Offshore staff
United States Patent Application: 20080128129
Serial No.: 983445
Series Code: 11
Applicant: Exxon Mobil Upstream; Research Company
Inventors: Yeh; Charles S.; (Spring, TX) ; Haeberle; David C.; (Cypress, TX) ; Barry; Michael D.; (The Woodlands, TX) ; Hecker; Michael T.; (Tomball, TX) ; Long; Ted A.; (Sugar Land, TX)
Title: Gravel packing methods
A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprising: drilling a wellbore through the subterranean formation using a drilling fluid; conditioning the drilling fluid; running a production string to a depth in the wellbore with the conditioned drilling fluid, wherein the production string includes a plurality of joint assemblies, wherein at least one joint assembly disposed within the conditioned drilling fluid comprises: a load sleeve assembly having an inner diameter, at least one transport conduit and at least one packing conduit, wherein both the at least one transport conduit and the at least one packing conduit are disposed exterior to the inner diameter, the load sleeve operably attached to a main body portion of one of the plurality of joint assemblies; a torque sleeve assembly having an inner diameter and at least one conduit, wherein the at least one conduit is disposed exterior to the inner diameter, the torque sleeve operably attached to a main body portion of one of the plurality of joint assemblies; a coupling assembly having a manifold region, wherein the manifold region is configured be in fluid flow communication with the at least one transport conduit and at least one packing conduit of the load sleeve assembly, wherein the coupling assembly is operably attached to at least a portion of the joint assembly at or near the load sleeve assembly; and a sand screen disposed along at least a portion of the joint assembly between the load sleeve and the torque sleeve and around an outer diameter of the joint assembly; and gravel packing an interval of the wellbore with a carrier fluid.
6/11/08
