Atlantic Richfield Company

Halliburton Company

Holley M Cornette

Michael H Johnson

Robert K Bethel

Bennett M Richard

Bryant A Arterbury

Jean M Weingarten

Elmer R Peterson

A gravel pack well tool comprised of a workstring having a gravel pack screen thereon wherein the workstring can be rotated without applying any substantial torque to the screen jacket which forms part of the gravel pack screen. This allows the workstring to be rotated in either direction during installation or removal of the gravel pack screen without damaging the screen jacket. The gravel pack screen is comprised of a fluid-permeable base pipe having a screen jacket rotatably mounted thereon.

Gravel pack screen for well completions

A gravel pack well tool for use in a gravel pack completion which does not require the circulation of fluids during installation. The gravel is first placed or preset within the completion zone and then the well tool having a auger-liner assembly is lowered and rotated into the preset gravel. The liner assembly is comprised of a fluid-permeable linear surrounded by a torque sleeve which transmits torque from a workstring to a nose sub at the leading edge of the liner assembly. The nose sub has a fish-tail bit thereon to assist the downward movement of the liner assembly into the preset gravel and has passages therein for fluid flow therethrough in the event the assembly becomes stuck in the gravel during installation.

Gravel pack well completions with auger-liner

The flow apertures of a perforated mandrel are temporarily sealed by a foil covering sheet which is made of a sacrificial material, for example, zinc, aluminum and magnesium The sacrificial covering sheet prevents dirty completion fluid from passing through and in and out of the screen as it is run into the hole, thereby protecting the screen from plugging. During the time the screen mandrel is temporarily sealed by the sacrificial foil covering, cleaning fluid is circulated through the work string and is returned through the annulus between the screen and the open well bore for removing filter cake, drilling debris and lost circulation material. After the annulus has been cleaned, the annulus is filled with an acid solution or caustic solution, which dissolves the sacrificial foil and opens the base pipe perforations.

Foil wrapped base pipe for sand control

A method and apparatus for installing a gravel pack well completion wherein flow of fluid in the well can be effectively blocked and excessive hydrostatic pressure can be isolated from the top of a pre-placed column of gravel while an auger-liner assembly is rotated into the gravel. Basically, gravel is first placed within the zone after which a liner is lowered on a workstring and the liner is augered into the pre-placed gravel. A packer cup and by-pass assembly is coupled into the workstring having cup packers which effectively block flow within the well during installation of the liner. The cups are mounted on a rotatably mounted sleeve so that the workstring can be rotated while the cups are expanded against the well casing. The packer cup and by-pass assembly includes a bypass which can be opened after the liner has been placed so that the workstring can easily be withdrawn from the well.

Method and apparatus for gravel pack well completions

A multiple gravel pack well completion and a method for installing same wherein multiple zones in a wellbore can be gravel packed without the circulation of fluid. Particulate material, e.g. gravel, is preset in the wellbore adjacent the lower zone to be completed and a first auger-liner is 'augered' into the preset gravel to form a lower gravel pack completion. A packer is set above the lower zone abd additional gravel placed onto the packer to fill the wellbore adjacent the upper zone. A second auger-liner assembly is augered into the additional gravel to form an upper gravel pack completion. Conduit means are then provided to establish fluid communication between the surface of the wellbore and the upper and lower gravel pack completions.

Multiple gravel pack well completions

A method and apparatus for installing a gravel pack completion which does not require the circulation of fluids during installation. The gravel is first placed or preset within the completion zone and then a well completion tool (e.g. a fluid-permeable liner) having an auger blade thereon is lowered and rotated into the present gravel without circulating fluid through the tool. Since the auger blade mechanically displaces the gravel upward as the tool is moved into the preset gravel, there is no need to flow fluid under pressure to 'fluidize' the gravel as is required in prior completions of this type.

Gravel pack well completion with auger-screen

A method and apparatus for gravel-packing a formation which is especially useful in completing long production or injection zones and zones lying in deviated or horizontal boreholes wherein a gravel-pack tool is lowered to position a perforated liner adjacent the formation thereby forming an annulus between the liner and the formation. A gravel slurry is flowed down the borehole and is directed into a spiral flowpath by a distributor, e.g. helically-shaped vanes, on the tool as the slurry enters the annulus at the top of the liner. The spiraling of the slurry around the substantially-horizontal liner aids in directing gravel into production perforations if the well is cased and overcomes some of the gravitational effects on the settling of the gravel thereby providing a more uniform and efficient gravel pack around the liner.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Holley M Cornette