Atlantic Richfield Company

Stephen E Morrison

H Mitchell Cornette

Michael J Barton

An auger type gravel pack screen assembly is interposed in a well which is adapted to produce fluids from two spaced-apart zones of interest through gravel packing surrounding the screen assembly. The screen assembly includes a blank pipe section extending through a layer of mixed size gravel of relatively low permeability to prevent the flow of water or gas through the wellbore between the producing zones. The mixed size gravel layer may be placed in the well with a dump type bailer to minimize mixing of the mixed size gravel with a layer of gravel already in the well. The intermediate layer of gravel packing may have its permeability reduced by injecting a settable resin material or the like through a section of the screen assembly which is adapted to provide for injection of such permeability reducing material from a tubing string inserted within the well.

Method for isolating multiple gravel packed zones in wells

A sand control screen installation for a well includes an auger type sand control screen connected to a length of smooth-walled tubing which is disposed in a tubing seal support sub connected to a packer and having a frangible coupling interconnecting the tubing with the sub whereby the assembly may be pre-installed in a wellbore, the packer set and the tubing decoupled from the sub for reciprocation relative thereto while a fluid tight seal is maintained between portions of the wellbore to prevent underbalanced or overbalanced fluid flow during installation of the sand control screen. In an alternate embodiment, the tubing seal support sub has suitable lock mechanism for installation in a landing nipple in wells with pre-installed tubing strings and packers.

Gravel pack assembly with tubing seal

Sand control screens temporarily plugged with paraffin wax are installed in deep open hole wells wherein the wax has a melting temperature slightly greater or less than the nominal formation temperature in the zone from which well fluids are to be produced. Drilling fluids and other solids-laden wellbore fluids are removed from the wellbore by flowing the well up through a section of tubing disposed distal of the screen, through the interior of the screen and through the tubing string to the surface until the wellbore is cleaned. The wax is then melted due to the temperature of the produced fluid, is dissolved by the produced fluid or a solvent pumped down through the tubing string or is heated by a heater inserted into the interior of the screen such as a wireline conveyed electric heater. The distal tubing section is plugged so that production fluids are forced to flow through the sand control screen in a conventional manner.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Stephen E Morrison