US 5,287,923 A · Sand control installation for deep open hole wells

Abstract

Sand control screens temporarily plugged with paraffin wax are installed in deep open hole wells wherein the wax has a melting temperature slightly greater or less than the nominal formation temperature in the zone from which well fluids are to be produced. Drilling fluids and other solids-laden wellbore fluids are removed from the wellbore by flowing the well up through a section of tubing disposed distal of the screen, through the interior of the screen and through the tubing string to the surface until the wellbore is cleaned. The wax is then melted due to the temperature of the produced fluid, is dissolved by the produced fluid or a solvent pumped down through the tubing string or is heated by a heater inserted into the interior of the screen such as a wireline conveyed electric heater. The distal tubing section is plugged so that production fluids are forced to flow through the sand control screen in a conventional manner.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a sand control installation in a relatively deep, open hole wellbore the improvement comprising:

a sand control screen defining many small flow passages for fluid to be produced from a formation, said screen being disposed in said wellbore in the vicinity of said formation to be produced of fluids, said screen including temporary plug means occupying said flow passages of said screen;
a tubing string connected to one end of said screen for conducting said fluids to the earth's surface;
a tail section of said tubing string connected to the opposite end of said screen and defining another flow passage for causing fluids in said wellbore adjacent said screen to flow through said another flow passage and the interior of said screen;
and
means for closing said another flow passage at will to substantially stop the flow of fluid therethrough.

2 more elements

A method of providing a sand control installation in a deep well comprising the steps of:

placing a sand control screen having solids filtering flow passages and a central interior flow passage therein in said well in the vicinity of a formation zone of interest to be produced of fluid, said sand control screen being connected at one end to a tubing string extending to the earth's surface and at an opposite end of said sand control screen to a tail section of said tubing string, said sand control screen being impregnated with a temporary plugging medium occupying said solids filtering flow passages to prevent the flow of solids-laden fluids through said solids filtering flow passages before placing said well in production;
causing said well to flow fluids from said formation zone of interest through said tail section and up through said interior flow passage of said sand control screen and said tubing string to remove said solids-laden fluids from said well adjacent said formation zone of interest;
closing said tail section to the flow of fluids from said formation zone of interest to said interior flow passage;
removing said temporary plugging medium from said solids filtering flow passages of said sand control screen;
and
causing said well to flow fluids from said formation zone of interest through said solids filtering flow passages of said sand control screen to filter out solids produced from said formation with said fluids.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sand control installation for deep open hole wells

Life of this patent

Sand control installation for deep open hole wells

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16