Expandable systems that facilitate desired fluid flow

• US 20040104026A1
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Del Campo, Christopher S., Johnson, Craig D., Hackworth, Matthew R., Vercaemer, Claude J., Rasa, Kian, Shampine, Rod W., Schoonderbeek, Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 7,168,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/207
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/08 Screens or liners expandable screens or liners E21B43/108
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/084 Screens comprising woven materials, e.g. mesh or cloth
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/103 of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/108 Expandable screens or perforated liners

Abstract

An expandable device, such as a sand screen, is used in a wellbore. The expandable device comprises an expandable base pipe and a filter layer that facilitates expansion of the device while maintaining filtering capability.

Claims

1. An expandable sand screen for use in a wellbore, comprising:

an expandable base pipe;

. a base filter layer disposed along the expandable base pipe; and

a separable filter layer disposed along the base pipe, the base filter layer having a solid region disposed at a separation area of the separable filter layer.

2. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 1, further comprising a shroud surrounding the base filter layer.

3. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 2, wherein the base filter layer and the separable filter layer are secured to the shroud.

4. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 1, wherein the base filter layer is located along an exterior of the base pipe and between the separable filter layer and the base pipe.

5. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 2, wherein the shroud comprises a plurality of shroud sections affixed to the base pipe.

6. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 1, wherein the separable filter layer is a woven filter.

7. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 1, wherein the separable filter layer comprises a plurality of filter pairs, each filter pair being separated by a gap upon expansion of the base pipe.

8. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 2, further comprising at least one backing strip extending longitudinally along the expandable base pipe, the backing strip serving to connect the shroud to the expandable base pipe.

9. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 8, wherein the backing strip comprises a channel for receiving a control line.

10. An expandable sand screen system, comprising:

an expandable base pipe; and

a pleated filter layer having a pleated filter region in which the pleated filter layer is folded back on itself.

11. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a shroud, the pleated filter layer being disposed between the shroud and the expandable base pipe.

12. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a base filter layer intermediate the expandable base pipe and a pleated filter layer.

13. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 10, wherein the pleated filter layer comprises a pair of primary filter sections separated by a connecting section.

14. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 13, wherein the primary filter sections comprise a woven material.

15. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 13, wherein the connecting section comprises a flexible material.

16. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 14, wherein the connecting section comprises a distinct woven material having properties unique relative to the woven material of the primary filter sections.

17. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 16, wherein the distinct woven material and the woven material have different weave densities.

18. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 16, wherein the distinct woven material is compressed relative to the woven material.

19. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 10, wherein the pleated filter layer is a laminated layer.

20. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 13, wherein the connecting section comprises a perforated sheet.

21. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 10, wherein the pleated filter layer comprises a fold and at least one roller disposed in the fold.

22. The expandable sand screen system as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one roller is hollow to receive a control line.

23. An expandable sand screen, comprising an expandable base pipe and a filter layer affixed at an interior surface of the base pipe.

24. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 23, wherein the filter layer has a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, the first longitudinal edge being affixed to the interior surface and the second longitudinal edge overlapping the first longitudinal edge.

25. An expandable sand screen, comprising:

an expandable base pipe having a plurality of openings; and

a plurality of non-overlapping filter sections attached to the expandable base pipe, each filter section being disposed to cover at least one of the plurality of openings upon expansion of the expandable base pipe.

26. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 25, wherein the plurality of filter sections is positioned such that the plurality of openings remains uncovered prior to expansion.

27. An expandable sand screen, comprising:

an expandable base pipe;

a plurality of overlapped filter sheets; and

at least one liner disposed between the plurality of overlapped filter sheets.

28. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 27, wherein the plurality of overlapped filter sheets are deployed in pairs of overlapped filter sheets.

29. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 28, wherein the at least one liner comprises a plurality of liners with a liner disposed between each pair of overlapped filter sheets.

30. An expandable sand screen, comprising:

an expandable base pipe; and

a filter disposed along a surface of the expandable base pipe, the filter having a first layer with first layer openings and a second layer with second layer openings, wherein the first layer and the second layer are combined such that the first layer openings are offset relative to the second layer openings to provide filter openings of desired size.

31. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 30, wherein the first layer openings and the second layer openings are formed as slots.

32. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 30, wherein the filter is disposed around the expandable base pipe and separated from the expandable base pipe by a stand-off layer.

33. An expandable sand screen, comprising a filter formed by a plurality of slidably engaged strands, wherein upon expansion of the filter, the plurality of slidably engaged strands move to positions that create filtration openings.

34. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 33, wherein the plurality of slidably engaged strands are curved.

35. The expandable sand screen as recited in claim 33, further comprising an expandable base pipe deployed within the filter.

36. An expandable filtration system for use in a wellbore, comprising:

an expandable sand screen having a zonal isolation region and an adjacent filtration section, the zonal isolation region comprising a blank screen section that prevents fluid flow into the sand screen while the adjacent filtration section enables fluid flow into the sand screen.

37. The expandable filtration system as recited in claim 36, wherein the sand screen comprises a plurality of adjacent filtration sections separated longitudinally by the blank screen section.

38. The expandable filtration system as recited in claim 37, wherein the blank screen section comprises a plurality of blank screen sections.

39. The expandable filtration system as recited in claim 36, wherein the blank screen section comprises an injection section for injecting a flow preventing material radially outwardly through the expandable sand screen.

40. The expandable filtration system as recited in claim 39, wherein the flow preventing material comprises a cement.

41. The expandable filtration system as recited in claim 39, wherein the flow preventing material comprises a gel.

42. The expandable filtration system as recited in claim 36, wherein the blank screen section comprises an elastomeric coating.

43. The expandable filtration system as recited in claim 36, wherein the blank screen section comprises elastomer injected sheets.