Granted Patent B2

US 12,698,686 · App. 18/647,581 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Inventors: David J. Steele (Carrollton, TX); Matthew Bradley Stokes (Carrollton, TX)

Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

E21B21/065E21B37/00E21B43/38E21B43/385

Abstract

Claims (32)

1 . A system comprising:

a downhole separation system configured to be positioned downhole in a well formed in a subsurface formation, wherein the downhole separation system is configured to receive formation fluid from the subsurface formation and configured to separate formation fluid into a production fluid and a nonproduction fluid, wherein the downhole separation system comprises,

at least one device to be positioned in an opening of a downhole tubular through which the formation fluid is to be received from the subsurface formation, wherein the at least one device is to filter out at least a portion of solids in the formation fluid from entering the downhole tubular; and

a controller configured to initiate an operation to clean the at least one device using a cleaning fluid; and

wherein the well comprises a multi-bore well, wherein the formation fluid is to be received from the subsurface formation surrounding a first bore of the multi-bore well, and

wherein the downhole separation system comprises,

at least one solids separator configured to separate out at least a portion of the solids from the nonproduction fluid;

a nonproduction fluid pump configured to pump the nonproduction fluid into a second bore of the multi-bore well for disposal into the subsurface formation comprising a downhole disposal location surrounding the second bore; and

at least one solids injector configured to inject the portion of the solids separated out from the nonproduction fluid.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the downhole separation system comprises a production fluid pump configured to pump the production fluid to a surface of the well.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the downhole disposal location comprises the subsurface formation surrounding a third bore of the multi-bore well.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect a value of a parameter that indicates the at least one device needs to be cleaned,

wherein the controller is configured to initiate the operation to clean the at least one device using the cleaning fluid in response to the value of the parameter passing a threshold value.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a cleaning device attached to coiled tubing, the coiled tubing to contain a flow of the cleaning fluid.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a downhole sensor to monitor a change in fluid flow.

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the downhole separation system comprises at least one solids separator configured to separate solids from at least one of the formation fluid, the production fluid, or the nonproduction fluid.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure a property of materials when separated from the at least one of the formation fluid, the production fluid, or the nonproduction fluid.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the materials comprise the solids to be separated by the at least one solids separator.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the operation to clean the at least one device in response to the property of the materials falling below the threshold value.

11 . The system of claim 4 ,

wherein the at least one sensor comprises a first sensor to measure a flow rate of at least one of the formation fluid, the production fluid, or the nonproduction fluid, and

wherein the controller is configured to initiate the operation to clean the at least one device in response to the value of the flow rate being less than a flow rate threshold value.

12 . The system of claim 11 ,

wherein the downhole separation system comprises at least one solids separator configured to separate solids from at least one of the formation fluid, the production fluid, or the nonproduction fluid,

wherein the at least one sensor comprises a second sensor to measure a property of the solids when separated out from the at least one of the formation fluid, the production fluid, or the nonproduction fluid, and

wherein the controller is configured to initiate the operation to clean the at least one device in response to the property of the solids falling below a solids threshold value.

13 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump configured to pump the cleaning fluid, and to be controlled by the controller.

14 . The system of claim 13 ,

wherein the fluid comprises water,

wherein the pump is at a surface of the well, and

wherein the system comprises a tubing fluidly coupling the pump to the at least one device.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (220)