Wells – Processes – Providing porous mass of adhered filter material in well
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-02
2001-04-10
Bagnell, David (Department: 3672)
Wells
Processes
Providing porous mass of adhered filter material in well
C166S278000, C166S300000, C166S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213209
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved methods of preventing the production of sand with well fluids, and more particularly, to such methods utilizing a hardened open cell foam as a sand screen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Oil and gas wells are often completed in unconsolidated formations containing loose or incompetent sands which migrate with produced fluids. The presence of sand particles in the produced fluids is undesirable in that the particles abrade pumping and other producing equipment and generally reduce the fluid production capability of the formations. Incompetent subterranean formations include those which contain loose sands that are readily entrained by produced fluids and those wherein the sand particles making up the formations are bonded together with insufficient bond strength to withstand the forces produced by the intermittent production of fluids from the formations.
Heretofore, unconsolidated formations have been treated by creating fractures in the formations and depositing proppant material, e.g., sand of a selected size, in the fractures to maintain them in open positions. In addition, the proppant has heretofore been consolidated within the fractures into hard permeable masses to prevent it from flowing back and to reduce the migration of sand through the fractures with produced fluids. Further, costly gravel packs which include sand screens and the like have been installed in wells which serve as filters and prevent formation sand and/or proppant from migrating with produced fluids into the well bores. However, since gravel packs, sand screens and the like filter out sand, the presence of the filtered sand can add to the flow resistance thereby producing additional pressure draw down which causes the fracture faces and other portions of the formation to break down and consolidated proppant and sand in fractures, gravel packs and the like to be bypassed.
In horizontal well bores formed in unconsolidated formations, the well bores are often completed open hole and a slotted liner, sand control screen, gravel pack or the like is installed in the well bore. Again, however, as the incompetent formation breaks down from being produced, the slotted liner, sand control screen or gravel pack is often bypassed whereby formation sand is produced along with formation fluids. Thus, there is a need for improved methods of completing unconsolidated producing formations whereby sand production with produced fluids is prevented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improved unconsolidated formation completion methods which meet the needs described above and overcome the deficiencies of the prior art. The methods basically comprise the steps of preparing a resin composition which delayedly forms a hardened open cell foam capable of allowing the passage of well fluids therethrough while screening and preventing the passage of formation sand. After being prepared, the resin composition is placed adjacent to a subterranean producing formation whereby it forms a hardened open cell foam in the formation which prevents the production of sand. The hardened open cell foam has high strength and will not break down as a result of forces produced by the intermittent production of fluids from the formation, etc.
The resin compositions useful in accordance with the present invention are comprised of a hardenable polyepoxide resin, one or more substantially water immiscible diluents present in the resin composition in amounts sufficient to lower the viscosity thereof to a desired level, a delayed hardening agent for the polyepoxide resin, a filler which reacts with an activator to form a gas and a delayed gas generating activator. In addition, a surfactant for controlling the size of the open cells formed in the epoxy resin foam is preferably included in the resin composition. The surfactant also aids in the formation of the foam and its stabilization during the hardening process.
It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide improved methods of preventing the production of sand with well fluids.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the description of preferred embodiments which follows.
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Dewprashad Brahmadeo T.
LaFontaine Jackie M.
Nguyen Philip D.
Weaver Jimmie D.
Bagnell David
Dougherty Jennifer R.
Dougherty, Jr. C. Clark
Halliburton Energy Service,s Inc.
Kent Robert A.
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