METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVE DOWN HOLE FLUID COMMUNICATION

• US 20080053658A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GeoDynamics, Incorporated (Oil States International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GeoDynamics, Incorporated (Oil States International Incorporated)
• Inventors: George, Kevin R., Snider, Philip M., Wesson, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,540,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/297
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/114 Perforators using direct fluid action on the wall to be perforated, e.g. abrasive jets
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/116 Gun or shaped-charge perforators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/1193 Dropping perforation guns after gun actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/26 by forming crevices or fractures

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for perforating a formation in a wellbore without perforating a well bore casing. The methods and apparatus include an external casing perforating device configured so as not to perforate the casing. The interior of the perforating device serves as a fluid flow path between the casing and the formation following perforation and a valve in the casing selectively opens and closes the flow path.

Claims

1. An apparatus for penetrating a formation and selectively establishing fluid communication between a well bore tubular and the formation, comprising:

a well bore tubular having at least one aperture through a wall thereof and comprising a valve member having a first position wherein the aperture is obstructed and a second position wherein the aperture is open; and

at least one energetic device positioned exterior of the tubular and configured to penetrate a formation surrounding the tubular without penetrating the tubular.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the valve member comprises a sliding sleeve.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fluid flow path between an interior of the energetic device and the aperture.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a connector sealing contact between the energetic device and an exterior of the tubular, the connector including at least a portion of the flow path.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energetic device comprises a perforating gun.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising explosive perforating charges orientated to aim away from the tubular.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energetic device includes a fluid flow path there through following a perforating, by the energetic device, of the formation surrounding the tubular.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the energetic device comprises a manifold.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising at least one connector surrounding an exterior of the tubular and the at least one aperture and having at least a portion of the flow path there through.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the well bore tubular is casing.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the perforating gun comprises a conduit.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a perforating charge support structure wherein the perforating charges and the support structure are disintegratable upon a functioning of the perforating gun.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the well bore tubular and the energetic device are connected as an assembly prior to lowering into a well bore.

14. A method for selectively establishing fluid communication between an interior of a well bore tubular and a formation of interest, comprising:

penetrating the formation of interest while not perforating the well bore tubular, using an energetic device; and

opening a fluid flow path between the formation of interest and an interior of the well bore tubular.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the penetrating comprises perforating with a perforating gun.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the opening comprises opening a valve.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the valve comprises a sliding sleeve.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising flowing a fluid through the flow path.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising flowing a fluid through the energetic device.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising closing the fluid flow path.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein flowing the fluid comprises flowing a treatment fluid from the interior of the well bore tubular to the formation of interest.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the wellbore tubular is casing.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising disintegrating an interior structure of the perforating gun.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising lowering the well bore tubular and the energetic device as an integrated assembly into a well bore.

25. A down hole fluid collection and distribution apparatus comprising:

an elongate manifold disposable exterior of a well bore tubular and having a first configuration wherein an interior of the manifold is fluidically isolated from a well bore there around and a second configuration including at least two axially spaced perforations through at least one of a wall and walls of the manifold; and

a fluid flow path within the manifold, the flow path in fluid communication with the two perforations and at least one aperture of the well bore tubular, the aperture being axially spaced from the perforations.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the aperture further includes a valve member.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the valve member comprises a sliding sleeve.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first configuration further comprises a perforating mechanism contained within the manifold.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the perforating mechanism comprises an explosive shaped charge.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the manifold is substantially parallel with the well bore tubular.

31. A method for fluidically accessing distributed locations within a downhole formation comprising:

providing a fluid flow path traversing a length of a formation, the flow path being in fluid communication with an interior of a well bore and with longitudinally distributed locations in the formation, wherein the flow path is exterior of the well bore and along an axis substantially parallel thereto, and the interior of the well bore is otherwise substantially isolated from the longitudinally distributed locations; and

flowing a fluid in at least one of a direction from the interior of the well bore to the distributed locations and a direction to the interior of the well bore from the distributed locations.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein providing the fluid flow path further comprises perforating the formation.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the fluid communication with the interior of the well bore is selectively closable.

34. A method for treating multiple formations traversed by a well bore comprising:

providing a well bore casing in a well bore and having at least one perforating gun positioned exterior thereof and adjacent a first formation and at least one second perforating gun positioned exterior thereof and adjacent a second formation;

functioning the perforating gun thereby providing first lengthwise distributed perforations in the first formation without perforating the well bore casing;

selectively opening at least one aperture in the well bore casing;

pumping a fluid from an interior of the well bore casing, through the aperture and into the first distributed perforations;

closing the aperture; and

functioning the second perforating gun thereby providing second lengthwise distributed perforations in the second formation without perforating the well bore casing.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising selectively opening at least one second aperture in the well bore casing.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising pumping a fluid from an interior of the well bore casing, through the second aperture and into the second distributed perforations.