IP Library › Granted Patent US 12704030

Granted Patent B2

US 12704030 · App. 18/614,660 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Screen assembly having permeable handling area

Inventors: John S. Sladic (Katy, TX); Stephen McNamee (Cypress, TX)

Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

E21B19/16 E21B43/045 E21B43/086 E21B43/088 E21B43/04 E21B43/08

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12704030
App. No.: 18/614,660
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A gravel pack assembly for a borehole has first and second joints and a foil. The basepipes of the joints connect end-to-end, and both of the basepipes have filters for filtering fluid passage from a borehole into bores of the basepipes. Transport tubes are disposed along the first and second joint, and a jumper tube expands across the connected ends of the basepipes and connects the transport tubes together. The foil encloses an area across the connected ends. The foil has an external surface defining an annulus thereabout with the borehole. The foil has end rings abutting the filters of the joints. At least a section of the foil leaks fluid from the borehole to the area enclosed by the foil, and at least a filter portion of the assembly filters the leaked fluid from the area to at least one of the first and second bores.

Claims (58)

1 . A method for running wellscreens from a rig into a borehole, the rig having at least one grip of a rig component, each of the wellscreens having a basepipe with a bore therethrough, each of the wellscreens having a primary filter configured to filter fluid communication with intermediate perforations defined in the basepipe between ends of the basepipe, the method comprising:

supporting a first of the wellscreens at the rig;

making up a second of the wellscreens to the first wellscreen as connected wellscreens at the rig by connecting a first of the ends of the basepipe for the first wellscreen to a second of the ends of the basepipe for the second wellscreen; and

passing the connected wellscreens downhole from the rig,

wherein at least one of (i) supporting the first wellscreen and (ii) making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on a gripping section disposed adjacent end perforations defined in at least one of the ends of at least one of the basepipes, the gripping section having a foil disposed adjacent the end perforations, the foil being configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations by gripping a sleeve disposed about a secondary filter, the sleeve providing an exterior gripping surface configured to be gripped by the at least one grip, the secondary filter disposed about the end perforations, the sleeve defining a plurality of flow openings configured to communicate with the secondary filter, the secondary filter configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein supporting the first wellscreen at the rig comprises gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the first end of the basepipe of the first wellscreen.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the second end of the basepipe of the second wellscreen.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein supporting the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of a completion slip the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the first end of the basepipe of the first wellscreen; and wherein making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of a tong device of the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the second end of the basepipe of the second wellscreen.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen by connecting the first end of the basepipe for the first wellscreen to the second end of the basepipe for the second wellscreen comprises:

using a coupling configured to couple the first and second ends of the basepipes together; and

gripping an exterior gripping surface of the coupling radially exposed to be gripped by the at least one grip of a tong device of the rig component.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the at least one of the ends of the at least one of the basepipes comprises gripping an exterior gripping surface of the gripping section being radially exposed to be gripped by the grip of at least one of a tong device and a completion slip of the rig component.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein before passing the connected wellscreens downhole from the rig, the method further comprises installing one or more transport tubes to extend along the primary filter between support rings disposed on the ends of each of the basepipes of the wellscreens; and wherein the method further comprises at least one of:

connecting the one or more transport tubes disposed on the second wellscreen to one or more other transport tubes disposed on the first wellscreen by installing one or more jumper tubes across a blank area located at the ends of the basepipes for the connected wellscreens; and

installing a shroud about the primary filter and the one or more transport tubes between the support rings on the basepipes of the wellscreens, the shroud defining a plurality of flow openings therethrough.

8 . A method for running wellscreens from a rig into a borehole, the rig having at least one grip of a rig component, each of the wellscreens having a basepipe with a bore therethrough, each of the wellscreens having a primary filter configured to filter fluid communication with intermediate perforations defined in the basepipe between ends of the basepipe, the method comprising:

supporting a first of the wellscreens at the rig;

passing the connected wellscreens downhole from the rig,

wherein at least one of (i) supporting the first wellscreen and (ii) making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on a gripping section disposed adjacent end perforations defined in at least one of the ends of at least one of the basepipes, the gripping section having a foil disposed adjacent the end perforations, the foil being configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations, by gripping a sleeve disposed on the at least one end of the basepipe about the end perforations, the sleeve providing an exterior gripping surface configured to be gripped by the at least one grip, the sleeve defining a plurality of elongated slits configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein supporting the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of a completion slip the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the first end of the basepipe of the first wellscreen; and wherein making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of a tong device of the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the second end of the basepipe of the second wellscreen.

10 . A method for running wellscreens from a rig into a borehole, the rig having at least one grip of a rig component, each of the wellscreens having a basepipe with a bore therethrough, each of the wellscreens having a primary filter configured to filter fluid communication with intermediate perforations defined in the basepipe between ends of the basepipe, the method comprising:

supporting a first of the wellscreens at the rig;

passing the connected wellscreens downhole from the rig,

wherein at least one of (i) supporting the first wellscreen and (ii) making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on a gripping section disposed adjacent end perforations defined in at least one of the ends of at least one of the basepipes, the gripping section having a foil disposed adjacent the end perforations, the foil the foil being configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations, by gripping a sleeve disposed on the at least one end of the basepipe, the sleeve providing an exterior gripping surface configured to be gripped by the at least one grip, the sleeve having flow openings exposed to plugs disposed in the end perforations, the plugs being configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein supporting the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of a completion slip the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the first end of the basepipe of the first wellscreen; and wherein making up the second wellscreen to the first wellscreen comprises gripping the at least one grip of a tong device of the rig component on the gripping section disposed adjacent the end perforations on the second end of the basepipe of the second wellscreen.

12 . A method of assembling a wellscreen, the method comprising:

installing a primary filter at an intermediate section of a basepipe having a bore therethrough, the primary filter being configured to filter fluid communication with intermediate perforations defined in the intermediate section of the basepipe;

installing a foil adjacent end perforations defined in at least one end section of the basepipe by installing a secondary filter about the end perforations in the at least one end section of the basepipe, the secondary filter of the foil being configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations; and

arranging a gripping section adjacent the at least one end section of the basepipe by installing a sleeve about the secondary filter, the sleeve having an exterior gripping surface for the gripping section, the exterior gripping surface being radially exposed to be gripped by at least one grip of a tong device and a completion slip of a rig component, the sleeve defining a plurality of flow openings configured to communicate with the secondary filter.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein installing the primary filter comprises:

installing support rings on the basepipe; and

installing one or more transport tubes to extend along the primary filter of the basepipe between the support rings.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising running the wellscreen at a rig having the at least one grip of the rig component by at least one of:

supporting the wellscreen at the rig by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen; and

making up the wellscreen to another wellscreen by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen.

15 . A method of assembling a wellscreen, the method comprising:

installing a foil adjacent end perforations defined in at least one end section of the basepipe by installing a sleeve about the end perforations in the at least one end section of the basepipe, the sleeve defining a plurality of elongated slits configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations; and

arranging a gripping section adjacent the at least one end section of the basepipe by providing an exterior gripping surface of the sleeve radially exposed to be gripped by at least one grip of a tong device and a completion slip of a rig component.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising running the wellscreen at a rig having the at least one grip of the rig component by at least one of:

supporting the wellscreen at the rig by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen; and

making up the wellscreen to another wellscreen by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen.

17 . A method of assembling a wellscreen, the method comprising:

installing a foil adjacent end perforations defined in at least one end section of the basepipe by installing a plurality of plugs in the end perforations, the plugs being configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations; and

arranging a gripping section adjacent the at least one end section of the basepipe by installing a sleeve on the at least one end section of the basepipe, the sleeve having flow openings exposed to the end perforations, the sleeve having an exterior gripping surface being radially exposed to be gripped by at least one grip of a tong device and a completion slip of a rig component.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising running the wellscreen at a rig having the at least one grip of the rig component by at least one of:

supporting the wellscreen at the rig by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen; and

making up the wellscreen to another wellscreen by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen.

19 . A method of assembling a wellscreen, the method comprising:

installing a foil adjacent end perforations defined in at least one end section of the basepipe by installing a screen longitudinally inside the bore of the basepipe at the at least one end section and abutting an end cap on the screen against a shoulder defined in the bore, the screen of the foil being configured to filter fluid communication with the end perforations; and

arranging a gripping section adjacent the at least one end section of the basepipe by providing an exterior gripping surface on the at least one end section of the basepipe for the gripping section, the exterior gripping surface being radially exposed to be gripped by at least one grip of a tong device and a completion slip of a rig component.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising running the wellscreen at a rig having the at least one grip of the rig component by at least one of:

supporting the wellscreen at the rig by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen; and

making up the wellscreen to another wellscreen by gripping the at least one grip of the rig component on the gripping section of the wellscreen.