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US 8,011,438 B2Granted
Downhole flow control with selective permeability
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsJohn E. Edwards, Ronan Le Gloahec, Claude J. Vercaemer, Philippe Hocquet, Pierre-Yves Corre, Nitin Y. Vaidya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes a base pipe and a fluid control material. The base pipe includes openings, and the fluid control material is mounted to the pipe to control fluid communication through the openings of the pipe. The fluid control material has a permeability that may be changed to selectively control the communication of well fluid through the openings.
Claims16
An apparatus comprising:
- a base pipe comprising openings;
- a mesh disposed outside of the pipe and comprising interwoven strands of a fluid control material, each strand being adapted to selectively swell to control the communication of well fluid through the openings;
- and
- wherein the fluid control material comprises a protective coating being adapted to prevent the fluid control material from being activated and being adapted to be removed to permit activation of the fluid control material.
1 more element
A screen assembly usable with a well, comprising:
- a pipe comprising a wall that surrounds a passageway of the pipe and openings in the wall;
- and
- strands located on the exterior of the pipe in the proximity of the openings and being woven into a mesh, each strand comprising a swellable core enclosed by a protective layer so that when the protective layers of strands are removed the cores swell in the presence of well fluid to substantially impede communication through the openings of the pipe.
A method usable with a well, comprising:
- covering openings in a base pipe with a fluid control material comprising strands to create a fluid control assembly;
- and
- selectively performing an action to cause the strands to swell to change a permeability of the fluid control material to control well fluid flow through the openings, wherein the act of selectively performing the action comprises:
- deploying a wireline conveyed tool downhole into the well;
- drawing downhole fluid into an internal heating chamber of the tool;
- and
- pumping heated fluid from the internal heating chamber through the openings in the base pipe to the fluid control material to activate the material.
4 more elements
A method usable with a well, comprising:
- covering openings in a base pipe with a fluid control material comprising strands woven into a mesh to create a fluid control assembly;
- and
- selectively performing an action to cause the strands to swell to change a permeability of the fluid control material to control well fluid flow through the openings, wherein the act of selectively performing the action comprises:
- deploying a wireline conveyed tool downhole into the well;
- drawing downhole fluid into an internal heating chamber of the tool;
- and
- pumping heated fluid from the internal heating chamber through nozzles in the tool to the fluid control material to activate the material.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.