Method for making a prepacked sand control liner for use in oil wells

Claim 1

A method of making the permeable portion of a prepacked sand control liner comprising the sequential steps of mixing a heat curable bonding material and particulate matter together in predeterminable amounts to form a permeable mixture, immersing the mixture in a liquid wax bath having a temperature at least as great as the curing temperature of the bonding material, allowing the wax to enter the pores of the mixture and to cure the bonding material to bond the particulate matter together to form a consolidated permeable portion for use in a prepacked sand control liner while maintaining the temperature of the bath at at least the curing temperature of the bonding material to insure that the compressive strength of the resulting permeable portion is greater than if such portion was air cured at the same temperature, and allowing the liquid wax to solidify in the consolidated permeable portion.

Claim 2

A method of making a prepacked sand control liner comprising the sequential steps of mixing from 3 1/2 percent to 10 percent by weight of a heat curable bonding material with sand particles to form an unconsolidated sand pack, forming the unconsolidated sand pack about a supporting member, immersing the portion of the supporting member containing the unconsolidated sand pack in a hot wax bath having a temperature at least as great as the curing temperature of the bonding material, allowing the hot wax to enter the pores of the unconsolidated sand pack to cure the bonding material to consolidate the sand pack to insure that the compressive strength of the sand pack is greater than if such pack was air cured at the same temperature, and allowing the hot wax in the consolidated sand pack to cool and harden to form a protective coating for the sand pack.

Claim 3

A method of making a prepacked sand control liner comprising the sequential steps of mixing a predeterminable amount of a heat curable resin with sand to form an unconsolidated sand pack, forming the sand pack about a slotted tubular member, immersing the portion of the tubular member containing the sand pack in a wax bath having a temperature in excess of 150*F, flowing the hot wax into the pores of the unconsolidated sand pack to cure the resin to consolidate the sand pack to insure that the compressive strength of the sand pack is greater than if such pack was air cured at the same temperature, allowing the wax in the sand pack to partially cool and to become viscous, and then removing the tubular member and the sand pack consolidated thereabout from the wax bath.

Claim 8

A method of making a prepacked sand control liner comprising the sequential steps of mixing a heat curable resin selected from the group consisting of the formaldehyde resins, the polyester resins, and the epoxy resins with sand to form a permeable mixture, placing the mixture in hot liquid wax having a temperature in excess of 150*F, and flowing the hot wax into the pores of the permeable mixture to cure the resin and consolidate the sand to form a consolidated permeable matrix having a cOmpressive strength greater than would be the case if such matrix was air cured at the same temperature, and allowing the wax to cool and harden in the pores of the consolidated permeable matrix.

Claim 13

The method of consolidating a sand pack comprising the sequential steps of mixing 3 1/2 to 10 percent by weight epoxy resin and sand together to form a unconsolidated mixture, placing the mixture in a liquid wax bath having a temperature above 150*F., allowing the liquid wax to enter the pores of the unconsolidated mixture to cure the resin to consolidate the sand pack to insure that the compressive strength of the sand pack is greater than if such pack was air cured at the same temperature, allowing the wax to partially cool, and then removing the consolidated sand pack and the wax contained thereabout from the wax bath.