Collecting drilling microchips

• US 10,563,469 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2019
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Al-Badran, Mohammad Saud, Li, Bodong
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Portocarrero, Manuel C
• Application Number:
  US16/448,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20190309587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 5/04 on shaking tables on vanners B03B5/08
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 5/06 Constructional details of shaking tables, e.g. riffling
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/12 Apparatus having only parallel elements
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/4654 Corrugated Screening surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/4681 Meshes of intersecting, non-woven, elements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/003 Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/06 Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/065 Separating solids from drilling fluids
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/08 Screens or liners expandable screens or liners E21B43/108
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/082 Screens comprising porous materials, e.g. prepacked screens
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/086 Screens with preformed openings, e.g. slotted liners comprising porous materials E21B43/082
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/088 Wire screens comprising porous materials E21B43/082; comprising woven materials E21B43/084
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/10 Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/35 specially adapted for separating solids down-hole drilling fluid separation systems E21B21/002; separating solids from drilling fluids E21B21/065

Abstract

Multiple wires run parallel to one another. Each of wires is spaced apart from each adjacent wire at a distance less than a width of an encased microchip. Each of the plurality of wires includes a plurality of straight segments in a plane and bent segments that connect two of the plurality of straight segments. For each of the wires, each bent segments includes a first end, a second end, and a curved portion curved away from the plane. The first end is connected to at least one of the straight segments and separated from the second end a distance greater than the width of the encased microchip. The curved portion includes a diameter greater than the width of the encased microchip.

Claims

1. A wellbore system comprising:

a wellbore formed into a geologic formation;

a circulation pump configured to circulate fluid through the wellbore;

a shaker table configured to separate wellbore cuttings from a circulation fluid;

a plurality of encapsulated microchips configured to be circulated through the wellbore with the circulation fluid;

a screen comprising;

a plurality of wires running parallel, each of the plurality of wires is spaced apart from each adjacent wire at a distance less than a width of an encased microchip, and each of the plurality of wires includes a plurality of straight segments in a plane and a plurality bent segments connecting a plurality of straight sections, at least one of the plurality of bent segments of each wire being positioned between two straight segments of the same wire; and

for each of the plurality of the wires, each bent segments in the plurality of segments includes a first end, a second end, and a curved portion curved away from the plane, the first end connected to at least one of the plurality of straight sections and separated from the second end a distance greater than the width of the encased microchip, and the curved portion includes a diameter greater than the width of the encased microchip;

a screen mount configured to secure the screen from at least three sides of the screen; and

an obstacle positioned above the screen, the obstacle configured to prevent a microchip from bouncing out of the curved portions.

2. The wellbore system of claim 1, wherein the screen is mounted in the shaker table.

3. The wellbore system of claim 1, wherein the encased microchips are a first set of encased microchips and the screen is a first screen, the system further comprising a second screen with traps configured to catch a second plurality of encased microchips that are a different size than the first set of encased microchips.

4. The wellbore system of claim 1, wherein the screen is mounted between 10°

and 75°

from horizontal when in use.

5. The wellbore system of claim 1, wherein each of the curved portions is configured to extend in a downward direction when in use.

6. The wellbore system of claim 1, wherein the screen is positioned downstream of a shaker table.