Multi-point injection system for oilfield operations

• US 8,863,833 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Stone, Matthew C., LaFleur, Louis F., Freeman, James Joseph, Mescall, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Kenneth L
• Application Number:
  US12/475,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 166/313, 166/305.1, 166/297, 166/55.1, 166/265, 166/105.5, 166/106, 166/372, 166/222, 166/66, 166/250.07, 166/263, 166/269, 166/191, 166/205
• US Class Current: 166/222
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/063 Valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc E21B34/103 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0078 Nozzles used in boreholes drilling by liquid or gas jets E21B7/18; drill bits with nozzles E21B10/60; perforators using direct fluid action E21B43/114; obtaining a slurry of minerals using nozzles E21B43/29
• 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

A system monitors and controls the injection of additives into formation fluids recovered through a well may include a plurality of nozzles that receive the injection fluid from an umbilical disposed in a well. Each nozzle may have an associated flow control element that is configured to affect a flow of the injection fluid ejected through the associated nozzle. The umbilical may include one or more filters positioned in a first of two parallel conduits formed along the umbilical. An occlusion member restricts in a second of the two conduits. The occlusion member permits flow in the second conduit after a predetermined pressure differential exists in the second conduit. The system may include a plurality of pressure sensors disposed along the umbilical, and an injector unit that dispenses fluid into the umbilical. A controller operatively coupled to the injector unit operates the injector in response to measurements from the pressure sensors.

Claims

1. A system for injecting an injection fluid in a well, comprising:

a production tubing disposed in the well configured to receive production fluids;

an umbilical disposed in the well, the umbilical being configured to convey the injection fluid from a surface location into the well;

a plurality of nozzles configured to receive the injection fluid from the same umbilical and inject the injection fluid into the production fluids received by the production tubing; and

a plurality of flow restriction elements, each flow restriction element being associated with a nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, each flow restriction element being configured to control a flow of the injection fluid through the associated nozzle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each flow restriction element is configured to restrict a flow of the injection fluid through the associated nozzle;

wherein each flow restriction element is selected to cause each nozzle to eject a preset amount of injection fluid.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least two of the flow restriction elements are sized differently such that each nozzle associated with the at least two of the flow restriction elements ejects substantially the same amount of injection fluid.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein each flow restriction element includes an orifice.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least two flow restriction elements have different sized orifices and wherein each associated nozzle ejects substantially the same amount of injection fluid.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors disposed along the umbilical;

an injector unit configured to dispense fluid into the umbilical; and

a controller operatively coupled to the injector unit, the controller being configured to operate the injector in response to measurements from the pressure sensors.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one filter positioned in the umbilical.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a first and second conduit formed along the umbilical, wherein the at least one filter is positioned in the first conduit; and

an occlusion member configured to restrict flow along the second conduit, the occlusion member being further configured to permit flow in the second conduit after a predetermined pressure differential exists in the second conduit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the umbilical is positioned outside of the production tubing.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the umbilical is configured to convey injection fluid to a plurality of production zones.

11. A method for injecting an injection fluid in a well, comprising:

conveying the injection fluid from the surface into the well using an umbilical;

conveying a production fluid out of the well using a production tubing;

ejecting the injection fluid into production fluid in the well using a plurality of nozzles that receives the injection fluid from the same umbilical; and

controlling the flow of the injection fluid through each nozzle using a plurality of flow restriction elements, each flow restriction element being associated with a nozzle of the plurality of nozzles.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising restricting a flow at each nozzle using the associated flow restriction element;

wherein the restrictions of flow cause each nozzle to eject a preset amount of injection fluid.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising causing a different flow restriction at at least two flow restriction elements while ejecting substantially the same amount of injection fluid from each nozzle associated with the at least two flow restriction elements.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein each flow restriction element includes an orifice.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least two flow restriction elements have different sized orifices and further comprising ejecting substantially the same amount of injection fluid from each associated nozzle.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

disposing a plurality of pressure sensors along the umbilical;

dispensing the injection fluid into the umbilical using an injector unit; and

controlling the injector unit using a controller configured to operate the injector in response to measurements from the pressure sensors.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

filtering the injection fluid in the umbilical.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

forming a first and second conduit along the umbilical, wherein the injection fluid is filtered in the first conduit;

restricting flow in the second conduit using an occlusion member;

displacing the occlusion member to increase flow in the second conduit after a predetermined pressure differential exists in the second conduit.