Procedure and production pipe for production of oil or gas from an oil or gas reservoir

• US 5,435,393 A
• Filed: 09/15/1993
• Issued: 07/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Statoil Petroleum As (Asa Equinor)
• Original Assignee: Norsk Hydro Asa (Norsk Hydro)
• Inventors: Brekke, Kristian, Sargeant, Jon P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MELIUS, TERRY L
• Application Number:
  US08/120,788
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 166/369, 166/370, 166/373, 166/50, 166/205, 166/235, 166/236, 166/316, 166/243
• US Class Current: 166/370
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/18 Pipes provided with plural fluid passages E21B17/203 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A production pipe for production of oil or gas from a well in an oil and/or gas reservoir, or for injection of fluids into a well in an oil and/or gas reservoir, includes a production pipe with a lower drainage pipe. The drainage pipe is divided into sections with one or more inflow restriction devices which control the flow of oil or gas from the reservoir into the drainage pipe on the basis of calculated loss of friction pressure along the drainage pipe, the calculated productivity profile of the reservoir, and the calculated inflow of gas or water.

Claims

1. A method of production of oil or gas from a horizontal well defined within an oil or gas reservoir, said method comprising:

positioning directly within said well a drainage pipe to receive in an interior thereof oil or gas from said reservoir;

dividing said drainage pipe exteriorly thereof into longitudinally separate sections each receiving individually oil or gas pressure from said reservoir;

providing each said separate section with at least one inflow restriction device communicating the exterior of said each section with said interior of said drainage pipe; and

regulating the pressure profile along said drainage pipe by controlling individually the amount of flow of oil or gas from said reservoir through said at least one inflow restriction device of each said section.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising conducting said controlling as a function of a calculated loss of friction pressure along said drainage pipe.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising conducting said controlling as a function of a calculated productivity profile of said reservoir.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising conducting said controlling as a function of a calculated inflow of gas or water from said reservoir.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising conducting said controlling to provide said pressure profile to be generally rectilinear substantially along the length of said drainage pipe.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dividing comprises positioning longitudinally spaced exterior seals in sealing contact with said reservoir.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning comprises providing an annular space between said reservoir and the exterior of said drainage pipe, and said dividing comprises abutting longitudinally spaced seals with said reservoir, thereby separating said annular space into separate annular chambers connectable to said interior of said drainage pipe through respective said inflow restriction devices.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, comprising preventing flow of oil or gas between said annular chambers and said interior of said drainage pipe other than through said inflow restriction devices.

9. A drainage pipe to be positioned directly within a horizontal well defined within an oil or gas reservoir for the production of oil or gas therefrom, said drainage pipe comprising:

a pipe interior to receive oil or gas to be conveyed to a production pipe;

exterior dividers dividing said drainage pipe exteriorly thereof into longitudinally separate sections each to receive individually oil or gas pressure from the reservoir;

each said separate section of said drainage pipe having therein at least one regulatable inflow restriction device, extending from the exterior of said each section to said pipe interior, to control the amount of flow of oil or gas from the reservoir through said each section into said pipe interior, and thereby to regulate the pressure profile along said drainage pipe.

10. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein said exterior dividers comprise longitudinally spaced seals on the exterior of said drainage pipe to be brought into sealing contact with the reservoir.

11. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein said drainage pipe is imperforate except for said inflow restriction devices.

12. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein each said inflow restriction device has an inlet constructed to be in contact with a surface of the reservoir.

13. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 9, further comprising, for each said section, a filter defining an annular chamber with said exterior of said each section.

14. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 13, wherein said inflow restriction devices are positioned in respective said annular chambers.

15. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 13, wherein each said inflow restriction device has an inlet opening into a respective said annular chamber and an outlet opening into said pipe interior.

16. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein each said inflow restriction device comprises at least one inflow channel.

17. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 16, wherein said thickened portion comprises a sleeve fitted on said drainage pipe.

18. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 16, wherein each said inflow restriction device comprises plural inflow channels.

19. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 18, wherein said inflow channels are located within a thickened portion of said drainage pipe.

20. A drainage pipe as claimed in claim 18, further comprising plugs to vary the length, number and cross section of said inflow channels.