US 10,767,454 B2Granted

Multi-position inflow control device

AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.

InventorsAustin Wright, Ryan Wesley McChesney

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Abstract

A method of controlling a flow of a fluid through an inflow control device comprising a tubular within which a sliding sleeve having a longitudinal fluid passageway extends, the method includes longitudinally shifting the sliding sleeve, relative to the tubular, into a first, second, or third position, with each position associated with a different pressure differential between an external pressure applied to an external surface of the tubular with an internal pressure within the longitudinal fluid passage, and selecting a first, second, or third flow setting that corresponds with the first, second, and third pressure differential, respectively, at a surface of a well in which the inflow control device is received.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of controlling a flow of a formation fluid through an inflow control device comprising a tubular within which a sliding sleeve having a longitudinal fluid passageway extends, the method comprising:

aligning a radial opening formed within the sliding sleeve into a first position relative to the tubular, such that the formation fluid flows through a first fluid passage formed through a wall of the tubular and into the longitudinal fluid passageway of the sliding sleeve to create a first pressure differential between an external pressure applied to an external surface of the tubular with an internal pressure within the longitudinal fluid passageway;
longitudinally shifting the sliding sleeve into a second position relative to the tubular, to align the radial opening with a second fluid passage formed through the wall of the tubular to allow the formation fluid to flow through the second fluid passage and into the longitudinal fluid passageway thereby creating a second pressure differential between the external pressure and the internal pressure;
and
longitudinally shifting the sliding sleeve into a third position relative to the tubular, to align the radial opening with a third fluid passage formed through the wall of the tubular to allow the formation fluid to flow through the third fluid passage and into the longitudinal fluid passageway thereby creating a third pressure differential between the external pressure and the internal pressure;
wherein each of the first, second, and third pressure differentials are different from another of the first, second, and third pressure differentials.

2 more elements

A multi-position inflow control device, the inflow control device comprising:

a tubular forming a first interior passage, the tubular having a wall within which a first passage and a second passage longitudinally extend;
wherein the first passage extends between a first port that is formed in an external surface of the tubular and a first chamber that is formed in an internal surface of the tubular;
wherein the second passage extends between a second port that is formed in the external surface of the tubular and a second chamber formed in the interior surface of the tubular;
wherein the first passage has a first length in a longitudinal direction and the second passage has a second length in the longitudinal direction that is different from the first length;
wherein the first chamber and the first passage are associated with a first flow setting;
wherein the second chamber and the second passage are associated with a second flow setting that is different from the first flow setting;
and
wherein the first chamber is spaced from the second chamber in the longitudinal direction;
and
a sliding sleeve forming a second interior passage, the sliding sleeve having an opening that extends radially through a wall of the sliding sleeve;
wherein the sliding sleeve is sized to be received within the first interior passage and shiftable in the longitudinal direction between a first position and a second position;
wherein, when in the first position, the opening is longitudinally aligned with the first chamber to place the first chamber in fluid communication with the second interior passage while the wall of the sliding sleeve fluidically isolates the second chamber from the second interior passage such that the inflow control device is configured for the first flow setting;
and
wherein, when in the second position, the opening is longitudinally aligned with the second chamber to place the second chamber in fluid communication with the second interior passage while the wall of the sliding sleeve fluidically isolates the first chamber from the second interior passage such that the inflow control device is configured for the second flow setting.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/751,328Filed 12 Apr 2017
Published: US 2020/0199984 A125 Jun 2020
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

E21B 43/12
Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells: methods or apparatus for…
E21B 17/00
Drilling rods or pipes
E21B 34/14
In wells: operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools
E21B 34/10
In wells: operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole

Family

US 2020/0199984 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Jun 2020
US 10,767,454 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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