A method of filtering a wellbore fluid can include receiving a wellbore fluid in a chamber. The chamber can be defined by an inner surface of a casing string that is positioned downhole in a wellbore. The method can further include filtering debris particles from the wellbore fluid by a filter assembly positioned within an inner region of the casing string. The filter assembly may include a plurality of slots and the filter assembly may be rotated by the wellbore fluid passing through the plurality of slots in the filter assembly.

Various systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for handling contaminants in a wellbore or riser. A washpipe debris trap (WPDT) traps contaminants traveling up a wellbore from a downhole location, and the WPDT may serve as an indicator for a breached screen in a downhole location. A marine riser reversing tool (MRRT) may reverse the flow of fluid between a workstring conduit and an annulus between the workstring and the wellbore such that fluid rises to the wellhead with greater velocity. A bi-directional chamber trap (BDCT) may be utilized in a wellbore operation to remove contaminants from a fluid.

Apparatus for controlling laser piercing of a remote material (10), which apparatus comprises: at least one piercing laser (1) for emitting laser radiation (2) for piercing the remote material (10), which laser radiation (2) is characterized by a first wavelength (16); a probe laser (3) for emitting a probe signal (4) for monitoring the piercing of the remote material (10); beam delivery optics (5) configured to direct the laser radiation (2) and the probe signal (4) onto the material (10); at least one detector (6) for detecting optical radiation (7) that is emitted or reflected by the material (10) in response to the probe signal (4); and an electronic filter (8) for filtering an electronic signal (9) emitted by the detector (6) in response to the detector (6) detecting the optical radiation (7); and the apparatus being characterized in that the probe laser (3) is configured such that the probe signal (4) is able to be modulated by a modulation signal (13); and the electronic filter (8) comprises a phase sensitive detector (14) which is configured to receive the electronic signal (9) and the modulation signal (13) and to provide phase sensitive detection of the electronic signal (9), which phase sensitive detection is used to improve a signal to noise ratio of an amplitude of the electronic signal (9), thereby enabling detection of a reduction in the amplitude of the electronic signal (9), which reduction is indicative of the laser radiation (2) piercing the remote material (10).

A downhole apparatus comprising a body configured to be coupled to a production tubular and an upper opening and a lower opening. First and second flow paths are provided between the upper opening and the lower opening in the body, and a flow diverter is arranged to direct downward flow through the body towards the second flow path and away from the first flow path. A filter device in the second flow path filters or collects solid particles in the second flow path from passing out of the lower opening of the apparatus. The apparatus has particular application to artificial lift hydrocarbon production systems, and may be installed above a downhole pump in a production tubing to prevent solids from settling on the pump during pump shutdown. Embodiments for use with ESPs and PCPs are described.

A hollow milling-bit defines a first interior flow passage. A junk catcher sub is connected to the hollow milling-bit and positioned between the hollow milling-bit and the uphole end. A junk recovery tube is connected to the junk catcher sub and positioned between the junk catcher sub and the uphole end. A reverse circulation diverter sub is connected to the junk recovery tube and positioned between the junk recovery tube and the uphole end. The reverse circulation diverter sub includes a ball seat configured to receive a ball. The first recirculation passage fluidically connects the interior flow passage to an outer surface of the tool. The second recirculation passage fluidically connects the interior flow passage to an outer surface of the tool. A catch basket that defines openings is connected to a downhole end of the reverse circulation diverter sub and positioned in the third interior flow passage in-line.

An apparatus can include a filter element that is positionable in a tubing string. The filter element can have a closed end and an open end. A plurality of slots can extend generally radially from the closed end to the open end of the filter element along a length of the filter element.

Devices and methods for controlling the properties of chemical species during time-dependent processes. A device includes a reactor for containing one or more chemical species of a time-dependent process, an extraction pump for automatically and continuously extracting an amount of the one or more chemical species from the reactor, one or more detectors for measuring property changes of the one or more extracted chemical species and generating a continuous stream of data related to the one or more property changes to the one or more chemical species during a time interval, and a process controller configured to fit the continuous stream of data to a mathematical function to predict one or more properties of the one or more chemical species at a future time point and make one or more process decisions based on the prediction of one or more properties at the future time point.

A downhole apparatus comprising a body configured to be coupled to a production tubular and an upper opening and a lower opening. First and second flow paths are provided between the upper opening and the lower opening in the body, and a flow diverter is arranged to direct downward flow through the body towards the second flow path and away from the first flow path. A filter device in the second flow path filters or collects solid particles in the second flow path from passing out of the lower opening of the apparatus. The apparatus has particular application to artificial lift hydrocarbon production systems, and may be installed above a downhole pump in a production tubing to prevent solids from settling on the pump during pump shutdown. Embodiments for use with ESPs and PCPs are described.

A valve assembly (10) comprises a flow path extending from an assembly inlet (20) to an assembly outlet (22), a valve (24a/26a) arranged within the flow path and a filter assembly arranged within the flow path between the assembly inlet and the valve. The filter assembly comprises a filter chamber defining a particle settlement region, a filter chamber inlet for facilitating inflow of a fluid into the chamber, and a filter chamber outlet for facilitating outflow of fluid from the chamber towards the valve, wherein the filter chamber outlet includes a particle filter.

A self-cleaning filter includes a housing disposing a filter media having a permeable sidewall and an axial bore connected with the inlet conduit, a sleeve connected in-line with the axial bore and downstream of the inlet conduit, and a shuttle having a piston moveably disposed in the sleeve and an upstream element carrying a scraper disposed with the axial bore, whereby the hydraulic fluid flows from the inlet conduit through the permeable sidewall into the housing annulus and the hydraulic pressure in the axial bore applies a downward force on the shuttle. The scraper is moved downstream within axial bore to clean the filter media when the downward force due to the increased differential pressure across the filter media exceeds an upstream shuttle force.