Welded wire well screen on perforated casing

Claim 1

A well screen adapted for use in deep wells, comprising: a tubular pipe having a perforated pipe section and adapted to be disposed longitudinally in a well for receiving well fluid in said pipe; a wire screen sleeve unit having circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending rib wires and a screen wire wrapped externally of said rib wires in a spaced pattern to form a screen passage for well fluids through said wire screen sleeve unit, said screen wire secured to said rib wires by welding at each crossing point to form said sleeve unit in a desired length to cover the perforated pipe section as a unitary assembly which is self supporting; said wire screen sleeve unit having an internal diameter sized relative to the external diameter of the tubular pipe for enabling the wire screen sleeve unit to be movably positioned relative to the pipe when said wire screen sleeve unit is unsecured with said tubular pipe; said wire screen sleeve unit being disposed around and movable relative to said pipe section for positioning about said perforated pipe section with said rib wires located substantially in contact with said pipe and with the screen wire spaced radially outwardly from said pipe to form radial gaps at each end of said wire screen sleeve unit; means for securing said wire screen sleeve unit with said pipe and against longitudinal and rotational movement relative to said pipe under all conditions of tension and torsion including an annular weld at each end of said wire screen sleeve unit for closing off said radial gaps at each end of said wire screen sleeve unit for closing off fluid flow through the ends of said wire screen sleeve unit; said annular welds having an exernal diameter which is not greater than the external diameter of the wire screen sleeve unit so that the well screen may be lowered into any space which will receive the wire screen sleeve unit.