Well Screen Assembly with Extending Screen

Abstract

A well screen assembly residing in a well bore has a base pipe and a filtration screen carried on the base pipe. The screen is radially extended with force from fluid while maintaining the base pipe radially unextended.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 with a well screen assembly residing in a well bore, the well screen assembly comprising a base pipe and a filtration screen carried on the base pipe,   radially extending the screen by force from fluid while maintaining the base pipe radially unextended.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where radially extending the screen with force from fluid pressure comprises supplying fluid into a bladder between the screen and the base pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising, after radially extending the screen, degrading the bladder. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising maintaining the screen radially extended by plastically deforming the bladder. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where openings in the screen are sealed with a degradable material and radially extending the screen comprises supplying fluid into a space between the screen and base pipe. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising sealing openings in the screen by providing the degradable material into the screen while the screen is in the well bore. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising, after radially extending the screen, degrading the degradable material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  where radially extending the screen with force from fluid pressure comprises supplying fluid into a center bore of the base pipe. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , where radially extending the screen comprises extending the screen into contact with a wall of the well bore. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , where radially extending the screen comprises extending a screen from a corrugated state. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , where radially extending the screen comprises inserting an injection tool into a center bore of the base pipe. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising maintaining the screen radially extended by plastically deforming the screen. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising maintaining the screen radially extended with a foam, resin, gravel slurry, or cement supplied into between the base pipe and the screen. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising maintaining the screen radially extended with a memory metal. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising maintaining the screen radially extended with a ratchet mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , where the screen is a filtration louver. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , where radially extending the screen with force from fluid pressure while maintaining the base pipe radially unextended comprises extending the screen without plastically deforming the base pipe. 
     
     
         18 . A well screen assembly, comprising:
 a base pipe; and   a filtration screen carried on the base pipe and adapted to radially extend from a compact state to a radially extended state in response to force from fluid pressure while the base pipe remains radially unextended.   
     
     
         19 . The well screen assembly of  claim 18 , comprising a bladder between the base pipe and filtration screen adapted to extend the screen to the radially extended state when fluid is supplied into the bladder. 
     
     
         20 . The well screen assembly of  claim 19 , where the bladder is adapted to plastically deform and maintain the screen in the radially extended state. 
     
     
         21 . The well screen assembly of  claim 18 , where the screen is initially fluid impermeable and is extendable to the radially extended state by supplying fluid between the screen and the base pipe. 
     
     
         22 . The well screen assembly of  claim 21 , where the screen comprises a degradable material embedded in openings of the screen and sealing against flow through the screen. 
     
     
         23 . The well screen assembly of  claim 18 , where the screen is a filtration louver. 
     
     
         24 . The well screen assembly of  claim 18 , where the screen comprises a support layer adapted to plastically deform and maintain the screen in the extended state. 
     
     
         25 . A well screen assembly, comprising:
 an inflatable fluid cavity defined radially beneath a screen, the cavity configured to extend the screen radially when fluid is supplied into the cavity.   
     
     
         26 . The well screen assembly of  claim 25 , where the cavity comprises a bladder. 
     
     
         27 . The well screen assembly of  claim 25 , where the screen is sealed with a degradable material and the sealed screen defines the fluid cavity.