Full bore set down tool assembly for gravel packing a well

• US 6,220,353 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Bissonnette, Harold Steven, Foster, Michael J., Anyan, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHOEPPEL, ROGER J
• Application Number:
  US09/302,974
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 166/278, 166/51, 166/276, 166/387, 166/227, 166/235
• US Class Current: 166/278
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/04 Ball valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/12 operated by movement of casings or tubings
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/04 Gravelling of wells

Abstract

A full bore set down tool assembly provides a housing attached to a packer in a wellbore and aligned with the production zone. A service tool of the tool assembly is attached to a tubing string extending to the surface and is adapted for selective, removable attachment to and positioning within the housing. The tool assembly defines a downstream flow path and a return flow path when the service tool is attached to the housing. A ball valve that is selectively shiftable from the surface opens and closes the return flow path to define a circulate position and a squeeze position. The housing, service tool, and ball valve also define a reverse position. The tool assembly facilitates gravel packing of the annulus between the wellbore casing and the service string including the tool assembly.

Claims

1. A tool assembly for use in a tool string for gravel packing an annular area of a wellbore surrounding at least a portion of the tool string in the wellbore, the tool assembly comprising:

a packer;

a housing attached to the packer, the housing defining a bore therethrough and further defining at least one orifice providing communication between an exterior of the housing and the bore;

a service tool selectively attachable to a tubing string and adapted for selective positioning within the housing;

a selectively shiftable ball valve mounted within the service tool, the ball valve selectively, remotely shiftable between an open position and a closed position;

the service tool defining at least two alternate flow paths; and

the ball valve adapted and positioned to selectively open and close at least one of the at least two alternate flow paths.

2. The tool assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a downstream flow path of the at least two alternate flow paths;

a return path of the at least two alternate flow paths; and

the ball valve positioned in the return flow path.

3. The tool assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

the housing, the service tool, and the ball valve defining and shiftable between at least a squeeze position and a circulating position.

4. The tool assembly of claim 3, further comprising:

the housing, the service tool, and the ball valve also defining and shiftable between a reverse position.

5. The tool assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an attachment member adapted for selective releasable attachment of the service tool to the housing.

6. The tool assembly of claim 5, wherein the attachment member further comprises:

a collar attached to the housing;

a collet attached to the service tool;

the collar and the collet adapted for cooperative, releasable mating attachment.

7. The tool assembly of claim 5, further comprising:

the housing, the service tool, and the ball valve defining and shiftable between at least a squeeze position and a circulating position;

the attachment member adapted to attach the service tool to the housing when the housing, the service tool, and the ball valve are in the squeeze position and the circulating position.

8. The tool assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

the ball valve defining a valve passageway therethrough when the ball valve is in the open position;

the service tool defining a service tool bore therethrough, the service tool bore comprising at least a portion of one of the at least two alternate flow paths; and

the diameter of the valve passageway substantially equal to the diameter of the service tool bore.

9. The tool assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

the service tool bore and the valve passageway sized and adapted to permit passage of a well tool therethrough.

10. A tool assembly for use in a tool string for gravel packing an annular area of a wellbore surrounding at least a portion of the tool string in the wellbore, the tool assembly comprising:

a housing assembly defining a first flow path and a second flow path;

a ball valve of the housing assembly adapted to selectively open and close one of the first and second flow paths; and

the first and second flow paths adapted to provide fluid communication of a gravel pack material and a return fluid,

the ball valve adapted to be actuated to a first position to block flow of the return fluid to enable a squeeze operation and to be actuated to a second position to allow flow of the return fluid to enable a circulate operation.

11. The tool assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

the ball valve defining a valve passageway therethrough when the ball valve is in an open position;

the diameter of the valve passageway is about equal to the diameter of the associated one of the first and second flow paths within which the ball valve is positioned.

12. A gravel pack assembly for use in a tool string for gravel packing an annular area of a wellbore surrounding at least a portion of the tool string in the wellbore, the assembly comprising:

a packer;

a housing having a first end and a second end, the housing defining a bore therethrough and at least one orifice providing fluid communication between an exterior of the housing and the bore;

the housing attached to the packer proximal the first end of the housing

a sand screen adapted to allow the flow of fluids therethrough in fluid communication with the housing, the sand screen positioned below the second end of the housing;

a service tool selectively attachable to and positionable within the housing, the service tool defining a downstream flow path and a return flow path;

the downstream flow path communicating with the bore of the housing when the service tool is positioned therein;

the return path communicating with the sand screen;

the service tool having a valve in the return flow path, the valve adapted to selectively open and close the return flow path to control the flow of fluid therethrough; and

the valve adapted to control the flow through the return flow path.

13. The gravel pack assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

the diameter of the opening through the valve when the valve is open is substantially equal to the diameter of the bore so that the valve is adapted to provide access therethrough without substantially reducing the cross sectional area and diameter of the bore.

14. The gravel pack assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

the service tool, the housing, and a ball valve defining at least a squeeze position and a circulating position when the service tool is attached to the housing.

15. The gravel pack assembly of claim 14, further comprising:

the service tool and the housing adapted to support compressive loading when attached.

16. The gravel pack assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

the service tool, the housing, and a ball valve defining at least a reverse position when the service tool is detached from the housing.

17. A tool assembly for performing a gravel pack, the tool assembly comprising:

a service tool adapted for selective attachment to a service string;

the service tool defining a downstream flow path and a return path therethrough;

a valve within the return path selectively moveable between an open position and a closed position and adapted to control the flow through the return path, the valve in the open position to enable a circulate operation and in the closed position to enable a squeeze operation; and

the valve adapted to provide a full bore opening therethrough when in the open position.

18. The tool assembly of claim 17, wherein the valve comprises a ball valve.

19. A gravel pack assembly, comprising:

a housing attached to a packer, the housing defining a bore therethrough;

a service tool adapted for selective, removable mating with the housing;

an attachment member adapted for selective, releasable attachment of the service tool and the housing;

the service tool selectively shiftable between at least a circulating position and a squeeze position;

the attachment member engaged to attach the service tool to the housing when the service tool is in the circulating position and the squeeze position.

20. The gravel pack assembly of claim 19 wherein the service tool is further selectively shiftable to a reverse position, the attachment member disengaged to detach the service tool from the housing when the service tool is in the reverse position.

21. The gravel pack assembly of claim 20 further comprising a packer, wherein the service tool has at least one orifice, the at least one orifice being positioned below the packer when the service tool is in the circulating position and the squeeze position and being positioned above the packer when the service tool is in the reverse position.

22. The gravel pack assembly of claim 19, further comprising a valve, the valve being at a first position when the service tool is in the circulating position and at a second position when the service tool is in the squeeze position.

23. The gravel pack assembly of claim 22, further comprising a valve actuating mechanism operably coupled to the valve, the valve actuating mechanism adapted to be operated by shifting of the service tool.

24. A method of gravel packing a well using a tool assembly defining at least a downstream flow path and a return flow path and having a ball valve in the return path, the method comprising:

positioning the tool assembly in the well;

selectively shifting the tool assembly between at least a circulating position and a squeeze position to perform the gravel pack, and

actuating the ball valve to an open position in the circulating position and a closed position in the squeeze position.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising selectively shifting the tool assembly to a reverse position to perform a reverse operation.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising actuating the ball valve to the closed position when the tool assembly is in the reverse position.

27. A tool assembly for performing a gravel pack, the tool assembly comprising:

a tool assembly body;

means for directing fluid through the tool assembly body to perform the gravel pack;

means for selectively blocking a return flow through the body to define at least a squeeze position and a circulating position, the means for blocking comprising a ball valve;

means for supporting a load on the tool assembly body when the tool assembly is in at least the squeeze position and the circulating position.