Steam operated injection and production device
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorStephen Michael Greci
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Abstract
A steam operated flow control device and method is disclosed. In one mode, the flow control device enables steam to be injected into a subterranean formation region containing hydrocarbons. In another mode, the flow control device enables the hydrocarbons to be produced from the subterranean formation to the surface. The flow control device includes a piston disposed between a housing and a mandrel having aligned ports, which slides between a first position where one set of ports align with the ports in the housing and the mandrel and a second position where another set of smaller ports align with the ports in the housing and mandrel. The piston is operated by a bellows having a chamber which contains a fluid. The fluid responds to temperature and/or pressure variations.
Claims20
A flow control device, comprising:
- a mandrel with a port formed therein;
- a housing disposed around the mandrel having a port formed therein;
- a piston disposed between the mandrel and the housing having a first port and a second port, the first port being larger than the second port;
- a bellows disposed between an inner surface of the housing and an outer surface of the piston, the bellows having a chamber therein which contains a fluid, the fluid being capable of expanding and contracting in response to changes in temperature and/or pressure, wherein expansion and contraction of the bellows operates to move the piston.
A method of injecting steam into a subterranean formation and producing hydrocarbons therefrom, comprising:
- (a) delivering a flow control device downhole to a region in the subterranean formation containing the hydrocarbons, the flow control device formed of a mandrel having a port formed therein, a housing disposed around the mandrel having a port formed therein, a piston formed between the mandrel and the housing having a first port and a second port, the first port being larger than the second port, and a bellows formed between an inner surface of the housing and an outer surface of the piston, the bellows having a chamber with a fluid contained therein;
- (b) pumping steam down the mandrel, the steam warming the fluid in the bellows thereby causing it to expand so that the bellows slides the piston into a first position whereby the first port of the piston aligns with the ports in the mandrel and the housing;
- and
- (c) injecting the steam into the subterranean formation upon alignment of the first port in the piston and the ports in the mandrel and the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.