Sand Control Screen Assembly Having Remotely Disabled Reverse Flow Control Capability

A flow control screen having a fluid flow path between a perforated section of a base pipe and a filter medium positioned around a blank pipe section of the base pipe, the flow control screen comprising:

• a plurality of circumferentially distributed valve assemblies disposed within the fluid flow path, each valve assembly including a piston body and a valve plug, each piston body having an internal seat and a collet assembly that is radially outwardly constrained in a first operating position of the piston body to retain the valve plug therein and radially outwardly unconstrained in a second operating position of the piston body,
• wherein internal differential pressure seats the valve plugs on the internal seats to prevent reverse flow;
• wherein a predetermined internal differential pressure on the valve plugs causes the piston bodies to shift from the first operating position to the second operating position while continuing to prevent reverse flow;
• and
• wherein external differential pressure causes the valve plugs to be expelled through the collet assemblies when the piston bodies are in the second operating position, thereby no longer preventing reverse flow.

A method for operating a flow control screen comprising:

• disposing at least one valve assembly within a fluid flow path between a perforated section of a base pipe and a filter medium positioned around a blank pipe section of the base pipe;
• retaining a valve plug within a piston body of the valve assembly by radially outwardly constraining a collet assembly in a first operating position of the piston body;
• applying an internal differential pressure to seat the valve plug on an internal seat of the piston body to prevent reverse flow;
• applying a predetermined internal differential pressure on the valve plugs to shift the piston body from the first operating position to a second operating position while continuing to prevent reverse flow;
• and
• applying an external differential pressure to expel the valve plug through the collet assembly, thereby no longer preventing reverse flow.