Gravel packing and perforating a well in a single trip
AssigneeOtis Engineering Corporation
InventorsThomas G. Whiteley, Travis W. Cavender
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A new gravel packing system is provided whereby a well may be perforated, gravel packed and placed on production with a single trip of the tool string into the well. The system will include a crossover assembly which has a closure mechanism operatively associated therewith. The closure mechanism may be operated to preclude downward fluid flow through the crossover tool, to establish at least a portion of a downward gravel pack slurry flow path, and to establish at least a part of a carrier fluid return flow path. At the conclusion of a gravel pack operation, the closure member may be either withdrawn from the assembly or expelled to the bottom of the wellbore, leaving the tool to be placed on production without tripping the tool string.
Claims16
A method for gravel packing a wellbore surrounding a tool string and for producing fluids from said wellbore on a single trip of said tool string into said wellbore, said method comprising the steps of:
- lowering said tool string into said well, said tool string comprising a packer assembly and a crossover assembly, said crossover assembly having an open bore therethrough, said crossover assembly selectively operable to provide a first flow path from the interior of said tubing string at a location above said packer to the wellbore annulus below said packer, and selectively operable to provide a second flow path from the interior of said tool string below said packer to the annulus in said wellbore above said packer;
- selectively closing said open interior bore of said crossover assembly to set said packer at a first level of pressure in said tubing string;
- establishing a second pressure level in said tubing string, said second pressure level operating said crossover assembly to establish said first flow path;
- selectively operating said crossover tool to establish said second flow path;
- introducing a gravel slurry through said tubing string to said crossover assembly and thereby gravel packing said annulus surrounding said tool string;
- re-establishing said open bore through said crossover assembly without removing said crossover assembly from said wellbore;
- and
- producing fluids from said wellbore through said gravel packed annulus and through said crossover assembly.
A gravel pack assembly for use in a tool string for gravel packing an annular area of a wellbore surrounding at least a portion of said tool string in said wellbore, said assembly adapted to be placed in said wellbore by being suspended from a tubing string, comprising:
- a packer assembly;
- a crossover assembly, said crossover assembly being selectively operable from a first state in which fluid communication is precluded between an interior bore of said crossover assembly and said annulus, and a second state wherein a first flow path is established communicating an upper interior portion of said crossover assembly with said annulus, and further being selectively manipulable to establish a second flow path from a lower interior portion of said crossover assembly to a wellbore annulus above said packer;
- a gravel pack screen disposed around a portion of said gravel pack assembly;
- a selectively operable valve member operable to allow fluid communication from the annulus in said wellbore exterior to said screen to a lower interior portion of said crossover assembly;
- and
- an operating mechanism selectively engagable with said crossover assembly to occlude fluid flow through said open bore of said crossover assembly, at least in a first direction, and to operate said crossover assembly between said first and second states.
A method for perforating and gravel packing a wellbore surrounding a tool string, and for producing fluids from said wellbore on a single trip of said tool string into said wellbore, said method comprising the steps of:
- lowering said tool string into said well, said tool string comprising a packer assembly, and a crossover assembly, second said crossover assembly having an open bore therethrough, said crossover assembly selectively operable to provide a first flow path from the interior of said tubing string at a location above said packer to the wellbore annulus below said packer, and selectively operable to provide a second flow path from the interior of said tool string below said packer to the annulus in said wellbore above said packer;
- actuating said perforating gun to perforate said formation;
- selectively closing said open interior bore of said crossover assembly to set said packer at a first level of pressure in said tubing string;
- establishing a second pressure level in said tubing string, said second pressure level operating said crossover assembly to establish said first flow path;
- selectively operating said crossover tool to establish said second flow path;
- introducing a gravel slurry through said tubing string to said crossover assembly and thereby gravel packing said annulus surrounding said tool string;
- re-establishing said open bore through said crossover assembly without removing said crossover assembly from said wellbore;
- and
- producing fluids from said wellbore through said gravel packed annulus and through said crossover assembly.
An appatatus for using a tool string for perforating a formation penetrated by a wellbore and for gravel packing an annulus surrounding said tool string in said wellbore, said apparatus suspended from a tubing string, comprising:
- a first packer assembly;
- a crossover assembly selectively operable to provide a flow path from the interior of said tubing string at a location above said first packer assembly to the wellbore annulus below said first packer assembly, and selectively operable to provide a second flow path from the interior of said tool string below said first packer assembly to the annulus in said wellbore above said first packer assembly, said crossover assembly having an open bore therein;
- a perforating assembly selectively operable to perforate said formation, said perforating assembly operable in response to either mechanical impact or fluid pressure;
- and
- an operating mechanism associatable with said crossover assembly for selectively closing said open bore and for selectively operating said crossover tool to establish, at least in part, said first and second flow paths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.