Atlantic Richfield Company

Jean M Weingarten

Holley M Cornette

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.

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Frisco, TX, United States of America

Jean M Weingarten