Gravel packing in lateral wellbore

Abstract

A technique facilitates performance of a treatment application in a lateral wellbore. The technique may be employed in an open lateral wellbore and comprises deploying a completion within the open wellbore wall of the lateral wellbore. A service tool is used in cooperation with the completion to perform a gravel packing or other well treatment operation while maintaining hydrostatic pressure on the open lateral wellbore to prevent collapse of the open lateral wellbore. A variety of features may be incorporated into the completion or used in cooperation with the completion to facilitate the well treatment operation while maintaining the hydrostatic pressure until completion of the desired gravel pack.

1 . A method of treating a well, comprising:
 completing a junction and connecting the junction with a completion located in an open hole lateral wellbore;   deploying a service tool into the completion; and   after completing the junction, using the service tool to perform a gravel packing operation in the open hole lateral wellbore while maintaining hydrostatic pressure in the open hole lateral wellbore to prevent collapse of the open hole lateral wellbore.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising performing the gravel packing operation through an alternate path tubing separate from a main flow path of the completion. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein performing comprises directing a gravel slurry along an enclosed path within an interior of the junction and out into the alternate path tubing for delivery to a desired discharge location. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein performing comprises directing a gravel slurry along an enclosed path within an interior of the junction and out into the alternate path tubing in the form on at least one shunt tube. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising releasing the hydrostatic pressure after completing the gravel pack operation. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining sand exclusion within the junction. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein directing comprises using a shrouded port closure sleeve to direct the gravel slurry into the alternate path tubing. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising using the service tool to perform a post gravel pack cleaning operation in the open hole lateral wellbore. 
     
     
         9 . A well system, comprising:
 a completion with a sand screen, a shrouded port closure sleeve, an alternate path tubing extending from the shrouded port closure sleeve to the sand screen, and a packer, the completion enabling hydrostatic pressure to be maintained on the formation when the completion is placed in a lateral wellbore;   a junction which may be completed and joined with the completion to enclose a primary flow path between an intermediate completion in a generally vertical wellbore and the completion in the lateral wellbore; and   a service tool selectively engaged with the completion in a manner able to maintain the hydrostatic pressure while a gravel slurry is delivered along the primary flow path within the junction and the completion to form a gravel pack.   
     
     
         10 . The well system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the alternate path tubing comprises at least one shunt tube. 
     
     
         11 . The well system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the packer comprises an external casing packer. 
     
     
         12 . The well system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the packer comprises a swell packer. 
     
     
         13 . The well system is recited in  claim 9 , wherein the packer comprises a completion packer. 
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising a disconnect sub coupling the completion to the junction. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 providing a completion with a sand screen and a packer which seals against open wellbore wall of a lateral wellbore;   running the completion downhole into the lateral wellbore;   engaging a service tool with the completion;   performing a gravel packing operation to create a gravel pack around the completion via the service tool by routing a gravel slurry from the service tool and out to an alternate path tubing separate from a main flow path of the completion; and   maintaining hydrostatic pressure via the completion and the service tool during the gravel packing operation.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising maintaining open hole stability in the lateral wellbore. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising performing a post gravel pack cleaning operation. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising completing a junction prior to performing the gravel packing operation. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising completing a junction after performing the gravel packing operation. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein performing the gravel packing operation comprises delivering gravel through the alternate path tubing in the form of at least one shunt tube.