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
  • 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
  • E21B43/08—Screens or liners
  • E21B43/082—Screens comprising porous materials, e.g. prepacked screens
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03B—INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER
  • E03B3/00—Methods or installations for obtaining or collecting drinking water or tap water
  • E03B3/06—Methods or installations for obtaining or collecting drinking water or tap water from underground
  • E03B3/08—Obtaining and confining water by means of wells
  • E03B3/16—Component parts of wells
  • E03B3/18—Well filters
  • E03B3/20—Well filters of elements of special shape
• • 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
  • E21B43/08—Screens or liners

Definitions

• This disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in one example described below, more particularly provides a well screen with a nano-particle reinforced filter .
• Well screens are used to filter fluid produced from earth formations. Well screens remove sand, fines, debris, etc., from the fluid. It will be appreciated that
• improved well screens and methods of constructing well screens are provided to the art.
• One example is described below in which a porous substrate of a well screen filter is reinforced with nano-particles .
• An improved well screen is provided to the art by the disclosure below.
• the well screen can include a filter with a nano-particle reinforcement.
• a method of constructing a well screen is also possible.
• the method can include treating a filter with a nano-particle reinforcement.
• the filter may comprise a porous substrate.
• the porous substrate can comprise a ceramic material.
• the nano-particle reinforcement may be disposed in pores of the ceramic material.
• the nano-particle reinforcement can comprise nano- fibers, or other types of nano-particles .
• the nano-particle reinforcement may increase a tensile strength of the filter, reduce a brittleness of the filter, and/or increase an erosion resistance of the filter.
• the filter may comprise a ceramic material which filters fluid which flows between an annulus external to the well screen and an interior flow passage of the well screen.
• the filter may comprise a porous substrate positioned radially between a base pipe and a protective shroud.
• FIG. 1 is a representative partially cross-sectional view of a well system and associated method which can embody principles of this disclosure.
• FIG. 2 is a representative oblique view of a filter for a well screen which may be used in the system and method of FIG. 1, and which can embody principles of this disclosure.
• FIG. 3 is a representative cross-sectional view of the well screen.
• FIG. 1 Representatively illustrated in FIG. 1 is a system 10 for use with a subterranean well, and an associated method, which system and method can embody principles of this disclosure.
• system 10 and method are merely one example of an application of the principles of this disclosure in
• a tubular string 12 (such as a production tubing string, a testing work string, a
• the tubular string 12 in this example includes a packer 20 and a well screen 22.
• the packer 20 isolates a portion of an annulus 24 formed radially between the tubular string 12 and the wellbore 14.
• the well screen 22 filters fluid 26 which flows into the tubular string 12 from the annulus 24 (and from an earth formation 28 into the annulus).
• the well screen 22 in this example includes end connections 29 (such as internally or externally formed threads, seals, etc.) for
• the tubular string 12 may be continuous or segmented, and made of metal and/or nonmetal material.
• the tubular string 12 does not necessarily include the packer 20 or any other particular item(s) of equipment. Indeed, the tubular string 12 is not even necessary in keeping with the
• Examples of the well screen 22 are described in more detail below. Each of the examples described below can be constructed conveniently, rapidly and economically, thereby improving a cost efficiency of the well system 10 and method, while effectively filtering the fluid 26.
• a generally tubular filter 30 of the well screen 22 is representatively illustrated.
• the filter 30 is depicted in FIG. 2 as having an annular shape, and being a single element, any shape or number of elements may be used in the filter.
• the filter could be sectioned radially and/or longitudinally, the filter could be flat or made up of flat elements, etc.
• the filter 30 comprises a porous substrate 32 reinforced with a nano-particle reinforcement 34.
• the porous substrate 32 can comprise a ceramic material 36.
• the nano-particle reinforcement 34 in this example can be dispersed into pores of the ceramic material 36.
• the filter can obtain increased strength, reduced brittleness, and/or reduced erosion due to flow of the fluid 26 through the filter.
• brittleness can be especially beneficial if the filter 30 comprises the ceramic material 36, or any relatively brittle material .
• Suitable ceramic materials for use in the filter 30 include silicon carbide, alumina and mullite. Other
• Suitable nano-particle reinforcement 34 materials include titanium nitride, chromium nitride, silica, diamond, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, etc.
• Suitable types of nano- particles include carbon nano-tubes and nano-graphites, nano-clusters , nano-powders , etc.
• a nano-particle is generally understood to have at least one dimension from 100 to 1 nanometers.
• nano-particle reinforcement refers to a reinforcement comprising particles having at least one dimension which is from about 1 nanometer to about 100 nanometers.
• FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view of one example of the well screen 22 is
• the filter 32 is positioned radially between a base pipe 38 and a
• the base pipe 38 can have the end connections 29 for connecting the well screen 22 in the tubular string 12 in the system 10 of FIG. 1.
• a longitudinal flow passage 42 of the tubular string 12 can extend through the base pipe 38.
• the well screen 22 could be used in other systems and methods, in keeping with the scope of this disclosure.
• the filter 30 is depicted in FIG. 3 as being external to the base pipe 38, but in other examples the filter 30 could be otherwise positioned relative to the base pipe (such as, internal to the base pipe, etc.).
• the substrate 32 can be separately formed (e.g., by casting, molding, etc.), and then
• the substrate 32 could be formed on or in the base pipe 38 (e.g., by casting or molding the substrate on or in the base pipe, etc.).
• the substrate 32 may be treated with the nano-particle reinforcement 34 prior to, during or after the substrate is positioned relative to the base pipe 38.
• the substrate 32 may be treated with the nano-particle reinforcement 34 by spraying or coating the substrate with nano-particles , molding or casting the substrate with the nano-particles, applying the nano-particles to the
• reinforcement 34 into the filter 30 may be used, in keeping with the scope of this disclosure.
• the filter 30 can be produced by treating a ceramic substrate 32 with a nano-particle
• carbon nano-tubes or nano- graphites could increase the tensile strength of the filter 30, increase the filter's erosion resistance, and reduce the ceramic substrate's brittleness.
• the shroud 40 is depicted in FIG. 3 as outwardly enclosing the filter 30. In this manner, the shroud 40 can protect the filter 30 during installation of the tubular string 12 in the wellbore 14. However, if the filter 30 is otherwise positioned (e.g., not external to the base pipe 38), then the shroud 40 could be otherwise positioned (e.g., internal to the base pipe 38), or not used at all.
• the shroud 40 is perforated to allow flow of the fluid 26 from the annulus 24 to the filter 30.
• the shroud 40 can be secured to the base pipe 38 by crimping and/or welding, or by any other technique.
• additional filter layer, etc. could be included in the well screen 22, if desired.
• the scope of this disclosure is not limited at all to the number, arrangement or types of elements in the FIG. 3 example of the well screen 22.
• a nano-particle reinforcement 34 is used to increase strength, decrease erosion and reduce brittleness of a filter 30 in a well screen 22. These benefits are achieved economically, conveniently and readily.
• the well screen 22 can comprise a filter 30 with a nano- particle reinforcement 34.
• the filter 30 may include a porous substrate 32.
• the porous substrate 32 can comprise a ceramic material 36.
• the nano-particle reinforcement 34 may be disposed in pores of the ceramic material 36.
• the nano-particle reinforcement 34 can comprise nano- fibers. Other types of nano-particles can be used, if desired.
• the nano-particle reinforcement 34 may increase a tensile strength, reduce a brittleness, and/or increase an erosion resistance of the filter 30.
• the filter 30 can comprise a ceramic material 36 which filters fluid 26 which flows between an annulus 24 external to the well screen 22 and an interior flow passage 42 of the well screen 22.
• the filter 30 can comprise a porous
• a method of constructing a well screen 22 is also described above.
• the method can include treating a filter 30 with a nano-particle reinforcement 34.
• the treating step can comprise applying the nano- particle reinforcement 34 to a porous substrate 32.
• the porous substrate 32 may comprise a ceramic material 36.
• the treating step can comprise dispersing the nano- particle reinforcement 34 into pores of a ceramic material 36.
• structures disclosed as being separately formed can, in other examples, be integrally formed and vice versa.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Filtering Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Citations (5)

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• 2012
  • 2012-03-22 NO NO12872168A patent/NO2828476T3/no unknown
  • 2012-03-22 WO PCT/US2012/030182 patent/WO2013141867A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2012-03-22 CA CA2860337A patent/CA2860337C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-03-22 US US14/370,461 patent/US10633955B2/en active Active
  • 2012-03-22 EP EP12872168.5A patent/EP2828476B1/en not_active Not-in-force

Patent Citations (5)

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