Coiled Tubing Degradable Flow Control Device

Abstract

An assembly for inclusion in a tool string conveyed via coiled tubing within a wellbore. The assembly includes a mandrel having a passage for receiving fluid via the coiled tubing. The assembly further includes a packer disposed about the mandrel and expandable into sealing contact with a wall of the wellbore in response to receiving the fluid from the passage. The assembly also includes a flow control device controlling flow of the fluid from the passage into the packer. The flow control device includes a degradable material that is reactive to the fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 an assembly for inclusion in a tool string conveyed via coiled tubing within a wellbore, wherein the assembly comprises:
 a mandrel comprising a passage for receiving fluid via the coiled tubing; 
 a packer disposed about the mandrel and expandable into sealing contact with a wall of the wellbore in response to receiving the fluid from the passage; and 
 a flow control device controlling flow of the fluid from the passage into the packer and comprising a degradable material reactive to the fluid. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the mandrel comprises:
 a first mandrel comprising a first passage; and 
 a second mandrel comprising a second passage; 
 
 the first and second mandrels are at least indirectly coupled in a manner permitting fluid communication between the first and second passages; 
 the packer is disposed about one of the first and second mandrels; and 
 the flow control device is disposed in one of the first and second mandrels. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the degradable material degrades when exposed to the fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the flow control device restricts the fluid flow from the passage into the packer until the degradable material degrades in reaction to the fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the flow control device permits an increasing fluid flow rate as the degradable material degrades in reaction to the fluid. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the flow control device comprises an orifice initially open to fluid flow, and wherein a flow area of the orifice increases as the degradable material degrades in reaction to the fluid. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the degradable material comprises a plurality of degradable materials reactive to the fluid at different corresponding rates. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the degradable material comprises a plurality of layers each formed of a corresponding one of a plurality of different degradable materials each reactive to the fluid at different corresponding rates. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of layers comprises a radially inner layer of a first degradable material and a radially outer layer of a second degradable material, wherein the first degradable material is substantially more reactive to the fluid than the second degradable material, and wherein the radially inner layer initially defines a passage for communicating the fluid through the flow control device. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the degradable material is an alloy comprising aluminum, magnesium, and gallium. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a tool string conveyed via coiled tubing within a wellbore, wherein the tool string includes an assembly comprising:
 a mandrel comprising a passage for receiving fluid via the coiled tubing; 
 a packer disposed about the mandrel and expandable into sealing contact with a wall of the wellbore in response to receiving the fluid from the passage; and 
 a flow control device controlling flow of the fluid from the passage into the packer and comprising a degradable material reactive to the fluid. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the tool string further comprises at least one of:
 an isolation valve operable for fluidly isolating the passage from the wellbore; 
 a flow restrictor operable for restricting flow of the fluid from the passage into the wellbore; and/or 
 a check valve operable for permitting flow of the fluid from the passage into the wellbore and preventing flow of the fluid from the wellbore into the passage. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the tool string further comprises at least one of:
 a telemetry tool operable for facilitating communication between the tool string and surface equipment; 
 a depth correlation tool operable for determining location of the tool string within the wellbore; and/or 
 a casing collar locator operable for determining location of the tool string within the wellbore. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the flow control device permits an increasing fluid flow rate as the degradable material degrades in reaction to the fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the flow control device comprises an orifice initially open to fluid flow through the flow control device, and wherein a flow area of the orifice increases as the degradable material degrades in reaction to the fluid. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 conveying a tool string via coiled tubing within a wellbore, wherein the tool string comprises:
 a mandrel comprising a passage for receiving fluid via the coiled tubing; 
 a packer disposed about the mandrel and expandable into sealing contact with a wall of the wellbore in response to receiving the fluid from the passage; and 
 a flow control device controlling flow of the fluid from the passage into the packer and comprising a degradable material reactive to the fluid; and 
   degrading the degradable material by communicating the fluid through the flow control device, via the coiled tubing and the passage, such that the fluid communicated through the flow control device then inflates the packer into sealing contact with the wall of the wellbore.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the flow control device permits an increasing fluid flow rate from the passage to the packer as the degradable material degrades in reaction to the fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein an orifice extending through the degradable material and initially open to fluid flow through the flow control device increases as the degradable material degrades in reaction to the fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising performing a wellbore operation while the packer is in sealing contact with the wall of the wellbore. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the wellbore operation comprises at least one of:
 a scale removal operation; 
 a fracturing operation; 
 a cleanout operation; and/or 
 an acidizing operation.