Method and apparatus for gravel packing a well

Abstract

A well screen (10) and a gravel packing a well where a low viscosity fluid can be used to distribute the gravel. A well screen (10) with a plurality of spaced manifolds (20) is lowered and slurry is pumped down the well into the first manifold (20a). Each manifold (20) has an upper and lower shunt tubes (40 and 50) for distributing the slurry upwardly and downwardly. By overlapping the exits of the shunt tubes (40 and 50) slurry will be delivered across the entire competion interval.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to gravel packing of wells, one aspect of which relates to apparatus and methods for gravel packing of long intervals of wells. Background technique [0002] During the production of hydrocarbons or the like from a formation, it is not uncommon for formation fluids to be produced in conjunction with large quantities of particulate material (eg, sand). The generation of these sands must be controlled, otherwise it will seriously affect the economic life of the well. One of the most common techniques used to control sand is known as "gravel pack". [0003] In a typical gravel pack completion, a screen or similar is placed in the wellbore adjacent the interval to be completed, and a slurry of particulate matter (ie, "gravel") is pumped downhole into an annulus surrounding the screen. As fluid is lost from the slurry into the formation and / or through the screen, gravel is deposited in the annulus around the screen to form a ...

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Problems solved by technology

[0008] Unfortunately, however, the use of low-viscosity slurries can pose problems when used with "backup access" screens to gravel-pack long, inclined, or horizontal intervals of a wellbore

This is primarily due to premature "bleeding" of the low viscosity carrier fluid through spaced outlets (i.e., perforations) within the shunt tubes, thereby causing the shunt tubes, themselves, to "sand plug" at one or more perforations, thereby preventing further flow of the slurry through the clogged shunt

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