US3173487A - Apparatus for sand control completion - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1965 D. B. BAYARD ETAT. 3,173,487

APPARATUS FOP sANO CONTROL COMPLETION 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed DSC. 28. 1960 .ATM

INVENTORS DONALD B. BAYARD FIG. 2G

J0 EPH E. DEW/TT TREs March 16, 1965 n. B. BAYARD ETAI.

APPARATUS FOR SAND CONTROL COMPLETION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 28. 1960 INVENTORS DONALD s. BAYARD Jo EPH E. DEW/Tr United States Patent OE ice 3,173,487 APPARATUS FR SAND CONTROL COMPLETIGN Donald B. Bayard, Golden Meadow, and Joseph E.

De Witt, Houma, La., assignors to California Re- Search Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 28, 196i), Ser. No. 78,946 S Claims. (Cl. 16d- 134) This invention relates to sand control in oil wells and more particularly this invention relates to sand control completion with prepacked sand control liners adapted to be positioned adjacent a producing formation.

lt is a particular object of this invention to provide an apparatus for lwire line placement of a production' packer and a prepacked sand control liner in a borehole which eliminates the` necessity of individual placement of these components -and the concurrent downhole` trips of the tubing string.

Flowing sand has long been a problem in oil production.V This is especially true in areas, such as the Gulf Coast area, where the producing formations tend to be unconsolidated. Many methods of sand control have been tried to eliminate the production of flowing sand with the produced oil. One of the more successful attempts to deal with this problem has been the utilization of prepacked sand control liners in the borehole adjacent a producing formation. The prepacked sand control liners generally consist of a hollow cylindrical matrix of presized material designed to pass oil and `filter sand and other objectionable solid material, a containing means for the cylindrical matrix and means connecting the interior of the cylindrical matrix with a string of production tubing inserted into the borehole from. the surface. Whether the prepacked sand control liners are used in tiowing wells or in pumping wells, a production packer is placed above the sand control liner to pack off the annular space between the well casing or borehole wall and the outside of the production tubing to confine oil flow to the production tub-ing. lt is in the placing of the repacked sand control liner and the production packer that this invention is concerned.

Heretofore, sand control with prepacks was generally accomplished by .the following procedure. When drilling was finished, the drill string was pulled from the hole and casing operations completed. A prepacked sand control lincr was placed adjacent the producing formation by lowering the prepack from the surface on a runningin string, usually composed of production tubing. Since the borehole usually bottomed at the lower limit of the producing zone, the prepack was disconnected from the running-in string by forcing the base of the prepack on the well bottom and counter-rotating the running-in string to unscrew the threaded coupling between the running-in string and the prepack. The running-in string was then pulled from the hole by alternately raising the entire string and removing the individual tubing sections making up the string. A production packer' and a packer setting tool were positioned above' the prepack either by lowering the packer and pack-er setting tool on a running-in string or by a wire line. Attached to the bottom of the packer was a tail pipe .designed to lit into the hookup nipple at the top of the prepack or other-wise seal the Patented Mar. 16, 1965 pack to the surface and the well was ready to produce.

A number of serious problems arise when sand control is done in this manner. The prepack is often damaged when it is subjected to the torque, impacts and shocks associated with inserting and uncoupling the prepack from the setting string in the borehole. The tail pipe connection extending below the production packer often does no-t completely seal the inner bore of the prepack and the production tubing, allowing sand to enter through the crack and be produced with the oil. Since the operation as recited above requires at least two trips of the running-in string, it is uneconomical because of the amount of rig time required to place the packer and liner.

Briefly, the present invention provides an apparatus for sand control completion that allows both the production packer and the prepacked sand control liner to be run in the borehole at the same time on a wire line, positioned adjacent the producing formation, the paCker set, the wire line removed and the,V production tubing inserted into the packer to complete the conduit .to the surface for the sandfree production of oil.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention lwill become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings which are made a part of 4this specification.

In the drawings: j

FIG. la is an elevation view partially in section of ,the lower portion of one embodiment of the invention showing a prepacked sand control liner and the lower portion of a special hookup nipple.

"FIG, 1b is an elevation view partially in Section of the upper portion of the same embodiment of the invention showing the upper part of the special hookup nipple and a production packer.

Y FIG. 2a is an elevation view partially in section of the lower portion of another embodiment of the invention showing a prepacked sand control liner and the lower portion of a special hookup nipple.

i FIG. 2b is an elevation view partially in section of the upper portion of the same embodiment of the invention showing the upper part of the special hookup nipple and a production packer.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodif ment of the invention being positioned in a borehole by wire line.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of the invention in a borehole adjacent a producing formation.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of the invention in a borehole adjacent a produc.- ing formation with the packer set and the wire line freed..

tFlG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of the invention in a borehole with production tubing inserted therein.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1a, a prepacked sand control liner 87 is shown. :In this embodiment of the invention the prepack 187 is carried on the inner tube 2.2- The prepack 87 rests on the bottom of the hole .on a crossfoot bull plug 24. @Particles 2,6 cemented by an agent such as plastic are bonded around inner tube 22. Suitable particles include selected sand grains such aS those comprising widely graded sand grains as defined in lDe Priester U.S. Patent 2,905,245. Other particles such as nut shells, shredded wood and the like can also be used, The prepack 87 is positioned in a borehole adjacent a producing formation to control the flow of ,Sand from the formation. Oil flows to the surface through a central flow passage formed through at least a portion of the length of prepack `87 by inner tube l22.

The prepacked sand control liner 87 is connected to a production packer `(tS, FIG. 1b) by hookup nipple 86. The inner tube 22 of the prepack 87 is attached to es the lower part of a tubular member 30 by means of shearable collar 28 and adapted sub 32. Shearable collar 28 is constructed of a metal which will fail when a predetermined stress is applied. However, any convenient separable means may be incorporated in this embodiment. For example, adapter sub 32 could have seals adapted to be inserted into collar 28, instead of the illustrated threaded connection, which would separate when a predetermined tension is applied. The separable means is desired because of the tendency of the sand control liner 87 to become imbedded in the borehole during operation. When this occurs the sand completion tools above separable means may be pulled after the separable means separates and the sand control liner 87 fished out later.

Tubular member 30 is preferably of suliicient diameter to receive conventional production tubing. Production tubing (dashed lines) 100 is later inserted to the pos1- tion illustrated after the packer 85 and the sand control prepacked liner 87 have been positioned in the borehole adjacent the producing formation and the packer set.

Referring to FIG. lb which is a continuation of FIG. la showing the upper portion of this embodiment of the invention, tubular member 30 is connected to a production packer 85 by means of adapter sub 42. A particular packer which is adapted for use in this embodiment is the Baker Model D Retainer Production Packer, Product Number 4l5-D. The portion below the lower slips 44 of the packer is removed and replaced by adapter sub 42. This packer is one that may be used in the invention and generally any packer that has a hollow inner bore adapted to receive production tubing and that can be wire line set may be adapted for use in the invention. The production packer `85 seals olf the annular space between the borehole wall, the casing and the production tubing by means of packer element 46, retaining rings 48 and 49, and upper slips 47 and lower slips 44. The packer 85 is adapted for wire line setting. This may be accomplished by a conventional wire line pressure setting assembly (not shown). The packer 85 and the sand control liner 87 (FIG. la) are connected as illustrated in FIGS. ila and lb. A wire line pressure setting assembly or a similar wire line setting tool is attached to the production packer 85 and the packer 85 and prepacked sand control liner `87 are lowered into the borehole to a position adjacent a producing formation. The packer is Set and the pressure setting assembly which is released from the packer during the setting operation is pulled from the hole with the wire line.

After the packer and liner have been positioned in the borehole, the packer set and the setting assembly and wire line removed from the borehole, a string of production tubing 100 is inserted into the borehole. The packer 85 has an inner bore adapted to receive the tubing 100. Seals 101 which are attached to the exterior of tubing 100 seal the inner bore of the packer 85 with the tubing 100 to provide a conduit to move oil to the surface.

Referring to FIG. 2a where the lower part of an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated, a prepacked sand control liner 87 is shown. The prepack 87 is adapted to be carried on its outer hull 62. Presized particles 63 are contained between outer hull 62 and inner tube 64. Communication between the exterior of the prepack 87 and the inner bore of the prepack 87 is provided by slots 65 located in the outer hull 62 and slots 66 located in the inner tube 64. Particles 63 are contained in the annular space between the outer hull 62 and the inner tube 64 by base 68 and seal 67 at the top of the prepack 87. A crossfoot plug 78 is commonly attached to base 68.

The prepacked sand control liner 87 is connected to the packer (85, FIG. 2b) by hookup nipple 86. Outer hull 62 is connected to tubular member 70 by collar 71. The tubular member 70 is preferably constructed of a material such as aluminum having a tensil strength less than the tensil strength of metallic material used in attaching the tubular member 70 to the production packer. The use of this weaker metal insures that if the sand control liner 87 becomes stuck in the hole, the packer may be recovered after the tubular member 70 fails under tension. A hollow member 73 is connected by adapter sub 72 to the inner tube 64. Hollow member 73 is adapted to receive production tubing (dashed lttl) and tubing seals (dashed 1103) when they are later inserted after the packer and prepack are in place in the borehole.

Referring to FIG. 2b where the upper portion of this alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated, a continuation of hollow member 73, tubular member 70 and the later inserted production tubing 104) is shown. Tubular member 70 is rigidly connected to the base of a production packer by collar 75 and adapter sub 76. 'Ille adapter sub 76 is secured to production packer SS immediately below lower slips 44. Packer 85 is adapted to be set by wire line and the setting operation is identical to the one above described.

Hollow member 73 is not connected to packer 85. There is a clearance 77 left between hollow member 73 and the production packer 85 to allow for insertion of a packer milling tool nose to retrieve the packer 85. Since sand would ow into the production tubing 100 or up the annulus between production tubing 100 and the inner bore of packer 85 through clearance 77, if the tubular member 70 were to be cracked on insertion into the borehole, production tubing 100 must have seals 103 below the clearance 77 and seals 104 above the clearance. These seals insure oil production only through the prepacked sand control liner.

The packer S5 and the prepacked sand control liner 87 are connected on the surface. A wire line is used to lower and set the packer in the borehole. The wire line and setting assembly is then removed from the borehole, the production tubing 100 inserted and the well is ready to produce.

Referring to FIG. 3, an oil-bearing formation 91 penetrated by a borehole is shown. As now illustrated all drilling and casing operations have been completed in the borehole 90 and the well is ready for sand control completion with a prepacked sand control liner. The rst step in the method of the present invention is diagrammatically illustrated. The top of a prepacked sand control liner 87 is connected to the bottom of a production packer 85 by a special hookup nipple 86. The hookup nipple 86 is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 or in FIG. 2. This connection is made above ground prior to insertion of the combination in the borehole.

A wire line setting assembly 84 is attached to the production packer. One wire line setting assembly suitable for use with the Baker Production Packer heretofore mentioned is the Baker Wire Line Pressure Setting Assembly with Adapter Kit, Product No. 437. However any setting assembly adapted to wire line set the production packer utilized in the invention may be used keeping in the spirit of the invention. A wire line 81 is connected in the appropriate manner to the pressure setting assembly 84.

The sand control prepacked liner 87, the hookup nipple 86, the production packer 85 and the pressure setting assembly 84 are lowered into the borehole by wire line 81. A surface installation to facilitate lowering the combination is winch 80 which feeds wire line 81 into borehole 90 through pulley 82 supported by derrick 83.

FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the position of the prepacked sand control liner 87, the hookup nipple 86, the production packer 85 and the pressure setting assembly 84 in the borehole 90 suspended by wire line 81 adjacent producing formation 91 just prior to setting the production packer 85. In this position the sand control liner 87 is adjacent the producing formation 91. The thickness of the producing formation 91 will to a large extent determine the length of the prepacked sand control liner 87. As much as 95 feet of prepacked sand con- U trol liner 87 and hookup nipple 86 have been successfully connected below a production packer S5 using the method of the invention.

Production packer 85 is positioned above producing formation 91. The packer 'S5 is separated from but rigidly connected to the prepacked sand control liner $7 by special hookup nipple 36. The method of the invention may be practiced in either cased or uncased wells since packer 85 is adapted to be set against casing or against a formation wall. However, it is preferred that the borehole be cased and perforated at the producing level.

FIG. 5 shows the production packer 35 after it has been set. The Wire line setting assembly S4 is released automatically during the setting operation from the production packer 8S and is withdrawn from the borehole 90 by means of wire line 81. Extending below packer S5 are the hookup nipple 86 and prepacked sand control liner 87. The inner bore of the prepacked liner S7 is connected to the inner bore of packer 85 by the hookup nipple 86. The setting of packer 8S seals oi the annular space between the exterior of packer 85 and the borehole 90 thus limiting communication between producing formation 91 and the surface to a path through the central tlow passage of prepacked sand control liner 87.

FIG. 6 diagrammatically illustrates the well ready to produce oil through prepacked sand control liner 87. A string of production tubing 88 is inserted into the inner bore of the production packer S5 and sealed therein by means of seals on tubing 83. The only route to the surface from the producing formation 91 is through the conduit formed by the inner bores of the prepacked sand control liner 87, the special hookup nipple 86, the production packer 85 and the production tubing S. The well is now ready to produce.

The invention having been fully described, we claim:

1. Apparatus for completing a well comprising a sand control liner having an inner tube, a packer having an inner bore in communication with the inner tube of said sand control liner and tubular means connecting said inner tube of said sand control liner to said packer, said means adapted to separate when a predetermined stress is applied thereto.

2. Apparatus for sand control completion in a well comprising a prepacked sand control liner having an inner tube, a production packer having an inner bore in communication with the inner tube, said packer adapted for wire line setting and tubular means connecting said inner tube of said prepacked sand control liner to said production packer, said means adapted to separate when a predetermined stress is applied thereto.

3. Apparatus for sand control in an oil well comprising a prepacked sand control liner having an inner tube, a tubular member, means connecting said inner tube to one end orn said tubular member, said means adapted to separate when a predetermined stress is applied thereto, a production packer having an inner bore, said packer adapted for wire line setting, and means connecting the other end of said tubular member to said production packer to provide communication between said inner tube of said prepacked sand control liner and said inner bore 0f said production packer.

4. Apparatus for completing an oil well comprising a sand control liner having an inner tube and an outer hull, said liner adapted to be carried by said outer hull, a packer having an inner bore, communicating with the inner tube of said sand control liner, and means connecting said outer hull of said sand control liner to said packer, said means adapted to separate when a predetermined stress is applied thereto.

5. Apparatus for sand control in an oil well comprising a prepacked sand control liner having an inner tube and an outer hull, said liner adapted to be carried by said outer hull, a production packer having an inner bore communicating with the inner tube of said sand control liner, and means connecting said outer hull to said production packer, said means adapted to separate when a predetermined stress is applied thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSV 2,257,344 Maloney Sept. 30, 1941 2,299,057 McClain Oct. 13, 1942 2,416,842 OLeary Mar. 4, 1947 2,707,998 Baker et al. May 10, 1955 2,713,910 Baker et al. July 26, 1955 2,981,332 Miller et al 4-1-7 Apr. 25, 1961

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