Segregated deployment of downhole valves for monitoring and control of multilateral wells

• US 20050121190A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Oberkircher, James Paul, Schroter, Terry
• Application Number:
  US10/730,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20050121190A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/250.100
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0035 Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches

Abstract

Segregated deployment of downhole valves for monitoring and control of multilateral wells. In a described embodiment, a well completion system includes at least two tubular strings. One tubular string includes a flow control device and sensor controlling and monitoring fluid flow into the tubular string from a zone intersected by a wellbore. Another tubular string with another flow control device and sensor controls and monitors fluid flow into that tubular string from another zone intersected by another wellbore. The two wellbores intersect. Each of the flow control devices is positioned in a respective one of the wellbores and has at least one line connected to the flow control device. The lines are installed in the wellbores without interruptions in the lines and without requiring connections to be made in the lines downhole.

Claims

1. A well completion system comprising:

at least one line extending to a remote location and into at least first and second intersecting wellbores, the at least one line being positioned in the first and second wellbores without making a connection in the line downhole.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein there are multiple lines, a first at least one of the lines being attached to a first tubular string positioned in the first wellbore, and a second at least one of the lines being attached to a second tubular string positioned in the second wellbore.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first tubular string provides access to the first wellbore below an intersection between the first and second wellbores, and wherein the second tubular string provides access to the second wellbore from the first wellbore above the intersection.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first line is connected to a first sensor of the first tubular string, and wherein the second line is connected to a second sensor of the second tubular string.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first line is connected to a first flow control device of the first tubular string, and wherein the second line is connected to a second flow control device of the second tubular string.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first flow control device is positioned in the first wellbore below an intersection between the first and second wellbores, and wherein the second flow control device is positioned in the second wellbore.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the line is positioned in the first and second wellbores without any interruptions in the line.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the line further extends into a third wellbore which intersects the first wellbore, without making a connection in the line downhole.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the line is positioned in the first, second and third wellbores without any interruptions in the line.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the line is attached to a first tubular string extending into a deflector positioned in the first wellbore.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein there are multiple lines, and wherein at least one of the lines is attached to a second tubular string deflected by the deflector into the second wellbore.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first tubular string is positioned in the deflector when the second tubular string is deflected by the deflector into the second wellbore.

13. A well completion system, comprising:

first and second tubular strings, the first tubular string extending in a first wellbore, and the second tubular string extending in a second wellbore intersecting the first wellbore; and

lines attached to each of the first and second tubular strings, at least one of the lines extending with the first tubular string in the first wellbore, and at least one of the lines extending with the second tubular string in the second wellbore.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the lines extends between a remote location and a first flow control device interconnected in the first tubular string and positioned in the first wellbore.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the lines extends between the remote location and a second flow control device interconnected in the second tubular string and positioned in the second wellbore.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the lines extends between a remote location and a first sensor interconnected in the first tubular string and positioned in the first wellbore.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the lines extends between the remote location and a second sensor interconnected in the second tubular string and positioned in the second wellbore.

18. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a deflector positioned in the first wellbore, and wherein the first tubular string and at least one of the lines extend through the deflector.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the deflector deflects the second tubular string from the first wellbore into the second wellbore.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein a third tubular string extends in a third wellbore intersecting the first wellbore, and wherein at least one of the lines extends with the third tubular string in the third wellbore.

21. The system according to claim 13, wherein the lines are positioned in the first and second wellbores without making a connection in the line downhole.

22. The system according to claim 13, wherein the lines are positioned in the first and second wellbores without any interruptions in the lines.

23. The system according to claim 13, wherein a connection is made in the first wellbore in the lines extending with the first tubular string.

24. The system according to claim 13, wherein a connection is made in the first wellbore in the lines extending with the second tubular string.

25. The system according to claim 13, wherein the first tubular string provides access to the first wellbore below an intersection between the first and second wellbores.

26. The system according to claim 13, wherein the second tubular string provides access to the second wellbore below an intersection between the first and second wellbores.

27. A method of completing a well including intersecting first and second wellbores, the method comprising the steps of:

conveying at least one line into the first and second wellbores; and

performing the conveying step without making any connections in the line in the well.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the conveying step further comprises conveying each of first and second tubular strings into a respective one of the first and second wellbores.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of interconnecting a first line to a first flow control device in the first tubular string, and wherein the conveying step further comprises positioning the first flow control device in the first wellbore.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of interconnecting a second line to a second flow control device in the second tubular string, and wherein the conveying step further comprises positioning the second flow control device in the second wellbore.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of interconnecting a first line to a first sensor in the first tubular string, and wherein the conveying step further comprises positioning the first sensor in the first wellbore.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of interconnecting a second line to a second sensor in the second tubular string, and wherein the conveying step further comprises positioning the second sensor in the second wellbore.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein the conveying step further comprises passing the first tubular string through a deflector bore.

34. The method according to claim 27, wherein the conveying step further comprises conveying the at least one line into a third wellbore intersecting the first wellbore.