblies  30 , the tubular string  20  may include packers  40  (shown in  FIG. 1  their unset, or radially contracted states), which are radially expanded, or set, for purposes of sealing off the annulus to define the isolated zones. 
     For the following discussion, it is assumed that the string  20  receives produced well fluid, although the concepts, systems and techniques that are disclosed herein may likewise be used for purposes of injection, in accordance with other embodiments of the invention. 
     Each completion screen assembly  30  includes a sand screen  34 , which is constructed to support a surrounding filtering gravel substrate (not depicted in  FIG. 1 ) and allow produced well fluid to flow into the central passageway of the string  20  for purposes of allowing the produced fluid to be communicated to the surface of the well. Before being used for purposes of production, however, the tubular completion string  20  and its completion screen assemblies  30  are used in connection with at least one downhole completion operation, such as a gravel packing operation to deposit the gravel substrate in annular regions that surround the sand screens  34 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  in conjunction with  FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention, each completion screen assembly  30  includes a base pipe  104  that is concentric about a longitudinal axis  100  and forms a portion of the tubular string  20 ; and the assembly&#39;s sand screen  34  circumscribes the base pipe  104  to form an annular fluid receiving region  114  between the outer surface of the base pipe  104  and the interior surface of the sand screen  34 . The completion screen assembly  30  also includes a sleeve valve  120  that forms part of the base pipe  104  (and tubular string  20 ) for purposes of controlling fluid communication between the central passageway of the base pipe  104  (and tubular string  20 ) and the fluid receiving region  114 . 
     The sleeve valve  120  includes a housing  124  that forms part of the base pipe  104  and has at least one radial port  130  to establish fluid communication between the fluid receiving region  114  and the central passageway of the base pipe  104 . The sleeve valve  120  also includes an interior sliding sleeve  128  that is concentric with and, in general, is disposed inside the housing  124 . As its name implies, the sliding sleeve  128  may be translated along the longitudinal axis of the base pipe  104  for purposes of opening and closing radial fluid communication through the port(s)  130 . In this manner, the sliding sleeve  128  contains at least one radial port  132  to allow radial fluid communication through the port(s)  132  (and port(s)  130 ) when the sleeve  128  is translated to its open position. When the sliding sleeve  128  is translated to its closed position (see  FIG. 3 ), seals  136  (o-rings, for example), which are disposed between the outer surface of the sleeve  128  and the inner surface of the housing  124  isolate the ports  130  and  132  from each other, thereby blocking off fluid communication through the sleeve valve  120 . 
     It is noted that  FIG. 2  is merely an example of a completion screen assembly in accordance with one of many possible embodiments of the invention. For example, the sleeve valve  120  may be located uphole or downhole with respect to the sand screen  34 ; and as further disclosed below in connection with  FIG. 11 , a completion screen assembly  400  may not include a sleeve valve. Thus, many variations are contemplated and are within the scope of the appended claims. 
     For the exemplary completion screen assembly that is depicted in  FIG. 2 , the sleeve  128  may be translated between its open and closed positions using a variety of different mechanisms, depending on the particular embodiment of the invention. As a non-limiting example, the sleeve  128  may be translated to its different positions by a shifting tool that has an outer surface profile that is constructed to engage an inner surface profile (such as exemplary inner profiles  127  and  129 , for example) of the sleeve  128 . Other variations are contemplated and are within the scope of the appended claims. 
     The sleeve valve  120  is opened ( FIG. 2 ) for purposes of depositing a gravel substrate about the sand screen  34  during a gravel packing operation. In this manner, during the gravel packing operation, the gravel substrate is communicated downhole as part of a slurry that contains the gravel substrate and a carrier fluid. After being deposited around the sand screen  34 , the carrier fluid exits the gravel substrate and enters openings  112  of the screen  34 . The carrier fluid enters the central passageway  106  of the base pipe  104  through the opened sleeve valve  120  and returns to the surface via the tubular string  20 . It is noted that the string  20  may possibly include one or more crossovers for purposes of transitioning the returning flow between the central passageway  106  and the annulus of the well. Thus, many variations are contemplated and are within the scope of the appended claims. 
     After the region about the sand screen  34  is gravel packed, the sleeve valve  120  is closed as depicted in  FIG. 3 ; and another sleeve valve  120  of another completion screen assembly  30  is opened (with the other sleeve valves  120  being closed) for purposes of gravel packing the region that surrounds the other completion screen assembly  30 . 
     After that the conclusion of any completion operations, such as the above-described exemplary the gravel packing operation, the completion screen assemblies  30  are used for purposes of regulating production or injection. In this manner, each completion assembly  30  includes one or more inflow control device (ICD) valves  150  (one exemplary ICD valve  150  being depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ), which are disposed in the base pipe  104  and contain nozzles  151  (one nozzle  151  being depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) for purposes of regulating fluid communication between the central passageway  106  of the base pipe  104  and the annulus of the well. 
     One way to gravel pack a tubular string that contains ICD valves is to use a wash pipe. In this manner, the wash pipe may be run inside the central passageway of the string to isolate the ICD valves so that fluid may be communicated using the string while preventing fluid communication through the ICD valves. However, typically, the wash pipe forms imperfect seals (thereby allowing leakage to occur through the ICD valves); and moreover, using a wash pipe may involve at least one additional run into the well, which may contribute significantly to the expense and time associated with the gravel packing operation. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in accordance with embodiments of the invention described herein, a technique  200  may be used to perform a completion operation without using a wash pipe to isolate ICD valves. The technique  200  includes running an ICD into a well with reactive materials, which initially configures the valves of the ICDs in a manner that prevents fluid flow through the valves in at least one direction, pursuant to block  202 . For example, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the reactive materials initially configure each of the ICD valves to prevent fluid flow in a direction from the central passageway  106  of the base pipe  104  to the annular region outside of the valves. With this configuration, a downhole completion operation (gravel packing operation, for example) may then be performed, which takes advantage of this fluid flow restriction/isolation, pursuant to block  204 . When the completion operation is complete, the reactive materials may be disintegrated (block  206 ) to remove the fluid flow restrictions placed on the ICD valves so that the nozzles of the valves may be used (block  208 ) to thereafter regulate production or injection. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 , as a more specific example, in accordance with embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, a reactive material plug  220  may initially be inserted into an opening  152  of an ICD nozzle  151  to block fluid flow in a direction from the central passageway  106  of the base pipe  104  to the annular region that surrounds the base pipe  104 . In general, the plug  220  has a portion  231  that extends into the opening  152  of the ICD nozzle  151  and contains a flange  230  that contacts the inner surface of the base pipe  104  for purposes of retaining the plug  220  inside the ICD nozzle  151 . Thus, with this configuration, leakage is prevented through the valve  150 , for example, as the carrier fluid is communicated through the central passageway  106  of the base pipe  104  during a gravel packing operation. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 , alternatively, in accordance with other embodiments of the invention, a reactive material plug  250  may be initially disposed in the opening  152  of an ICD nozzle  151  to block flow in both directions through the valve  150 . In this manner, similar to the plug  220  ( FIG. 5 ), the plug  250  contains a portion  231 , which extends into the opening  152  and contains a flange that contacts the inner surface  222  of the base pipe  104  for purposes of securing the plug  250  in place to prevent a fluid flow between the central passageway  106  and the region outside of the base pipe  104 . Unlike the plug  220 , however, the plug  250  also includes a flange  252  that contacts an outer surface  224  of the base pipe  104  for purposes of preventing a flow from the exterior of the base pipe  104  to the central passageway  106  through the valve  150 . 
     As another example,  FIG. 7  depicts an ICD valve  270  with a nozzle  272 , in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 7  in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 , for this example, the nozzle  272  has a constricted opening  274  that is formed in a body  271  of the ICD valve  270  for purposes of regulating production or injection through the valve  270 . The body  271  also contains an internal chamber  280 , which is exposed to the opening  274 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , a reactive material  284  is initially disposed inside the chamber  280  to prevent fluid communication in a direction from the central passageway  106  of the base pipe  104  to the region outside of the base pipe  104  through the nozzle opening  274 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , in accordance with other embodiments of the invention, an ICD valve  300  with nozzle  301  may be similar in certain aspects to the ICD valve  270  of  FIG. 7 , in that the ICD nozzle  301  contains a constricted opening  274  that is formed in the ICD valve&#39;s body  271  as well as a chamber  280 . However, unlike the ICD valve  270 , the ICD valve  300  is initially configured to be a check valve. In this manner, the ICD valve  300  is initially enabled by a reactive material to restrict flow in a direction from the central passageway of the base pipe  104  to the region outside of the base pipe  104  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). More specifically, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the check valve includes a ball element  302 , which has an outer diameter that is sized bigger than the cross-sectional diameter of the opening  274 . 
     In general, as shown in  FIG. 8 , a reactive material flow plate  308  (containing flow passageways  310 ) retains the ball element  302  inside the chamber  280  and permits the ball element  302  to travel inside the chamber  280  to allow and restrict flow, depending on the flow direction. In this manner, the check valve prevents fluid communication from the central passageway  106  of the base pipe  104  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) to the annular region that surrounds the base pipe  104  and allows fluid communication in the opposite direction. Because the flow plate  308  is constructed from a reactive material, the flow plate  308  may be disintegrated to allow the ball element  302  to leave the chamber  280 , thereby disabling the check valve and permitting fluid communication in both directions. 
     The ICD valve may alternatively have a check valve functionality that is initially disabled, instead of enabled, using a reactive material, in accordance with other embodiments of the invention. In other words, the reactive material may be used to form a dormant check valve, which is subsequently enabled. Referring to  FIG. 9 , as a more specific example, an ICD valve  320 , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention, includes a body  271  that has a nozzle  321  with a constricted opening  274  and a chamber  280 , similar to the ICD valves  270  ( FIG. 8) and 300  ( FIG. 9 ). The ICD valve  320  also contains a ball element  302  that has an outer diameter that is sized to not pass through the constricted opening  274 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 9 , the ICD valve  320  is configured to initially contain a reactive material  324  that is disposed inside the chamber  280  to restrict travel of the ball element  302  inside the chamber  280  to thereby force the ball element  302  to close the opening  274 . Thus, the reactive material  324  initially configures the ICD valve  320  to be closed, regardless of the differential pressure across the ball element  302 , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The ICD valve  320  also includes a flow plate  328 , that, unlike the flow plate  308  of  FIG. 8 , is not formed of a reactive material, in accordance with some implementations. Upon disintegration of the reactive material  324 , the ball element  302  freely moves inside the chamber  280  to cause the ICD valve  320  to become a check valve, which allows flow in a direction from the region outside of the base pipe  104  to the central passageway  106  but prevents flow through the valve  320  in the opposite direction. 
       FIG. 10  is an example of another ICD valve  350  that is initially configured to be a check valve but is subsequently disabled through the use of a reactive material. The ICD valve  350  has a body  351  that forms a chamber  354  that contains a ball element  372 . In general, the body  351  contains openings  376  to permit communication between the central passageway  106  and the chamber  354 . The body  351  also includes an opening  364  that is part of a nozzle  352  of the ICD valve  350  and is sized to allow passage of the ball element  372 . However, initially, the opening  364  is further restricted by an annular reactive material ring  370 , which has a corresponding opening  360  that is smaller than the diameter of the ball  372 . Therefore, due to this arrangement, initially, the ball element  372  is retained inside the chamber  354  to configure the ICD valve  250  to form a check valve that allows flow from the annulus to the central passageway  106  but prevents flow in the opposite direction. However, the reactive material ring  370  may be disintegrated to permit the ball  372  to leave the chamber  354 , thereby disabling the check valve functionality of the ICD valve  250  and permitting flow in both directions. 
     As non-limiting examples, the reactive material may be aluminum or an aluminum alloy, although other reactive materials may be used, in accordance with other embodiments of the invention. 
     The reactive material may be disintegrated in numerous different ways, depending on the particular embodiment of the invention. For example, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention, a fluid (hydrochloric acid, for example) which reacts with the reactive material may be communicated downhole via the central passageway of the tubing string  20  (see  FIG. 1 ) for purposes of disintegrating the reactive materials (aluminum or aluminum alloys, as non-limiting examples) used to initially configure the ICD valves. As another example, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the reactive material may gradually disintegrate due to the exposure of the material to downhole well fluids. Therefore, upon installing the completion assemblies (see  FIG. 1  for example), a certain amount of time may be allocated for performing completion operations, which rely on certain configurations of the ICD valves, which are achieved through the use of reactive materials. After this time elapse, the materials sufficiently disintegrate to effectively remove the initial configurations. 
     Other embodiments are contemplated and are within the scope of the appended claims. For example, referring to  FIG. 11 , in accordance with other embodiments of the invention, unlike the completion screen assemblies disclosed above, a completion screen assembly  400  does not contain a sleeve valve. Similar reference numerals are used in  FIG. 11  to show components that are similar to the components of the completion screen assemblies discussed above. For purposes of illustration,  FIG. 11  depicts the ICD valve  150  as containing a reactive material plug  404  inserted into the opening  152  of an ICD nozzle  151  to initially block flow through the ICD valve  150 , although the ICD valve  150  may be configured using reactive materials in other ways, as discussed above. Thus, many variations are contemplated and are within the scope of the appended claims. 
     While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having the benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.