Flow Conditioning Openings

• US 20170191358A1
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Dusterhoft, Ronald Glen, Maxey, Jason Eric
• Granted Patent: US 10,174,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. 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.

49. A wellbore tool comprising:

a tubular having a flow conditioning opening that is aligned axially along the tubular portion 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.

56. A wellbore tool comprising:

a tubular with a flow conditioning opening that upstream of and radially offset by at least 30°

from an opening, wherein the flow conditioning opening has a smaller cross-sectional area than the opening.