PERMEABILITY FLOW BALANCING WITHIN INTEGRAL SCREEN JOINTS AND METHOD

• US 20100300691A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: JOHNSON, MICHAEL H., KIM, NAMHYO
• Granted Patent: US 8,132,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/302
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/2406 Steam assisted gravity drainage [SAGD]

Abstract

A method for uniform heating of a formation including applying a high temperature fluid to a tubular located within an open hole formation borehole; modifying a permeability of the tubular along its length by reducing permeability at a heel of the borehole and by increasing permeability towards a toe of the borehole; and impeding annular movement of the heated fluid by radially extending one or more baffles from the tubular.

Claims

1. A method for uniform heating of a formation comprising:

applying a high temperature fluid to a tubular located within an open hole formation borehole;

modifying a permeability of the tubular along its length by reducing permeability at a heel of the borehole and by increasing permeability towards a toe of the borehole; and

impeding annular movement of the heated fluid by radially extending one or more baffles from the tubular.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises anchoring a plurality of portions of the tubular;

and

Restricting thermal growth of the tubular with the plurality of anchors.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the impeding is by sealing an annulus defined between the tubular and the formation.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the impeding is by extending the baffles into proximity with the formation.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the applying is by injecting steam into the tubular.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the modifying is by positioning one or more permeability control devices in the tubular to control pressure drop across the tubular.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the permeability control devices are configured to be less permeable at a heel of the borehole than at a toe of the borehole.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the one or more permeability control devices is a number of devices positioned in the tubular each having a distinct permeability which increases as the devices become closer to the toe.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the impeding is forcing high temperature fluid to enter the formation in discrete areas between the one or more baffles.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 further includes creating a uniformly distributed temperature profile in the formation.