Multilateral injection/production/storage completion system

• US 6,840,321 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: McGlothen, Jody R., Restarick, Henry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bagnell, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHENSON, DANIEL P
• Application Number:
  US10/253,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 166/313, 166/369, 166/52, 166/50, 166/306, 166/373, 166/169, 166/242.3, 166/242.5, 166/269, 166/265, 166/279, 166/266
• US Class Current: 166/313
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0035 Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/14 Obtaining from a multiple-zone well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/20 Displacing by water
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/305 comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well

Abstract

A multilateral injection/production/storage completion system. In a described embodiment, a method of completing a well having a first wellbore intersecting each of second, third and fourth wellbores includes the steps of: injecting a first fluid into a first zone intersected by the second wellbore; receiving a second fluid into the third wellbore in response to the first fluid injecting step; flowing the second fluid from the third wellbore to the fourth wellbore; storing the second fluid in a second zone intersected by the fourth wellbore; and then producing the second fluid from the second zone to a remote location.

Claims

1. A system for completing a well having a first wellbore intersecting each of second, third and fourth wellbores, the system comprising:

a casing string positioned in the first wellbore;

a first fluid being injected into the second wellbore;

a second fluid being received into the third wellbore; and

the second fluid being flowed from the third wellbore to the fourth wellbore.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second fluid is stored in a zone intersected by the fourth wellbore.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the second fluid is produced to a remote location from the fourth wellbore after being stored in the zone.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second fluid is flowed between the third and fourth wellbores through a passage isolated from a longitudinal flow passage of the casing string.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid is injected into a zone intersected by the first and second wellbores.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second fluid is received into the third wellbore in response to the first fluid being injected into the second wellbore.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid is injected into the second wellbore by flowing the first fluid through a longitudinal flow passage of the casing string and then outward into the second wellbore, and wherein the second fluid is flowed through another passage in the first wellbore isolated from the casing string flow passage.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first fluid is flowed through the casing string flow passage while the second fluid is flowed between the third and fourth wellbores.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the casing string includes first, second and third apparatuses, each of the second, third and fourth wellbores being drilled through a corresponding one of the first, second and third apparatuses.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the casing string includes first, second and third apparatuses, each of the apparatuses having a first passage forming a part of the casing string flow passage, and a second passage extending laterally relative to the first passage, the first fluid being injected through the first apparatus second passage, the second fluid being received into the second apparatus second passage, the second fluid being flowed through the third apparatus second passage to the fourth wellbore.

11. A method of completing a well having a first wellbore intersecting each of second, third and fourth wellbores, the method comprising the steps of:

injecting a first fluid into a first zone intersected by the second wellbore;

receiving a second fluid into the third wellbore in response to the first fluid injecting step;

flowing the second fluid from the third wellbore to the fourth wellbore;

storing the second fluid in a second zone intersected by the fourth wellbore; and

then producing the second fluid from the second zone to a remote location.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving the second fluid from the first zone intersected by the second wellbore.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the receiving step, the third wellbore intersects the first zone.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the injecting step further comprises injecting the first fluid through an apparatus interconnected in a casing string in the first wellbore, the first fluid flowing through a longitudinal flow passage of the casing string.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving the second fluid from the third wellbore into an apparatus interconnected in a casing string in the first wellbore.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving the second fluid into a passage of the apparatus isolated from a longitudinal flow passage of the casing string.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the flowing step further comprises flowing the second fluid between two apparatuses interconnected in a casing string in the first wellbore.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the flowing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through a passage isolated from a longitudinal flow passage of the casing string.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the storing step, the second fluid is flowed through a passage isolated from a longitudinal flow passage of a casing string positioned in the first wellbore.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the producing step further comprises producing the second fluid through a longitudinal flow passage of a casing string positioned in the first wellbore, the passage having been used to flow the first fluid through the casing string in the injecting step.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein the producing step further comprises producing the second fluid through a passage isolated from a longitudinal flow passage of a casing string positioned in the first wellbore.

22. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of producing the second fluid from the third wellbore to the remote location.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of interconnecting multiple apparatuses in a casing string, each of the apparatuses having intersecting first and second passages, the first passage forming a part of an internal flow passage of the casing string, and the second passage extending laterally relative to the first passage.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of positioning the casing string in the first wellbore with the apparatuses positioned opposite desired locations for drilling the second, third and fourth wellbores.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of drilling the second, third and fourth wellbores through the second passages of the apparatuses.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the injecting step further comprises flowing the first fluid through the casing string flow passage and then through one of the apparatuses into the second wellbore.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the injecting step further comprises flowing the first fluid through a third passage formed in one of the apparatuses into the second wellbore, the third passage being isolated from the casing string flow passage.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first fluid flowing step further comprises flowing the first fluid through a tubular string adjacent the casing string in the first wellbore.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the second fluid flowing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through a third passage between two of the apparatuses, the third passage being isolated from the casing string flow passage.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the producing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through one of the apparatuses between the first and second passages.

31. A method of completing a well having a first wellbore intersecting each of second, third and fourth wellbores, the method comprising the steps of:

interconnecting first, second and third apparatuses in a casing string, each of the apparatuses having a first passage forming a part of a longitudinal flow passage of the casing string, and a second passage intersecting the first passage;

positioning the casing string in the first wellbore;

injecting a first fluid through the first apparatus second passage into the second wellbore;

receiving a second fluid from the third wellbore into the second apparatus second passage;

flowing the second fluid from the second apparatus to the third apparatus; and

storing the second fluid in a zone intersected by the fourth wellbore.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the injecting step further comprises flowing the first fluid from the first apparatus first passage to the first apparatus second passage.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the injecting step further comprises flowing the first fluid through a flow control device interconnected between the first apparatus first passage and the first apparatus second passage.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the injecting step further comprises flowing the first fluid between a third passage formed in the first apparatus and the first apparatus second passage, the third passage being isolated from the first apparatus first passage.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the injecting step further comprises flowing the first fluid through a flow control device interconnected between the first apparatus second passage and a third passage formed in the first apparatus, the third passage being isolated from the first apparatus first passage.

36. The method according to claim 31, wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving the second fluid into the second apparatus second passage, the second apparatus second passage being isolated from the second apparatus first passage.

37. The method according to claim 31, wherein the flowing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through a third passage between the second and third apparatuses, the third passage being isolated from the casing string flow passage.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the flowing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through a flow control device, the flow control device selectively permitting and preventing flow between the third passage and the second apparatus second passage.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein in the flowing step, the flow control device further selectively permits and prevents flow between the second apparatus first and second passages.

40. The method according to claim 37, wherein the flowing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through a flow control device, the flow control device selectively permitting and preventing flow between the third passage and the third apparatus second passage.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein in the flowing step, the flow control device further selectively permits and prevents flow between the third apparatus first and second passages.

42. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of producing the second fluid from the fourth wellbore after the storing step.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the producing step further comprises opening a flow control device interconnected between the third apparatus first and second passages.

44. The method according to claim 42, wherein the producing step further comprises opening a flow control device interconnected between the third apparatus second passage and a third passage isolated from the casing string flow passage.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein in the producing step, the third passage extends through a tubular string connected to the third apparatus and extending to a remote location.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein in the producing step, the tubular string is positioned adjacent to the casing string in the first wellbore.

47. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of producing the second fluid from the third wellbore through the second apparatus.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein the producing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through a flow control device interconnected between the second apparatus first and second passages.

49. The method according to claim 47, wherein the producing step further comprises flowing the second fluid through a flow control device interconnected between the second apparatus second passage and a third passage formed in the second apparatus.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein in the producing step, the third passage is isolated from the second apparatus first passage.

51. The method according to claim 49, wherein in the producing step, the third passage extends through a tubular string adjacent to the casing string in the first wellbore.