GRAVEL PACKING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 3,850,246 A
• Filed: 07/11/1973
• Issued: 11/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chevron Research Company (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Jack Bruno Despujols
• Inventors: Despujols, Jack Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US05/378,053
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 166/278,51,276,280,315
• US Class Current: 166/278
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/045 Crossover tools

Abstract

A gravel pack is formed around a liner after setting a packer closing the annulus at the upper end of the liner by circulating a clean liquid down tubing and through a crossover connection into the annulus surrounding the liner and displacing liquid containing solids suspended therein upwardly through a wash pipe while preventing flow through slots in the liner. After cleaning the annulus surrounding the liner of liquid having finely divided solids suspended therein, the gravel packing tool is moved and a clean liquid having gravel suspended therein is circulated through the crossover connection into the annulus surrounding the slotted liner. The clean carrying liquid is either displaced into the formation in which the gravel pack is formed or flows through the screen and passes upwardly through the wash pipe and annulus above the packer to the wellhead. A gravel packing tool is disclosed which permits control of flow during the gravel packing operation by movement of the tool without requiring resetting of the packer.

Claims

1. A method of gravel packing a well containing liquid having finely divided solid particles suspended therein comprising placing a liner including a screen between the upper and lower ends thereof through the interval to be packed, setting a packer engaging the liner above the screen to close the upper end of the annulus surrounding the screen, thereafter circulating a clean liquid downwardly into and through the annulus below the packer and upwardly through wash pipe extending through the screen while preventing flow through the screen to wash finely divided solids from the annulus surrounding the screen, circulating a slurry of gravel in a liquid below the packer into the annulus surrounding the screen to fill the annulus with gravel, delivering liquid from the slurry upwardly through the wash pipe, and removing the wash pipe from the screen.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which upward movement of liquid through the well is blocked while gravel is circulated into the annulus surrounding the screen and pressure is applied to the slurry circulated into the annulus to squeeze the gravel and consolidate the gravel pack.

3. Apparatus for gravel packing a well comprising a liner including a tubular screen forming a portion of the wall of the liner, a packer at the upper end of the liner above the screen adapted to close the annulus surrounding the liner, a downwardly pivoting check valve mounted in the liner below the screen adapted to prevent flow upwardly through the liner, first sealing means extending inwardly from the liner below the screen and above the check valve, upper perforations in the liner between the packer and the screen, and lower perforations in the liner below the first sealing means;

a gravel packing tool comprising a sleeve closed at its upper end and adapted to extend downwardly through the liner, a tubing extending through the upper end of the sleeve, a crossover connected to the tubing and opening through the sleeve, a wash pipe extending downwardly from the loweR end of the sleeve for movement downwardly through the screen to open the check valve, ports through the sleeve near its upper end, top liner sealing means extending from the sleeve above the ports and adapted to engage the liner, middle liner sealing means extending from the sleeve below the ports and adapted to engage the liner, and bottom liner sealing means extending from the sleeve below the crossover and adapted to engage the liner;

said first sealing means engaging the wash pipe below the screen and above the check valve to prevent flow through the screen and into the wash pipe when the wash pipe opens the check valve.

4. A method of gravel packing a well containing a liquid having finely divided solid particles suspended therein comprising running into the well a liner having a screen forming a portion thereof between the upper and lower ends thereof, supporting the liner through the interval in which the gravel pack is desired, setting a packer around the upper end of the liner to close the annulus surrounding the liner, running wash pipe through the screen to extend through a downwardly opening check valve at the lower end of the liner, sealing the space between the liner and the wash pipe below the screen and above the check valve to prevent flow of liquid through the screen and into the lower end of the wash pipe, thereafter pumping clean liquid down tubing and crossing over below the packer into the liner and into the annulus surrounding the liner to displace liquid having finely divided solids suspended therein from the annulus surrounding the screen into the lower end of the wash pipe and upwardly through the wash pipe to the annulus above the packer, displacing gravel suspended in liquid down tubing and crossing over below the packer into the annulus surrounding the slotted liner to form a gravel pack surrounding the liner, delivering liquid separated from the gravel upwardly through the wash pipe to the annulus above the packer, and removing the wash pipe and crossover from the well.