Sand control screen assembly having an adjustable flow rate and associated methods of completing a subterranean well
First Claim
1. Apparatus for variably restricting a flow rate therethrough of fluid from a fluid source, comprising:
- a first elongated and generally tubular member having opposite ends and a circuitous flow passage formed on a side surface thereof, said circuitous flow passage having an effective resistance to flow therethrough and a plurality of axially spaced apart portions through which the fluid may flow, and each of said circuitous flow passage portions having a corresponding effective resistance to flow less than that of said circuitous flow passage; and
a second elongated and generally tubular member coaxially disposed relative to said first tubular member and overlappingly disposed relative to said side surface thereof, said second tubular member having a sidewall portion and an opening formed through said sidewall portion, and said second tubular member being axially reciprocable relative to said first tubular member to position said opening axially opposite a selected one of said circuitous flow passage portions,whereby the flow rate of the fluid through the apparatus may be conveniently varied by positioning said opening axially opposite a selected one of said circuitous flow passage portions to thereby selectively vary the effective resistance to flow therethrough.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An adjustable flow rate screen assembly and associated methods of completing a subterranean well provide variable flow rates through downhole sand control screens without restricting access to the well and without requiring overly restrictive screens to be utilized in gravel packing operations. In a preferred embodiment, a screen assembly has a tubular restrictor housing with a flow passage formed thereon, a tubular ported housing having ports formed radially therethrough and providing fluid communication with the flow passage, and a tubular selector sleeve with an opening formed radially therethrough and permitting fluid communication with a selected one of the ports.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. Apparatus for variably restricting a flow rate therethrough of fluid from a fluid source, comprising:
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a first elongated and generally tubular member having opposite ends and a circuitous flow passage formed on a side surface thereof, said circuitous flow passage having an effective resistance to flow therethrough and a plurality of axially spaced apart portions through which the fluid may flow, and each of said circuitous flow passage portions having a corresponding effective resistance to flow less than that of said circuitous flow passage; and a second elongated and generally tubular member coaxially disposed relative to said first tubular member and overlappingly disposed relative to said side surface thereof, said second tubular member having a sidewall portion and an opening formed through said sidewall portion, and said second tubular member being axially reciprocable relative to said first tubular member to position said opening axially opposite a selected one of said circuitous flow passage portions, whereby the flow rate of the fluid through the apparatus may be conveniently varied by positioning said opening axially opposite a selected one of said circuitous flow passage portions to thereby selectively vary the effective resistance to flow therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean wellbore for adjusting a fluid flow rate through a screen, the apparatus comprising:
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a tubular restrictor housing capable of sealing attachment to the screen, said restrictor housing having an axially extending flow passage formed thereon, and said flow passage being in fluid communication with an interior side surface of said restrictor housing; a tubular ported housing coaxially disposed within said restrictor housing, said ported housing radially inwardly overlapping said restrictor housing and having first and second ports formed radially therethrough, said first port being in fluid communication with said flow passage, and said second port being fluid communicable with the screen; and a tubular selector sleeve coaxially disposed within said ported housing, said selector sleeve radially inwardly overlapping said ported housing and being in axially sliding engagement therewith, said selector sleeve having an opening formed radially therethrough, and said selector sleeve having a first closed position relative to said ported housing in which said opening is not axially aligned with either of said first and second ports, a second flow restricted position in which said opening is axially aligned with said first port, and a third open position in which said opening is axially aligned with said second port. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A screen assembly operatively positionable in a subterranean well having a packer disposed therein, the screen assembly comprising:
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a tubular upper housing having opposite ends and an interior side surface, one of said upper housing opposite ends being connectable to the packer, and said upper housing further having an axially spaced apart series of circumferential recesses formed on said upper housing interior side surface; a tubular shifting sleeve having interior and exterior side surfaces, said shifting sleeve being coaxially and radially inwardly disposed relative to said upper housing, said shifting sleeve exterior side surface slidably engaging said upper housing interior side surface, and said shifting sleeve further having a circumferentially spaced apart series of collets formed thereon, said collets radially outwardly engaging a selected one of said upper housing circumferential recesses; a tubular ported housing having opposite ends, interior and exterior side surfaces, and an axially spaced apart series of ports, each of said ports permitting fluid flow between said ported housing interior and exterior side surfaces, and said ported housing being coaxially disposed relative to said upper housing and extending axially outward therefrom, one of said ported housing opposite ends being attached to the other one of said upper housing opposite ends; a tubular selector sleeve having opposite ends, an interior bore formed axially therethrough, an exterior side surface, and an opening permitting fluid flow between said selector sleeve exterior side surface and said interior bore, said selector sleeve being coaxially and radially inwardly disposed relative to said upper housing and said ported housing, said selector sleeve exterior side surface slidably engaging said ported housing interior side surface, one of said selector sleeve opposite ends being attached to said shifting sleeve for axial displacement therewith, and said selector sleeve opening being positionable axially opposite a selected one of said series of ports when said collets radially outwardly engage said selected one of said circumferential recesses; a tubular screen radially outwardly and coaxially disposed relative to said ported housing, said screen being radially spaced apart from said ported housing and defining an annular space radially intermediate said ported housing and said screen, and said screen having opposite ends; and a tubular flow restrictor radially outwardly and coaxially disposed relative to said ported housing, said flow restrictor being sealingly attached to one of said screen opposite ends, and said flow restrictor being in fluid communication with said annular space. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of varying the flow rate of a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first tubular member having a circuitous flow passage formed thereon through which the fluid may flow, a portion of said flow passage being in fluid communication with a side surface of said first tubular member; providing a second tubular member having an opening formed through a sidewall portion thereof; coaxially and overlappingly disposing said second tubular member relative to said first tubular member side surface; displacing said second tubular member relative to said first tubular member to thereby position said opening relative to said flow passage; and aligning said opening with said portion of said flow passage to permit fluid communication between said opening and said flow passage. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of varying the flow rate of a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first tubular member having a helically shaped flow passage comprising an axially spaced apart series of turns formed on an internal side surface thereof through which the fluid may flow, a portion of said flow passage being in fluid communication with a side surface of said first tubular member; providing a second tubular member having an opening formed radially therethrough; coaxially and overlappingly disposing said second tubular member radially inward relative to said first tubular member side surface; axially displacing said second tubular member relative to said first tubular member to thereby position said opening relative to said flow passage; and axially aligning said opening with said portion of said flow passage by axially displacing said second tubular member relative to said first tubular member to axially align said opening with a selected one of said turns and permit fluid communication between said opening and said flow passage.
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21. A method of adjusting a flow rate of fluid through a tubular screen disposed in a subterranean wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a tubular restrictor housing; forming an axially extending flow passage on said restrictor housing, said flow passage being in fluid communication with an interior side surface of said restrictor housing; sealingly attaching said restrictor housing to the screen; providing a tubular ported housing having first and second ports formed radially therethrough; coaxially disposing said ported housing within said restrictor housing, said ported housing radially inwardly overlapping said restrictor housing, said first port being in fluid communication with said flow passage, and said second port being in fluid communication with the screen; providing a tubular selector sleeve having an opening formed radially therethrough; coaxially disposing said selector sleeve within said ported housing, said selector sleeve radially inwardly overlapping said ported housing and being in axially sliding engagement therewith, such that said selector sleeve has a first closed position relative to said ported housing in which said opening is not axially aligned with either of said first and second ports, a second flow restricted position in which said opening is axially aligned with said first port, and a third open position in which said opening is axially aligned with said second port; and axially displacing said selector sleeve relative to said ported housing to a selected one of said first, second, and third positions. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of completing a subterranean well having a wellbore intersecting a formation, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first tubular screen; providing a first tubular flow restrictor capable of adjusting a first flow rate of fluid through said first screen; sealingly attaching said first screen to said first flow restrictor, said first flow restrictor extending axially outward from said first screen; closing said first flow restrictor to thereby prevent fluid flow through said first screen; inserting said first screen and said first flow restrictor in the wellbore; positioning said first screen opposite the formation; opening said first flow restrictor to thereby permit unrestricted fluid flow through said first screen; and adjusting said first flow restrictor to restrict fluid flow through said first screen such that said first flow rate is less than said first flow rate when said first flow restrictor is open, said adjusting step being performed after said inserting step. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of completing a subterranean well having a wellbore intersecting a plurality of formations, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of tubular screens; providing a plurality of tubular flow restrictors, each of said flow restrictors being capable of adjusting a flow rate of fluid through a corresponding one of said screens; sealingly attaching each of said screens to one of said flow restrictors such that said flow rate through each of said screens is adjustable by a corresponding one of said flow restrictors, thereby forming a plurality of screen assemblies, each of said screen assemblies including a corresponding pair of said screens and said flow restrictors; sealingly attaching said screen assemblies to each other; closing one of said flow restrictors to thereby prevent fluid flow through a corresponding one of said screens; inserting said screen assemblies into the wellbore; opening said one of said flow restrictors to thereby permit unrestricted fluid flow through said corresponding one of said screens; and adjusting said one of said flow restrictors to restrict fluid flow through said corresponding one of said screens such that said flow rate is less than said flow rate when said one of said flow restrictors is open, said adjusting step being performed after said inserting step. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. Apparatus for variably restricting a flow rate therethrough of fluid from a fluid source, the apparatus comprising:
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a first generally tubular member having a circuitous flow passage formed thereon, the circuitous flow passage including a plurality of flow passage portions; and a second generally tubular member having an opening formed through a sidewall portion thereof, the second tubular member being selectively positionable relative to the first tubular member to place the opening in fluid communication with a selected one of the flow passage portions.
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31. A method of varying the flow rate of a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first generally tubular member having a circuitous flow passage formed thereon, the circuitous flow passage including a plurality of flow passage portions; providing a second generally tubular member having an opening formed through a sidewall portion thereof; and selectively placing the opening in fluid communication with one of the flow passage portions.
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Specification