Profiled recess for instrumented expandable components
First Claim
1. An expandable sand screen, comprising:
- a base pipe layer;
a filtering media layer around the base pipe layer; and
an outer shroud around the filtering media layer, a wall of the outer shroud having a recess formed therein, the recess defining a housing for one or more of the following during expansion of the expandable sand screen;
control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, and downhole sensors, wherein the recess moves outward radially upon expansion of the expandable sand screen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a recess within an expandable downhole tubular, such as an expandable sand screen. The recess resides within the wall, such as the outer shroud of an expandable sand screen. The recess serves as a housing for instrumentation lines, fiber optics, control lines, or downhole instrumentation. By placing the lines and instrumentation within a wall of the expandable downhole tool, the tool can be expanded into the wall of the wellbore without leaving a channel outside of the tool through which formation fluids might vertically migrate. The recess is useful in both cased hole and open hole completions. In one embodiment, the recess serves as a housing for an encapsulation which itself may house instrumentation lines, control lines, and downhole instrumentation.
117 Citations
41 Claims
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1. An expandable sand screen, comprising:
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a base pipe layer;
a filtering media layer around the base pipe layer; and
an outer shroud around the filtering media layer, a wall of the outer shroud having a recess formed therein, the recess defining a housing for one or more of the following during expansion of the expandable sand screen;
control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, and downhole sensors, wherein the recess moves outward radially upon expansion of the expandable sand screen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for use in well completion operations, comprising:
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an expandable sand screen comprising;
a base pipe layer, a filtering media layer around the base pipe layer, and an outer shroud around the filtering media layer; and
one or more of the following located within a wall of the outer shroud;
control fines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, and downhole sensors,wherein the one or more of the following located within the wall of the outer shroud is protected during the expansion process when an inner wall of the expandable sand screen increases in diameter. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for controlling at least one downhole tool or instruments through an expandable sand screen from a surface of a wellbore, comprising;
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providing the expandable sand screen in the wellbore, the expandable sand screen having a first inner diameter and comprising;
a base pipe layer, a filtering media layer around the base pipe layer, and an outer shroud around the filtering media layer, one or more of the following disposable within a recess formed in wall of the outer shroud;
control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, downhole sensors, data acquisition lines, and communication lines; and
expanding the expandable sand screen to a second inner diameter, the second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter, wherein the one or more of the control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, and downhole sensors is protected during the expansion.
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31. An expandable sand screen tool for use in a wellbore within a formation, the tool comprising:
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a perforated base pipe layer, a filtering media layer around the base pipe layer;
a perforated outer shroud around the filtering media layer, and wherein a recess is formed in a wall of the outer shroud; and
an encapsulation disposed within the recess;
the recess serving as a housing for one or more of the following during expansion of the expandable tubular;
control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, and downhole sensors. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. An expandable sand screen, comprising:
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a base pipe layer;
a filtering media layer around the base pipe layer; and
an outer shroud around the filtering media layer, a wall of the outer shroud having a recess formed therein, the recess defining a housing for one or more of the following during expansion of the expandable sand screen;
control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, and downhole sensors, wherein a thickness of a wall of the expandable sand screen decreases upon expansion. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for controlling at least one downhole tool or instrument through an expandable sand screen from a surface of a wellbore, comprising:
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providing the expandable sand screen in the wellbore, the expandable sand screen comprising;
a base pipe layer, a filtering media layer around the base pipe layer, and an outer shroud around the filtering media layer, one or more of the following disposable within a recess formed in a wall of the outer shroud;
control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, downhole sensors, data acquisition lines, and communication lines; and
expanding the expandable sand screen, thereby decreasing a thickness of a wall of the sand screen, wherein the one or more of the control lines, instrumentation lines, fiber optics, and downhole sensors is protected during the expansion. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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Specification