Method and system for tool orientation and positioning and particulate material protection within a well casing for producing hydrocarbon bearing formations including gas hydrates

Abstract

A method and system for tool orientation and positioning and particulate material protection within a well casing for production of hydrocarbons including methane gas from a gas hydrate including a shroud positioned within a production well casing adjacent a cylindrical production tubing screen to shield and isolate the screen from particulate material entrained within production fluid entering the well casing.

1 . A method for orienting perforations for production from a subterranean zone, wherein said method comprises the steps of: 
 running an indexing casing coupling as a part of a production well casing string;    cementing the indexing casing coupling in position within a well bore along with instrumentation and cables associated with well production;    running a tubing carrying a construction selective locating tool into the cemented well production casing;    landing the construction selective locating tool into the indexing casing coupling to orient the construction selective locating tool within the well casing; and    perforating the production well casing at specific locations that avoid conflict with well casing cables and/or instrumentation cemented with the well production casing.    
   
   
       2 . A method for orienting perforations for production from a subterranean zone, as defined in  claim 1  further comprising: 
 forming a plurality of well production windows laterally through the side of a well production casing positioned into a gas hydrate subterranean zone;    positioning a well production tubing within the well casing and having a particulate blocking cylindrical screen positioned on the distal end of the production tubing; and    positioning at least one shroud between the well production windows and the particulate blocking cylindrical screen.    
   
   
       3 . A method for orienting perforations for production from a subterranean zone, as defined in  claim 2  wherein said steps of positioning comprises the steps of: 
 running a production tubing into the well production casing and having an indexing casing coupling connected to the production tubing;    running a particulate material cylindrical screen on the distal end of the production tubing and the cylindrical screen carrying at least one shroud along at least a position of the screen; and    orientating the shroud to radially align with perforation windows within the well casing so that particulate material entrained within fluid flowing through the well casing production perforations will be shielding from impinging against the cylindrical screen.    
   
   
       4 . A method for orienting perforations for production from a subterranean zone, as defined in  claim 2  wherein said step of perforating comprises the steps of: 
 forming production windows on opposing sides of the production well casing.    
   
   
       5 . A method for orienting perforations for production from a subterranean zone, as defined in  claim 4  wherein: 
 positioning a shroud radially inward from the production well casing and radially outward with respect to the cylindrical screen at each location of production perforations through the production well casing.    
   
   
       6 . A method for orienting and positioning a well production screen shroud with respect to well casing production perforations for production of hydrocarbons from a subterranean hydrocarbon zone, wherein said method comprises the steps of: 
 forming a plurality of well production windows laterally through the side of a well production casing positioned into a hydrocarbon subterranean zone;    positioning a well production tubing within the well casing and having a particulate blocking cylindrical screen positioned on the distal end of the production tubing; and    positioning at least one shroud between the well production windows and the particulate blocking cylindrical screen.    
   
   
       7 . A system for orienting and positioning at least one well production screen shroud with respect to well casing production perforations for the production of methane gas from a subterranean zone of gas hydrate, wherein said system comprises: 
 production tubing positioned and oriented within the production well casing;    a cylindrical particulate matter screen connected to a distal end of the production tubing; and    one or more shroud segments connected to the outer periphery of said cylindrical particulate matter screen at each location where a production window perforation exists through the production well casing.    
   
   
       8 . A system for orienting and positioning a well production screen shroud with respect to well casing production perforations for the production of methane gas from a subterranean zone of gas hydrate as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said one or more shroud sections comprise: 
 a solid segment extending between the outer surface of said cylindrical screen and the inner surface of said production well casing and being arcuate in cross section.    
   
   
       9 . A system for orienting and positioning a well production screen shroud with respect to well casing production perforations for the production of methane gas from a subterranean zone of gas hydrate as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said at least one shroud comprises: 
 a cylindrical member that has a wall thickness thicker than said cylindrical screen and having flow holes out of registry with the perforations through the wall of said production well casing.    
   
   
       10 . A system for orienting and positioning a well production screen shroud with respect to well casing production perforations for the production of methane gas from a subterranean zone of gas hydrate, as defined in  claim 7  wherein said one or more shroud segments comprise: 
 longitudinal strips of material connected to said cylindrical screen and being mounted in line with said perforations through the side wall of said production well casing.    
   
   
       11 . A system for orienting production perforations for production from a subterranean zone, wherein said system comprises: 
 production well casing including an indexing casing coupling section; and    production tubing including a selective locating section to cooperate with said indexing casing coupling to accurately orient a perforating device operable to provide one or more production perforations through the production well casing.