INFLOW CONTROL DEVICE
An inflow control device for a well screen comprising: a body having an internal bore, said body mountable in line with a base pipe of said well screen; a plurality of body apertures in a wall of said body, said apertures spaced longitudinally and circumferentially from each other, about said wall; a slide member in sliding engagement with an inner surface of said body, said slide member having a plurality of slide apertures; wherein the inflow control device is arranged to selectively and progressively increase the aperture area through the body through sliding the slide member, so as to align at least one of the body apertures with at least one of the slide apertures.
The invention relates to well screens used in the petrol-chemical industry for the extraction of oil, gas or water. In particular, the invention relates to a means of controlling the inflow or outflow of fluid from such well screens.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect the invention provides an inflow control device for a well screen comprising: a body having an internal bore, said body mountable in line with a base pipe of said well screen; a plurality of body apertures in a wall of said body, said apertures spaced longitudinally and circumferentially from each other, about said wall; a slide member in sliding engagement with an inner surface of said body, said slide member having a plurality of slide apertures; wherein the inflow control device is arranged to selectively and progressively increase the aperture area through the body through sliding the slide member, so as to align at least one of the body apertures with at least one of the slide apertures.
Accordingly, the invention provides a means for controlling inflow through the sliding of the slide member and the limiting the intake of suspended material through provision of a screen protecting said apertures.
In one embodiment, the inflow control device may have an external diameter matching that of the base pipe so as to connect to said base pipe with a flush connection. Said connection may be a welded connection or a threaded connection. This will assist in mounting a screen over the apertures by permitting the screen to extend beyond the connection between the inflow control device and the base pipe.
In order to operate the slide member, the slide member may include an engagement portion for engaging an interruption tool so as to facilitate the sliding of the slide for the desired aperture opening. In a further embodiment, the slide may operate in a range defined by discreet positions. Each discreet position may open a predetermined percentage of the total aperture area. Accordingly, by engaging the slide member and sliding to a predetermined position, the operator will be assured of the desired percentage opening.
In a further embodiment, the slide member may include a limit switch, possibly on a peripheral edge of said slide. Such a limit switch may be an engagement lug or interference fit lug or a spring loaded limit switch or other similar device sufficient to transmit a vibration, impulse or resistance through the interruption tool so as to indicate to the operator the slide has reached the desired position.
In a further embodiment, the position of the apertures may be such that the positions between which the slide moves may be equal distance.
In one embodiment, the slide member may be a longitudinal slide for sliding parallel to an axis of the inflow control device. Alternatively, the slide member may be a circumferential slide so as to slide about the longitudinal axis of the inflow control device.
The interface slide and body may be machined to a tolerance sufficient to prevent leakage along the interface. Thus, no additional gasket may be necessary in order to seal the unopened apertures.
It will be convenient to further describe the present invention with respect to the accompanying drawings that illustrate possible arrangements of the invention. Other arrangements of the invention are possible and consequently, the particularity of the accompanying drawings is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description of the invention.
It will be appreciated that this is merely an example and that further groups of slide apertures can represent more positions for the slide member 85 and so a finer control of aperture area, for instance, four groups having respective percentage openings of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%.
Claims
1. An inflow control device for a well screen comprising:
- a body having an internal bore, said body mountable in line with a base pipe of said well screen;
- a plurality of body apertures in a wall of said body, said apertures spaced longitudinally and circumferentially from each other, about said wall;
- a slide member in sliding engagement with an inner surface of said body, said slide member having a plurality of slide apertures
- wherein the inflow control device is arranged to selectively and progressively increase the aperture area through the body through sliding the slide member, so as to align at least one of the body apertures with at least one of the slide apertures.
2. The inflow control device according to claim 1 wherein said device is arranged to receive an interruption tool for engaging and sliding said slide member.
3. The inflow control device according to claim 1 wherein positions associated with the slide member correspond to the placement of said apertures.
4. The inflow control device according to claim 1 wherein an external diameter of the body is arranged to equal that of the well screen such that on connection to the well screen a flush connection is achieved.
5. The inflow control device according to claim 1 further including a screen connected to the inflow control device and positioned over said apertures.
6. The inflow control device according to claim 1 wherein the slide member is arranged to slide longitudinally parallel to an axis of said well screen.
7. The inflow control device according to claim 1 wherein the slide member is arranged to slide rotationally about the axis of the well screen.
8. The inflow control device according to claim 1 wherein the slide apertures are arranged into groups, said slide member arranged to slide to a plurality of positions, each position aligning one of said slide aperture groups with at least one of said body apertures.
9. The inflow control device according to claim 8 wherein said groups correspond to varying percentages of a total body aperture area such that the slide member is arranged to increase or decrease the available percentage of body aperture opening on moving from one position to another.
10. The inflow control device according to claim 1 wherein said slide member includes an engagement portion, said engagement portion arranged to receive an engagement portion of an interruption tool for biasing the slide member from one position to another.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 27, 2013
Publication Date: Jan 29, 2015
Inventors: Graeme Dowsett (Singapore), Anush Rajaram (Singapore), Eddie Yap (Singapore), Kim Chiok Tay (Singapore)
Application Number: 14/381,491
International Classification: E21B 43/12 (20060101); E21B 34/14 (20060101);