Sand control screen assembly and associated methods

• US 20090173497A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Kent
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Dusterhoft, Ronald G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/276
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/025 Consolidation of loose sand or the like round the wells without excessively decreasing the permeability thereof
• 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

Abstract

Methods are provided including a method comprising: placing a sand control screen in the wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the sand control screen comprises: a base pipe having at least one opening in a sidewall portion thereof; a swellable material layer disposed exteriorly of the base pipe and having at least one opening corresponding to the at least one opening of the base pipe; a telescoping perforation operably associated with the at least one opening of the base pipe and at least partially disposed within the at least one opening of the swellable material layer; and a filter medium disposed within the telescoping perforation; and introducing a consolidating agent into at least a portion of a subterranean formation. Additional methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

placing a sand control screen in the wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the sand control screen comprises;

a base pipe having at least one opening in a sidewall portion thereof;

a swellable material layer disposed exteriorly of the base pipe and having at least one opening corresponding to the at least one opening of the base pipe;

a telescoping perforation operably associated with the at least one opening of the base pipe and at least partially disposed within the at least one opening of the swellable material layer; and

a filter medium disposed within the telescoping perforation; and

introducing a consolidating agent into at least a portion of a subterranean formation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the consolidating agent into at least a portion of the subterranean formation occurs after the placement of the sand control screen.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in the swellable material layer radially expands in response to contact with an activating fluid.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the activating fluid is a hydrocarbon.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein introducing the consolidating agent into at least a portion of the subterranean formation occurs after the swellable material layer radially expands.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the swellable material comprises at least one swellable material selected from the group consisting of elastic polymers, EPDM rubber, styrene butadiene, natural rubber, ethylene propylene monomer rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate rubber, hydrogenized acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber and polynorbornene.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the consolidating agent comprises at least one consolidating agent selected from the group consisting of:

a non-aqueous tackifying agent, an aqueous tackifying agent, a resin, a silyl-modified polyamide compound, a consolidating agent emulsion, and any combination thereof.

8. A method comprising:

placing a sand control screen in the wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the sand control screen comprises;

a base pipe having at least one opening in a sidewall portion thereof;

a swellable material layer disposed exteriorly of the base pipe and having at least one opening corresponding to the at least one opening of the base pipe;

a telescoping perforation operably associated with the at least one opening of the base pipe and at least partially disposed within the at least one opening of the swellable material layer; and

a filter medium disposed within the telescoping perforation;

introducing a consolidating agent into at least a portion of a subterranean formation; and

contacting the swellable material layer with an activating fluid, wherein, in response to contact with an activating fluid, radial expansion of the swellable material layer causes the telescoping perforation to radially outwardly extend.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein introducing the consolidating agent into at least a portion of the subterranean formation occurs after the placement of the sand control screen.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein introducing the consolidating agent into at least a portion of the subterranean formation occurs after the telescoping perforation radially outwardly extends.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the activating fluid is a hydrocarbon.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the swellable material comprises at least one swellable material selected from the group consisting of elastic polymers, EPDM rubber, styrene butadiene, natural rubber, ethylene propylene monomer rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate rubber, hydrogenized acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber and polynorbornene.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the consolidating agent comprises at least one consolidating agent selected from the group consisting of:

a non-aqueous tackifying agent, an aqueous tackifying agent, a resin, a silyl-modified polyamide compound, a consolidating agent emulsion, and any combination thereof.

14. A method comprising:

placing a sand control screen in the wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the sand control screen comprises;

a base pipe having a plurality of openings in a sidewall portion thereof and defining an internal flow path;

a swellable material layer disposed exteriorly of the base pipe and having a plurality of openings that correspond to the openings of the base pipe;

a plurality of telescoping perforations, each of the telescoping perforations operably associated with one of the openings of the base pipe and at least partially disposed within the corresponding opening of the swellable material layer, the telescoping perforations providing fluid flow paths between a fluid source disposed exteriorly of the base pipe and the interior flow path; and

a filter medium disposed within each of the telescoping perforations; and

introducing a consolidating agent into at least a portion of a subterranean formation.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein introducing the consolidating agent into at least a portion of the subterranean formation occurs after the placement of the sand control screen.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein in the swellable material layer radially expands in response to contact with an activating fluid.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the activating fluid is a hydrocarbon.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein introducing the consolidating agent into at least a portion of the subterranean formation occurs after the swellable material layer radially expands.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the swellable material comprises at least one swellable material selected from the group consisting of elastic polymers, EPDM rubber, styrene butadiene, natural rubber, ethylene propylene monomer rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate rubber, hydrogenized acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber and polynorbornene.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the consolidating agent comprises at least one consolidating agent selected from the group consisting of:

a non-aqueous tackifying agent, an aqueous tackifying agent, a resin, a silyl-modified polyamide compound, a consolidating agent emulsion, and any combination thereof.