# US 8,770,290 B2 · Gravel pack assembly for bottom up/toe-to-heel packing

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,770,290 B2
- Document ID: US8770290B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/913,981
- Filed: 2010-10-28
- Published: 2012-05-03
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-28
- Assignees: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
- Applicants: Ronald van Petegem; John Broussard
- Inventors: Ronald van Petegem; John Broussard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770290B2

## CPC

- E21B 43/04: Gravelling of wells
- E21B 33/124: Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space
- E21B 34/102: {with means for locking the closing element in open or closed position (E21B34/105 and E21B34/108 take precedence)}
- E21B 43/08: Screens or liners {(expandable screens or liners E21B43/108)}
- E21B 2200/06: Sleeve valves
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A gravel pack assembly gravel packs a horizontal borehole. Operators wash down the borehole using a tool in a first position by flowing fluid from the tool through the apparatus' toe. Operators then gravel pack by moving the tool to a first flow port between a screen and the toe. Slurry flows into the borehole from the first flow port, and returns from the borehole flow through the screen. The gravel in the slurry can pack the borehole in an alpha-beta wave from toe to heel. When the tool has a sleeve, operators can break any bridges by flowing fluid from the passage of the assembly into the tool. In another condition, operators can move the tool to a second flow port. Slurry can flow into to the borehole through a shunt extending from the second flow port. Meanwhile, returns can flow from the borehole through a bypass in the assembly.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gravel pack apparatus, comprising:
a body for disposing in a borehole and having a heel and a toe, the body defining a body passage and defining at least one first body port and at least one second body port, the at least one first body port disposed toward the toe, the at least one second body port disposed toward the heel, the at least one first body port disposed in fluid communication via the borehole with the at least one second body port;
at least one first screen disposed on the body between the least one first body port and the least one second body port, the at least one first screen communicating between the body passage and the borehole, the at least one first screen disposed in fluid communication via the borehole with the at least one first and second body ports; and
a tool movably disposing in the body passage and defining a tool passage with at least one tool port,
the tool moved to a first selective position in the body passage sealing the at least one tool port with the at least one first body port toward the toe and communicating slurry from the tool passage to the borehole therethrough,
the tool moved to a second selective position sealing the at least one tool port with the at least one second body port toward the heel and communicating slurry from the tool passage to the borehole therethrough.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one first path device extending from the at least one first body port and communicating slurry from the at least one first body port to the borehole therethrough.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein in the first selective position, the at least one first path device delivers slurry to the borehole toward the heel or the toe of the body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising at least one second path device extending from the at least one second body port and communicating slurry from the at least one second body port to the borehole therethrough.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein in the second selective position, the at least one second path device delivers slurry to the borehole toward the heel or the toe of the body.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one path device extending from the at least one second body port and communicating slurry from the at least one second body port to the borehole therethrough.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein in the second selective position, the at least one path device delivers slurry to the borehole toward the toe of the body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the body comprises a bypass communicating flow returns from the borehole toward the toe to the body passage.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one path device comprises an egress communicating from the at least one path device into the body passage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the egress comprises a valve controlling communication between the at least one path device and the body passage.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein in the second selective position, the egress delivers slurry into the body passage toward the toe of the body.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tool in the first selective position delivers slurry in the borehole from the toe to the heel, and wherein the tool in the second selective position delivers slurry toward the toe of the body.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body defines a toe port in the toe, and wherein the tool moved to a third selective position in the body passage seals the at least one tool port with the toe port and communicates the tool passage with the borehole therethrough.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the toe port comprises a valve controlling communication through the toe port.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the valve comprises a check valve preventing communication from the borehole into the body passage.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one second disposed on the body between the at least one second body port and the heel and disposed in fluid communication via the borehole with at least one first screen.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a plurality of arrangements of the at least one first screen and the at least one first and second body ports disposed along the body.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of packer elements disposed on the body between the arrangements of the at least one first screens and the at least one first and second body ports.

### Claim 19

A borehole gravel pack method, comprising:
deploying an apparatus in a borehole downhole from a packer, the apparatus having a toe and a heel;
disposing a tool in a passage of the apparatus;
moving an outlet of the tool to a first flow port disposed between a first screen and the toe on the apparatus;
flowing slurry through the tool in a first flow direction to the outlet;
gravel packing the borehole by flowing slurry into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port; and
evacuating excess slurry from a second flow port of the tool into the borehole toward the toe of the apparatus without reversing flow in the tool from the first flow direction by flowing slurry through the outlet moved to the second flow port disposed between the first screen and the heel of the apparatus.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein evacuating excess slurry further comprises evacuating excess slurry into the passage of the apparatus toward the toe.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein flowing slurry into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port comprises:
flowing slurry from the tool to the borehole through the first flow port, and
flowing returns from the borehole through the first screen.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein evacuating excess slurry comprises:
moving the outlet of the tool to a second flow port disposed toward the heel;
flowing slurry through the tool in the first flow direction to the outlet; and
flowing excess slurry from the tool into the borehole through the second flow port.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising flowing returns from the borehole through a bypass in the apparatus.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein flowing excess slurry through the second flow port comprises flowing excess slurry from the tool into the borehole through an alternate path in communication with the second flow port.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, further comprising flowing excess slurry from the alternate path into the passage of the apparatus toward the toe.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein flowing the slurry into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port comprises flowing slurry toward the heel through another alternate path communicating with the first flow port.

### Claim 27

A borehole gravel pack method, comprising:
disposing a tool in a passage of an apparatus disposed in a borehole;
moving an outlet of the tool to a first flow port disposed between a first screen and a toe on the apparatus;
gravel packing the borehole by flowing slurry from the outlet of the tool into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port;
moving the outlet of the tool to a second flow port disposed between the first screen and the heel on the apparatus; and
gravel packing the borehole by flowing slurry from the outlet of the tool into the borehole from the heel to the toe through a first path device communicating with the second flow port.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein flowing slurry from the outlet of the tool into the borehole from the heel to the toe through the first path device comprises evacuating excess slurry from the tool to the borehole without reversing flow in the tool.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein evacuating excess slurry further comprises evacuating excess slurry into the passage of the apparatus toward the toe.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein flowing slurry from the outlet of the tool into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port comprises flowing returns from the borehole through the first screen.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein flowing slurry from the outlet of the tool into the borehole from the heel to the toe through the first path device comprises flowing returns from the borehole through a bypass in the apparatus.

### Claim 32 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein flowing slurry from the outlet of the tool into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port comprises flowing slurry into the borehole from the toe to the heel through a second path device communicating with the first flow port.

### Claim 33

A gravel pack apparatus, comprising:
a body for disposing in a borehole and having a heel and a toe, the body defining a body passage and defining at least one first body port and at least one second body port, the at least one first body port disposed toward the toe, the at least one second body port disposed toward the heel, the at least one first body port disposed in fluid communication via the borehole with the at least one second body port;
at least one first screen disposed on the body between the at least one first body port and the at least one second body port, the at least one first screen communicating between the body passage and the borehole, the at least one first screen disposed in fluid communication via the borehole with the at least one first and second body ports; and
a tool movably disposed in the body passage and defining a tool passage with at least one tool port,
the tool moved to a first selective position in the body passage sealing the at least one tool port with the at least one first body port toward the toe and delivering slurry from the tool passage to the borehole from the toe to the heel,
the tool moved to a second selective position sealing the at least one tool port with the at least one second body port toward the heel and delivering slurry from the tool passage to the borehole toward the toe of the body.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising at least one path device extending from the at least one first body port and communicating slurry from the at least one first body port to the borehole therethrough.

### Claim 35 (depends on 33)

The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising at least one path device extending from the at least one second body port and communicating slurry from the at least one second body port to the borehole therethrough.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the body comprises a bypass communicating flow returns from the borehole toward the toe to the body passage.

### Claim 37 (depends on 35)

The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the at least one path device comprises an egress communicating from the at least one path device into the body passage.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the egress comprises a valve controlling communication between the at least one path device and the body passage.

### Claim 39 (depends on 37)

The apparatus of claim 37, wherein in the second selective position, the egress delivers slurry into the body passage toward the toe of the body.

### Claim 40 (depends on 33)

The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising at least one second screen disposed on the body between the at least one second body port and the heel and disposed in fluid communication via the borehole with the at least one first screen.

### Claim 41 (depends on 33)

The apparatus of claim 33, comprising a plurality of arrangements of the at least one first screen and the at least one first and second body ports disposed along the body.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising a plurality of packer elements disposed on the body between the arrangements of the at least one first screens and the at least one first and second body ports.

### Claim 43

A borehole gravel pack method, comprising:
deploying an apparatus in a borehole downhole from a packer, the apparatus having a toe and a heel;
disposing a tool in a passage of the apparatus;
moving an outlet of the tool to a first flow port disposed between a first screen and the toe on the apparatus;
flowing slurry through the tool in a first flow direction to the outlet;
gravel packing the borehole by flowing slurry into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port; and
evacuating excess slurry from a second flow port of the tool into the passage of the apparatus toward the toe without reversing flow in the tool from the first flow direction by flowing slurry through the outlet moved to the second flow port disposed between the first screen and the heel of the apparatus.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein evacuating excess slurry comprises evacuating excess slurry from the second flow port into the borehole toward the toe of the apparatus.

### Claim 45 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein flowing slurry into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port comprises:
flowing slurry from the tool to the borehole through the first flow port, and flowing returns from the borehole through the first screen.

### Claim 46 (depends on 43)

The method of claim 43, wherein evacuating excess slurry comprises:
moving the outlet of the tool to the second flow port disposed toward the heel;
flowing slurry through the tool in the first flow direction to the outlet; and
flowing excess slurry from the tool into the borehole through the second flow port.

### Claim 47 (depends on 44)

The method of claim 44, further comprising flowing returns from the borehole through a bypass in the apparatus.

### Claim 48 (depends on 44)

The method of claim 44, wherein evacuating excess slurry comprises flowing excess slurry from the tool into the borehole through an alternate path in communication with the second flow port.

### Claim 49 (depends on 48)

The method of claim 48, wherein evacuating excess slurry comprises flowing excess slurry from the alternate path into the passage of the apparatus toward the toe.

### Claim 50 (depends on 48)

The method of claim 48, wherein flowing the slurry into the borehole from the toe to the heel through the first flow port comprises flowing slurry toward the heel through another alternate path communicating with the first flow port.