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US-12624625-B2 - Down hole desander

US12624625B2US 12624625 B2US12624625 B2US 12624625B2US-12624625-B2

Abstract

A downhole solids separator having: a plurality of solids separation modules, a production tube disposed therein, one or more limited entry ports in the production tube, placed in each of the modules, an intake port in the lower half of each module opening into a wellbore annulus, the intake port below the limited entry port of the module, a closed chamber for collecting solids, isolated from the well bore, the closed chamber below modules, a solids conveying conduit from at least one module, opening into the closed chamber, an opening restricted to less than the size of the production tube in the conduit near the bottom of the module, an opening in the production tube in the closed chamber, where the production tube opening and conduit opening are configured to effect a drop fluid velocity into production tube to a level insufficient to carry solids into the production tube.

Inventors

  • Gary V. Marshall

Assignees

  • MODICUM LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240930

Claims (8)

  1. 1 . A down-hole solids-separation apparatus, configured for installation in a production string within a wellbore, comprising: an outer tubular body defining a separator chamber; an upper annular gasket and a lower annular gasket axially spaced on the outer tubular body to isolate the separator chamber from adjacent portions of the production string; at least one well-entry port passing through the outer tubular body at a location below the upper annular gasket and above the lower annular gasket, the well-entry port being sized to admit well fluids laden with particulate solids into the separator chamber; a dip tube extending axially through the separator chamber and beyond the lower annular gasket into a collection region, the dip tube including a restricted opening positioned within the collection region; and a restricted fluid-entry port provided in the dip tube and positioned in the separator chamber at an upper portion of the separator chamber; wherein, during operation: solids carried by fluids entering through the well-entry port settle by gravity in a lower portion of the separator chamber, flow into the collection region via a solids-conveying conduit, and collect below the restricted opening; and solids-depleted fluid is drawn into the dip tube through the restricted opening in the collection region and through the restricted fluid-entry port in the separator chamber for production to surface, thereby reducing re-entrainment of settled solids.
  2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the restricted opening is smaller in flow area than an internal bore of the dip tube.
  3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a delivery opening terminating in the collection region below the lower annular gasket.
  4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the solids-conveying conduit is configured to transfer the settled solids from the separator chamber to the collection region for permanent deposition.
  5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solids-conveying conduit has an intake opening located adjacent a bottom portion of the separator chamber.
  6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a second well-entry port is formed through the outer tubular body at a vertical position intersecting a line that defines a kill-zone length, thereby enabling additional fluid intake into the collection region below the separator chamber.
  7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising multiple separator chambers positioned in a stack, wherein a plurality of restricted fluid-entry ports are provided in the dip tube each positioned in an upper portion of a respective separator chamber of the multiple separator chambers, and wherein a flow area of each of the plurality of restricted fluid-entry ports increases progressively in a downward direction along the dip tube to balance flow across the multiple separator chambers.
  8. 8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an axial distance between the restricted opening and a delivery opening of a solids-conveying conduit defines a kill-zone having a length of at least five feet (1.5 m) so that an upward velocity of fluid entering the dip tube through the restricted opening is insufficient to lift solids from the collection region.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/750,314, filed May 21, 2022, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/208,360, filed Jun. 8, 2021 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/750,314 claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/320,082, filed Mar. 15, 2022, the entire contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD Disclosed herein are improvements to down-hole solids separation methods, apparatus, and systems, in particular for separating solids from produced fluids in a wellbore, which may be used in conjunction with gas separators. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the current state of the art, pumping wellbore fluids has the propensity to produce large pockets of gas, over twenty foot (20′) columns, and thereby gas-locking a pump, preventing production. Solids, such as sand, may also be produced at the same time, additionally limiting the efficiency of the pump, or worse. There is a strong need to separate gas and solids from production fluids in the wellbore so that pumping efficiency of valuable liquids is not inhibited. There is a strong need to separate solids from production fluids in the wellbore so that only liquids are pumped, thus preventing locking of the well and providing more liquid returns from the pump. The inventor has recognized that a separate downhole solids removal apparatus and/or system will greatly improve the operation of down hole gas separators. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic frontal diagram of a producing pumping well that has a string of gas separators and the present stack of solids separators of the present invention deployed in the well. FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic frontal diagram of a few of the stacked solids separators of the present invention that are attached to the production string that is deployed in a well, operating in parallel, followed by mud joints and bull plug. FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic frontal diagram of the present solids separator attached to the production string that is deployed in a well, showing with arrows the flow of solids and fluids in the system. FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic frontal diagram of a few of the stacked solids separators of the present invention with modified trash chute and modified intake ports, that are attached to the production string that is deployed in a well, operating in parallel, followed by mud joints and bull plug. FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic frontal diagram of the present solids separator with modified trash chute and modified intake ports, attached to the production string that is deployed in a well, showing with arrows the flow of solids and fluids in the system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Disclosed herein are descriptions of various examples of the invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic frontal diagram of a producing pumping well that has a string of gas separators and the present solids separator deployed in the well. The tops sides pump jack (not numbered) is placed at or above ground or earth surface 102, above a cased wellbore 112. A production tubing string 108 is connected to the topsides at or around surface 102 and runs into the well bore 112. The top sides pump jack holds and controls a pump rod string 104 that holds and controls a pump 106 that is deployed inside production tubing string 108. In one example, pump rod string 104 is not present, such as on an electric submersible positive cavity pump (ESP). Well bore casing 112 and production tubing string 108 forms a well bore annulus 208. Production tubing string 108 holds a production string assembly of several components (106, 110, 114, 118, 120, 122), as illustrated. In one example, pump 106 is connected to the assembly of components by way of a pump seat nipple 110. The production string assembly (106, 110, 114, 118, 120, 122) includes: a production tubing string 108 that runs to the surface equipment. Held by a pump rod string 104, pump 106 is connected to a pump seat nipple 110 which connects to a stack 114 of down hole gas separators. Underneath the stack 114 of downhole gas separators is solids separator 118 of the present invention. Underneath solids separator stack 118 are mud joints 120 and, in one example, terminating in a bull plug 122, forming the bottom of the production tubing string. In one example, the stack 114 of downhole gas separators is a multistage predator-style gas separator system. In one example, the stack 118 of solids separators is called a multi-stage sand/solids separator system. A packer 116 is disposed in the well bore annulus 208, for example a well bore CP packer cup. Packer 116 isolates well bore annulus 208 such that gas separator and intake of fluids (and fluids containing solids) is below the packer 116. In one example, the solids-laden fluids are drawn into each of the parallel-operating solids separator