Downhole filter

• US 7,188,687 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Metcalfe, Paul David, Rudd, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay; Jennifer H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coy; Nicole A
• Application Number:
  US10/900,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20050121232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 166/278, 166/228, 166/236, 166/277, 166/207, 175/314, 175/171, 175/312
• US Class Current: 175/171
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 17/04 by rolling
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/04 of tubes with tubes; of tubes with rods crimped pipe joints as such F16L13/14
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/10 with rollers for expanding only
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/00 Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/005 with a radially-expansible cutter rotating inside the pipe, e.g. for cutting an annular window
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/10 Reconditioning of well casings, e.g. straightening
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/138 Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/00 Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells applicable only to water E03B
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/086 Screens with preformed openings, e.g. slotted liners comprising porous materials E21B43/082
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/103 of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/105 Expanding tools specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/108 Expandable screens or perforated liners
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/00 Special methods or apparatus for drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/20 Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes

Abstract

A downhole filter comprises a tubular member having a wall defining a plurality of openings. The openings have an outer width less than an inner width. The parts of the opening defining the smaller width are defined by radially outer parts of the openings, such that particulates or sand prevented from passing through the openings will tend to be retained to the outside of the tubular member. A method comprises providing a tubular string having a non-porous tubular portion and a porous tubular portion, and installing the tubular string within a wellbore such that the porous tubular portion is located adjacent a fluid-producing formation within the wellbore. In another embodiment, an apparatus comprises a drill string comprising a non-porous tubular portion and a porous tubular portion, and an earth removal member operatively connected to a lower end of the drill string.

Claims

1. A method of drilling a wellbore through a fluid producing formation, comprising:

providing a drill string having at least one filter section and a drilling member at a lower end thereof, wherein a wall of the at least one filter section defines an inner diameter of the drill string;

supporting the drilling member with the drill string;

forming the wellbore such that at least one of the at least one filter section is located in the fluid producing formation; and

radially expanding the at least one filter section.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising leaving at least a portion of the drill string in the wellbore.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the drilling member from the wellbore.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a fluid between an interior and an exterior of the drill string through the at least one filter section while forming the wellbore.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more filter sheets are disposed around the at least one filter section.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more filter sheets are porous.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising removing the one or more filter sheets from the at least one filter section.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more filter sheets comprise one or more coatings.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one filter section retains its filtering ability after expansion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising radially expanding a non-filter section of the drill string.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering fluid flowing from the fluid-producing formation into a bore of the drill string using the at least one filter section.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one filter section comprises one or more apertures having an outer width less than an inner width.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one filter section comprises at least one laser-cut aperture therein.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the drill string comprises laser cutting at least one aperture in the at least one filter section.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling a laser energy while laser cutting the at least one aperture.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the drill string further comprises directing an inert gas proximate to the at least one aperture to control erosion of the at least one aperture.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the drill string further comprises hardening a surface of the at least one aperture to control erosion of the at least one aperture.

18. A method of drilling a wellbore through a fluid producing formation, comprising:

providing a drill string, having;

a drilling member; and

a wall having a filter section, wherein the wall supports the drilling member and defines an inner diameter of the drill string, and wherein the filter section comprises a tubular having one or more openings and a filter layer surrounding the tubular;

forming the wellbore by rotating the drilling member such that the filter section is located in the fluid producing formation; and

expanding at least a portion of the filter section.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the rotating the drill string comprises rotating the filter section.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating a fluid between an interior and an exterior of the drill string through the at least one filter section while forming the wellbore.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more openings are formed by laser cutting.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more openings comprise slots.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a flow of energy used to laser-cut the one or more openings is reduced while a source of the flow of energy is stationary relative to the filter section, thereby retaining uniformity of size of the one or more openings.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising flowing inert gas onto the one or more openings to harden the one or more openings.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein flowing inert gas onto the one or more openings substantially prevents erosion of the one or more openings.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising filtering fluid flowing from the fluid-producing formation into a bore of the drill string using the filter section.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising surrounding the filter section with a substantially non-porous outer shroud.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the outer shroud is removable.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the filter section comprise one or more laser liners.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the filter section comprises one or more sand screens.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the drilling member is drillable.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the drilling member is retrievable through the drill string.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more openings are formed by abrasive water jet cutting.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein expanding at least a portion of the filter section changes a geometry of the one or more openings.

35. The method of claim 18, wherein the filter layer comprises one or more well screens.

36. The method of claim 18, further comprising controlling the size and geometry of the one or more openings to optimize the ability of the filter section to filter sand from fluid flowing from the fluid-producing formation into a bore of the drill string through the one or more openings.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein controlling the size and geometry of the one or more openings comprises forming the one or more openings without sacrificing a filtering integrity of the filter section.

38. The method of claim 18, wherein a geometry of the one or more openings is keystone-shaped.

39. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more openings have an outer width less than an inner width.

40. The method of claim 18, wherein a geometry of the one or more openings is trapezoidal.

41. A method of drilling a wellbore through a fluid producing formation, comprising:

providing a drill string having at least one porous section and a drilling member at a lower end thereof, the porous section having a removable filter member on an inside diameter thereof;

forming the wellbore such that at least one of the at least one porous section is located in the fluid producing formation; and

removing the filter member from the at least one porous section.