Flow conditioning openings

• US 10,174,602 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Maxey, Jason Eric, Dusterhoft, Ronald Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Zakiya W
• Application Number:
  US15/315,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20170191358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/80 Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 2200/06 Sleeve valves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/12 operated by movement of casings or tubings
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/114 Perforators using direct fluid action on the wall to be perforated, e.g. abrasive jets
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/117 Shaped-charge perforators E21B43/118 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/14 Obtaining from a multiple-zone well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/26 by forming crevices or fractures
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/267 reinforcing fractures by propping

Abstract

A flow conditioning opening may be used to manipulate the flow of particulates in a particulate laden fluid in a downhole environment. The particulate flow may be manipulated towards or away from openings downstream of the flow conditioning opening. For example, a perforation cluster may include a flow conditioning opening extending from the wellbore into the subterranean formation that is aligned axially along the wellbore with and uphole of a perforation, wherein the flow conditioning opening has at least one of the following characteristics selected from the group consisting of: the flow conditioning opening having a smaller cross-sectional area at a wellbore face than the perforation, the flow conditioning opening having a smaller volume in the subterranean formation than the perforation, the flow conditioning opening having a smaller depth into the subterranean formation than the perforation, and any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

producing a perforation cluster in a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, wherein the perforation cluster includes a flow conditioning opening extending from the wellbore into the subterranean formation that is aligned axially along the wellbore with and uphole of a perforation,

wherein the flow conditioning opening has at least one of the following characteristics selected from the group consisting of;

the flow conditioning opening having a smaller cross-sectional area at a wellbore face than the perforation, the flow conditioning opening having a smaller volume in the subterranean formation than the perforation, the flow conditioning opening having a smaller depth into the subterranean formation than the perforation, and any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the perforation is a first perforation and the perforation cluster further includes a second perforation, and wherein the flow conditioning opening, the first perforation, and the second perforation are aligned axially along the wellbore with the flow conditioning opening uphole of the first and second perforations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the flow conditioning opening, the first perforation, and the second perforation are within about 3 feet of each other.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating or extending at least one fracture from the perforation;

introducing a treatment fluid comprising proppant particulates dispersed in a carrier fluid into the wellbore; and

forming a proppant pack comprising the proppant particulates in the at least one fracture.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the carrier fluid is a non-Newtonian fluid, and wherein the flow conditioning opening and the perforation are within about 3 feet of each other.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the carrier fluid is a Newtonian fluid, wherein the flow conditioning opening and the perforation are within about 1 foot of each other.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the perforation is at least about 1.1 times greater than the cross-sectional area of the flow conditioning opening.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a volume of the perforation is at least about 2 times greater than the volume of the flow conditioning opening.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a depth of the perforation is at least about 1.5 times greater than the depth of the flow conditioning opening.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the perforation is a first perforation, the flow conditioning opening is a first flow conditioning opening, and the perforation cluster further includes a second flow conditioning opening extending from the wellbore into the subterranean formation that is aligned axially along the wellbore with and uphole of a second perforation, and wherein the first perforation and the second perforation are radially offset by at least 30°

.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first perforation and the second perforation are axially offset by 6 feet or less.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the wellbore is highly-deviated.

13. A wellbore tool comprising:

a tubular having a flow conditioning opening that is aligned axially along the tubular with and upstream a port or a recess, wherein the flow conditioning opening has a smaller cross-sectional area than the port or the recess,

wherein the flow conditioning opening has at least one of the following characteristics selected from the group consisting of;

the flow conditioning opening having a smaller cross-sectional area at a wellbore face than the port or the recess, the flow conditioning opening having a smaller volume in the subterranean formation than the port or the recess, the flow conditioning opening having a smaller depth into the subterranean formation than the port or the recess, and any combination thereof.

14. The wellbore tool of claim 13, wherein a cross-sectional area of the port or the recess is at least about 1.1 times greater than the cross-sectional area of the flow conditioning opening.

15. The wellbore tool of claim 13, wherein the flow conditioning opening and the port or the recess are within about 3 feet of each other.

16. The wellbore tool of claim 13, wherein the wellbore tool is a fluid jetting apparatus, wherein the port or the recess is a perforation fluid port, and wherein the fluid jetting apparatus comprises a hydrajetting portion formed at least in part by the tubular.

17. The wellbore tool of claim 13, wherein the wellbore tool is a perforating gun assembly, wherein the port or the recess is a perforation recess, and wherein the perforating gun assembly comprises (1) a cylindrical sleeve formed at least in part by the tubular and (2) shaped charges radially aligned with the flow conditioning opening and the perforation recess, wherein the shaped charge radially aligned with the flow conditioning opening is smaller than the shaped charge radially aligned with the perforation recess.

18. The wellbore tool of claim 13, wherein the wellbore tool is a sliding sleeve, wherein the port or the recess is a perforation port, and wherein the sliding sleeve comprises a casing that comprise (1) a recessed section that includes a ported section formed at least in part by the tubular and (2) a sliding sleeve operably slideable along the recessed section from a closed position that prevents fluid flow through the flow conditioning opening and the perforation port to an open position that allows fluid flow through the flow conditioning opening and the perforation port.

19. The wellbore tool of claim 13, wherein the wellbore tool is a particulate delivery apparatus with a crossover portion, wherein the port or the recess is a circulation port, and wherein the crossover portion comprises the tubular.