Water Sensing Devices and Methods Utilizing Same to Control Flow of Subsurface Fluids

• US 20090101354A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Ranjan, Priyesh, Crow, Stephen L., Holmes, Kevin C., Hayter, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US11/875,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/32 Preventing gas- or water-coning phenomena, i.e. the formation of a conical column of gas or water around wells

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore includes a reactive element that reacts when exposed to a fluid and a flow control device configured to control a flow of the fluid. The flow control device may be actuated by a reaction of the reactive element to the fluid. In embodiments, the reactive element reacts by exhibiting a change in a material property. The reaction of the reactive element may be reversible. In embodiments, the reactive element may be a shape memory polymer. The flow control device may include an actuating element operably coupled to the reactive element. The reaction of the reactive element to a given fluid releases the actuating element to actuate the flow control device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling fluid flow between a wellbore tubular and a formation, comprising:

(a) a reactive element configured to react when exposed to a fluid; and

(b) a flow control device configured to control a flow of the fluid and being actuated by a reaction of the reactive element to the fluid.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fluid includes one of:

(i) water, (ii) a hydrocarbon, (iii) an engineered fluid, and (iv) a naturally occurring fluid.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the reaction of the reactive element is one of a change in:

(i) a mechanical material property, (ii) a modulus, (iii) a storage modulus, (iv) shear strength, (v) glass transition temperature, (vi) ductility, (vii) hardness (vi) density;

(vii) a chemical resistance; and

(viii) resistance to corrosion.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the reaction of the reactive element is one of:

(i) a deformation, (ii) a bending, (iii) an expansion, (iv) a contraction, and (v) a twisting.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the reactive element is configured to have one of:

(i) a chemical reaction to the fluid, and (ii) a molecular reaction to the fluid.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the reaction is reversible.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the flow control device is one of:

(i) a valve, (ii) an orifice, and (iii) a tortuous path.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the flow control device is actuated by of:

(i) a compression applied by the reactive element, (ii) a tension applied by the reactive element; and

(iii) a torsion applied by the reactive element.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the flow control device includes an actuating element operably coupled to the reactive element, wherein the reaction releases the actuating element to actuate the flow control device.

10. A method for producing fluid from a subterranean formation, comprising:

(a) positioning a reactive element downhole in a wellbore;

(b) actuating a flow control device in response to a reaction of the reactive element to a fluid.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the fluid is one of:

(i) water, (ii) a hydrocarbon, (iii) an engineered fluid, and (iv) a naturally occurring fluid.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the reaction of the reactive element is one of a change in:

(i) a mechanical material property, (ii) a modulus, (iii) a storage modulus, (iv) shear strength, (v) glass transition temperature, (vi) ductility, (vii) hardness and (viii) density.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein the reaction of the reactive element is one of:

(i) a deformation, (ii) a bending, (iii) an expansion, (iv) a contraction, and (v) a twisting.

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein the reactive element is configured to have one of (i) a chemical reaction to the fluid, and (ii) a molecular reaction to the fluid.

15. The method according to claim 10 the reaction is reversible.

16. The method according to claim 10 wherein the flow control device is one of:

(i) a valve, and (ii) an orifice; and

(iii) a tortuous path.

17. A system for controlling flow of one or more fluids into a wellbore intersecting a subterranean formation, comprising:

(a) a wellbore tubular conveying the one or more fluids to a surface location;

(b) a plurality of flow control devices distributed along a section of the wellbore tubular, each flow control device including a reactive element configured to react when exposed to a fluid, each flow control device being actuated by a reaction of the reactive element to the fluid to control a flow of the fluid into the wellbore tubular.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein the reactive element is a shape memory polymer.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the reaction is one of:

(i) an applied compression, and (ii) an applied tension.

20. The system according to claim 18 wherein the flow control device includes an actuating element operably coupled to the reactive element, wherein the reaction releases the actuating element.