Well screen cover

Abstract

A well screen cover including a channel running along substantially the entire length of the well screen cover. The channel may be formed directly into the cover or separately formed and welded to the cover. The channel is open to the exterior of the well screen cover and is formed to house a cable, such as a fiber optic cable, which is run into a well bore along with the well screen.

1 . A method of manufacturing a well screen cover, comprising the steps of: 
 spirally winding a strip of metal to form an elongated cylindrical tube; and    pressing an elongated metal bar into the wall of the tube, the metal bar being positioned along the length of the tube, substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tube, to form an elongated channel in the tube, which runs substantially the length of the tube.    
   
   
       2 . A method of manufacturing a well screen cover, comprising the steps of: 
 providing an elongated tube having a wall that includes an inner surface and an outer surface;    providing an elongated channel having two sidewalls;    coupling the sidewalls of the channel to the inner surface of the wall of the tube; and    removing a portion of the wall between the two sidewalls.    
   
   
       3 . A method of manufacturing a well screen cover, comprising the steps of: 
 providing an elongated tube having first and second tube ends and a wall that includes an inner surface and an outer surface, the tube defining a longitudinal axis;    removing a portion of the wall of the tube to create a slot running substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the slot having first and second slot ends, the first slot end spaced-apart from the first tube end and the second slot end spaced-apart from the second tube end; and    coupling an elongated channel to the inner surface of the tube, below the slot.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of removing a portion of the tube at the first tube end and removing a portion of the tube at the second tube end.  
   
   
       5 . A method of manufacturing a well screen cover, comprising the steps of: 
 providing an elongated tube having a wall that includes an inner surface and an outer surface, the tube defining a longitudinal axis;    slitting the wall of the tube along the tube length, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;    prying the wall of the tube apart to widen the slit; and    inserting a plurality of rings coupled to a channel into the tube, the rings lying adjacent to the inner surface of the tube, the channel positioned within the widened slit.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of welding the channel to the wall of the tube.