This invention relates to sealing rings for a wire
wrapped screen of a sand screen assembly. Sand screen
assemblies can include a wire screen that is wrapped around
5 the outside of a base pipe. Sealing rings can be used to
seal the ends of the screen. Sealing rings can also be
used to seal the ends of the screen near a centralizer.
Brief Description of the Figures
10 The features and advantages of certain embodiments
will be more readily appreciated when considered in
conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures are
not to be construed as limiting any of the preferred
embodiments.
15 Fig. 3. is a schematic illustration of a well system
containing a sand screen assembly according to certain
embodiments.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a base pipe and
wrap screen of the sand screen assembly.
20 Fig. 3is a cross-sectional view of the base pipe and
wrap screen of the sand screen assembly with a section of
the wrap screen cutout.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the sand screen
assembly with sealing rings and a re-sizing device.
25 Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the sand screen
assembly with the sealing rings re-sized to a smaller outer
diameter.
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the sand screen
assembly with the sealing rings located at the ends of the
wrap screen.
5 Description of Invention w . r . t . Drawings
As used herein, the words "comprise," "have,"
"include," and all grammatical variations thereof are each
intended to have an open, non-limiting meaning that does
not exclude additional elements or steps.
10 It should be understood that, as used herein, "first,"
"second," "third," etc., are arbitrarily assigned and are
merely intended to differentiate between two or more ends,
sealing rings, etc., as the case may be, and does not
indicate any particular orientation or sequence.
15 Furthermore, it is to be understood that the mere use of
the term "first" does not require that there be any
"second," and the mere use of the term "second" does not
require that there be any "third," etc.
As used herein, a "fluid" is a substance having a
20 continuous phase that tends to flow and to conform to the
outline of its container when the substance is tested at a
temperature of 71 "F (22 " C ) and a pressure of one
atmosphere "atm" (0.1 megapascals "MPa"). A fluid can be a
liquid or gas.
25 Oil and gas hydrocarbons are naturally occurring in
some subterranean formations. In the oil and gas industry,
a subterranean formation containing oil, gas, or water is
referred to as a reservoir. A reservoir may be located on
land or off shore. Reservoirs are typically located in the
range of a few hundred feet (shallow reservoirs) to a few
tens of thousands of feet (ultra-deep reservoirs). In
order to produce oil or gas, a wellbore is drilled into a
reservoir or adjacent to a reservoir. The oil, gas, or
5 water produced from the wellbore is called a reservoir
fluid.
A well can include, without limitation, an oil, gas,
or water production well, an injection well, or a
geothermal well. As used herein, a "well" includes at
10 least one wellbore. The wellbore is drilled into a
subterranean formation. The subterranean formation can be
a part of a reservoir or adjacent to a reservoir. A
wellbore can include vertical, inclined, and horizontal
portions, and it can be straight, curved, or branched. As
15 used herein, the term "wellboreu includes any cased, and
any uncased, open-hole portion of the wellbore. A nearwellbore
region is the subterranean material and rock of
the subterranean formation surrounding the wellbore. As
used herein, a "well" also includes the near-wellbore
20 region. The near-wellbore region is generally considered
the region within approximately 100 feet radially of the
wellbore. As used herein, "into a well" means and includes
into any portion of the well, including into the wellbore
or into the near-wellbore region via the wellbore.
25 A portion of a wellbore may be an open hole or cased
hole. In an open-hole wellbore portion, a tubing string
may be placed into the wellbore. The tubing string allows
fluids to be introduced into or flowed from a remote
portion of the wellbore. In a cased-hole wellbore portion,
30 casing is placed into the wellbore that can also contain a
- 4 -
tubing string. A wellbore can contain an annulus.
Examples of an annulus include, but are not limited to: the
space between the wellbore and the outside of a tubing
string in an open-hole wellbore; the space between the
5 wellbore and the outside of the casing in a cased-hole
wellbore; and the space between the inside of the casing
and the outside of a tubing string in a cased-hole
wellbore.
In unconsolidated or loosely consolidated subterranean
10 formations (known as soft formations), fines, such as
sediment and sand, can enter the tubing string during the
production of oil or gas. When this occurs, several
problems can arise, for example, erosion of production
equipment, well plugging, decreased production of oil or
15 gas, or production of the fines along with the oil or gas.
Sand control is often used in soft formations.
Examples of sand control techniques include, but are not
limited to, installing a filter in a portion of the soft
formation, using slotted liners and/or screens, and gravel
20 packing. A slotted liner can be a slotted pipe, such as a
base pipe. The liner and/or screen can cause bridging of
the fines against the liner or screen as oil or gas is
being produced. Gravel packing is often performed in
conjunction with the use of slotted liners and/or screens.
25 Gravel is proppant having a particle-size class above sand,
which is defined as having a largest dimension ranging from
greater than 2 millimeters (mm) up to 64 mm. Gravel is
commonly placed in a portion of an annulus between the wall
of the wellbore and the outside of the screen. The gravel
helps to trap fines from entering the production equipment
or plugging the porous portions of the liner or screen.
There are generally two types of wire wrapped screensa
slide-on and direct wrap. The slide-on screen is a
5 sleeve of wire wrap that is slid over the base pipe and
secured once in place. A direct wrap screen is where the
wire is wrapped directly onto the base pipe. The wire
screen generally terminates close to the ends of each
section of base pipe. In order to close the ends of the
10 screen, a sealing ring is placed on top of the end of the
screen and has a flange that can be welded against the base
pipe. For an interference ring, the sealing ring will have
a certain amount of diametrical interference between the
exterior of the wrap wires and the inside of the sealing
15 ring. The amount of interference is equal to the
difference between the O.D. of the screen and the I.D. of
the ring and will be a positive number. This interference
helps to ensure a sand tight seal. The amount of
interference can be predetermined. E'or example, it may be
20 desirable to have a 0.02 inch (in.) interference. This
would mean that the ring has an I.D. that is 0.02 in. less
than the O.D. of the screen.
In order to install a sealing ring that has a smaller
inner diameter than the screen it is to be installed on
25 e , there is some interference), the ring needs to be
heated, causing it to grow in diameter. An equation can be
used to make sure that the ring will grow enough in
diameter to fit over the end of the screen. The amount of
diametrical growth possible (A1.D.) can be calculated using
30 the following equation:
- 6 -
Al. D. = a * 1. D.* AT
where a is the coefficient of thermal expansion for the
particular material that the sealing ring is made from,
I.D. is the room temperature inner diameter of the ring,
5 A1.D. is the change in the inner diameter of the sealing
ring once at the final temperature, and AT is the increase
in temperature above 71 "F (22 " C ) that the ring is heated.
For example if the ring is heated to a final temperature of
600 "F (316 " c ) , then the AT would be 529 "F (276 O C ) . O f
10 course one can select the desired amount of diametrical
growth of a particular ring by varying the AT. As such,
when a ring is heated to AT above room temperature, the
ring will expand, and when the ring cools, the ring will
shrink back down to the original I.D. before heating. In
15 this manner, a ring that initially cannot fit over another
object can be heated to a sufficiently high temperature
such that the ring expands and is now capable of fitting
over the object. Once in place, the ring can be allowed to
cool down, thus causing the ring to shrink back to its
20 original size. The ring will now apply an amount of
pressure or sealing capability to the object. The
diametrical growth equation can be used to determine if the
predetermined amount of interference can be achieved. For
example, if the predetermined amount of interference ,is
25 0.02 in., then the A1.D. would have to be at least 0.02 in.
in order for the I.D. of the ring to increase enough to fit
over the screen.
Generally, the outer diameter (O.D.) of the base pipe
and screen can vary and will not be uniform. Therefore, a
- 7 -
typical sequence of placing a sealing ring onto the end of
a wire wrap screen is as follows: complete the wrapping of
the wire wrap screen; the O.D. of screen is then measured;
the I.D. of the ring is then lathe-cut or turned until the
5 I.D. of the ring equals the O.D. of the screen minus the
predetermined interference for the sealing ring. The ring
is then heated, placed over the end of the screen, and then
allowed to cool down. Needless to say, this process can be
quite time consuming and disruptive to the manufacturing
10 work flow. Moreover, the lathe-cutting must be very
accurate in order for the ring to fit over the end of the
screen and the desired interference achieved.
Another common issue with direct wrapped screens is
the installation of a centralizer or other devices in
15 between screen sections. Sections of base pipe and screen
can be up to approximately 40 feet in length. A
centralizer can function to provide structural support and
centralization in the wellbore at one .or more locations
along the length of the sand screen assembly. The
20 centralizer can be placed at a desired location between the
ends of the screen and secured to the base pipe. A section
of the screen must be absent so the centralizer can be
structurally attached to the base pipe. In order to
install the centralizer between 2 screen sections, the
25 direct wrapping of the screen onto the base pipe must stop.
A sealing ring is then installed on the end of the screen
and a second ring is slid onto the base pipe. The wrapping
commences a few inches from where the screen stopped and
the second ring is then installed onto the new end of the
30 screen. The centralizer can then be installed onto the
- 8 -
base pipe after the 2 sealing rings and other structural
components are installed.
However, several problems can arise during this
process. First, it is very time consuming and costly to
5 stop and start the direct screen wrapping process. Second,
the distance between the second sealing ring and the start
of wrapping varies between wrapping machines which can
create longer than acceptable "dead zones" (areas on the
joint without screen coverage). Thirdly, the O.D. of the
10 new end of screen (that is formed when the wrapping process
resumes) is an estimate because until the end is created,
the O.D. is unknown. Therefore, the L.D. of the second
sealing ring may not have been lathe-cut to the correct
dimensions. Sf this happens, or the installation of the
15 sealing ring is unsuccessful, then the new part of screen
must be stripped from the base pipe, the second ring cut
off the pipe, a new ring placed onto the pipe, and the
wrapping process is resumed. Obviously this can be very
costly in terms of time, money, and waste.
20 Currently, there is no way to install end sealing
rings without having to possibly lathe-cut the S.D. of the
ring to fit the O.D. of the screen or crimp the ring
directly onto the screen. Nor is there a way to produce a
completely wrapped screen and then go back and shrink fit
25 sealing rings for a centralizer. Thus, there is a need for
improved methods of placing shrink fit sealing rings on the
ends of a wrap screen and at any location along the length
of the screen. There is a need for improved methods that
are more economical and reduce time and waste.
It has been discovered that thermally-installed shrink
fit, sealing ririgs can be made to fit over the outside of a
wire wrap screen. One advantage to this new method is that
the sealing ring does not have to be lathe-cut to fit onto
5 the sand screen assembly because the I.D. of the ring is
already greater than the O.D. of the screen.
According to an embodiment, a method of installing a
sealing ring onto a wire wrap screen comprising: providing
the sealing ring, wherein the sealing ring has an initial
10 inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of an end of
the wire wrap screen and wherein the wire wrap screen is
positioned around the outside of a base pipe; reducing the
inner diameter of the sealing ring, wherein the reduced
inner diameter of the sealing ring is less than the outer
15 diameter of the end of the wire wrap screen; heating the
sealing ring;. positioning the heated sealing ring over the
end of the wire wrap screen; and allowing the sealing ring
to decrease in temperature.
Any discussion of the sand control assembly, or any
20 component of the sand control assembly ( e . g . , a sealing
ring) is intended to apply to all of the method
embodiments.
Turning to the Figures, Fig. 1 depicts a well system
10. The well system 10 can include at least one wellbore
25 11. The wellbore 11 can penetrate a subterranean formation
20. The subterranean formation 20 can be a portion of a
reservoir or adjacent to a reservoir. The wellbore 11 can
include a casing (not shown). The wellbore 11 can include
only a generally vertical wellbore section or can include
30 only a generally horizontal wellbore section. One or more
- 10-
tubing strings, for example, production tubing string can
be installed in the wellbore 11. The tubing string can
. provide a conduit for fluids to travel from the formation
to the surface of the wellbore 11 or vice versa. One or
5 more packers12 can be installed in the wellbore 11. The
packers12 can be used to create one or more wellbore
intervals, wherein each wellbore interval can correspond to
a different subterranean formation zone.
It should be noted that the well system 10 illustrated
10 in the drawings and described herein is merely one example
of a wide variety of well systems in which the principles
of this disclosure can be utilized. For instance, the
wellbore 11 can have a horizontal section and a vertical
section. It should be clearly understood that the
15 principles of this disclosure are not limited to any of the
details of the well system 10, or components thereof,
depicted in the drawings or described herein. Furthermore,
the well system 10 can include other components not
depicted in the drawings. For example, the well system can
20 include cement in addition to, or instead of, the packers.
A sand screen assembly 100 can be run into the
wellbore 11. The sand screen assembly 100 can be used for
a variety of oil and gas operations. For example, the
assembly can be used for producing a reservoir fluid from
25 the subterranean formation 20. The sand screen assembly
100 can also be used as part of a gravel pack operation.
The sand screen assembly 100 includes at least a base pipe
120 and a wire wrap screen 110.
Figs. 2 - 6discuss certain embodiments of the wire
30 wrap screen prior to installation within the wellbore 11.As
- 11 -
can be seen in the Figures, the base pipe 120can be nonperforated
or it can contain perforations or slots. For
example, the base pipe 120 can be a slotted liner. The
base pipe 120 can be a variety of lengths that range from
5 about 5 feet up to 40 feet or longer. The wire wrap screen
11Ois positioned around the outside of the base pipe 120.
Preferably, the screen is a direct wrap screen e , the
screen is wrapped directly onto the base pipe instead of
being pre-wrapped and slid onto the base pipe as a sleeve).
10 According to certain embodiments, both the base pipe 120
and the wire wrap screen 110 are tubular in shape. The
wire wrap screen 110 can have a length that is less than
the base pipe 120. The wire wrap screen 110 can h,ave a
first end 11Oa and a second end 110b.
15 It is often desirable to seal the ends of a wire wrap
screen to maintain fluid flow through the screen and into a
perforated base pipe. The methods include providing a
sealing ring 130. The sealing ring 130 can be made from a
variety of materials including for example, metals and
20 metal alloys. As discussed above, the sealing ring 130
will have a particular amount of diametrical growth based
in part on the exact material that makes up the sealing
ring. Therefore, it may be desirable to select the
material making up the sealing ring 130 based on the
25 desired amount of interference and the exact diametrical
growth required for installation. Of course the increase
in temperature (AT) above ambient temperature will also
affect the amount of diametrical. growth for a particular
material and inner diameter ( 1 . D - ) . Accordingly, the
30 material can be selected, the AT can be selected, and the
- 1 2 -
interference ( i e , the difference between the I.D. of the
sealing ring and the O.D. of the screenican be selected
such that the required amount of diametrical growth is
achieved. The material can also be selected based on other
5 desired properties, for example, strength.
The sealing ring 130 can be circular in shape and have
an I. D. and an outer diameter (O.D.) . The sealing ring 130
will have a thickness, which is the difference between the
O.D. and the 1.D. The thickness of the sealing ring 130
10 can vary and according to certain embodiments, can be
selected to achieve desired properties. Regardless of the
O.D. and thickness of the ring, the sealing ring 130 has an
initial I.D. greater than the O.D. of an end ( e . g . , the
first end 11Qa or the second end 11Ob) of the wire wrap
15 screen 110. The O.B. of the wire wrap screen 110 can vary
along the length of the screen and base pipe assembly.
Preferably, the I.D. of the sealing ring is made to be
greater than all of the potential 0 . D . s of a screen. In
this manner, the I.D. of the ring will always be greater
20 than any screen O.D. that may be encountered.
The methods also include reducing the I.D. of the
sealing ring 130. The step of reducing is performed prior
to installation of the sealing ring onto the wire wrap
screen 110. The step of reducing can further comprise
25 placing the sealing ring 130 into a re-sizing device (not
shown in Fig. 2). There are a variety of re-sizing devices
available, and one of ordinary skill in the art will be
able to select the particular re-sizing device based on
needs and other factors. The re-sizing device can apply a
30 pressure to the outside of the sealing ring 130, which
- 13-
reduces the O.D. and I.D. of the ring. Preferably, the
pressure that is applied is uniformly applied to the outer
surfaces of the ring. This uniform pressure can help the
ring maintain the ring's pre-sized geometric configuration.
5 For example, if the ring is circular in shape prior to resizing,
then a uniform pressure can help maintain the
circular shape during re-sizing as opposed to creating an
egg-shaped or oval-shaped ring. The re-sizing device can
be programmed or set to re-size the sealing ring to a
10 specified I.D.
After re-sizing, the reduced I.D. of the sealing ring
130 is less than the O.D. of the end of the wire wrap
screen 110. The methods can further include the step of
predetermining the amount of interference between the
15 sealing ring and the end of the screen. According to
certain embodiments, the reduced I. D. of the sealing ring
is equal to the O.D. of the end of the wire wrap screen 110
minus the predetermined amount of interference. By way of
example, the reduced I.D. of the sealing ring 130 could be
20 equal to 6.860 in., which is a screen O.D. of 6.880 in.
minus a predetermined interference of 0.020 in.
Accordingly, the re-sizing device can be set to reduce the
I.D. of the sealing ring 140 to 6.860 in. The methods can
further include the step of measuring the O.D. of the end
25 of the wire wrap screen 110. The methods can further
include the step of calculating the amount of diametrical
growth of the sealing ring 130. The calculation of the
amount of diametrical growth can be used to ensure that the
I.D. of the ring will expand by at least the amount
30 required for positioning over the end of the screen, which
- 14-
can be based in part on the predetermined amount of
interference. The methods can further include calculating
the difference between the measured O.D. of the end of the
screen and the amount of interference in order to determine
5 the reduced I.D. of the sealing ring. It should be
understood that due to minor variations in the wrapping
process and/or manufacture of the base pipe, that the ends
( e . g . , the first end 11Oa and second end 110b) can have
different outer diameters. Therefore, each end may need to
10 be measured in order to determine what the reduced I.D. of
the ring will need to be.
After the I.D. of the sealing ring 130 is reduced the
sealing ring is incapable of fitting over the end of the
wire wrap screen 110. The methods further include heating
15 the sealing ring 130. The step of heating can be performed
after the step of reducing the I.D. of the ring. According
to certain embodiments, the sealing ring 130 is heated to a
final temperature that is based on the AT of the equation
used to calculate the amount of diametrical growth of the
20 ring. For example, the AT might be selected to be 500 "F
(260 "C) . This means that the sealing ring 130 would be
heated to a final temperature of 571 "F (299 "C) because
the AT is the increase in temperature above ambient
temperature e , 71 "F (22 "C) ) . The heating can cause
25 the sealing ring 130 to expand. The expansion can increase
the O.D. and I.D. of the sealing ring 130. Preferably, the
amount of expansion is at least sufficient such that the
sealing ring 130 is capable of being positioned over the
end of the wire wrap screen 110, wherein the sealing ring
30 130 completely surrounds the outside of the end of the
- 15 -
screen. The sealing ring 130 can be heated using a variety
of techniques, for example, via a blowtorch, acetylene
torch, heat blankets, or induction heating coils.
The methods also include positioning the heated
5 sealing ring 130 over the end of the wire wrap screen 110.
It is to be understood that the sealing ring may experience
a small decrease in temperature prior to and/or during the
step of positioning; however, any decrease in temperature
should not be so great as to cause the I . D . of the ring to
10 decrease enough that the ring is incapable of being
positioned over the end of the screen. After positioning,
the sealing ring 130 can completely surround the outside of
the end of the wire wrap screen 110. A portion of the
sealing ring 130 can protrude over the end of the wire wrap
15 screen 110 and be located directly above the end of the
base pipe 120. According to certain embodiments, the resizing
device can be used to compress the protruding
portion of the sealing ring 130to at least partially close
the gap on the outside of the base pipe 120. The
20 compressed portion can then be welded onto the base pipe
120 to create a seal. As used herein, the term "seal"
means a contact between two components that substantially
inhibits or prevents particulate flow through the seal
area. According to certain other embodiments, the sealing
25 ring 130 can include a flanged portion that is located
directly above the end of the base pipe 120after the heated
sealing ring 130 has been positioned. The flanged portion
can be welded onto the end of the base pipe 120 to create a
seal.
The methods further include allowing the sealing ring
130 to decrease in temperature. The decrease in
temperature can be called cooling of the ring. The step of
allowing can be performed after the step of positioning.
5 Preferably, the temperature is decreased to ambient
temperature. The O.D. and I.D. of the sealing ring 130 can
decrease during the cooling of the ring. Preferably, the
decrease in I.D. is at least sufficient such that after the
ring has decreased in temperature (cooled down), the inside
10 of the sealing ring comes in contact with the outside of
the end of the wire wrap screen 110. More preferably, the
decrease in I.D. of the sealing ring is sufficient to
create a seal between the inside of the ring and the
outside of the screen.
15 It is to be understood that the preceding discussion
regarding the re-sizing device, the amount of interference,
the heating of the ring, etc. is meant to apply to all the
method embodiments without the need to repeat the different
embodiments for all the methods. For example, if a
20 discussion below references "heating the sealing ring,"
then all of the embodiments discussed above regarding
heating of the ring are meant to apply.
According to other embodiments, a method of installing
sealing rings onto the wire wrap screen comprises:
25 providing a jacket of wire wrap screen, wherein the jacket
of screen is positioned around the outside of a base pipe,
and wherein the jacket of screen initially has only a first
and second end; removing at least one section of the wire
wrap screen from around the outside of the base pipe at a
30 location between the first and second ends, wherein removal
-17-
of the section of screen creates a re-sizing area, a third
end, and a fourth end, wherein the re-sizing area is
located between the third and fourth ends;providing a first
and second sealing ring, wherein the first and second
5 sealing rings have an initial inner diameter greater than
the outer diameter of the wire wrap screen; positioning the
first and second sealing rings onto the first end of the
wire wrap screen, wherein the sealing rings completely
surround the outside of the wire wrap screen after
10 positioning; moving the first and second sealing rings
along a longitudinal axis of the wire wrap screen to a
location within the re-sizing area; reducing the inner
diameter of the first and second sealing rings, wherein the
reduced inner diameter is less than the outer diameter of
15 the third and fourth ends of the wire wrap screen; heating
the first and second sealing rings; positioning the first
heated sealing ring over the third end of the wire wrap
screen and the second heated sealing ring over the fourth
end of the wire wrap screen; and allowing the first and
20 second sealing rings to decrease in temperature.
Figs. 2 - 6 depict these other embodiments. As can be
seen in Fig. 2, the wire wrap screen 110 can be directly
wrapped onto the base pipe 120 to form the jacket. As used
herein, the term "jacket" means a continuous wrap of
25 screen. Although not depicted in Fig. 2, the first end
1lOa and second end llOb of the jacket of screen can
include two sealing rings (discussed above). The jacket of
screen initially has only the first end ll0a and second end
110b.The jacket can have a length that is less than the
30 length of the base pipe 120, preferably each end of the
- 1 8 -
jacket is not less than 12 in. from the ends of the base
pipe to allow for handling room.
As shown in Fig. 3, the methods include removing at
least one section of the wire wrap screen 11Oat a location
5 between the first and second ends 110a/110b. The removal
of the section of screen creates a re-sizing area 140, a
third end 110c, and a fourth end 110d. The re-sizing area
140 is located between the third end 110s and the fourth
end 110d. The re-sizing area 140 can be created anywhere
10 along the length of the wire wrap screen 110. For example,
the re-sizing area 140 could be created in the middle of
the length of screen or slightly off-set from the middle.
There can also be more than one section of wire wrap screen
110 that is removed to create two or more re-sizing areas
15 140. If a second section of screen is removed, then this
can create a fifth and sixth end (not shown), and so on for
multiple sections located between the newly-created ends.
For more than one re-sizing area 140, the areas can be
created at different locations along the length of the wire
20 wrap screen 110.
The methods include providing a first sealing ring
130a and a second sealing ring 130b. As discussed above,
the sealing rings 130a/b have an initial I.D. that is
greater than the O.D. of the wire wrap screen 110. In this
25 manner, the sealing rings 130a/b are capable of traversing
along a longitudinal axis e , the length) of the wire
wrap screen 110 without becoming stuck or catching on the
screen. Therefore, the sealing rings 130a/b can be
positioned onto the first end 11Oa of the wire wrap screen
30 110 and completely surround the screen after being
-19-
positioned. According to certain embodiments, at beast 2
sealing rings are used for each re-sizing area 140. For
example, if there are 2 re-sizing areas 140, then at least
a total of 4 sealing rings would be positioned onto the
5 screen. If more than 2 rings are used, then each pair of
rings can be positioned over the same or different ends of
the screen. For example, the first and second sealing
rings 130a/b can be positioned over the first end 110a,
while a third and fourth sealing rings (not shown) can be
10 positioned over the second end 110b.
As can be seen in Fig. 4, the methods include moving
the first and second sealing rings 130a/b along a
longitudinal axis of the wire wrap screen 110 to a location
within the re-sizing area 140. The re-sizing device 200
15 (discussed above) can be located adjacent to the re-sizing
area 140. In this manner, each of the sealing rings 130a/b
can be positioned within the re-sizing device 200 after
movement into the re-sizing area 140.
As can be seen in Fig. 5, the I.D. of the sealing
20 rings 130a/b is reduced, for example, via the re-sizing
device 200. The reduced I.D. af the first and second
sealing rings 130a/b is less than the O.D. of the third end
f1Oc and fourth end 110d. It should be understood that the
O.D. of the third end l1Oc does not have to be the same as
25 the O.D. of the fourth end 110d. Therefore, the sealing
rings 130a/b can be re-sized one at a time to account for
any differences in the O.D. of the screen. For example,
the 1.D. of the first sealing ring 130a may need to be
larger than the 1.D. of the second sealing ring 130b.
30 'Therefore, the re-sizing device 200 can be set to produce
- 20 -
the desired L.D. of each ring. The first sealing ring 130a
can be re-sized to fit over the third end 110c, while the
second sealing ring 130b can be re-sized to fit over the
fourth end 110d. Of course if there are more than 2 rings
5 and more than 1 re-sizing area, then each ring can be resized
according to its own corresponding end of screen. As
discussed above, the re-sized I.D. of each sealing ring can
be calculated based in part on the predetermined
interference for each ring.
10 As can be seen in Fig. 6, each of the sealing rings
are heated and then positioned over its corresponding end
of wire wrap screen 110. For example, the first sealing
ring 130a is positioned over the third end 1lOc and the
second sealing ring 130b is positioned over the fourth end
15 llOd of the wire wrap screen 120. The temperature of the
sealing rings 130a/b is then allowed to decrease, wherein
after the decrease in temperature, the sealing rings can
create a seal at the third and fourth ends llOc/d of the
screen.
20 The methods can further include attaching other
components, such as a centralizer (not shown), onto or
adjacent to the sealing rings 130a/b. Sealing rings can
also be installed on the first end IfOa and second end
llObof the screen as discussed above. The methods can
25 further include using the base pipe and wire wrap screen
assembly as part of a sand screen assembly in an oil or gas
operation.
It is to be understood that it is not contemplated by
this disclosure that the T.D. of any of the sealing rings
30 are to be lathe-cut or turned in order to fit onto its end
-21 -
of screen. Therefore, it is not necessary and preferably
the sealing rings are not milled, lathe-cut, turned, or any
other synonymous term in order to fit over an end of the
wire wrap screen. It will be appreciated by those of
5 ordinary skill in the art that substantial time and money
can be saved by utilizing the embodiments disclosed herein.
It can be appreciated that by not having to lathe-cut the
I.D. of the rings and by being able to form a jacket and
then cut out a section of screen, time and money will be
10 saved. Another benefit is that the sealing rings are
reduced in size after any measurements of the O.D. of
screen have been made. Therefore, the risk of having to
strip away the screen, re-install a new sealing ring, and
create a new wire wrap section is at best eliminated and at
15 worst substantially reduced.
Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to
attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those
that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments
disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present
20 invention may be modified and practiced in different but
equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art
having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore,
no limitations are intended to the details of construction
or design herein shown, other than as described in the
25 claims below. It is, therefore, evident that the
particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be
altered or modified and all such variations are considered
within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
While apparatus (such as the packer assembly) and methods
30 are described in terms of "comprising," "containing," or
- 22 -
"including" various components or steps, the compositions
and methods also can "consist essentially of" or "consist
of" the various components and steps. In particular, every
range of values (of the form, "from about a to about b,"
5 or, equivalently, "from approximately a to b") disclosed
herein is to be understood to set forth every number and
range encompassed within the broader range of values.
Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary
meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by
10 the patentee. Moreover, the indefinite articles "a" or
"an", as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one
or more than one of the element that it introduces. If
there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in
this specification and one or more patent(s) or other
15 documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the
definitions that are consistent with this specification
should be adopted.

WE CLAIM:
1. A method of installing a sealing ring onto a wire wrap
screen comprising:
providing the sealing ring, wherein the sealing ring
has an initial inner diameter greater than the outer
diameter of an end of the wire wrap screen;
reducing the inner diameter of the sealing ring,
wherein the reduced inner diameter of the sealing ring
is less than the outer diameter of the end of the wire
wrap screen;
heating the sealing ring;
positioning the heated sealing ring over the end of
the wire wrap screen; and
allowing the sealing ring to decrease in temperature,
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen is
a direct wrap screen.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
20 placing the sealing ring into a re-sizing device prior to
reducing the inner diameter of the sealing ring.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reduced
inner diameter of the sealing ring is equal to the outer
25 diameter of the end of the wire wrap screen minus a
predetermined amount of interference of the sealing ring.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising
measuring the outer diameter of the end of the wire wrap
30 screen, predetermining the amount of interference of the
- 24 -
sealing ring, and calculating the difference between the
measured outer diameter of the end of the' screen and the
predetermined interference.
5 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising
calculating the amount of diametrical growth of the sealing
ring based on the predetermined interference, wherein the
sealing ring is heated to a final temperature that is based
on the AT of the equation used to calculate the amount of
10 diametrical growth.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating
causes the sealing ring to expand.
15 8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the amount of
expansion is at least sufficient such that the sealing ring
is capable of being positioned over the end of the wire
wrap screen.
20 9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner
diameter of the sealing ring decreases during the decrease
in temperature of the ring.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the decrease
25 in inner diameter of the sealing ring is sufficient to
create a seal between the inside of the ring and the
outside of the screen.
11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wire wrap
30 screen is positioned around the outside of a base pipe
- 25 -
12. A method of installing sealing rings onto a wire wrap
screen comprising:
providing a jacket of wire wrap screen, wherein the
jacket of screen is positioned around the outside of a
base pipe, and wherein the jacket of screen initially
has only a first and second end;
removing at least one section of the wire wrap screen
from around the outside of the base pipe at a location
between the first and second ends, wherein removal of
the section of screen creates a re-sizing area, a
third end, and a fourth end, wherein the re-sizing
area is located between the third and fourth ends;
providing a first and second sealing ring, wherein the
first and second sealing rings have an initiai inner
diameter greater than the outer diameter of the wire
wrap screen;
positioning the first and second sealing rings onto
the first end of the wire wrap screen, wherein the
sealing rings completely surround the outside of the
wire wrap screen after positioning;
moving the first and second sealing rings along a
longitudinal axis of the wire wrap screen to a
location within the re-sizing area;
reducing the inner diameter of the first and second
sealing rings, wherein the reduced inner diameter is
less than the outer diameter of the third and fourth
ends of the wire wrap screen;
heating the first and second sealing rings;
positioning the first heated sealing ring over the
third end of the wire wrap screen and the second
heated sealing ring over the fourth end of the wire
wrap screen; and
allowing the first and second sealing rings to
decrease in temperature.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the screen is
a direct wrap screen.
10
14. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising
placing the sealing ring into a re-sizing device prior to
reducing the inner diameter of the sealing ring.
15 15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the reduced
inner diameter of the sealing ring is equal to the outer
diameter of the end of the wire wrap screen minus a
predetermined amount of interference of the sealing ring.
20 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising
measuring the outer diameter of the end of the wire wrap
screen, predetermining the amount of interference of the
sealing ring, and calculating the difference between the
measured outer diameter of the end of the screen and the
25 predetermined interference.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising
calculating the amount of diametrical growth of the sealing
ring based on the predetermined interference, wherein the
30 sealing ring is heated to a final temperature that is based
- 27 -
on the AT of the equation used to calculate the amount of
diametrical growth.
18. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the heating
5 causes the sealing ring to expand.
19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the amount of
expansion is at least sufficient such that the sealing ring
is capable of being positioned over the end of the wire
10 wrap screen.
20. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the inner
diameter of the sealing ring decreases during the decrease
in temperature of the ring.
15
21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the decrease
in inner diameter of the sealing ring is sufficient to
create a seal between the inside of the ring and the
outside of the screen.
20
22. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the re-sizing
area is created anywhere along the length of the wire wrap
screen.
23. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein there is more
25 than one section of wire wrap screen that is removed to
create two or more re-sizing areas.