Well Screen With Drainage Assembly
A well screen assembly has an elongate base pipe having apertures therein. A filtration layer resides around the base pipe. A drainage assembly resides between the base pipe and the filtration layer. The drainage assembly includes a plurality of elongate risers carried on a mesh. The drainage layer supports the filtration layer apart from the elongate base pipe and defines an elongate passage between the base pipe and the filtration layer that communicates fluid laterally through the drainage assembly.
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This description relates to filtration apparatus for use in subterranean wellbores.
BACKGROUNDFor centuries, wells have been drilled to extract oil, natural gas, water, and other fluids from subterranean formations. In extracting the fluids, a production string is provided in a wellbore, both reinforcing the structural integrity of the wellbore, as well as assisting in extraction of fluids from the well. To allow fluids to flow into production string, apertures are often provided in the tubing string in the section of the string corresponding with production zones of the well. Although perforations allow for ingress of the desired fluids from the formation, these perforations can also allow unwanted materials to flow into the well from the surrounding foundations during production. Debris, such as formation sand and other particulate, can fall or be swept into the tubing together with formation fluid, contaminating the recovered fluid. Not only do sand and other particulates contaminate the recovered fluid, this particulate can cause many additional problems for the well operator. For example, as the particulate flows through production equipment, it gradually erodes the equipment. Unwanted particulate can block flow passages, accumulate in chambers, and abrade components. Repairing and replacing production equipment damaged by particulate in-flow can be exceedingly costly and time-consuming, particularly for downhole equipment sometimes located several thousand feet below the earth's surface. Consequently, to guard against particulate from entering production equipment, while at the same time preserving sufficient fluid flow pathways, various production filters and filtration methods have been developed and employed including gravel packs and well screen assemblies.
A number of well screen filtration designs have been employed. A well screen assembly is a screen of one or more layers installed in the well, capable of filtering against passage of particulate of a specified size and larger, such as sand, rock fragments and gravel from surrounding gravel packing. The specific design of the well screen can take into account the type of subterranean formation likely to be encountered, as well as the well-type.
SUMMARYAn aspect encompasses well screen assembly with an elongate base pipe having apertures therein. A filtration layer resides around the base pipe. A drainage assembly resides between the base pipe and the filtration layer. The drainage assembly includes a plurality of elongate risers carried on a mesh. The drainage layer supports the filtration layer apart from the elongate base pipe and defines an elongate passage between the base pipe and the filtration layer that communicates fluid laterally through the drainage assembly.
An aspect encompasses a screen assembly for use in a well. The screen assembly includes an elongate apertured tubing and a first mesh layer carried on the tubing. The screen assembly further includes a second mesh layer between the first mesh layer and the apertured tubing and a third, non-woven mesh layer between the second mesh layer and the apertured tubing. The third, non-woven mesh layer is formed from a planar non-woven mesh sheet wrapped into a cylindrical shape. The planar sheet has a first plurality of wires oriented in generally the same direction and residing in a first plane and a second plurality of wires affixed to the first plurality of wires and residing in a second plane.
An aspect encompasses a method of communicating fluids in a well. In the method particulate is filtered from a fluid with a filtration layer of a well screen assembly. The fluid is communicated laterally through the well screen assembly via an elongate passage defined in a drainage assembly of the well screen assembly. The drainage assembly resides between the filtration layer and a base pipe of the well screen assembly and includes a plurality of elongate risers carried on a mesh that support the filtration layer apart from the elongate base pipe and define the elongate passage.
One or more of the aspects can include some, none or all of the following features. The plurality of risers can be wires of a second mesh carried by the first mentioned mesh. The second mesh can be a non-woven mesh. The plurality of risers can be risers that are not arranged in a mesh. The risers can be oriented substantially longitudinally with respect to the elongate base pipe and the elongate passage call extend substantially the entire length of the drainage assembly unobstructed by structures transversely crossing the passage. The risers can define a plurality of elongate passages and the of passages can be substantially parallel to one another. The filtration layer can be a wire mesh and the risers can be of a lower gage than the wires of the filtration layer wire mesh. The filtration layer can be a wire mesh and a greatest dimension between wires of the filtration layer wire mesh can be smaller than a greatest dimension between risers of the drainage assembly. The filtration layer can be a wire mesh and a greatest dimension between wires of the filtration layer wire mesh can be smaller than a greatest dimension between wires of the drainage assembly mesh. The well screen assembly can include an apertured shroud pipe around the filtration layer.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONAlthough shown in the context of a horizontal well system 10, well screen assemblies 12 can be provided in other well configurations, including vertical well systems having a vertical or substantial vertical wellbore, multi-lateral well systems having multiple wellbores deviating from a common wellbore and/or other well systems. Also, although described in a production context, well screen assemblies 12 can be used in other contexts, including injection, well treatment and/or other applications.
As shown in
Well screen layers 105 further include a filtration layer 125 that operates as the primary fine filtering mechanism of the well screen assembly 12, and is configured to allow flow of fluid and filter against passage of the smallest particulate filtered by the well screen assembly 12. The filtration layer 125 can have the highest mesh per inch count and/or the smallest apertures therethrough of ally the other well screen layers 105. Although only one filtration layer 125 is shown, in some instances, additional filtration layers can be included and/or the filtration layer can be incorporated into the drainage assembly 110 (such as support layer 115). If multiple filtration layers 125 are provided, they can each be configured to filter against passage of the same size particulate or one or more of the filtration layers 125 can be configured to filter against passage of different size particulate.
Well screen assembly 12 includes an outer shroud 130 surrounding the well screen layers 105 and forming the exterior of the well screen assembly 12 to protect and preserve the integrity of the layers beneath. In certain instances, the outer shroud layer 130 is an apertured pipe having square, circular, slotted and/or other shaped apertures 135 that allow passage fluid through the outer shroud layer 130. The outer shroud 130 may perform an initial filtering function, filtering against passage of larger particulate into the well screen layers 105 beneath.
Although only a drainage assembly 110 and filtration layer 125 have been discussed above, the well screen assembly 12 can include additional layers of additional types and/or additional drainage assemblies 110 and/or filtration layers 125 can be included beneath the outer shroud 130.
In some implementations, see for example
Support layer 225 can be a welded and/or woven mesh (e.g., a square welded mesh, a square woven mesh, and/or other mesh). In certain instances, the mesh per inch count of the support layer 225 is higher (i.e., able to filter against passage of a smaller particulate) than the mesh per inch count of the standoff layer 210. In certain instances, the wire gage of the support layer 225 is higher (i.e., smaller diameter) than the wire gage of some or all of the wires in the standoff layer 210. In certain instances, the wire gage of warp wires in the standoff layer 210 are larger than the warp and/or weft layers of the support layer 225. Of note, the use of the term “mesh” herein is used to exclude wrapped wire screen, i.e. a screen formed in a cylinder by helically wrapping wire about a plurality of longitudinal wires arranged in a generally cylindrical shape.
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A well screen assembly, comprising:
- an elongate base pipe having apertures therein;
- a filtration layer around the base pipe; and
- a drainage assembly between the base pipe and the filtration layer, the drainage assembly comprising a plurality of elongate risers carried on a mesh, the drainage layer supporting the filtration layer apart from the elongate base pipe and defining an elongate passage between the base pipe and the filtration layer that communicates fluid laterally through the drainage assembly.
2. The well screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of risers comprise wires of a second mesh carried by the first mentioned mesh.
3. The well screen assembly of claim 2, wherein the second mesh is a non-woven mesh.
4. The well screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of risers are not arranged in a mesh.
5. The well screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the risers are oriented substantially longitudinally with respect to the elongate base pipe and the elongate passage extends substantially the entire length of the drainage assembly unobstructed by structures transversely crossing the passage.
6. The well screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the risers define a plurality of elongate passages and the of passages are substantially parallel to one another.
7. The well screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the filtration layer is a wire mesh and the risers are of a lower gage than the wires of the filtration layer wire mesh.
8. The well screen assembly of claim 1, wherein the filtration layer is a wire mesh and a greatest dimension between wires of the filtration layer wire mesh is smaller than a greatest dimension between risers of the drainage assembly.
9. The well screen assembly of claim 8, wherein the filtration layer is a wire mesh and a greatest dimension between wires of the filtration layer wire mesh is smaller than a greatest dimension between wires of the drainage assembly mesh.
10. The well screen assembly of claim 1, further comprising an apertured shroud pipe around the filtration layer.
11. A screen assembly for use in a well, comprising:
- an elongate apertured tubing;
- a first mesh layer carried on the tubing;
- a second mesh layer between the first mesh layer and the apertured tubing; and
- a third, non-woven mesh layer between the second mesh layer and the apertured tubing, the third, non-woven mesh layer formed from a planar non-woven mesh sheet wrapped into a cylindrical shape, the planar sheet having a first plurality of wires oriented in generally the same direction and residing in a first plane and a second plurality of wires affixed to the first plurality of wires and residing in a second plane.
12. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the third, non-woven mesh layer comprises a square mesh.
13. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of wires are oriented substantially longitudinally along the elongate apertured tubing and define an elongate passage that extends substantially the entire longitudinal dimension of the third, non-woven mesh layer unobstructed by structures transversely crossing the passage.
14. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein first mesh layer is a wire mesh and the first plurality of wires of the third, non-woven mesh are of a lower gage than the wires of the first mesh layer.
15. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the first mesh layer is a wire mesh and a greatest dimension between wires of the first mesh layer is smaller than a greatest dimension between the first plurality of wires of the third, non-woven mesh.
16. The screen assembly of claim 11, wherein the third, non-woven mesh is affixed to the second mesh.
17. A method of communicating fluids in a well, comprising:
- filtering particulate from a fluid with a filtration layer of a well screen assembly; and
- communicating the fluid laterally through the well screen assembly via an elongate passage defined in a drainage assembly of the well screen assembly, the drainage assembly residing between the filtration layer and a base pipe of the well screen assembly and comprising a plurality of elongate risers carried on a mesh that support the filtration layer apart from the elongate base pipe and define the elongate passage.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of risers comprise wires of a second, non-woven mesh carried by the first mentioned mesh.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of risers are not arranged in a mesh.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the risers are oriented substantially longitudinally with respect to the elongate base pipe and the elongate passage extends substantially the entire length of the drainage assembly unobstructed by structures transversely crossing the passage.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 8, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 14, 2010
Applicant: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC. (Carrollton, TX)
Inventors: Aaron James Bonner (Flower Mound, TX), Jean-Marc Lopez (Plano, TX)
Application Number: 12/420,499
International Classification: E21B 43/08 (20060101); E21B 43/00 (20060101);