Collecting drilling microchips

• US 10,563,470 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:
  US16/448,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20190309588A1
• 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 method comprising:

circulating encased microchips down a wellbore, the microchips configured to analyze properties within the wellbore;

receiving the encased microchips at a topside facility; and

separating the microchips from a circulation fluid and circulation cuttings by a screen comprising;

a plurality of wires running parallel and equally spaced to one another; and

a plurality of traps formed with the plurality of wires, the traps formed with the plurality of wires and oriented perpendicular to the plurality of wires, the traps configured to receive encased microchips configured to be circulated in a wellbore, at least a portion of one of the plurality of traps being positioned between two straight segments of the same wire.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of traps comprise:

a first bend in a wire, the bend bending in a downward direction from a plane of the screen;

a second bend with a continuously decreasing radius that circles back toward the screen; and

a third bend that brings the wire to be in-line and parallel with a plane of the screen.

3. The method of claim 1, separating the microchips further comprises flowing a circulation fluid through the screen prior to the fluid passing through a shaker table.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the screen after the traps are filled; and

removing the microchips from the traps.