FLOW CONTROL ASSEMBLY HAVING A FIXED FLOW CONTROL DEVICE AND AN ADJUSTABLE FLOW CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20090008078A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Patel, Dinesh R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/50
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/10 operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0035 Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/14 Obtaining from a multiple-zone well

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a well includes a flow control assembly to control fluid flow in a first zone of the well, where the flow control assembly has a fixed flow control device and an adjustable flow control device that cooperate to control the fluid flow in the first zone.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a well, comprising:

a flow control assembly to control fluid flow in a first zone of the well, wherein the flow control assembly has a fixed flow control device and an adjustable flow control device that cooperate to control the fluid flow in the first zone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable flow control device is controlled by at least one of electrical, hydraulic, electro-hydraulic, smart fluid, shaped memory allow, and electromagnetic techniques.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first mandrel and a second mandrel inside the first mandrel, wherein the adjustable flow control device is mounted to the second mandrel, and the fixed flow control device is attached to the first mandrel, wherein fluid flows from the first zone through the fixed flow control device and then through the adjustable flow control device into an inner bore defined by the second mandrel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor in the first zone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable flow control device comprises an electric motor and a sealing member moveable by the electric motor to provide at least an open position and a closed position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the adjustable flow control device further comprises an outer housing defining an inner chamber, the adjustable flow control device having an inlet path to receive fluid from outside the adjustable flow control device, and wherein the electric motor is provided in the chamber, the apparatus further comprising a shroud having ports, wherein the shroud is located in the chamber, and wherein the scaling member is moveable inside the shroud to plural positions for controlling fluid flow through the ports of the shroud.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable flow control device comprises an inflatable bladder that is inflatable by application of hydraulic pressure inside the bladder.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the adjustable flow control device comprises a housing that defines a chamber, the inflatable bladder provided inside the chamber, and the inflatable bladder being inflatable to engage an inner wall of the housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a hydraulic control line segment that is connected to the inflatable bladder to provide hydraulic pressure to the inside of the inflatable bladder.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable flow control device has an inner mandrel that defines an inner bore, and the adjustable flow control device controls fluid flow from outside the flow control device through an inner chamber of the adjustable flow control device and out through an outlet path of the adjustable flow control device to the inner bore of the mandrel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow control assembly comprises a mandrel to which at least one adjustable flow control device is mounted outside the mandrel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the mandrel includes a first longitudinal bore and a longitudinal side pocket, wherein at least one adjustable flow control device is positioned in at least one side pocket.

13. A multilateral completion apparatus for use in a multilateral well that has a main wellbore section and a lateral branch, comprising:

a first flow control assembly positioned in the main wellbore section and a second flow control assembly positioned in the lateral branch,

wherein at least one of the first and second flow control assemblies has a fixed flow control device and an adjustable flow control device that cooperate to control fluid flow in a corresponding zone of at least one of the main wellbore section and lateral branch.

14. The multilateral completion apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a lower positioning device for positioning below the lateral branch; and

an upper positioning device for positioning above the lateral branch, wherein the lower and upper positioning devices or index casing couplings are azimuthally aligned.

15. The multilateral completion apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a deflector engageable with the lower positioning device to direct equipment toward the lateral branch.

16. The multilateral completion apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a junction liner engageable with the upper positioning device, wherein the junction liner has a window that is orientable by the upper positioning device to align with the main wellbore.

17. The multilateral completion apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a swivel attached to the junction liner to enable the junction liner to freely rotate.

18. The multilateral apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an inductive coupler to provide electrical connection to establish communication and transmit power between the adjustable flow control device and another location.

19. The multilateral apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a connector housing that extends from the main wellbore to the lateral branch, wherein a groove is formed in an outer surface of the connector housing, the groove to carry a control line that is selected from among a power line, a hydraulic line, and a communication line.

20. The multilateral apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a hydraulic connection mechanism to allow for different sections of the completion apparatus to be hydraulically connected.

21. The multilateral apparatus of claim 13, further comprising plural inductive couplers, and a control station that is electrically connected to the plural inductive couplers.

23. A method of deploying a completion system into a multilateral well having plural lateral branch bores and a main wellbore, comprising:

running lateral completion assemblies into the corresponding lateral branch bores; and

running a continuous string of a main completion assembly into the main wellbore, wherein the continuous string of the main completion assembly extends through portions of the main wellbore that are adjacent the lateral branch bores.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

running a two-part deflector into the main wellbore;

setting the deflector in the main wellbore;

deflecting one of the lateral completion assemblies into a corresponding lateral branch bore; and

retrieving a retrieval part of the deflector from the main wellbore while leaving a non-retrieved part of the deflector in the main wellbore.