Reactive choke for automatic wellbore fluid management and methods of using same

Abstract

Fluid actuated chokes comprise an expandable material that expands due to an undesired fluid coming in contact with the choke. The choke includes one or more passageways through which desired fluids from a well flow unimpeded. The choke is disposed in a downhole tool as part of a downhole completion. When one or more undesired fluids enters a production stream flowing through the downhole completion and, thus, the downhole tool, and contacts the choke, the expandable material expands causing fluid flow through the passageway(s) to be restricted and, in some cases, completely closed off. Thus, the choke automatically detects and reacts, i.e., restricts fluid flow through the choke, when contacted by the undesired fluid(s).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A downhole tool through which a production stream flows, the downhole tool comprising:
 a fluid actuated choke, the fluid activated choke comprising
 a body having an upper surface, a lower surface and, a passageway connecting the upper surface with the lower surface, the body being comprised of an expandable material having a first configuration in which fluid flows through the passageway at a first flow rate and a second configuration in which fluid flows the passageway at a second flow rate, the first flow rate being greater than the second flow rate, 
 wherein the expandable material expands from the first configuration to the second configuration due to a first fluid contacting the expandable material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid causing expansion of the expandable material from the first configuration to the second configuration is water. 
     
     
         3 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid causing expansion of the expandable material from the first configuration to the second configuration is a hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the second flow rate is zero. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the body is disposed in a rigid tubular member to facilitate movement of the expandable material from the first configuration to the second configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of passageways, each of the plurality of passageways having a first configuration associated with a first flow rate and a second configuration associated with a second flow rate, each of the first flow rates being greater than each of the respective second flow rates. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the passageway has a substantially cylindrical cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         8 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the passageway intersects the upper surface at a first intersection, the first intersection having a first substantially circular shape. 
     
     
         9 . The downhole tool of  claim 8 , wherein the passageway intersects the lower surface at a second intersection, the second intersection having a second substantially circular shape. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole tool of  claim 9 , wherein the first substantially circular shape comprises a first circumference and the second substantially circular shape comprises a second circumference, the first circumference being greater than the second circumference. 
     
     
         11 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable material comprises a swellable polymer. 
     
     
         12 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable material comprises an encapsulating dissolvable material encapsulating the expandable material to prevent expansion of the expandable material from the first configuration to the second configuration until the encapsulating dissolvable material is dissolved by the first fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable material is reversible such that the expandable material moves from the second configuration toward the first configuration when contacted by a second fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the body is in contact with a first rigid porous media. 
     
     
         15 . The downhole tool of  claim 14 , wherein, wherein the lower surface of the body is in contact with a second rigid porous media. 
     
     
         16 . A method of restricting fluid flow through a downhole tool, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) flowing fluid through a fluid flow path of a downhole tool, the downhole tool having disposed within the fluid flow path a fluid actuated choke, the fluid actuated choke comprising
 a body having an upper surface, a lower surface and, a passageway connecting the upper surface with the lower surface, the body being comprised of an expandable material having a first configuration in which fluid flows through the passageway at a first flow rate and a second configuration in which fluid flows the passageway at a second flow rate, the first flow rate being greater than the second flow rate; and 
   (b) contacting the expandable material of the fluid actuated choke with a first fluid causing the expandable material to expand from the first configuration toward the second configuration causing the passageway to move from an initial position toward a closed position, thereby restricting the fluid flowing through the passageway from the first flow rate to the second flow rate.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the during step (b) the first fluid dissolves a dissolvable material encapsulating the expandable material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein during step (a), the fluid flows at the first flow rate through a first porous media, then through the passageway, and then through a second porous media. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second flow rate is substantially zero. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 (c) contacting the expandable material of the fluid actuated choke with a second fluid causing the expandable material to move from the second configuration toward the first configuration causing the passageway to move toward the initial position, thereby increasing fluid flow through the passageway.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein step (b) is repeated.