Importance

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Abstract

A process including the initial step of lowering a length of coil tubing down through the internal production bore, so that the end of the tubing which is at the depth of the preforations in the external casing, and a volume of fluid such as water is washed into the hole so that sand contained within the hole is washed out of the hole up through the annulus between the internal casing and the coil tubing. The coil tubing is then removed from the hole, and a second length of coil tubing is lowered into the hole with a blunt bottom gauge ring sub to approximately the same depth, and a quantity of ceramic beads are 'squeezed' into the well bore so that the beads enter through the perforated tunnels and fill a zone exterior to the tunnels in the sand formation around the perforations. The well is then shut down and after the beads have been placed to a calculated depth, a bottom hole assembly is lowered into the hole at the end of the coil tubing, the assembly comprising a lowermost cone portion for emitting fluids into the beads for washing down the beads, and an upper portion having a filter means on its wall, so that production from the hole through the beads may be filtered into the bottom hole assembly and returned up the bore to the surface. However, prior to the production being allowed to go forth, the bottom hole assembly is hydraulically released from the coil tubing, and the coil tubing is retrieved from the hole with the bottom hole assembly serving as a means to filter the beads and to begin receiving hydrocarbons that have filtered through the beads. Because of the absolute spherical nature of the beads, an absolute flow space is created between the beads, and therefore while the hydrocarbons may filter therethrough, the sand is caught within the beads at a point exterior the casing, and the beads serve to filter out any sand which may attempt to flow therethrough.

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First Claim