Erosion Migration Arrangement, Erodable Member and Method of Migrating a Slurry Flow Path

Abstract

An erosion migration arrangement includes a tubular having a window therein. A body positioned within a portion of the window is configured to sacrificially erode in response to a slurry flowing through the window to thereby migrate a location of impact on a member positioned downstream of the window.

Description

BACKGROUND

A known issue that occurs along a slurry flow path is erosion of components. For example, the flow of gravel slurry during downhole gravel packing operations in the downhole completion industry have been known to erode completely through a wall of a casing. Operators have employed various techniques to minimize such erosion including use of hardened shields in the most erosion prone locations. Such methods may successfully address the erosion concern, however, positioning the hardened shields often comes at a cost premium. Other drawbacks may also be encountered, such as difficulty in properly positioning the shields, for example. Operators are therefore always interested in new devices and methods to address undesirable erosion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein is an erosion migration arrangement that includes a tubular having a window therein. A body positioned within a portion of the window is configured to sacrificially erode in response to a slurry flowing through the window to thereby migrate a location of impact on a member positioned downstream of the window.

Further disclosed is a method of migrating a slurry flow path including constructing at least one portion of a border of a window of a tubular from an eroded material, flowing slurry through the window; eroding the at least one portion at a faster rate than a remaining border of the window; and migrating a flow path of the slurry.

Further disclosed is a sacrificially erodable member which includes a core configured to easily erode in a target environment, and a shell in operable communication with the core configured to protect the core from eroding until fracture thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 depicts a cross sectional view of an erosion migration arrangement disclosed herein prior to being eroded;

FIG. 2 depicts the cross sectional view of the erosion migration arrangement of FIG. 1 after being partially eroded; and

FIG. 3 depicts an erodable body disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an erosion migration arrangement is disclosed generally at 10. The erosion migration arrangement 10 includes, a tubular 14 having at least one window 18 through a wall 20 thereof, and a body 22 positioned within a portion of the window 18. The body 22 is configured to erode in response to a slurry flowing through the window 18 at a faster rate than portions of the window 18 that do not include the body 22. The erosion of the body 22 thereby causes a flow path 26 of the slurry to migrate in a direction of the erosion. This migration has a beneficial effect of lessening a depth of erosion of a surface 30 positioned downstream of the window 18 by moving an area of impingement 34. This affect is illustrated by the positional change (in a rightward direction in the Figures) observed between the area of impingement 34 shown in FIG. 1 and that shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, erosion of the body 22 has caused a longitudinal dimension 38 of the window 18 to increase from that shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 2. In a downhole gravel packing application, for example, the erosion migration of the surface 30 of a casing can prevent eroding completely through a wall 42 thereof.

The body 22, as described, sacrificially erodes to intentionally alter the area of impingement 34 on the downstream surface 30. Specifically selecting certain design parameters can influence this intentional sacrificial erosion. For example, a border location of a portion of the window 18 having the body 22 can influence the rate of erosion thereof. Positioning the body 22 on a downhole portion of the border will assure that more of the particulates in the slurry directly impact the body 22 and with greater force than if the body 22 is placed elsewhere along the border. Alternately, the body 22 can have an altered geometry that is susceptible to erosion, such as a thinner wall, for example. Additionally, the body can be made of a material that erodes more easily than a material from which the tubular 14 is made. Alternately, the body 22 could be made of the same material as the tubular 14 but be processed in differently. For example, the body could be foamed or heat-treated resulting in a different strength and hardness.

Referring to FIG. 3, an alternate embodiment of a body 50 disclosed herein is illustrated. The body 50 includes a core 54 encapsulated by a shell 58. The shell 58 can be made of a stronger material than the core 54 thereby allowing erosion to accelerate once the shell 58 has fractured. In some embodiments the core 54 can be a material that disintegrates when exposed to certain environments. For example, materials that disintegrate when exposed to changes in temperature or pressure or to specific fluids, could be employed to accelerate degradation of the material properties and quicken a rate of erosion. In downhole applications reactive metals such as Mg, Al, Zn, Sn and alloys including at least one of the foregoing, can react with wellbore fluids to control a rate of disintegration or corrosion. The shell 58 in such an application may be a micro or nano-scale coating consisting of metallic, intermetallic, ceramics, oxides, carbides and nitrides, for example, to provide further control over exposure of the core 54 and subsequent disintegration thereof. Additionally, micro or nano reinforcing particulates can be dispersed within the core 54 to provide a further level of erosion control. In these cases, the shell 58 prevents any premature disintegration of the core 54 by limiting exposure of the core 54 to the environment until slurry flow has begun and the shell 58 has been breached. The slurry also could include chemicals, such as an acid, for example, that will accelerate degradation of the core 54 as well as the shell 58.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Claims

1. An erosion migration arrangement comprising:

a tubular having a window therein; and

a body positioned within a portion of the window being configured to sacrificially erode in response to a slurry flowing through the window to thereby migrate a location of impact on a member positioned downstream of the window.

2. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 1, wherein the tubular is configured to transport the slurry during a gravel packing operation.

3. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 1, wherein the body is positioned on a downstream side of the window.

4. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to erode more quickly than the tubular.

5. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 1, wherein the body is made of a material that reacts with an environment anticipated to be encountered during flow of the slurry.

6. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 5, wherein reaction of the body includes disintegration thereof.

7. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 1, wherein the body has a shell covering a core and the shell is more resistant to degradation than the core.

8. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 7, wherein the shell prevents the core from disintegration until the shell is fractured.

9. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 7, wherein disintegration of the core quickens erosion thereof.

10. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 7, wherein the core is made of a reactive and soft metal such as Mg, Al, Zn, Sn or alloys including at least one of the foregoing.

11. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 7, wherein the core is made of a reactive metal matrix reinforced by micro or nano particulates selected from the group consisting of ceramics, metallic, intermetallic, oxides, carbides and nitrides.

12. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 7, wherein the shell is made of a material that is selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metallic, intermetallic, oxides carbides, and nitride.

13. The erosion migration arrangement of claim 7, wherein the slurry includes gravel and a fluid.

14. A method of migrating a slurry flow path comprising:

constructing at least one portion of a border of a window of a tubular from an degraded material;

flowing slurry through the window;

eroding the at least one portion at a faster rate than a remaining border of the window; and

migrating a flow path of the slurry.

15. The method of migrating a slurry flow path of claim 13, wherein the at least one portion is a downstream portion of the border.

16. The method of migrating a slurry flow path of claim 13, further comprising disintegrating the at least one portion.

17. The method of migrating a slurry flow path of claim 13, further comprising constructing the at least one portion of at least one material configured to disintegrate in a target environment.

18. The method of migrating a slurry flow path of claim 13, further comprising constructing the at least one portion of a shell material and a core material.

19. The method of migrating a slurry flow path of claim 17, wherein the core material disintegrates more easily than the shell material.

20. A sacrificially erodable member comprising;

a core configured to easily erode in a target environment; and

a shell in operable communication with the core configured to protect the core from eroding until fracture thereof.

21. The sacrificially erodable member of claim 19, wherein the core is made of a material that more easily erodes than a material that the shell is made of

22. The sacrificially erodable member of claim 19, wherein the core is made of a material that disintegrates in a target environment.