# US 11,078,751 B2 · Thru-tubing retrievable intelligent completion system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,751 B2 - Document ID: US11078751B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/597,993 - Filed: 2019-10-10 - Published: 2020-02-06 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-06 - Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Inventors: Muhammad Arsalan; Mohamed N. Noui-Mehidi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078751B2 ## CPC - E21B 33/146: {Stage cementing, i.e. discharging cement from casing at different levels} - E21B 17/006: {Accessories for drilling pipes, e.g. cleaners (wear protectors E21B17/10; handling drilling pipes E21B19/00; thread protectors B65D59/00)} - E21B 17/1078: {Stabilisers or centralisers for casing, tubing or drill pipes (E21B17/1007 - E21B17/1064 take precedence)} - E21B 23/06: for setting packers - E21B 33/12: Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) - E21B 33/127: with inflatable sleeve (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) - E21B 33/1277: {characterised by the construction or fixation of the sleeve} - E21B 33/13: Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like - E21B 34/06: in wells - E21B 41/0035: {Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches} - E21B 41/0042: {characterised by sealing the junction between a lateral and a main bore} - E21B 41/0085: {Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes} - E21B 43/12: Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) - E21B 44/005: {Below-ground automatic control systems} - E21B 47/01: Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like - E21B 47/06: Measuring temperature or pressure - E21B 47/12: Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling - E21B 47/13: by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency - E21B 47/10: Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract Provided are systems and methods for thru-tubing completion including a sub-surface completion unit (SCU) system including a SCU wireless transceiver for communicating with a surface control system of a well by way of wireless communication with a down-hole wireless transceiver disposed in a wellbore of the well, one or more SCU anchoring seals having an un-deployed position (enabling the SCU to pass through production tubing disposed in the wellbore of the well) and a deployed position (to seal against a wall of the target zone of the open-hole portion of the wellbore to provide zonal isolation between adjacent regions in the wellbore) and one or more SCU centralizers having an un-deployed position (enabling the SCU to pass through the production tubing disposed in the wellbore of the well) and a deployed position (to position the SCU in the target zone of the open-hole portion of the wellbore). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thru-tubing completion system comprising: a sub-surface completion unit (SCU) configured to pass through production tubing disposed in a wellbore of a well and to be disposed in a target zone of an open-holed portion of the wellbore and perform completion operations in the target zone, the SCU comprising: a SCU wireless transceiver; one or more SCU anchoring seals configured to be positioned in an un-deployed position and a deployed position, the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals enabling the SCU to pass through the production tubing disposed in the wellbore of the well, and the deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals providing a seal against a wall of the target zone of the open-holed portion of the wellbore to provide zonal isolation between regions in the wellbore; and one or more SCU centralizers configured to be positioned in an un-deployed position and a deployed position, the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU centralizers enabling the SCU to pass through the production tubing disposed in the wellbore of the well, and the deployed position of the one or more SCU centralizers positioning the SCU in the target zone of the open-holed portion of the wellbore; and a down-hole wireless transceiver configured to be disposed at a down-hole end of the production tubing in the wellbore of the well, to be communicatively coupled to a surface control system of the well, to communicate wirelessly with the SCU wireless transceiver, and to provide for communication between the SCU wireless transceiver and the surface control system of the well, wherein the SCU is configured to pass completely through the production tubing with the one or more SCU anchoring seals in the un-deployed position and the one or more SCU centralizers in the un-deployed position, and the SCU is configured to be deployed in the target zone physically remote from the production tubing and the down-hole wireless transceiver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals comprises the one or more SCU anchoring seals having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the production tubing, and wherein the deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals comprises the one or more SCU anchoring seals having an outer diameter that is equal to or greater than an inner diameter of the wall of the target zone of the open-holed portion of the wellbore. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU centralizers comprises the one or more SCU centralizers having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the production tubing, and wherein the deployed position of the one or more one or more SCU centralizers comprises the one or more one or more SCU centralizers having an outer diameter that is equal to or greater than an inner diameter of the wall of the target zone of the open-holed portion of the wellbore. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more anchoring seals is retrievable, and wherein the at least one of the one or more anchoring seals that is retrievable is configured to be removed from the target zone with a body of the SCU when the body of the SCU is removed from the target zone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more anchoring seals is detachable, and wherein the at least one of the one or more anchoring seals that is detachable is configured to detach from a body of the SCU and remain in the target zone when the body of the SCU is removed from the target zone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the one or more anchoring seals that is detachable comprises an interior passage having an internal diameter that is equal to or greater than an internal diameter of the production tubing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more anchoring seals is non-retrievable, and wherein the at least one of the one or more anchoring seals that is non-retrievable is configured to be inflated with a hardening substance and to detach from a body of the SCU and remain in the target zone when the body of the SCU is removed from the target zone. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the one or more anchoring seals that is non-retrievable comprises an interior passage having an internal diameter that is equal to or greater than an internal diameter of the production tubing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals is configured to isolate a region of the target zone comprising a breakthrough of fluid to inhibit the fluid of the breakthrough from flowing into the wellbore. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the SCU comprises a plurality of SCU modules (SCUMs) assembled to one another. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of SCUMs are configured to be assembled to one another prior to the SCU being passed through the production tubing to form the SCU prior to the SCU being passed through the production tubing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of SCUMs are configured to be advanced through the production tubing unassembled, and to be assembled to one another in the open-holed portion of the wellbore to form the SCU down-hole after the SCUMs are passed through the production tubing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the SCU wireless transceiver is configured to, in response to establishing commutation with the surface control system of the well, communicate directly with the surface control system of the well. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a positioning device configured to provide a motive force to advance the SCU through the production tubing and the wellbore. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising: the production tubing disposed in the wellbore; and the surface control system of the well. ### Claim 16 A thru-tubing completion system comprising: a surface control system; production tubing disposed in a wellbore of a well; a sub-surface completion unit (SCU) configured to pass through the production tubing and to be disposed in a target zone of an open-holed portion of the wellbore and perform completion operations in the target zone, the SCU comprising: a SCU wireless transceiver; one or more SCU anchoring seals configured to be positioned in an un-deployed position and a deployed position, the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals enabling the SCU to pass through the production tubing disposed in the wellbore of the well, and the deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals providing a seal against a wall of the target zone of the open-holed portion of the wellbore to provide zonal isolation between regions in the wellbore; and one or more SCU centralizers configured to be positioned in an un-deployed position and a deployed position, the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU centralizers enabling the SCU to pass through the production tubing disposed in the wellbore of the well, and the deployed position of the one or more SCU centralizers positioning the SCU in the target zone of the open-holed portion of the wellbore; a down-hole wireless transceiver configured to be disposed at a down-hole end of the production tubing in the wellbore of the well, to be communicatively coupled to the surface control system of the well, to communicate wirelessly with the SCU wireless transceiver, and to provide for communication between the SCU wireless transceiver and the surface control system of the well; and a positioning device configured to provide a motive force to advance the SCU through the production tubing and the wellbore, wherein the SCU is configured to pass completely through the production tubing with the one or more SCU anchoring seals in the un-deployed position and the one or more SCU centralizers in the un-deployed position, and the SCU is configured to be deployed in the target zone physically remote from the production tubing and the down-hole wireless transceiver. ### Claim 17 A method of completing a target zone of a wellbore of a well, the method comprising: passing a sub-surface completion unit (SCU) completely through production tubing disposed in a wellbore of a well, the SCU comprising: one or more SCU anchoring seals configured to provide a seal against a wall of the target zone of an open-holed portion of the wellbore; and one or more SCU centralizers configured to position the SCU in the target zone of the open-holed portion of the wellbore, wherein passing the SCU completely through the production tubing comprises passing the SCU through the production tubing in an un-deployed configuration comprising the one or more SCU centralizers in an un-deployed position configured to enable the SCU to pass through the production tubing and the one or more SCU anchoring seals in an un-deployed position configured to enable the SCU to pass through the production tubing; advancing the SCU in the wellbore of the well to the target zone of an open-holed portion of the wellbore such that the SCU is physically remote from the production tubing and the down-hole wireless transceiver; deploying the one or more SCU centralizers of the SCU to position the SCU in the target zone of the open-hole portion of the wellbore; and deploying the one or more SCU anchoring seals of the SCU to seal against the wall of the target zone of the open-hole portion of the wellbore to provide zonal isolation between regions in the wellbore. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU anchoring seals comprises the one or more SCU anchoring seals having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the production tubing, and wherein the un-deployed position of the one or more SCU centralizers comprises the one or more SCU centralizers having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the production tubing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the SCU comprises a plurality of SCU modules (SCUMs) assembled to one another, the method further comprising assembling the plurality of SCUMs to one another to form the SCU prior to the SCU being passed through the production tubing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the SCU comprises a plurality of SCU modules (SCUMs) assembled to one another, the method further comprising: passing the plurality of SCUMs through the production tubing unassembled to one another; and assembling the plurality of SCUMs to one another in the open-holed portion of the wellbore to form the SCU down-hole after the SCUMs are passed through the production tubing. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the SCU comprises a SCU wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a surface control system of the well by way of wireless communication with a down-hole wireless transceiver, the method further comprising: providing a down-hole wireless transceiver at a down-hole end of the production tubing in the wellbore of the well, the down-hole wireless transceiver communicatively coupled to a surface control system of the well, and configured communicate wirelessly with the SCU wireless transceiver, and to provide for communication between the SCU wireless transceiver and the surface control system of the well. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, in response to the SCU wireless transceiver establishing communication with the surface control system of the well, the SCU wireless transceiver communicating directly with the surface control system of the well.