Multi-zone bypass packer assembly for gravel packing boreholes

A gravel pack assembly for a borehole, the assembly comprising:

• a first screen section communicating an uphole annulus portion of the borehole with an interior passage of the assembly;
• a second screen section communicating a downhole annulus portion of the borehole with the interior passage;
• a packer apparatus disposed between the first and second screen sections, the packer apparatus comprising:
• a housing having an internal bore and an internal bypass, the internal bore communicating with the interior passage of the assembly, the internal bypass communicating an uphole external port with a downhole external port on the housing,
• a first packer disposed on the housing between the uphole and downhole external ports and at least restricting gravel passage from the uphole annulus portion to the downhole annulus portion, and
• a second packer disposed on the housing downhole from the downhole external port, the second packer being independently compressible and isolating fluid passage between the uphole and downhole annulus portions;
• and
• a tool disposed on a washpipe and sealing in the interior passage of the assembly, the tool having a through-bore, an inlet, and a valve, the through-bore communicating with the washpipe, the inlet communicating the interior passage of the assembly with the through-bore, the valve being movable from a closed condition to an opened condition relative to the inlet,
• wherein the valve in the closed condition permits fluid returns from the downhole screen section to communicate through the through-bore of the tool to the washpipe;
• and
• wherein the valve in the opened condition permits fluid returns from the uphole screen section to communicate through the inlet of the tool to the washpipe.

A method of packing an annulus of a borehole with gravel communicated in a slurry, the method comprising:

• communicating slurry down the annulus around an assembly disposed in the borehole;
• restricting passage of at least the gravel with a first packer element from an uphole portion of the annulus to a downhole portion of the annulus;
• packing the gravel from the slurry around an uphole screen section on the assembly in the uphole annulus portion;
• communicating, after packing the gravel around the uphole screen section, slurry from the uphole annulus portion to at least one transport tube having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end communicating with the uphole annulus portion, the proximal end communicating with an internal bypass of the first packer element in the assembly;
• communicating slurry from the at least one transport tube via the internal bypass of the first packer element in the assembly to an external port downhole of the first packer element;
• packing the gravel from the slurry around a downhole screen section on the assembly in the downhole annulus portion;
• and
• isolating, after packing the gravel around the downhole screen section, fluid communication between the uphole and downhole annulus portions by compressing a second packer element disposed downhole of the external port of the assembly.

A method of gravel packing an annulus of a borehole with gravel communicated in a slurry, the method comprising:

• sealing a section of a washpipe in an internal passage of an assembly disposed in a borehole, the washpipe having a through-bore, an inlet, and a valve, the inlet communicating the internal passage of the assembly with the through-bore, the valve being movable from a closed condition to an opened condition relative to the inlet;
• communicating slurry down the annulus around the assembly disposed in the borehole;
• restricting passage of at least the gravel with a first packer element from an uphole portion of the annulus to a downhole portion of the annulus;
• communicating the slurry from the uphole annulus portion to the downhole annulus portion through an internal bypass on the assembly;
• packing the gravel from the slurry around a downhole screen section on the assembly in the downhole annulus portion by taking fluid returns from the slurry up the through-bore of the washpipe, wherein the valve in the closed condition permits the fluid returns from the downhole screen section to communicate through the through-bore of the washpipe;
• opening the valve to the opened condition on the washpipe uphole of the sealed section in the first internal passage of the assembly;
• packing the gravel from the slurry around an uphole screen section on the assembly in the uphole annulus portion by taking fluid returns from the slurry through the open valve and up the through-bore of the washpipe, wherein the valve in the opened condition permits the fluid returns from the uphole screen section to communicate through the inlet to the through-bore of the washpipe;
• and
• isolating fluid communication between the uphole and downhole annulus portions by activating a second packer element disposed on the assembly between the uphole and downhole screen sections.