Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus and methods of using same

Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:

• a first tubular structure having an internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, and an axial portion having a side wall section with an outlet opening therein through which an abrasive slurry material may be outwardly discharged from said internal flow passage, said outlet opening being circumscribed by a peripheral edge portion of said side wall section;
• and
• shielding for protecting said peripheral edge portion of said side wall section from abrasive slurry material being discharged outwardly through said outlet opening, said shielding being disposed within said axial portion of said first tubular structure and having a peripheral edge portion that inwardly overlaps said peripheral edge portion of said side wall section and inwardly blocks a peripheral portion of said outlet opening,
• said shielding including a tubular sleeve member coaxially received within said axial portion of said first tubular structure and having an outer side surface contiguous with the inner side surface of said axial portion, and a side wall portion having disposed therein an outlet opening generally aligned with, but being smaller than and inset from the periphery of, said outlet opening in said axial portion of said first tubular structure,
• said tubular sleeve member having an axially spaced series of outlet openings formed in said side wall portion thereof, said axially spaced series of outlet openings being inwardly offset from the periphery of said outlet opening in said side wall section of said axial portion of said first tubular structure, with said outlet opening in said side wall section of said axial portion of said first tubular structure communicating with said internal flow passage through said spaced series of outlet openings, said spaced series of outlet openings progressively decreasing in area in said downstream direction.

Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:

• a first tubular structure having an internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, said first tubular structure having an axial portion with a side wall section thereon;
• a first port, associated with said first tubular structure side wall section and operative to discharge abrasive slurry material from said internal flow passage outwardly from said first tubular structure;
• a second tubular structure coaxially and outwardly circumscribing said axial portion of said first tubular structure and forming therewith an annular flow passage that circumscribes said axial portion, said second tubular structure having a side wall section spaced apart from said first port in said downstream direction;
• and
• a second port formed in said second tubular structure side wall section,
• said annular flow passage and said second port cooperating to cause abrasive slurry being outwardly discharged from said first port to flow in a downstream direction through said annular flow passage before being discharged outwardly through said second port,
• said first port being operative to discharge abrasive slurry material therefrom along a path sloped radially outwardly in a downstream direction, and
• said second port being operative to discharge abrasive slurry material therefrom along a path (1) sloped radially outwardly in a downstream direction and (2) further sloped tangentially in a radially outward direction.

Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:

• a first tubular structure having an internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, said first tubular structure having an axial portion with a side wall section thereon;
• a first port, associated with said first tubular structure side wall section and operative to discharge abrasive slurry material from said internal flow passage outwardly from said first tubular structure;
• a second tubular structure coaxially and outwardly circumscribing said axial portion of said first tubular structure and forming therewith an annular flow passage that circumscribes said axial portion, said second tubular structure having a side wall section spaced apart from said first port in said downstream direction;
• and
• a second port formed in said second tubular structure side wall section,
• said annular flow passage and said second port cooperating to cause abrasive slurry being outwardly discharged from said first port to flow in a downstream direction through said annular flow passage before being discharged outwardly through said second port,
• said second port being operative to discharge abrasive slurry material therefrom along a path sloped radially outwardly in a downstream direction and further sloped tangentially in a radially outward direction,
• said first port including means for defining an axially spaced series of openings associated with said first tubular structure side wall section, said series of openings decreasing in size in said downstream direction and operating to cause abrasive slurry being discharged from a first one of said series of openings to impinge upon abrasive slurry being discharged from a second one of said series of openings, positioned downstream from said first one of said series of openings, in a manner increasing the downstream axial directional slope of the abrasive slurry material being discharged from said second one of said series of openings.

Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:

• a first tubular structure having an internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, said first tubular structure having an axial portion with a side wall section thereon;
• a first port, associated with said first tubular structure side wall section and operative to discharge abrasive slurry material from said internal flow passage outwardly from said first tubular structure;
• a second tubular structure coaxially and outwardly circumscribing said axial portion of said first tubular structure and forming therewith an annular flow passage that circumscribes said axial portion, said second tubular structure having a side wall section spaced apart from said first port in said downstream direction;
• a second port formed in said second tubular structure side wall section,
• said annular flow passage and said second port cooperating to cause abrasive slurry being outwardly discharged from said first port to flow in a downstream direction through said annular flow passage before being discharged outwardly through said second port;
• and
• a wear resistant structure interiorly carried on said second tubular structure and positioned to be impinged upon by abrasive slurry material being discharged from said first port into said annular flow passage,
• an interior side surface of said second tubular structure having an annular recess formed therein and outwardly circumscribing said first port, and
• said wear resistant structure including an axially stacked plurality of annularly shaped wear resistant ring members coaxially carried within said annular recess.

Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:

• a first tubular structure having an internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially allowed in a downstream direction, and an axial portion having a side wall section with a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated first outlet slots disposed therein and through which an abrasive slurry material may be outwardly discharged from said internal flow passage, each of said first outlet slots having upstream and downstream ends and being circumscribed by a peripheral edge portion of said side wall section;
• a tubular protective sleeve coaxially and replaceably supported in said axial portion of said first tubular structure and having a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated second outlet slots disposed therein and generally aligned with said first outlet slots,
• said second outlet slots being smaller than said first outlet slots and being bounded by side wall peripheral edge portions that inwardly overlap said peripheral edge portions of said first tubular structure side wall section, whereby said side wall peripheral edge portions of said tubular protective sleeve inwardly shield said peripheral edge portions of said first tubular structure site wall section from impingement by abrasive slurry material being discharged through said first outlet slots;
• and
• a hollow tubular sacrificial insert member coaxially disposed in said axial portion of said first tubular structure and having an open upstream end axially disposed between said upstream and downstream ends of said first outlet slots, and a closed downstream end disposed downstream from said downstream ends of said first outlet slots.

Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:

• a first tubular structure having an internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, and an axial portion having a side wall section with a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated first outlet slots disposed therein and through which an abrasive slurry material may be outwardly discharged from said internal flow passage, each of said first outlet slots having upstream and downstream ends and being circumscribed by a peripheral edge portion of said side wall section;
• a tubular protective sleeve coaxially and replaceably supported in said axial portion of said first tubular structure and having a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated second outlet slots disposed therein and generally aligned with said first outlet slots,
• said second outlet slots being smaller than said first outlet slots and being bounded by side wall peripheral edge portions that inwardly overlap said peripheral edge portions of said first tubular structure side wall section, whereby said side wall peripheral edge portions of said tubular protective sleeve inwardly shield said peripheral edge portions of said first tubular structure side wall section from impingement by abrasive slurry material being discharged through said first outlet slots;
• and
• a solid cylindrical sacrificial insert member coaxially disposed in said axial portion of said first tubular structure and having an upstream end axially disposed between said upstream and downstream ends of said first outlet slots, and a downstream end disposed downstream from said downstream ends of said first outlet slots.

Abrasive slurry delivery apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore, comprising:

• a first tubular structure having an internal flow passage through which a pressurized, abrasive slurry material may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, said first tubular structure having an axial portion with a side wall section thereon, said side wall section having disposed thereon a circumferentially spaced plurality of first outlet openings through which abrasive slurry material may be outwardly discharged from said internal flow passage;
• a tubular protective sleeve coaxially and replaceably supported in said axial portion of said first tubular structure and having a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially spaced series of second outlet openings, each of said series of second outlet openings being circumferentially and axially aligned and inset from a different one of said first outlet openings;
• and
• a second tubular structure coaxially and outwardly circumscribing said axial portion of said first tubular structure and forming therewith an annular flow passage that circumscribes said axial portion, said second tubular structure having a side wall section spaced axially apart in said downstream direction from said first outlet openings, said second tubular structure side wall section having a circumferentially spaced plurality of third outlet openings therein through which abrasive slurry material being discharged into said annular flow passage from said first outlet openings may be outwardly discharged.

For use in conjunction with an abrasive slurry delivery structure having a first tubular structure with an internal passage through which an abrasive slurry may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, and side wall outlet port bounded by a peripheral side wall edge portion and outwardly through which abrasive slurry material from the internal passage may be discharged, a method of inhibiting slurry erosion of the peripheral side wall edge portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a replaceable protective member having a peripheral edge portion;
• removably positioning said protective member within the interior of the first tubular structure in a manner such that said peripheral edge portion of said protective member shields the peripheral side wall edge portion of the first tubular structure outlet port from abrasive slurry material being forced outwardly therethrough and is subjected to slurry abrasion in place of the peripheral side wall edge portion of the first tubular structure outlet port,
• the outlet port of the first tubular structure being defined by a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated outlet slots opening laterally outwardly through the side wall of the first tubular structure,
• said providing step being performed by providing a hollow tubular protective member having a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated outlet slots opening laterally outwardly through a side wall section thereof,
• said removably positioning step being performed by coaxially supporting said hollow tubular protective member within the first tubular structure with said axially elongated outlet slots in said hollow tubular protective member being circumferentially and axially aligned with the axially elongated outlet slots in the first tubular structure, and with peripheral side wall portions of said protective member outlet slots inwardly overlying corresponding peripheral side wall portions of the first tubular structure;
• providing a solid cylindrical sacrificial member;
• and
• positioning said sacrificial member coaxially within said protective member with a first end of said sacrificial member axially disposed between the upstream and downstream ends of the first tubular structure outlet slots, and the second end of said sacrificial member axially disposed downstream of the downstream ends of the first tubular structure outlet slots.

For use in conjunction with an abrasive slurry delivery structure having a first tubular structure with an internal passage through which an abrasive slurry may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, and side wall outlet port bounded by a peripheral side wall edge portion and outwardly through which abrasive slurry material from the internal passage may be discharged, a method of inhibiting slurry erosion of the peripheral side wall edge portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a replaceable protective member having a peripheral edge portion;
• removably positioning said protective member within the interior of the first tubular structure in a manner such that said peripheral edge portion of said protective member shields the peripheral side wall edge portion of the first tubular structure outlet port from abrasive slurry material being forced outwardly therethrough and is subjected to slurry abrasion in place of the peripheral side wall edge portion of the first tubular structure outlet port,
• the outlet port of the first tubular structure being defined by a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated outlet slots opening laterally outwardly through the side wall of the first tubular structure,
• said providing step being performed by providing a hollow tubular protective member having a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated outlet slots opening laterally outwardly through a side wall section thereof,
• said removably positioning step being performed by coaxially supporting said hollow tubular protective member within the first tubular structure With said axially elongated outlet slots in said hollow tubular protective member being circumferentially and axially aligned with the axially elongated outlet slots in the first tubular structure, and with peripheral side wall portions of said protective member outlet slots inwardly overlying corresponding peripheral side wall portions of the first tubular structure;
• providing a hollow tubular sacrificial member having an open first end and a closed second end;
• and
• positioning said sacrificial member coaxially within said protective member with said open first end of said sacrificial member facing in an upstream direction and being axially disposed between upstream and downstream ends of the first tubular structure outlet slots, and said closed second end being disposed downstream of the downstream ends of the first tubular structure outlet slots.

For use in conjunction with an abrasive slurry delivery structure having a first tubular structure With an internal passage through which an abrasive slurry may be axially flowed in a downstream direction, and side wall outlet port bounded by a peripheral side wall edge portion and outwardly through which abrasive slurry material from the internal passage may be discharged, a method of inhibiting slurry erosion of the peripheral side wall edge portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a replaceable protective member having a peripheral edge portion;
• and
• removably positioning said protective member within the interior of the first tubular structure in a manner such that said peripheral edge portion of said protective member shields the peripheral side wall edge portion of the first tubular structure outlet port from abrasive slurry material being forced outwardly therethrough and is subjected to slurry abrasion in place of the peripheral side wall edge portion of the first tubular structure outlet port,
• the outlet port of the first tubular structure being defined by a circumferentially spaced plurality of axially elongated outlet slots opening laterally outwardly through the side wall of the first tubular structure,
• said providing step being performed by providing a hollow tubular protective member having a circumferentially spaced plurality of series of axially spaced side wall outlet openings, and
• said removably positioning step being performed by coaxially supporting said hollow tubular protective member within said first tubular structure with each of said series of axially spaced side wall outlet openings being aligned with and opening outwardly through a different one of said plurality of axially elongated outlet slots,
• said providing step being further performed by providing said series of axially spaced side wall outlet openings with the outlet openings in each series thereof progressively decreasing in size in said downstream direction.

A method of delivering abrasive slurry material to the Anterior of a subterranean wellbore, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning in the wellbore a slurry delivery assembly having a first tubular structure having an internal passage through which an abrasive slurry material may be axially forced in a downstream direction, said first tubular structure having first side wall port communicating with said internal passage and through which pressurized abrasive slurry material may be outwardly discharged from said internal passage, and a second tubular structure coaxially and outwardly circumscribing said first tubular structure and forming therearound an annular flow passage, said second tubular structure having second side wall port positioned downstream from said first side wall port;
• forcing a pressurized abrasive slurry sequentially through said internal passage in said downstream direction, outwardly through said first side wall port into said annular flow passage, axially through said annular flow passage in said downstream direction, and then outwardly through said second side wall outlet means;
• and
• supporting a protective structure on an interior side surface portion of said second tubular structure for impingement by abrasive slurry material being outwardly discharged through said first side wall port to thereby shield said interior side surface portion from slurry abrasion,
• said step of supporting a protective structure being performed by forming an annular interior recess in said second tubular structure, and coaxially supporting in said annular recess an axially stacked plurality of wear resistant abrasion protection members.

A method of delivering abrasive slurry material to the interior of a subterranean wellbore, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning in the wellbore a slurry delivery assembly having a first tubular structure having an internal passage through which an abrasive slurry material may be axially forced in a downstream direction, said first tubular structure having first side wall port communicating with said internal passage and through which pressurized abrasive slurry material may be outwardly discharged from said internal passage, and a second tubular structure coaxially and outwardly circumscribing said first tubular structure and forming therearound an annular flow passage, said second tubular structure having second side wall port positioned downstream from said first side wall port;
• forcing a pressurized abrasive slurry sequentially through said internal passage in said downstream direction, outwardly through said first side wall port into said annular flow passage, axially through said annular flow passage in said downstream direction, and then outwardly through said second side wall outlet means;
• and
• configuring said second side wall port in a manner such that abrasive slurry material outwardly discharged therefrom along a path which is sloped radially outwardly in a downstream direction, and is also sloped tangentially in a radially outward direction.