Systems and methods for separating and storing downhole debris

A method of separating and removing debris from a wellbore comprising:

• flowing a debris slurry, within the wellbore, along a flow path through a chamber of a debris separation and storage (“SAS”) apparatus comprising a housing, including flowing the debris slurry through an inlet tube located within and extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing, and subsequently flowing the debris slurry radially outward through a plurality of exit apertures positioned longitudinally along a length of the inlet tube to a SAS area outside of the inlet tube, and through a plurality of filter tubes located within the housing, wherein each filter tube of the plurality of filter tubes are oriented longitudinally parallel to the inlet tube, wherein each filter tube of the plurality of filter tubes are located radially offset and radially outward from the inlet tube, wherein each filter tube of the plurality of filter tubes are circumferentially spaced radially outside and around the inlet tube;
• and
• separating and storing, in the chamber, a predetermined size of debris from the debris slurry within the wellbore, wherein the filter tubes are configured to block flow of debris larger than the predetermined size of debris from flowing into the filter tubes while allowing the remaining fluid from the debris slurry to pass through the plurality of filter tubes, thereby producing a processed debris slurry.

A debris separation and storage (“SAS”) chamber for use with a SAS apparatus for removing debris from a wellbore, comprising:

• a housing;
• an inlet tube located within and extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing and comprising a plurality of exit apertures positioned longitudinally along a length of the inlet tube and configured to allow flow of a debris slurry from the inlet tube into an SAS area outside of the inlet tube;
• and
• a plurality of filter tubes located within the housing, wherein each filter tube of the plurality of filter tubes are oriented longitudinally parallel to the inlet tube, wherein each filter tube of the plurality of filter tubes are located radially offset and radially outward from the inlet tube, wherein each filter tube of the plurality of filter tubes are circumferentially spaced radially outside and around the inlet tube, wherein the filter tubes are configured to block debris larger than a predetermined size from flowing into the filter tubes while allowing the remaining fluid from the debris slurry to pass through the plurality of filter tubes to an outlet of the SAS chamber, thereby producing a processed debris slurry.