Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/13—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
  • E21B33/14—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like for cementing casings into boreholes
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B34/00—Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells
  • E21B34/06—Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells in wells
  • E21B34/14—Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells in wells operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools
  • E21B34/142—Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells in wells operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools unsupported or free-falling elements, e.g. balls, plugs, darts or pistons
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
  • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
  • E21B43/04—Gravelling of wells
  • E21B43/045—Crossover tools

Definitions

• a prior art gravel pack assembly 20 illustrated in Figure 1A extends from a packer 14 downhole from casing 12 in a borehole 10, which is a horizontal open hole.
• the slurry moves out the crossover port 32 and into the annulus.
• the carrying fluid in the slurry then leaks off through the formation and/or through the screen 25.
• the screen 25 prevents the gravel in the slurry from flowing into the screen 25.
• the fluids passing alone through the screen 25 can then return through the crossover port 34 and into the annulus above the packer 14.
• the gravel pack operation When the alpha wave of the gravel pack operation is done, the gravel then begins to collect in stages (not shown) of a beta wave. This forms along the upper side of the screen 25 starting from the toe and progressing to the heel of the screen 25. Again, the fluid carrying the gravel can pass through the screen 25 and up the wash pipe 40. To complete the beta wave, the gravel pack operation must have enough fluid velocity to maintain turbulent flow and move the gravel along the topside of the annulus. To recirculate after this point, operators have to mechanically reconfigure the crossover tool 30 to be able to washdown the pipe 40.
• FIG. 1 B shows an example assembly 20 having shunts 50 and 52 (only two of which are shown).
• the shunts 50/52 for transport and packing are attached eccentrically to the screen 25.
• the transport shunts 50 feed the packing shunts 52 with slurry, and the slurry exits from nozzles 54 on the packing shunts 52.
• the gravel packing operation can avoid areas of high leak off in the borehole 10 that would tend to cause bridges to form and impair the gravel packing.
• Prior art gravel pack assemblies 20 for both techniques of Figs. 1 A-1 B have a number of challenges and difficulties.
• the crossover ports 32/34 may have to be re-configured several times.
• the slurry pumped at high pressure and flow rate can sometimes dehydrate within the assembly's crossover tool 30 and associated sliding sleeve (not shown). If severe, settled sand or dehydrated slurry can stick to service tools and can even junk the well.
• the crossover tool 30 is subject to erosion during frac and gravel pack operations, and the crossover tool 30 can stick in the packer 14, which can create extremely difficult fishing jobs.
• a gravel pack apparatus has a liner that extends from a liner hanger in a cased hole. From the liner, one or more gravel pack sections extend into an open borehole.
• the apparatus has a body passage disposed along its length, and various ports and screen on the apparatus can communicate fluid between the body passage and the borehole annulus.
• the ports include a gravel pack port, a cementing port, and a returns port, and the screen is disposed between the gravel pack port and the cementing port.
• the apparatus also includes an inner string having a string passage for conveying fluids, slurry, cement, and the like to an outlet port.
• the inner string disposes in the body passage of the apparatus at various selective conditions.
• a first selective condition in the body passage for example, seals around the outlet port on the inner string seal at least partially with seats inside the body passage so the outlet port on the string can communicate with the gravel pack port on the body.
• the slurry passes through the ports and into the borehole annulus to gravel pack around the screen of the apparatus.
• the inner string can be moved to several conditions to gravel pack around screens of the one or more gravel pack sections.
• the apparatus When gravel packing is completed, the apparatus is set up for cementing operations. To do this, the inner string is moved to a second selective condition so that the inner string's seals at least partially seal the outlet port with the cementing port. Cementing slurry is pumped down the string passage, and the cementing slurry fills the borehole annulus around the liner. Meanwhile, the returns port communicates fluid returns from the borehole annulus around the liner back to the body passage so the fluid returns can be conveyed uphole above the liner.
• Figs. 1 A-1 B illustrate gravel pack assemblies according to the prior art.
• Fig. 2 shows a toe-to-heel gravel pack assembly according to the present disclosure.
• Fig. 3 shows another toe-to-heel gravel pack assembly according to the present disclosure.
• Figs. 4A-4B show the gravel pack assembly of Fig. 3 in stages of operation, including washdown and gravel packing.
• Fig. 4C shows the gravel pack assembly of Fig. 3 in a stage of cementing.
• Fig. 4D shows the gravel pack assembly of Fig. 3 lacking an uphole packing element as an alternative arrangement.
• Figs. 5A-5B show portions of the gravel pack assembly of Fig. 3 in more detail during washdown.
• Figs. 6A-6B show portions of the gravel pack assembly of Fig. 3 in more detail during setting and testing of a packer on a liner hanger.
• Figs. 7A-7B show portions of the gravel pack assembly of Fig. 3 in more detail during a first part of gravel pack operations.
• Figs. 8A-8B show portions of the gravel pack assembly of Fig. 3 in more detail during a second part of the gravel pack operations.
• Figs. 9A-9B show additional sections of the gravel pack assembly during stages of gravel packing.
• Fig. 10A shows a portion of the gravel pack assembly during cementing operations using one type of ported subassembly.
• Fig. 10B shows a portion of the gravel pack assembly during cementing operations using another inner string arrangement.
• Fig. 1 1A shows other ported subassemblies of the gravel pack assembly for performing cementing operations with the inner string.
• Fig. 1 1 B shows the gravel pack assembly during cementing operations using a ported liner hanger.
• Figure 2 shows a toe-to-heel gravel pack assembly 100 having a liner 170 extending from casing 12 with a liner hanger 14. Extending further down the open borehole 10 from the liner 170, the assembly 100 has a gravel pack section 102 separated from the liner 170 by an isolating element or packer 104.
• the assembly 100 can be similar to one of the gravel pack assemblies disclosed in incorporated U.S. Appl. Ser. No. 12/913,981 .
• the gravel pack section 102 has ports 132 and a shoe track 120 disposed downhole of a screen 140. Although one section 102 is shown, the assembly 100 can have any number of such gravel pack sections 102 in the borehole 10, and the section(s) 102 can generally have any desired length to meet the needs of the implementation.
• An inner string 1 10 deploys in the gravel pack section 102 and performs a wash down operation through a float shoe 126 in the shoe track 120 of the assembly 100. After washdown and setting of the assembly's packer 104, the string's outlet ports 1 12 with its seals 1 14 isolate with the flow ports 132 to gravel or frac pack the gravel pack section 102. Operators pump gravel pack slurry down the inner string 1 10, and the slurry exits the ports 1 12/132. Once in the borehole 10, gravel in the slurry packs the annulus around the screen 140 in a toe-to-heel gravel packing configuration. Once gravel packing of the section 102 is completed, the inner string 1 10 can be moved out of the gravel pack section 102 so cementing can be performed on the liner 170 using the inner string 1 10 and port collars 160A-B as described later.
• Figure 3 shows another toe-to-heel gravel pack assembly 100 having several gravel pack sections 102A-B separated from one another and separated from a liner 170 by isolating elements or packers 104.
• any number of such sections 102A-B can be used in the borehole 10, and they can generally have any desired length to meet the needs of the implementation.
• the depictions in the figures are only meant to be illustrative.
• the isolating elements 104 and gravel pack sections 102A-B deploy into the well in a single trip. Having the elements 104 and sections 102A-B, the assembly 100 segments several compartmentalized reservoir zones so that gravel pack or frac pack operations can be performed separately on each zone.
• Each element 104 can have one or more packers to isolate the gravel pack sections 102A-B from one another and from the liner 170. Any suitable packers can be used for the elements 104, hydraulic, hydrostatic, inflatable, or swellable packers. In the present disclosure, the elements 104 are referred to as packers for simplicity.
• the assembly 100 has a hydraulic service tool (18; Fig. 2) that can make up to the liner hanger 14 to set the hanger's packer, and the assembly 100 has an inner string 1 10 made up to the service tool 18.
• a hydraulic service tool (18; Fig. 2) that can make up to the liner hanger 14 to set the hanger's packer
• the assembly 100 has an inner string 1 10 made up to the service tool 18.
• Each gravel pack section 102A-B has screen sections 140A-B, ported housings 130A-B, alternate path devices or shunts 150, and other components discussed below.
• the screens 140A-B can use wire-wrapped screens, slotted liners, mesh screens, or any other suitable screen to filter fluid communication from the borehole annulus into the assembly 100.
• the ported housings 130A-B have flow ports 132A-B communicating with the borehole annulus, and the ported housings 130A-B may be disposed next to or integrated into the screen sections 140A-B.
• the screen sections 140A-B and the ported housings 130A-B provide slurry packing points for gravel packing operations as disclosed below.
• the flow ports 132B on the uphole ported housings 130B can communicate with the alternate path devices 150 disposed along the length of the lower screen section 140A.
• These alternate path devices 150 can be shunts, tubes, concentrically mounted tubing, or other devices known in the art for providing an alternate path for slurry.
• the alternate path devices 150 are referred to as shunts for simplicity.
• the shunts 150 communicate from the flow ports 132B to shunt ports toward the distal end of the assembly 100, but the shunts 150 can direct the flow in other directions.
• the assembly 100 has the liner 170 supported by the liner hanger 14 from the casing 12, and the liner 170 has the port collars 160A-B for the cementing operations.
• the port collars 160A-B can use any of the available port collars known and used in the art. In general, the port collars 160A-B can remain constantly open, or they can be selectively opened and closed as needed. For example, the port collars 160A-B can have mechanically actuated sliding or rotated sleeves, which can be opened and closed with an appropriate shifting tool.
• U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,595 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses one particular example of a port collar that can be used in the disclosed assembly 100. The port collars 160A-B could also be stage tools that are hydraulically opened.
• the assembly 100 of Figure 3 is similar to one of the gravel pack assemblies disclosed in incorporated U.S. Appl. Ser. No. 12/913,981 .
• Another assembly disclosed in Figures 2A-2C of the incorporated U.S. Appl. Ser. No. 12/913,981 could also be used.
• This other assembly has an open distal end on the inner string that allows slurry and fluid to flow therethrough. Accordingly, after gravel packing is complete, fluid flow through this distal end must be closed off before cementing can be performed. This can be done by closing a valve, seating a ball, or otherwise closing off fluid communication through the distal end so that cement can be properly diverted to the port collar 160A.
• Figures 4A-4D show the gravel pack assembly 100 during stages of operation.
• Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C respectively show the gravel pack assembly 100 during a washdown operation, a gravel pack operation, and a cementing operation. Each of these will be discussed in turn.
• the inner string 1 10 extending from the service tool 18 disposes through the sections 102A-B of the assembly 100.
• the inner string 1 10 installs in the shoe track 120 so that the string's outlet ports 1 12 can communicate with a float shoe 126 at the end of the track 120.
• Operators pump washdown fluid down the inner string 1 10, and the washdown fluid flows out the float shoe 126.
• the washdown fluid then travels uphole in the annulus of the borehole 10 and out the liner hanger 14, whose packer remains unset at this stage.
• operations proceed to gravel packing as shown in Figure 4B.
• the packers 104 are set using procedures known in the art.
• the packer on the liner hanger 14 may also be set for the gravel packing operations.
• the inner string 1 10 is positioned and sealed in selective positions in the assembly's ported housings 130A-B.
• the ports 1 12 and seals 1 14 of the inner string 1 12 are manipulated in the first gravel pack section 102A, and slurry is then pumped down the inner string 1 10 so the first section 102A can be packed with a toe-to-heel packing configuration discussed herein.
• the inner string 1 10 can be moved to the next gravel pack section 102B as shown in Figure 4B to proceed with gravel packing this section 102B in a similar fashion. The same procedure can repeated along the assembly's length for the various isolated sections 102.
• the flow ports 132A in the lower ported housing 130A can divert the slurry directly into the borehole annulus, while the flow ports 132B in the upper ported housing 130B direct the slurry into the shunts 150.
• Other arrangements can be used.
• the selective positioning and sealing between the string 1 10 and the housings 130A-B changes fluid paths for the delivery of slurry into the borehole annulus around the screen sections 140A-B in each section 102A-B during the gravel pack operations.
• the inner string 1 10 is then raised to the cementing port collar 160A disposed on the liner 170 uphole of the gravel pack sections 102A-B as shown in Figure 4C.
• Operators manipulate the ports 1 12 and seals 1 14 on the inner string 1 10 in the lower collar 160A (as described in more detail below) and commence pumping cementing slurry down the inner string 1 10.
• the cementing slurry exits the ports 1 12 and the collar 160A, and the cement slurry begins filling the annulus of the borehole 10 around the liner 170 from the downhole packer 104 to the uphole liner hanger 14.
• the liner hanger 14 can have a set packer isolating the borehole annulus from the casing 12. Therefore, the other port collar 160B uphole on the liner 170 can allow fluid returns from the annulus to flow back into the liner 170 and the uphole to the casing 12.
• the uphole gravel pack section 102B in Figure 4C is separated from the liner 170 by an uppermost packer 104.
• the cement exiting the port collar 160A is held back by this uppermost packer 104.
• the packer 104 may be optional in some implementations.
• Figure 4D shows the assembly 100 without such an uphole packer. Instead, the cement is allowed to interface with the packed gravel in the uphole gravel pack section 102B.
• the gravel pack assembly 100 includes the liner 170 that extends into the borehole 10 from the liner hanger 14 in the casing 12.
• the cementing port collar 160A is disposed on the liner 170 uphole of the uppermost packer 104, which isolates the sections 102A-B to be gravel packed from the liner 170.
• the other port collar 160B disposed on the liner 170 near the liner hanger 14 allows for returns during the cementing operations. Further details of these collars 160A-B and the cementing operation are provided below with reference to Figures 9A through 1 1 B.
• the assembly 100 can having several gravel pack sections, although Figure 5B only shows the distal section 102A.
• the section 102A has the screen sections 140A-B, the ported housings 130A-B, and the alternate path devices 150 disposed along its length.
• Each of the ported housings 130A-B has its flow ports 132A-B for diverting flow, and each of the ported housings 130A-B has the seats 134 defined above and below the outlet ports 132A-B for sealing with the seals 1 14 on the inner string 1 10.
• the flow ports 132A on the lower housing 130A can have a skirt 136 to direct the flow of slurry.
• the flow ports 132B on the uphole housing 130B communicate with the alternate path devices 150 disposed along the length of the lower screen section 140A.
• these alternate path devices 150 can be shunts, tubes, concentrically mounted tubing, or other devices known in the art for providing an alternate path for slurry.
• the shunts 150 communicate flow from the flow ports 132B toward the distal end of the assembly 100, although they could direct flow in other directions.
• the assembly 100 is run-in hole for the washdown operation.
• the service tool 18 sits on the liner hanger 14, which can have an unset packer, and seals 16 on the service tool 18 do not seal in the liner hanger 14. In this way, hydrostatic pressure can be transmitted past the seals 16.
• the inner string 1 10 extending from the service tool 18 disposes through the screen sections 140A-B of the assembly 100.
• the inner string 1 10 can have a reverse taper to reduce circulating pressures if desired.
• the assembly 100 On the end of the screen sections 140A-B, the assembly 100 has the shoe track 120 with the float shoe 126 and a seat 124.
• the float shoe 126 has a check valve, sleeve, or the like (not shown) that allows for washing down or circulating fluid around the outside the screen sections 140A-B when running in the well and before the packer 14 is set.
• the inner string 1 10 On its distal end, the inner string 1 10 has the outlet ports 1 12 isolated by the seals 1 14. When run in for washdown, one of the string's seals 1 14 as shown in Figure 5B engages the seat 124 inside the shoe track 120 near the float shoe 126. With the string 1 10 set in this position, operators pump washdown fluid down the inner string 1 10, and the circulated fluid flows out the check valve in the float shoe 126, up the annulus, and around the unset packer of the liner hanger 14.
• a packer setting tool 106 disposed on the inner string 1 10 can be used for this purpose and can be any suitable tool known in the art for hydraulically or hydrostatically setting a packer.
• the setting tool 106 can also be used to set other packers of the assembly 100, although the various packers can be set in any number of ways known in the art.
• the seal 16 on the service tool 18 is raised into the hanger's bore as shown in Figure 6A after releasing from the liner hanger 14. Operators then test the packer on the hanger 14 by pressuring up the casing 12. Fluid passing through any pressure leak at the hanger 14 will go into formation around the screen sections 140A-B. In addition, any leaking fluid will pass into the inner string's outlet ports 1 12 and up to the surface through the inner string 1 10. Regardless, the assembly 100 allows operators to maintain hydrostatic pressure on the formation during these various stages of operation.
• the gravel can pack the borehole annulus in an alpha-beta wave, although other variations can be used.
• the gravel drops out of the slurry and first packs along the low side of the annulus in the borehole 10.
• the gravel collects in stages that progress from the toe (near the housing 130A) to the heel (near the packer 104) in an alpha wave. Gravitational forces dominate the formation of the alpha wave, and the gravel settles along the low side at an equilibrium height along the screen sections 140A-B.
• the borehole 10 then fills in a beta wave along the assembly 100, filling from the heel (near the packer 104) to the toe (near the housing 130A) along the upper side of the borehole annulus.
• the slurry can flow out of the flow ports 132B and into the surrounding annulus if desired. This is possible if one or more of the flow ports 132B communicate directly with the borehole annulus and do not communicate with one of the shunt 150. All the same, the slurry can flow out of the ports 132B and into the shunts 150 for placement elsewhere in the surrounding annulus. Although the shunts 150 are depicted in a certain way, any desirable arrangement and number of transport and packing devices for an alternate path can be used to feed and deliver the slurry.
• this second stage of pumping slurry may be used to further gravel pack the borehole 10.
• pumping the slurry through the shunts 150 enables operators to evacuate excess slurry from the string 1 10 to the borehole 10 without reversing flow in the string 1 10 from the first flow direction (i.e., toward the string's ports 1 12). This is in contrast to the reverse direction of flowing fluid down the annulus between the string 1 10 and the housings 130A-B/screens 140A-B to evacuate excess slurry from the string 1 10.
• the slurry travels from the outlet ports 1 12, through the flow ports 132B, and through the shunts 150. From the shunts 150, the slurry then passes out the side ports or nozzles 154 in the shunts 150 and fills the annulus around shoe track 120. This provides the gravel packing operation with an alternate path to gravel pack the borehole 10 different from the assembly's primary toe-to-heel path. In this way, the shunts 150 attached to the ported housing 130B above the lower screen section 140A can be used to gravel pack the end of the borehole 10 and/or dispose of excess gravel from the inner string 1 10 around the shoe track 120.
• the shunts 150 carry the slurry down the lower screen section 140A so a wash pipe is not needed at the end of the section 140A.
• a bypass 128 defined in a downhole location of the shoe track 120 allows for returns of fluid during this process.
• This bypass 128 can be a check valve, a screen portion, a sleeve, or other suitable device that allows the returns (and not gravel) from the borehole 10 to enter the assembly 100.
• the bypass 128 as a screen portion can have any desirable length along the shoe track 120 depending on the
• the fluid returns can pass out the lower screen section 140A, through the packed gravel, and back through upper screen section 140B to travel uphole.
• the lower ported housing 130A can have a bypass, another shunt, or the like (not shown), which can be used to deliver fluid returns past the seals 1 14 and seats 134 and uphole.
• operation may reach a "sand out” condition or a pressure increase while pumping slurry at these upper flow ports 132B.
• a valve, rupture disc, or other closure device 156 in the shunts 150 can open so the gravel in the slurry can then fill inside the shoe track 120 after evacuating the excess around the shoe track 120. In this way, operators can evacuate excess gravel inside the shoe track 120.
• next section 102B disposed further uphole can be essentially the same as the previous section 102A.
• the second section 102B can have the ported housings 130A-B, the screen sections 140A-B, and the shunt tubes 150 just as before.
• the shunts 150 as shown in Figure 9A may terminate at the downhole end of the section 102B to deposit sand in this area during gravel packing. Much of the other steps for gravel packing the section 102B would be the same as discussed previously.
• next gravel pack section 102B can be more simplified and can have a ported housing 130 and screen section 140. Gravel packing here would involve toe-to-heel packing along the screen section 140 from the lower ported housing 130 until sandout.
• the assembly 100 is set to perform the cementing operation of the uphole liner 170.
• the inner string 1 10 is moved uphole so that the ported end of the tool 1 10 leaves the gravel pack sections 102A-B and seats in the port collar 160A uphole of the last packer 104 (if present as in Fig. 4C) or uphole of the last screen section 140B (as in Fig. 4D).
• Operators then pump cement slurry down the inner string 1 10 so that the cement fills the annulus around the upper liner 170 to set it in the open borehole 10.
• FIG. 10A One arrangement of port collars 160A-B on the liner 170 is shown in more detail in Figure 10A.
• the ports 162 in the uphole collar 160 disposed on the liner 170 downhole of the liner hanger 14 allow fluid returns from the borehole annulus around the liner 170 to pass into the space between the string 1 10 and the liner 170.
• the fluid returns can then pass uphole to the casing 12.
• cement slurry may collect in the space between the inner string 1 10 and the liner 170, operators can clear any residual material with a circulating procedure after finishing the cementing operations.
• the same ports 1 12 on the inner string 1 10 used for gravel packing can also be used for cementing in this arrangement.
• additional ports 1 12' and seals 1 14' on the inner string 1 10 can be used for cementing and are disposed a distance uphole of the ports 1 12 and seals 1 14 used for gravel packing.
• the dual sets of ports 1 12/1 12' and seals 1 14/1 14' may be useful if more or less ports 1 12' are needed for cementing than for gravel packing and if the cementing ports 1 12' need a different size than the gravel pack ports 1 12. Accordingly, the additional ports 1 12' and seals 1 14' may be the same as or different from those ports 1 12 and seals 1 14 used for gravel packing.
• the cementing ports 1 12' are uphole of the gravel pack ports 1 12, the cementing ports 1 12' should be closed when gravel packing is to be done. For this reason, the cementing ports 1 12' can be closed using a sleeve 1 1 1 with a ball seat 1 13. When closed, gravel pack slurry pumped down thee inner string 1 10 would flow past the closed sleeve 1 1 1 to the gravel pack ports 1 12. When the ball 1 17 is dropped and fluid pressure is applied, the sleeve 1 1 1 moves and opens fluid flow to the cementing ports 1 12'.
• the ball 1 17 may remain in the sleeve's seat 1 13 or may pass through the seat 1 13. If the ball 1 17 remains in the sleeve's seat 1 13, the seated ball 1 17 can close of fluid flow past it and can divert the flow of cementing slurry to the cementing ports 1 12'. In this case, a seat 1 19 downhole would not be needed. However, the seat 1 13 on the sleeve 1 1 1 may be expandable and can release the ball 1 17 to engage the lower seat 1 1 9 if used.
• the port collars 160A-B merely had open ports 1 62, which would presumably remain open during the entire gravel packing and cementing operations.
• having these open ports 162 on the liner 170 may be acceptable because fluid communication between the liner 170 and the borehole annulus may not be problematic.
• Figure 1 1 A shows another arrangement of port collars 160A-B for performing cementing operations.
• the downhole port collar 160A is disposed uphole of the packing element 104 (if used) separating the liner annulus from the gravel pack sections (not shown).
• This collar 160A can have a valve 165, which can be opened to perform cementing operations, but closed during gravel packing.
• the uphole port collar 160B can have a valve 165, which can be opened for cementing, but closed during gravel packing.
• valves 165 could be used, including, but not limited to, sliding sleeves, rotatable sleeves, rupture discs, and the like.
• the collars 160A-B can use sliding sleeves for the valves 165 to expose the collar's side ports 162 for communicating with the borehole annulus.
• fluid returns from the gravel packing or other operations can be prevented from cross-flow between the annulus and liner 170.
• cement slurry can exit the open ports 162 of the lower collar 160A into the liner annulus, and fluid returns can enter from the liner's annulus and into the liner 170 through the uphole collar 160A.
• These sleeves 165 can be opened using a shifting tool 108 disposed on the inner string 1 10 that opens the sleeves 165 as it is passed uphole with the string 1 10 through the collars 160A-B before cementing operations begin.
• the sleeves 165 can be rotatable in which case a rotating tool 108 can be used.
• the sleeves 165 can be closed at the end of cementing so production can be performed.
• Placement of the shifting tool 108 will depend on the particulars of the implementation and the length of the inner string 1 10 and assembly 100 so depicting of the shifting tool 108 at its location in Figure 1 1 A is only meant to be illustrative.
• FIG. 1 1 B shows the gravel pack assembly 100 during cementing operations using a ported liner hanger 180.
• the ported liner hanger 180 can have a bypass or passage 182 for returns.
• the inner string 1 10 is positioned in the downhole port collar 160A so cementing operations can be preformed.
• the ported liner hanger 180 with its bypass 182 allows fluid returns in the borehole 10 to enter the casing 12 during cementing.
• the bypass 182 can take many forms.
• the liner hanger 180 can have a gap between the liner hanger 180 and the casing 12 that acts as the bypass 182.
• the bypass 182 can be a port, orifice, or the like defined in the liner hanger 180.

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• Geology (AREA)
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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Consolidation Of Soil By Introduction Of Solidifying Substances Into Soil (AREA)
• Piles And Underground Anchors (AREA)
• On-Site Construction Work That Accompanies The Preparation And Application Of Concrete (AREA)
• Preparation Of Clay, And Manufacture Of Mixtures Containing Clay Or Cement (AREA)

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• 2013
  • 2013-01-04 WO PCT/US2013/020245 patent/WO2013103785A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2013-01-04 SG SG11201403515VA patent/SG11201403515VA/en unknown
  • 2013-01-04 BR BR112014016813A patent/BR112014016813A8/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2013-01-04 RU RU2014132344/03A patent/RU2578064C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2013-01-04 EP EP13700247.3A patent/EP2800865B1/de not_active Not-in-force

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