US 4,899,820 AGranted

Method and means for injecting well treatment fluid

AssigneeMarathon Oil Company

InventorCharles R. Bruce

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Abstract

A column of high density well treatment composition in liquid or solid form is stored in the bottom portion of the well bore of a producing fluid well and is subjected to fluid pressure from the well fluid. The flow of production fluid is used to create a pressure differential between the treatment composition and a treatment fluid injection outlet, thereby causing the treatment fluid to flow through the injection outlet. By locating the outlet in the flow of production fluid, the resulting flowing pressure drop creates the necessary differential pressure. The rate of flow of treatment fluid is metered by a capillary tube at the outlet or by a flow-actuated positive displacement pump. In all but one of the embodiments, the inlet of the conduit is at the bottom of a column of treatment liquid and at the top of a column of treatment solids. In another embodiment formation, fluid percolates up through a bed of solid treatment particles and into the well bore.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of injecting treatment fluid into the well bore of a fluid producing well, the well bore including a casing containing perforations through which production fluid from a surrounding formation may flow, the method comprising the steps of:

filling the casing with a treatment composition having a greater density than the density of the well fluid to form a column of treatment composition bounded on the sides thereof by the casing:
the entire column of treatment composition being located beneath the lowermost production perforation in the casing;
providing a fluid conduit within the casing, the conduit having an outlet located in the path of flow of the production fluid and an inlet in contact with the treatment composition;
exerting fluid pressure on the column of treatment composition so that the pressure exerted adjacent the inlet of the fluid conduit is greater than the pressure of the production fluid adjacent the outlet of the fluid conduit whereby a pressure differential between the outlet and inlet of the fluid conduit exists which is sufficient to cause treatment fluid from the treatment composition to flow through the conduit and into the well bore;
and
metering the flow of the treatment fluid by a capillary tube included in the fluid conduit.

3 more elements

Means for injecting treatment fluid into the well bore of a fluid well, the well bore including a casing containing production perforations through which production fluid from a surrounding formation may flow, said means comprising:

a column of treatment composition filling the casing and being located entirely beneath the lowermost production perforation, the treatment composition having a density greater than the density of well fluid from the surrounding formation;
a fluid conduit within the well bore having an inlet in contact with the treatment composition and an outlet located in the path of flow of the production fluid, said fluid conduit including a capillary tube therein for metering the flow of the treatment fluid into the well bore;
and
means for exerting fluid pressure on the column of treatment composition so that the pressure exerted adjacent the inlet of the conduit is greater than the pressure of the production fluid adjacent the outlet of the conduit, thereby creating a pressure differential between the outlet and the inlet of the fluid conduit sufficient to cause treatment fluid from the treatment composition to flow through the fluid conduit and into the well bore.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.