Pressure Relieving Transition Joint

• US 20100071905A1
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Fipke, Steven Ronald, Renshaw, William Shaun
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/313
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1208 characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means E21B33/1277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0042 characterised by sealing the junction between a lateral and a main bore
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/08 Screens or liners expandable screens or liners E21B43/108

Abstract

A method of completing a wellbore having a branch wellbore extending outwardly from a window in a parent wellbore is provided. The method comprises positioning a tubular string in the window, wherein the positioning comprises deflecting the tubular string from the parent wellbore into the branch wellbore. The method also comprises providing a particulate barrier outside and against the tubular string proximate the window, the particulate barrier substantially excluding transport of particulate matter from the branch wellbore into the parent wellbore outside of the tubular string through the window. The method also comprises the tubular string passing fluid into the tubular string proximate the window from a formation proximate to the window while substantially excluding transport of particulate matter from the formation proximate to the window into the tubular string.

Claims

1. A method of completing a wellbore having a branch wellbore extending outwardly from a window in a parent wellbore, the method comprising:

positioning a tubular string in the window, wherein the positioning comprises deflecting the tubular string from the parent wellbore into the branch wellbore;

providing a particulate barrier outside and against the tubular string proximate the window, the particulate barrier substantially excluding transport of particulate matter from the branch wellbore into the parent wellbore outside of the tubular string through the window; and

the tubular string passing fluid into the tubular string proximate the window from a formation proximate to the window while substantially excluding transport of particulate matter from the formation proximate to the window into the tubular string.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the particulate barrier comprises swelling a sealing material adhered to the tubular string, the swelling increasing a volume of the sealing material to form a seal between the tubular string and the window, the swelling activated by exposing the sealing material to at least one of hydrocarbons and water.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tubular string comprises a plurality of apertures and the sealing material comprises a plurality of apertures, the fluid from the formation proximate to the window passing into the tubular string through at least some of the apertures in the swelling material and at least some of the apertures in the tubular string.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the dimension of the apertures in the tubular string is effective to exclude transport of particulate matter from the formation proximate to the window into the tubular string.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the tubular string further comprises at least one screen proximate to the apertures in the tubular string that excludes transport of particulate matter from the formation into the tubular string.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the seal between the tubular string and the window blocks fluid from the formation proximate to the window from passing around the outside of the tubular string and into the parent wellbore.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the particulate barrier comprises one of injecting at least one of a gel and a foam between the tubular string, the parent wellbore, and the branch wellbore and packing of particulate matter into gaps between the tubular string, the parent wellbore, and the branch wellbore resulting from passing fluid from the formation proximate to the window into the tubular string.

8. A completion tool for a well having a branch wellbore extending outwardly from a window in a parent wellbore, comprising:

a metal pipe having an upper end and a lower end, a pipe wall opening, and a plurality of apertures; and

a particulate blocking member coupled to the metal pipe,

wherein after installation the upper end is contained in the parent wellbore upwards from the window, the lower end is contained in the branch wellbore, the pipe wall opening couples the parent wellbore downwards from the window to the parent wellbore upwards from the window, and the apertures relieve pressure on the particulate blocking member from a formation proximate to the window while blocking transport of particulate matter from the formation proximate to the window into the metal pipe and the particulate blocking member blocks transport of particulate matter from the formation around the metal pipe into the parent wellbore.

9. The completion tool of claim 8, wherein at least a middle section of the metal pipe is slotted, wherein a plurality slots comprise the plurality of apertures.

10. The completion tool of claim 9, wherein the slots are in the range of about 0.01 inches wide to about 0.04 inches wide.

11. The completion tool of claim 8, wherein the particulate blocking member is a swellable seal adhered to at least a middle section of the metal pipe, the swellable seal to form a seal between the metal pipe and the parent wellbore and the branch wellbore when the completion tool is installed in a well, the swellable seal having a plurality of apertures to promote relieving pressure on the swellable seal from the formation proximate to the window and the swellable seal having an opening aligned with the pipe wall opening in the metal pipe.

12. The completion tool of claim 11, wherein the swellable seal swells in volume when exposed to at least one of hydrocarbons and water.

13. The completion tool of claim 8, wherein the plurality of apertures in the metal pipe are each less than about 1 square inches in area and a screen is attached to the metal pipe at the location of the apertures to block transport of particulate matter.

14. The completion tool of claim 13, wherein the plurality of apertures in the metal pipe are arranged in pairs of apertures about every three feet to about every five feet along the metal pipe, wherein the pairs of apertures are offset from each other by about 120 degrees, and wherein the apertures in the metal pipe are offset about 120 degrees from the pipe wall opening in the metal pipe.

15. The completion tool of claim 13, wherein the particulate blocking member is a swellable seal adhered to at least a middle section of the metal pipe, the swellable seal to form a seal between the metal pipe and the parent wellbore and the branch wellbore when the completion tool is installed in a well, the swellable seal having a plurality of apertures to promote relieving pressure on the swellable seal from the formation proximate to the window, wherein at least one of the apertures in the swellable seal is aligned with at least one of the apertures in the metal pipe, wherein the apertures in the swellable seal are larger than the apertures in the metal pipe, and wherein the swellable seal has an opening aligned with the pipe wall opening in the metal pipe.

16. A transition joint seal for coupling a parent wellbore to a branch wellbore extending outwardly from a window in the parent wellbore, comprising:

a metal pipe having a wall opening along a first side of the metal pipe and a plurality of apertures along a second side of the metal pipe; and

a swell seal coupled to a middle portion of the metal pipe, the swell seal being swellable in the wellbore by increasing in a volume of the swell seal to promote sealing between the window and the metal pipe and the swell seal having a plurality of apertures,

wherein at least one of the apertures in the metal pipe align with at least one of the apertures in the swell seal and the apertures in the metal pipe substantially block transport of particulate matter from a formation proximate to the window into the wellbore and allow fluid flow from the formation proximate to the window into the wellbore.

17. The transition joint of claim 16, wherein the swell seal is adhered to the metal pipe.

18. The transition joint of claim 16, wherein the swell seal is designed to swell when exposed to at least one of water and hydrocarbons.

19. The transition joint of claim 18, wherein the swell seal is comprised at least in part of a rubber material.

20. The transition joint of claim 16, wherein the transition joint is about 40 feet long and wherein the length of the swell seal is in the range of about 20 feet to about 30 feet.

21. The transition joint of claim 16, wherein the apertures in the metal pipe substantially block fluid flow from the wellbore into the formation proximate to the window.

22. The transition joint of claim 16, wherein a pressure relief valve is installed in each of the apertures in the metal pipe, wherein the pressure relief valves block transport of particulate matter from the formation proximate to the window into the wellbore and allows fluid flow from the formation proximate to the window into the wellbore when a pressure differential between the formation proximate to the window and the wellbore exceeds a predefined threshold.

23. A transition joint seal for coupling a parent wellbore to a branch wellbore extending outwardly from a window in the parent wellbore, comprising:

a screen structure having a wall opening along a first side of the screen structure; and

a swell seal coupled to a middle portion of the screen structure, the swell seal being swellable in the wellbore by increasing in a volume of the swell seal to promote sealing between the window and the screen structure and the swell seal having a plurality of apertures,

wherein the screen structure substantially blocks transport of particulate matter from a formation proximate to the window into the wellbore and allows fluid flow from the formation proximate to the window through the apertures in the swell seal into the wellbore.