Downhole tool having adjustable and degradable rods
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsLiam A. Aitken, Michael L. Fripp, John C. Gano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A downhole assembly comprising: a tubing string located within a wellbore; an outer housing located around a portion of the tubing string; an annulus located between the outside of the tubing string and the inside of the outer housing; at least one flow path through the annulus; an inflow control device positioned within the flow path; and a degradable rod, wherein the degradable rod fits into the flow path adjacent to the inflow control device, and wherein the degradable rod is positionable within the flow path or removable from the flow path. The downhole assembly can be used in an oil or gas operation to variably control the amount of a fluid flowing through the annulus.
Claims23
A well system comprising:
- a wellbore;
- a tubing string located within the wellbore;
- an outer housing located around a portion of the tubing string;
- an annulus located between the outside of the tubing string and the inside of the outer housing;
- at least one flow path through the annulus;
- an inflow control device positioned within the flow path;
- and a degradable rod, wherein the degradable rod is in sealing engagement to prevent flow of fluids through the annulus, the degradable rod fits into an adjustable flow path adjacent to the inflow control device, the degradable rod is positionable within the flow path or removable from the flow path, wherein the degradable rod is degradable by galvanic corrosion, wherein the degradable rod is configured such that when the degradable rod is fitted within the adjustable flow path, a first end of the rod is in sealing engagement with the inflow control device, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of some or all of the degradable rod is selected to match the thermal expansion coefficient of the housing of the inflow control device, wherein the matching of the thermal expansion coefficients maintains the first end of the rod in sealing engagement with the inflow control device.
A method of controlling the amount of a fluid through an annulus comprising:
- providing a downhole assembly, wherein the downhole assembly comprises:
- (A) an outer housing located around a portion of a tubing string;
- (B) the annulus located between the outside of the tubing string and the inside of the outer housing;
- (C) at least one flow path through the annulus;
- (D) an inflow control device positioned within the flow path;
- and
- (E) a degradable rod, wherein the degradable rod is in sealing engagement to prevent flow of fluids through the annulus, the degradable rod fits into the flow path adjacent to the inflow control device,
- positioning the degradable rod into the flow path or removing the degradable rod from the flow path and positioning a second degradable rod of a different type into the flow path;
- positioning the downhole assembly within a wellbore;
- and
- causing or allowing at least a portion of the degradable rod to degrade, wherein the degradable rod is configured such that when the degradable rod is fitted within the adjustable flow path, a first end of the rod is in sealing engagement with the inflow control device, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of some or all of the degradable rod is selected to match the thermal expansion coefficient of the housing of the inflow control device, wherein the matching of the thermal with the inflow control device.
A downhole assembly comprising:
- a tubing string located within a wellbore;
- an outer housing located around a portion of the tubing string;
- an annulus located between the outside of the tubing string and the inside of the outer housing;
- at least one flow path through the annulus;
- an inflow control device positioned within the flow path;
- and
- a degradable rod, wherein the degradable rod is degradable by galvanic corrosion and is in sealing engagement to prevent flow of fluids through the annulus,
- the degradable rod fits into the flow path adjacent to the inflow control device,
- the degradable rod is positionable within the flow path or removable from the flow path, wherein the degradable rod is configured such that when the degradable rod is fitted within the adjustable flow path, a first end of the rod is in sealing engagement with the inflow control device, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of some or all of the degradable rod is selected to match the thermal expansion coefficient of the housing of the inflow control device, wherein the matching of the thermal expansion coefficients maintains the first end of the rod in sealing engagement with the inflow control device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.