Device and system for well completion and control and method for completing and controlling a well

• US 7,775,277 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephenson; Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US12/144,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 166/278, 166/296, 166/373, 166/376, 166/205, 166/317, 166/229, 166/55, 166/212, 166/207, 166/228
• US Class Current: 166/278
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/103 of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/108 Expandable screens or perforated liners

Abstract

An expandable liner assembly including an expandable tubular, a plurality of openings in the tubular, and a plurality of beaded matrixes in operable communication with the openings. A method for completing a section of wellbore.

Claims

1. An expandable liner assembly comprising:

an expandable tubular;

a plurality of openings in the tubular;

one or more permeable matrix areas arranged to cover one or more of the plurality of openings and at least a portion of a surface of the expandable tubular.

2. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expandable tubular is of a folded cross section.

3. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the folded cross section is star shaped.

4. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the star shaped cross section is 16 pointed.

5. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one of the faces of the folded cross section includes a beaded matrix area.

6. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the folded cross section exhibits faces having beaded matrixes therein alternating with faces absent beaded matrix areas.

7. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expandable tubular further includes at least one flex channel to promote fluid flow axially along the tubular.

8. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein a flex channel is located at each inwardly directed fold of a folded cross section of the tubular.

9. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the beaded matrix areas are plugged with an underminable plugging material.

10. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the tubular is expandable responsive to fluid pressure acting thereon.

11. The expandable liner assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expandable tubular is expandable by mechanical force acting thereon.

12. A method for completing a section of wellbore comprising:

running an expandable liner as claimed in claim 2 to a target depth;

expanding the liner; and

producing through the beaded matrix areas.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the method further includes treating the beaded matrix areas to render them at least temporarily fluid impermeable thereby facilitating expanding.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the method further includes undermining an underminable plugging material used to render the beaded matrix areas impermeable.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises producing through the beaded matrix areas.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the method further includes pressuring up on the expandable tubular to expand the same.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the method further comprises straightening a folded geometric cross section of the tubular.