Hydraulic sand removal tool

Details Hydraulic sand removal tool Hydraulic sand removal tool

1999-06-21

2001-03-06

Bagnell, David (Department: 3672)

Wells

Processes

Cleaning or unloading well

C166S163000, C166S167000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06196319

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of sand and other solids removal from wellbores. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for hydraulic withdrawal of sand and other solids into a housing for wireline removal from a wellbore.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
Sand and other solid particulate materials are produced from certain subsurface geologic formations into a wellbore. The sand can accumulate within the wellbore to restrict fluid production and to prevent movement of workover and other well tools within the wellbore. Well screens and gravel packing techniques restrict sand movement into the wellbore, however these techniques are expensive and do not fully prevent sand migration into the wellbore. Representative examples of such techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,022 to Chakrabarty et al. (1986), in U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,163 to Guidry et al. (1987), in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,920 to Cornette et al. (1991), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,355 to Donovan et al. (1991), reissued 1993 as RE 34,451.
Other tools have been developed for removing debris from wellbores. U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,548 to Dankovich et al. (1993) disclosed an auger for clearing and retrieving debris from a wellbore. U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,974 to Donovan et al. (1994) disclosed another technique for increasing the fluid velocity to entrain debris for removal from a wellbore. Other techniques use pressure washing and fluid jet techniques to wash sand from the interior of a wellbore, or use coiled tubing tools to clear blocked wellbores.
Although coiled tubing tools effectively remove sand and other debris from wellbores, coiled tubing operation is expensive and requires significant equipment. A wireline sand removal tool was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,074 to Lee (1975), wherein a rotatable bit operated with an inner and outer tube to capture wellbore sand for removal to the well surface. The mechanical operation of such tool limits the reliability of this technique, and can fail due to wear on the mechanical components. A need, therefore, exists for an improved apparatus and technique for removing sand from wellbores.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for removing debris from downhole in a wellbore to the surface. The apparatus comprises a housing moveable within the wellbore to a location proximate to the debris, a chamber within said housing for receiving the debris, a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure within said chamber to draw the debris into said chamber, and means for moving said housing, chamber, and debris to the wellbore surface. In other embodiments of the invention, a pressurized liquid can be located within said first chamber and a second chamber can be located within said housing, and a valve can selectively release said pressurized liquid from said first chamber into said second chamber for drawing the debris into said first chamber.
The method of the invention is practiced by lowering the housing within the wellbore to a location proximate to the debris, by operating a pressure reducing means to reduce the pressure within said chamber and to draw the debris into said chamber, and by raising said housing and debris to the wellbore surface.


REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 34451 (1993-11-01), Donovan et al.
patent: 2992682 (1961-07-01), Yates
patent: 3900074 (1975-08-01), Lee
patent: 4190113 (1980-02-01), Harrison
patent: 4623022 (1986-11-01), Chakrabarty et al.
patent: 4681163 (1987-07-01), Guidry et al.
patent: 4940092 (1990-07-01), Ferguson
patent: 5036920 (1991-08-01), Cornette et al.
patent: 5076355 (1991-12-01), Donovan et al.
patent: 5095976 (1992-03-01), Appleton
patent: 5139089 (1992-08-01), Wacker
patent: 5224548 (1993-07-01), Dankovich, II
patent: 5327974 (1994-07-01), Donovan et al.
patent: 5944100 (1999-08-01), Hipp

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