Apparatus and method for reducing water production from a hydrocarbon producing well

Abstract

A filtering apparatus for use in a hydrocarbon producing well for reducing water production therein includes a filtering medium treated with a relative permeability modifier such that the relative permeability modifier reduces the permeability of the filtering medium if the relative permeability modifier contacts water production. The relative permeability modifier may be used to treat a metal portion of the filtering medium in the case of a wire wrap screen or a wire mesh screen or may be use treat a metal portion or the prepacked component of a prepacked screen. The relative permeability modifier may be a polymer of at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one hydrophobically modified hydrophilic monomer, a hydrophobically modified polymer, a hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymer, hydrophobically modified copolymers thereof or the like.

1 . A filtering apparatus for use in a hydrocarbon producing well, the filtering apparatus comprising: 
 a filtering medium treated with a relative permeability modifier; and    wherein the relative permeability modifier reduces the permeability of the filtering medium if the relative permeability modifier contacts water production.    
   
   
       2 . The filtering apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein the filtering medium is a sand control screen selected from the group consisting of a wire wrap screen, a prepacked screen and a wire mesh screen.  
   
   
       3 . The filtering apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein the relative permeability modifier is used to treat at least one of a metal portion of the filtering medium and a prepacked component of the filtering medium.  
   
   
       4 . The filtering apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein the relative permeability modifier is selected from the group consisting of a polymer of at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one hydrophobically modified hydrophilic monomer, a hydrophobically modified polymer, a hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymer and hydrophobically modified copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The filtering apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein the relative permeability modifier is selected from the group consisting of a polymer of at least one of acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, vinyl pyrrolidone, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, dimethylaminopropylmethacrylamide, trimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate chloride, methacrylamide, and hydroxyethyl acrylate combined with at least one of alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates, alkyl acrylamides, alkyl methacrylamides, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate bromide, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate chloride, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate iodide, alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide bromide, alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide chloride and alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide iodide.  
   
   
       6 . The filtering apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein the relative permeability modifier is selected from the group consisting of hydrophobically modified polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide and hydrophobically modified copolymers of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and vinyl pyrollidone.  
   
   
       7 . A method for reducing water production in a hydrocarbon producing well, the method comprising the steps of: 
 treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier;    disposing the filtering medium proximate a production zone of the well;    producing fluids from the production zone; and    reducing the permeability of the filtering medium if the relative permeability modifier contacts water production.    
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 7  wherein the step of treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier further comprises treating a sand control screen.  
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  claim 7  wherein the step of treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier further comprises treating at least one of a metal portion of the filtering medium and a prepacked component of the filtering medium.  
   
   
       10 . The method as recited in  claim 7  wherein the step of treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier further comprises treating the filter medium with a relative permeability modifier selected from the group consisting of a polymer of at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one hydrophobically modified hydrophilic monomer, a hydrophobically modified polymer, a hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymer and hydrophobically modified copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The method as recited in  claim 7  wherein the step of treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier further comprises treating the filter medium with a relative permeability modifier selected from the group consisting of a polymer of at least one of acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, vinyl pyrrolidone, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, dimethylaminopropylmethacrylamide, trimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate chloride, methacrylamide, and hydroxyethyl acrylate combined with at least one of alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates, alkyl acrylamides, alkyl methacrylamides, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate bromide, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate chloride, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate iodide, alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide bromide, alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide chloride and alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide iodide.  
   
   
       12 . The method as recited in  claim 7  wherein the step of treating a filtering medium with a relative permeability modifier further comprises treating the filter medium with a relative permeability modifier selected from the group consisting of hydrophobically modified polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide and hydrophobically modified copolymers of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and vinyl pyrollidone.  
   
   
       13 . A completion system for use in a hydrocarbon producing well having multiple production zones, the completion system comprising: 
 a production tubing string extending along a substantial length of the well;    an isolation and filtration subassembly disposed proximate each of the production zones, each isolation and filtration subassembly operably associated with the production tubing string such that fluid from the respective production zones is produced through one of the isolation and filtration subassemblies into the production tubing string, each isolation and filtration subassembly providing at least substantial zonal isolation of one of the production zones; and    wherein at least one of the isolation and filtration subassemblies includes at least one filtering medium treated with a relative permeability modifier such that the relative permeability modifier reduces the permeability of the associated filtering medium if the associated filtering medium contacts water production, thereby reducing the production of water from the associated production zone.    
   
   
       14 . The completion system as recited in  claim 13  wherein each isolation and filtration subassembly further comprise a pair of annular barriers and a sand control screen.  
   
   
       15 . The completion system as recited in  claim 14  wherein the annular barriers are selected from the group consisting of mechanical set packers, hydrostatic set packers, hydraulic set packers, differential set packers, inflation set packers and swelling elastomer set packers.  
   
   
       16 . The completion system as recited in  claim 13  wherein the relative permeability modifier is used to treat at least one of a metal portion of the filtering medium and a prepacked component of the filtering medium.  
   
   
       17 . The completion system as recited in  claim 13  wherein each isolation and filtration subassembly provides zonal isolation of one of the production zones.  
   
   
       18 . The completion system as recited in  claim 13  wherein the relative permeability modifier is selected from the group consisting of a polymer of at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one hydrophobically modified hydrophilic monomer, a hydrophobically modified polymer, a hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymer and hydrophobically modified copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       19 . The completion system as recited in  claim 13  wherein the relative permeability modifier is selected from the group consisting of a polymer of at least one of acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, vinyl pyrrolidone, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, dimethylaminopropylmethacrylamide, trimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate chloride, methacrylamide, and hydroxyethyl acrylate combined with at least one of alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates, alkyl acrylamides, alkyl methacrylamides, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate bromide, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate chloride, alkyl dimethylammoniumethyl methacrylate iodide, alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide bromide, alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide chloride and alkyl dimethylammonium propylmethacrylamide iodide.  
   
   
       20 . The completion system as recited in  claim 13  wherein the relative permeability modifier is selected from the group consisting of hydrophobically modified polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide and hydrophobically modified copolymers of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and vinyl pyrollidone.