Intelligent completion system for extended reach drilling wells

• US 8,657,015 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Patel, Dinesh R.
• Primary Examiner(s): COY, NICOLE A
• Application Number:
  US13/115,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20110297393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 166/386, 166/373, 166/316, 166/325
• US Class Current: 166/373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/08 responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained E21B34/10 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for completing, treating, and/or producing a wellbore are provided. The apparatus can include a tubular body defining an inner bore, one or more injection inflow control devices, and one or more production inflow control devices. The one or more injection inflow control devices can include one or more first check valves in fluid communication with the inner bore, with each first check valve being configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough from the inner bore to a region of the wellbore, and to substantially block a reverse fluid flow therethrough. The one or more production inflow control devices can include one or more second check valves coupled to the tubular body, each second check valve being configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough from the wellbore to the inner bore and to substantially block a reverse fluid flow therethrough.

Claims

1. An apparatus for completing a wellbore, comprising:

a tubular body including a base pipe and an outer body disposed at least partially around the base pipe, wherein the base pipe defines an inner bore therein, and wherein a secondary flowpath is defined between the base pipe and the outer body;

a flow control valve coupled to the base pipe and configured to provide fluid communication between the inner bore and the secondary flowpath when in an open configuration and to prevent fluid communication therethrough when in a closed configuration;

one or more injection inflow control devices coupled to the outer body, the injection inflow control devices including one or more first check valves, flow restrictors, or a combination thereof, wherein the injection inflow control devices are configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough from the secondary flowpath to an exterior of the outer body, and to substantially block a reverse fluid flow therethrough; and

one or more production inflow control devices coupled to the outer body, the production inflow control devices including one or more second check valves, flow restrictors, or a combination thereof, wherein the production inflow control devices are configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough from the exterior of the outer body to the secondary flowpath, and to substantially block a reverse fluid flow therethrough.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow control valve is interventionlessly actuable via a hydraulic signal, a pneumatic signal, a fiber optic signal, an electric signal, wireless telemetry, or actuable by a shifting tool or actuating device conveyed on a slick line, wireline, coiled tubing or pipe, or combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow control valve comprises:

a sleeve covering an orifice providing fluid communication through the base pipe when the flow control valve is in the closed position and at least partially uncovering the orifice when the flow control valve is in the open position; and

a ball or dart seat coupled to the sleeve and configured to receive a ball or dart to move the sleeve to at least partially uncover the orifice.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of swell constrictors extending radially-outward from the tubular body, the first and second check valves each being positioned axially between two of the plurality of swell constrictors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second check valves includes a housing, an inlet, an outlet, a plunger disposed in the housing configured to obstruct the inlet, and a spring biasing the plunger toward the inlet, wherein the plunger is movable in response to a positive pressure differential to allow fluid flow from the inlet to the outlet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first and second check valves includes a choke disposed to regulate mass flow at least through the inlet, the outlet, or both.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more production and injection inflow control devices includes a variable choke configured to restrict flow above a predetermined pressure differential to provide a generally constant mass flow rate through an inlet thereof.

8. A completion system for a wellbore, comprising:

one or more distal completion segments including;

a base pipe defining an inner bore therein;

an outer body disposed at least partially around the base pipe, wherein a secondary flowpath is defined between the base pipe and the outer body;

a flow control valve coupled to the base pipe and configured to provide fluid communication between the inner bore and the secondary flowpath when in an open configuration and to prevent fluid communication therethrough when in a closed configuration;

one or more injection inflow control devices coupled to the outer body and configured to allow fluid to flow from within the one or more distal completion segments to a region outside the one or more distal completion segments, and to prevent reverse flow therethrough; and

one or more production inflow control devices coupled to the outer body and configured to allow fluid to flow from the region outside the one or more distal completion segments to within the one or more distal completion segments, and to prevent reverse fluid flow therethrough; and

a proximal completion segment coupled with at least one of the one or more distal completion segments.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the proximal completion segment is configured to engage and couple to at least one of the one or more distal completion segments after being deployed into the wellbore.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the flow control valve includes an orifice and a valve element configured to cover the orifice when the flow control valve is closed and to at least partially uncover the orifice when the flow control valve is open.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the flow control valve further includes a ball or dart seat coupled to the valve element and configured to receive a ball or dart to slide the valve element and open the flow control valve.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more distal completion segments includes a plurality of distal completion segments each having one or more flow control valves including a ball seat, the ball seats being sized progressively smaller proceeding toward a distal end of the completion system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more production and injection inflow control devices each include one or more one-way check valves fluidly communicating with the inner bore of the one or more distal completion segments when the flow control valve is open.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the proximal completion segment includes a flow control valve, an injection inflow control device configured to allow one-way flow from within the proximal completion segment to a region exterior to the proximal completion segment and a production inflow control device configured to allow one-way flow from the area external to the proximal completion segment to within the proximal completion segment.

15. A method for completing a wellbore, comprising:

running one or more distal completion segments into a wellbore, the distal completion segments including;

a base pipe defining an inner bore therein;

an outer body disposed at least partially around the base pipe, wherein a secondary flowpath is defined between the base pipe and the outer body;

a flow control valve coupled to the base pipe and configured to provide fluid communication between the inner bore and the secondary flowpath when in an open configuration and to prevent fluid communication therethrough when in a closed configuration;

an injection inflow control device coupled to the outer body and configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough from the secondary flowpath to an exterior of the outer body and to prevent fluid from flowing therethrough from the exterior of the outer body to the secondary flowpath; and

a production inflow control device coupled to the outer body and configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough from the exterior of the outer body to the secondary flowpath and to prevent fluid from flowing therethrough from the secondary flowpath to the exterior of the outer body;

running a proximal completion segment into the wellbore using a production tubing string after running the one or more distal completion segments; and

coupling a distal end of the production tubing string with the one or more distal completion segments in the wellbore.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing one or more injection operations and one or more production operations without removing the distal completion segments.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

actuating the flow control valve of the one or more distal completion segments to open the flow control valve;

injecting a fluid into the wellbore via the flow control valve and through the injection inflow control device, the injection inflow control device including at least one check valve; and

producing a fluid from the wellbore through the production inflow control device, the production inflow control device including a check valve.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising actuating a sequence of flow control valves in the one or more distal completion segments by dropping progressively smaller balls or darts through the production tubing.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising actuating a sequence of flow control valves in the one or more distal or proximal completion segments by dropping same size balls or darts through the production tubing.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising actuating a sequence of flow control valves in the one or more distal or proximal completion segments by engaging a flow control valve actuating device conveyed on slick line, wireline, coiled tubing or pipe.