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EP-4741981-A2 - A FLOW CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD

EP4741981A2EP 4741981 A2EP4741981 A2EP 4741981A2EP-4741981-A2

Abstract

It is provided a fluid flow control device 100 for establishing a controllable fluid communication between an external fluid reservoir 120-122 and a base pipe 102 constituting part of a production string 101, as well as a production string 101 and a method using such a fluid flow control device 100. The fluid flow control device 100 comprises a primary flow path 2 arranged inside a fluid control device housing 8, a secondary flow path 7 and a movable valve element 9 arranged at and/or within the primary flow path 2. The inlet of the secondary flow path 7 is arranged separate from the inlet of the primary flow path 2.

Inventors

  • MATHIESEN, VIDAR
  • AAKRE, HAAVARD
  • WERSWICK, Bjørnar

Assignees

  • Inflowcontrol AS

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20190311

Claims (15)

  1. A fluid flow control device (100) for establishing a controllable fluid communication of a fluid flow ( F ) between an external fluid reservoir (120-122) and a base pipe (102) of a production string (101), comprising - a primary flow path (2), the primary flow path (2) comprising a primary flow path inlet (1) configured to guide a primary fluid flow ( F 0 ) constituting a part of the fluid flow ( F ) during operation, and a primary flow path outlet (5) configured to guide the primary fluid flow ( F 0 ) into the base pipe (102) during operation, - a secondary flow path (7) for a secondary fluid flow ( f ) constituting a minor portion of the fluid flow (F), comprising a first fluid flow restrictor (3) configured to generate a pressure decrease from a pressure p 1 upstream of the first fluid flow restrictor (3) to a pressure p 2 downstream of the first fluid flow restrictor (3), a second fluid flow restrictor (4) arranged downstream of the first fluid flow restrictor (3) and configured to generate a pressure decrease from the pressure p 2 upstream of the second fluid flow restrictor (4) to a pressure p 3 downstream of the second fluid flow restrictor (4), and - a movable valve element (9) configured to control flow through the primary flow path (2) based on the pressure p 2 , characterized in that; the secondary flow path (7) comprises a secondary flow path inlet (11; 21), wherein the secondary flow path inlet (11; 21) has an offset to the primary flow path inlet (1).
  2. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the primary flow path (2) is arranged within a housing (8).
  3. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with claim 2, wherein a major portion of the length of the secondary flow path (7) extends outside the housing (8).
  4. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one of the primary flow path inlet (1) and the secondary flow path inlet (11; 21) is configured to guide the respective primary fluid flow ( F ) and/or secondary fluid flow ( f; f lam ) from the external fluid reservoir (120-122) into the housing (8).
  5. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the at least one of the primary flow path inlet (1) and the secondary flow path inlet (11) is oriented such that during operation the respective primary fluid flow ( F ) and/or secondary fluid flow ( f ) flows axially or near axially into the fluid control device, wherein the axial direction is defined as a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base pipe.
  6. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the flow control device (100) comprises - an inlet bushing (16) for guiding the primary fluid flow ( F 0 ) therethrough and - a first ring-shaped disc (19) arranged axially beneath the secondary flow path inlet (11) with its centered opening around the inlet bushing (1,16), the first ring-shaped disc (19) comprising - an axial directed first locking edge (19a) along the circumference of the inner center opening of the first ring-shaped disc (19).
  7. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first ring-shaped disk (19) comprises - an axial directed second locking edge (19b) along the outer circumference of the first ring-shaped disc (19) having at least one opening (19c) configured to guide the secondary fluid flow ( f ) flowing through the secondary flow path inlet (11) into the fluid flow restrictors (3,4) during operation.
  8. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with claim 6 or 7, wherein the fluid flow control device (100) comprises - a second ring-shaped disc (18) arranged with its centered opening around the outer circumference of the movable valve element (9), the second ring-shaped disc (18) comprising - an axial directed edge (18a) extending along the outer circumference of the second ring-shaped disc (18) configured to create a fixed axial distance between the radially extending surface of the second ring-shaped disc (18) facing towards the primary flow path inlet (1) and an inner wall of the fluid control device, wherein the axial directed edge (18a) displays at least one opening (18b) configured to guide the primary fluid flow ( F 0 ) flowing through the primary flow path inlet (1) from the movable valve element (9) towards the primary flow path outlet (5).
  9. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the fluid flow control device (100) comprises - a filter (14) arranged across the secondary flow path inlet (11) for preventing solid state particles within the fluid flow (F) to enter the secondary flow path (7)
  10. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the primary fluid flow ( F 0 ) is allowed to flow unfiltered through the primary flow path inlet (1) during operation.
  11. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the secondary flow path inlet (11; 21) is radially offset to the primary flow path inlet (1).
  12. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the first fluid flow restrictor (3) is configured to generate a first fluid flow characteristic while the second fluid flow restrictor (4) is configured to generate a second fluid flow characteristic different from the fluid flow characteristic generated by the first fluid flow restrictor in order that the fluid pressure p 2 will change if the viscosity and/or density of the fluid changes.
  13. The fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the movable valve element (9) comprises - a lower disc (9a) having a disc surface facing towards a chamber ( B ) that is arranged downstream of the first fluid flow restrictor (3) and upstream of the second fluid flow restrictor (4), and - an upper disc (9b) arranged with one disc surface on the lower disc (9a) and the other disc surface facing the primary flow path inlet (1), wherein the disc diameter of the upper disc (9b) is smaller than the disc diameter of the lower disc (9b).
  14. A production string for transport of hydrocarbons, wherein the production string comprises - base pipe (102), - an enclosure (104,107,108) arranged at the exterior wall of the base pipe (102) having at least one enclosure input opening (111) and - a fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the fluid flow control device (100) is arranged into a through-going hole of the wall of the base pipe (102) within the enclosure (104,107,108) such that a controllable fluid communication is obtained between the enclosure (104,107,108) and the interior of the base pipe (102), and wherein the enclosure (104,107,108) is configured to provide an input chamber (109) covering the at least one enclosure input opening (111) of the enclosure (104,107,108) and covering the primary flow path inlet (1) and the secondary flow path inlet (11) of the fluid flow control device (100).
  15. Use of a fluid flow control device (100) in accordance with any one of claims 1-13, wherein the use comprises the steps: - guiding the primary fluid flow ( F 0 ) through the primary flow path (2); - guiding the secondary fluid flow ( f ) through the secondary flow path (7) in order to generate the pressure p 2 that is used in control of the flow through the primary flow path (2).

Description

Field of the invention The invention concerns the control of fluid flowing into a conduit. More specifically, the invention concerns a fluid flow control device, as well as a subsea production string and a method using such a fluid flow control device. The invention is useful in controlling flow of fluids from a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir and into production strings. Background of the invention A well for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir may extend through the reservoir in a number of orientations. Traditionally, reservoirs were accessed by drilling vertical wells. This is simple and straight-forward technique, but one which provides limited reservoir contact per well. Therefore, in order to access more of a reservoir per well, techniques and devices were developed to drill horizontal wells, i.e. turning the well from vertical to horizontal at a predetermined depth below the surface. So-called multi-lateral wells provide even greater access to - and contact with - the reservoir. A major challenge in the production of hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoirs is to increase the ability to recover the oil that is present in the reservoir. Today, only a part of the oil in a given reservoir is actually recovered and produced before the field is shut down. There are thus strong incentives for developing new technology to increase production and oil recovery. Two factors are of particular importance in order to increase production and rate of recovery from a reservoir: obtaining maximum reservoir contact andpreventing negative effects of gas and/or water penetration/breakthrough (commonly referred to as "coning"). The reservoir contact is commonly achieved by drilling a number of horizontal and/or multi-lateral wells. The negative effects of coning are commonly mitigated by so-called Inflow Control Devices (ICD) placed in the production string wall. Typically, a production string in a horizontal well comprises a large number of ICDs disposed at regular intervals along its entire length. The ICDs serve as inflow ports for the oil flowing from the reservoir (normally via the annulus between the production string and the well formation) and into the production string, and are ports having a fixed flow area. So-called autonomous ICDs (AICDs) comprise one or more valve elements and are normally open when oil is flowing through the device, but chokes the flow when and where water and/or gas enters the device. The annulus between the production string and the casing is typically divided into zones by annulus packers, which is known in the art. One or more ICDs or AICDs are then placed in each zone. A number of ICDs are known in the art. Relevant examples of ICDs or AICDs are found in patent publications US 5 435 393 (Brekke, et al.), US 7 857 050 B2 (Zazovsky, et al.), US 7 823 645 B2 (Henriksen, et al.), US 2008/0041580 A1 (Freyer, et al.), WO 2008/004875 A1 (Aakre, et al.), US 2011/0067878 A1 (Aadnoy), US 2008/0041582 A1 (Saetre, et al.), US 2011/0198097 A1 (Moen), US 2011/0308806 A9 (Dykstra, et al.), US 7 918 275 B2 (Baker Hughes Inc), US 2009/0283275 A1 (Baker Hughes Inc) and US 7 819 196 B2 (Norsk Hydro ASA). The above-mentioned patent publications suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages: The production is choked also for the oil, which may result in a significant loss of production (barrel/day) during the initial phase of the well's lifetime.Undesired phases (gas/water) are neither choked nor closed at the moment of their breakthroughs.Undesired phases (gas/water) are to a certain degree choke, though not to the extend of coming to a full, or close to full, halt in the inflow.Reversible property is not exhibited, that is, the ability to autonomically reopen a valve that has been shut due to entrance of undesired phases at the moment when oil again starts to flow into the well.Challenging to control the opening/closing.High flow resistance within the main flow during throughput of desired phases.Not able to manage harsh well conditions (high pressure and temperature, fouling, etc.) in a satisfactory way. A prior art AICD that overcome all of the above-mentioned disadvantages is disclosed in patent publication WO 2013/139601 A2, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The prior art AICD comprises a primary flow path and a secondary flow path arranged in fluid communication with the primary flow path. The secondary flow path further comprises two fluid flow restrictors serving as an inflow port and an outflow port from a chamber, respectively. The two flow restrictors are configured to generate different fluid flow characteristics. There are however some disadvantages with the AICD disclosed in WO 2013/139601 A2. The secondary flow path is in fluid communication with the primary flow path. Such a configuration necessitates allocation of additional space within the housing, resulting in a longer axial length of the AICD. The configuration also makes it di