Rat hole bypass for gravel packing assembly
OwnerAndrew Penno, Travis Haileyinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gravel packing slurry bypass for use between a cross-over and a screen in a gravel packing assembly. The bypass includes a section of tubing connected between the cross-over and screen. A liner is carried on the tubing. A seal is carried on the liner to block slurry flow in an annulus outside the liner. The bypass is sized and positioned to provide a slurry bypass flow path past a rat hole.
Claims42
A gravel packing slurry bypass, comprising:
- a section of tubing adapted for connection between a crossover and a screen, and
- a section of a substantially tubular member carried on the tubing and forming an annulus between the tubing and the tubular member.
Apparatus for flowing gravel packing slurry through borehole irregularities located between an upper cased portion of a borehole and a lower portion of a borehole, comprising:
- a section of tubing adapted to be coupled between a gravel packing crossover in the cased portion of the borehole and a screen in the lower portion of the borehole, and
- a liner carried on the outer surface of the tubing, and forming an annulus between the tubing and liner, the liner having a length selected to extend across the borehole irregularities.
A method for flowing gravel packing slurry through a rat hole area between a gravel packing crossover and a screen in a wellbore, comprising:
- placing a section of pipe in the rat hole area between a gravel packing crossover and a screen, and
- positioning a section of tubular member around the section of pipe, thereby forming a first annulus between the pipe and tubular member and a second annulus between the tubular member and the wellbore.
A method for gravel packing a wellbore that penetrates a subterranean oil or gas reservoir and bypassing a rat hole area of the well during gravel packing, comprising:
- (a) providing a wellbore in the reservoir;
- (b) locating a gravel packing assembly in the wellbore, the assembly comprising a crossover, a length of tubing coupled to the crossover and a screen coupled to the tubing, the tubing extending through the rat hole area;
- (c) locating a section of liner over the tubing corresponding to the rat hole area, whereby a first annulus is formed between the tubing and the liner and a second annulus is formed between the liner and the wellbore;
- (d) restricting the flow of fluids through the second annulus;
- and
- (d) injecting a fluid slurry containing gravel through the crossover into the first annulus.
A gravel packing assembly, comprising:
- a crossover,
- a length of tubing having a first end connected to the crossover,
- a screen connected to a second end of the length of tubing, and
- a length of liner carried on the outer surface of the length of tubing.
Apparatus for flowing gravel packing slurry through borehole irregularities located between an upper cased portion of a borehole and a lower portion of a borehole, comprising:
- a section of tubing adapted to be coupled between a gravel packing crossover in the cased portion of the borehole and a screen in the lower portion of the borehole, the tubing forming an annulus between the tubing and the borehole,
- one or more conduits carried on the outer surface of the tubing and in the annulus, the conduits having a length selected to extend across the borehole irregularities, and
- a seal for restricting flow in the annulus outside the conduits.
A method for gravel packing a well having a cased upper portion, a rat hole area below the cased upper portion and a producing zone below the rat hole area, comprising:
- positioning a sand screen in the producing zone,
- positioning a tubing in the well extending through at least a portion of the cased upper portion and the rat hole area and to the sand screen, the tubing defining an annulus between the tubing and the well,
- positioning one or more conduits in the annulus extending across the rat hole area, and
- flowing gravel packing slurry from the surface to the producing zone comprising flowing substantially all of the gravel packing slurry through the one or more conduits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.