Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

David C Haeberle

Michael Thomas Hecker

Michael D Barry

Charles S Yeh

Jon Blacklock

Ted Alan Long

Terje Moen

Arthur Herman Dybevik

Kjartan Roaldsnes

Ole Sveinung Kvernstuen

Hans Brekken

Lars Faret

Knut H Nesland

Bruce A Dale

Darren F Rosenbaum

Timothy G Benish

Manh V Phi

Michael J Siegman

Tim G Benish

Stephen Reid

Tracy J Moffett

Iain Morrison Macleod

John W Mohr

Scott R Clingman

Lee Mercer

Rahul Pakal

Jason A Burdette

Patrick Charles Hyde

Andrew J Elrick

Charles Yeh

Marcus Asmann

Brian W Duffy

Arthur H Dybevik

Michael J c/o Exxonmobil Production Siegman

Michael J;c/o Exxonmobil Production Siegman

Charles Shiao-Hsiung Yeh

Patrick C Hyde

Iain M Macleod

Michael T Hecker

Apparatus and method for completing a wellbore including providing a packer having an inner mandrel, alternate flow channels along the inner mandrel, and a sealing element external to the inner mandrel, including connecting packer to tubular body, then running the packer and connected tubular body into the wellbore. In one aspect, the packer and connected tubular body may be placed along an open-hole portion of the wellbore. Tubular body may be a sand screen, with the sand screen comprising a base pipe, a surrounding filter medium, and alternate flow channels. The method includes setting a packer and injecting a gravel slurry into an annular region formed between the tubular body and the surrounding wellbore, and then further injecting the gravel slurry through the alternate flow channels to allow the gravel slurry to at least partially bypass sealing element of the packer.

Packer for alternate flow channel gravel packing and method for completing a wellbore

Completing a wellbore in a subsurface formation with packer assembly having first mechanically-set packer as first zonal isolation tool, and second zonal isolation tool comprises internal bore for receiving production fluids, and alternate flow channels. First packer has alternate flow channels around inner mandrel, and sealing element external to inner mandrel and includes operatively connecting packer assembly to a sand screen, and running into wellbore. First packer set by actuating sealing element into engagement with surrounding open-hole portion of the wellbore. Thereafter, injecting a gravel slurry and further injecting the gravel slurry through the alternate flow channels to allow it to bypass the sealing element, resulting in a gravel packed wellbore within an annular region between sand screen and surrounding formation below packer assembly.

Wellbore apparatus and methods for multi-zone well completion, production and injection

Systems and methods for providing zonal isolation in a hydrocarbon well include or utilize a tubular assembly having an upstream manifold, a gravel packing conduit, a transport conduit, a leak-off conduit, and a downstream flow path. The tubular assembly is adapted to receive a gravel-laden slurry and to direct at least a portion of the same to the gravel packing conduit. The gravel-laden slurry exiting the gravel packing conduit packs the annulus between the tubular assembly and the wellbore by dehydrating at least in part through the leak-off conduit. The leak-off conduit is further gravel-packed by the gravel-laden slurry received by the tubular assembly. The leak-off conduit is dehydrated through a flow control valve. Together, the gravel packed annulus and the gravel packed leak-off conduit provide a gravel-based zonal isolation system.

Systems and methods for providing zonal isolation in wells

Zonal isolation apparatus includes at least one packer assembly and can be used in completing an open-hole portion of a wellbore, which open-hole portion extends through at least two subsurface intervals. The zonal isolation apparatus includes base pipe and filter medium, which together form a sand screen. Each packer assembly comprises at least two mechanically set packer elements. Intermediate the at least two mechanically set packer elements is at least one swellable packer element. The swellable packer element is actuated over time in the presence of a fluid such as water, oil, or a chemical. Swelling may occur should one of the mechanically set packer elements fail. The zonal isolation apparatus also includes alternate flow channel(s) that serve to divert gravel pack slurry from an upper interval to lower intervals during gravel packing operations. A method for completing a wellbore using the zonal isolation apparatus is also provided herein.

Open-hole packer for alternate path gravel packing, and method for completing an open-hole wellbore

A method, system and apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons are described. The method includes disposing a plurality of sand control devices having a primary flow path and a secondary flowpath within a wellbore adjacent to a subsurface reservoir. A packer having primary and secondary flow paths is then coupled between two of the sand control devices such that the primary and secondary flow paths of the packer are in fluid flow communication with the primary and secondary flowpaths of the sand control devices. The packer is then set within an interval, which may be an open-hole section of the wellbore. With the packer set, gravel packing of the sand control devices in different intervals may be performed. The interval above the packer may be packed before the interval below the packer. A treatment fluid may then be injected into the wellbore via the secondary flow paths of the packer and sand control devices. Then, hydrocarbons are produced from the wellbore by passing hydrocarbons through the sand control devices with the different intervals providing zonal isolation.

Wellbore method and apparatus for completion, production and injection

Apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons comprising a joint assembly comprising a main body portion having primary and secondary fluid flow paths, wherein the main body portion is attached to a load sleeve assembly at one end and a torque sleeve assembly at the opposite end. The load sleeve may include at least one transport conduit and at least one packing conduit. The main body portion may include a sand control device, a packer, or other well tool for use in a downhole environment. Included is a coupling assembly having a manifold region in fluid flow communication with the second fluid flow path of the main body portion and facilitating the make-up of first and second joint assemblies with a single connection.

Method, system and apparatus to produce hydrocarbons includes a packer apparatus with a swellable packer element around primary and secondary flow paths, the packer is configured to block flow in a portion of a wellbore annulus. The method includes disposing sand control devices having shunt tubes and a packer within a wellbore adjacent to a subsurface reservoir. The packer is then set within an interval, which may be an open-hole section of the wellbore, and gravel packing the sand control devices in different intervals. Hydrocarbons are produced by passing hydrocarbons through the sand control devices with different intervals providing zonal isolation. In some embodiments, intervals may be alternatively packed and plugged, wherein the plugged intervals are not packed.

A method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons is described. In the method, a failure mode for a well completion is identified. A numerical engineering model to describe an event that results in the failure mode is constructed. The numerical engineering model is converted into a response surface. Then, the response surface is associated with a user tool configured to provide the response surface for analysis of another well.

Well modeling associated with extraction of hydrocarbons from subsurface formations

A method and apparatus associated with various phases of a well completion. In one embodiment, a method is described that includes identifying failure modes for a well completion. At least one technical limit associated with each of the failure modes is obtained. Then, an objective function for the well completion is formulated. Then, the objective function is solved to create a well performance limit.

A method, system and apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons are described. One apparatus includes a swellable packer element around a primary and a secondary flow path, wherein the packer is configured to block flow in a portion of a wellbore annulus. One method includes disposing sand control devices having shunt tubes and a packer within a wellbore adjacent to a subsurface reservoir. The packer is then set within an interval, which may be an open-hole section of the wellbore. With the packer set, gravel packing of the sand control devices in different intervals may be performed. Then, hydrocarbons are produced from the wellbore by passing hydrocarbons through the sand control devices with the different intervals providing zonal isolation. In some embodiments, intervals may be alternatively packed and plugged, wherein the plugged intervals are not packed. In addition, the method may also include disposing the sand control devices and packer into the wellbore in conditioned drilling fluid. The conditioned drilling fluid may be displaced adjacent to the sand control devices by a carrier fluid. Again, once the packer is set, the gravel packing the intervals with the carrier fluid having gravel may be performed.

Method and apparatus for producing hydrocarbons including a wellbore that accesses a subsurface reservoir; a production tubing string disposed within the wellbore; and sand control devices coupled to the production tubing string. At least one of the sand control devices includes a first tubular member having a permeable section and a non permeable section; a second tubular member disposed within the first tubular member. The second tubular member has a plurality of openings and an inflow control device that provides a flow path to the interior. The sand control devices include a sealing mechanism disposed between the first tubular member and the second tubular member to provide pressure loss during gravel packing operations that is less than the pressure loss during production operations.

Wellbore method and apparatus for sand and inflow control during well operations

A method associated with the production of hydrocarbons comprising a joint assembly comprising a main body portion having primary and secondary fluid flow paths, wherein the main body portion is attached to a load sleeve assembly at one end and a torque sleeve assembly at the opposite end. The load sleeve may include at least one transport conduit and at least one packing conduit. The main body portion may include a sand control device, a packer, or other well tool for use in a downhole environment. Included is a coupling assembly having a manifold region in fluid flow communication with the second fluid flow path of the main body portion and facilitating the make-up of first and second joint assemblies with a single connection.

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Cypress, TX, United States of America

David C Haeberle