4004results about "Cleaning apparatus" patented technology

Coatings for well screens that protect the screens from damage as they are inserted into the wellbore and once in the well, release reactive materials to react with and degrade potentially plugging materials such as drill solids, fluid filtercakes, fluid loss additives, and drilling fluids. The coatings can be specifically designed for individual well conditions and are comprised of a binder that either melts or dissolves within the wellbore and one or more reactive materials such as acids, enzymes, surfactants, chelants, oxidizers or free radical generators and the like which are released into the screen and the near wellbore area and which are effective in degrading or dissolving materials which could potentially plug the screen.

A method of the preparation and utilization of polymerized alpha-hydroxycarboxylic-acid-coated proppants for gravel pack and removal of filter cake that was deposited by reservoir drilling fluid. In a preferred example, polyglycolic-acid-coated sand is used to replace conventional gravel pack sand typically used for gravel packing. Under downhole conditions, the acidic by-product generated from the hydration of polyglycolic-acid-coated sand can break down acid-soluble and/or acid-breakable components embedded in the filter cake. This reaction enhances the filter cake removal and the flow of hydrocarbon from the producing formation. The polyglycolic-acid-coated sand may be produced by polymerizing a glycolic acid with a natural or synthetic proppant like 20-40 mesh commercial sand, at temperatures of about 210° F. or higher.

Methods are presented to induce a screenout during a subterranean formation fracturing or combined fracturing and gravel packing treatment having a viscoelastic surfactant-based carrier fluid by laying down a filter cake at least a portion of which is a base-soluble material, injecting proppant slurry, and causing hydrolysis and dissolution of the solid base-soluble material by adding base so that leak-off increases, the concentration of proppant in the fracture increases, and the proppant screens out. A method of gravel packing with a viscoelastic surfactant-based carrier fluid by laying down a filter cake at least a portion of which is a base-soluble material, injecting gravel, and causing hydrolysis and dissolution of the solid base-soluble material by adding base. Methods of slowing or accelerating the hydrolysis and dissolution are given, and addition of bridging-promoting materials is included.

A system and method of drilling and/or perforating uses a laser beam to remove material, such as to perforate the casing, cement and formation or drill a well bore. The system and method can further or alternately encompass material analysis that can be performed without removing the material from the well bore. The analysis can be performed apart from or in connection with drilling operations and/or perforating the casing, cement and formation. The analysis can be used in a feed back loop to adjust material removal, adjust material analysis, determine the location of future material removal, and for other uses.

A petroleum well having a well casing, a production tubing, a source of time-varying current, a downhole chemical injection device, and a downhole induction choke. The casing extends within a wellbore of the well. The tubing extends within the casing. The current source is located at the surface. The current source is electrically connected to, and adapted to output a time-varying current into, the tubing and/or the casing, which act as electrical conductors for providing downhole power and/or communications. The injection device having a communications and control module, a chemical container, and an electrically controllable chemical injector. The communications and control module is electrically connected to the tubing and/or the casing. The chemical injector is electrically connected to the communications and control module, and is in fluid communication with the chemical container. The downhole induction choke is located about a portion of the tubing and/or the casing. The chemical injector is electrically connected to the communications and control module, and is in fluid communication with the chemical container. The downhole induction choke is located about a portion of the tubing and/or the casing. The induction choke is adapted to route part of the electrical current through the communications and control module by creating a voltage potential between one side of the induction choke and another side of the induction choke. The communications and control module is electrically connected across the voltage potential. Also, a method is provided for controllably injecting a chemical into the well downhole, which may be used to: improve lift efficiency with a foaming agent, prevent deposition of solids with a paraffin solvent, improve a flow characteristic of the flow stream with a surfactant, prevent corrosion with a corrosion inhibitor, and/or prevent scaling with scale preventers.

A wash nozzle for wellbore washing operations has been invented, the wash nozzle, in one aspect having a central mandrel with a top, a bottom, and a fluid flow bore therethrough from top to bottom, at least one mandrel port through the central mandrel for fluid flow from within the central mandrel's fluid flow bore to an exterior of the central mandrel, a hollow sleeve rotatably mounted around the central mandrel, and at least one sleeve port through the sleeve for fluid flow from within the sleeve from the exterior of the central mandrel to an exterior of the sleeve, the at least one sleeve port defined by a wall on the sleeve. In one aspect the wash nozzle includes apparatus for selective rotation of the sleeve about the mandrel. In one aspect flow through the wash nozzle is stopped to effect sleeve rotation and, in one particular aspect, flow through the nozzle is then re-established. Methods have been invented using such wash nozzles for wellbore washing operations and/or cuttings removal.

Methods of diverting treating fluids in subterranean zones penetrated by well bores are provided. The methods basically comprise the following steps. A degradable particulate diverting material is placed in a subterranean zone that contains releasable water. A treating fluid is then introduced into the subterranean zone which is diverted by the degradable particulate diverting material therein. Thereafter, the degradable particulate diverting material is allowed to at least partially degrade in the presence of the released water in the subterranean zone.

A tubing string assembly for fluid treatment of a wellbore includes substantially pressure holding closures spaced along the tubing string, which each close at least one port through the tubing string wall. The closures are openable by a sleeve drivable through the tubing string inner bore.

Graft polymers are used as gas hydrate inhibitors.

The invention relates to a method for treating subterranean formation comprising providing distributed temperature sensors, injecting a treatment fluid and monitoring the temperature across the treatment interval during the injection process.

A flow conduit having at least one orifice is placed in the vicinity of a flow source, which in one non-limiting embodiment may be a hydrocarbon reservoir. The flow pathway between the orifice and the source is temporarily blocked with a degradable barrier. Once the flow pathway is physically placed, the degradable barrier is removed under the influence of an acid, a solvent, time and/or temperature. The flow source and the flow pathways are at least partially covered (and flow blocked by) a temporary coating such as a pseudo-filter cake formed by a viscoelastic surfactant-gelled aqueous drill-in fluid, and the flow conduit is extended to the flow source. The pseudo-filter cake is removed when viscosity is reduced by an internal breaker, and flow is then allowed. The method is useful in one context of recovering hydrocarbons where the flow conduit is a telescoping sleeve or tube that contacts the borehole wall.

Compositions and methods are given to prevent, alleviate and remedy water blocks and gas blocks (condensate block or condensate banking). Wettability modifiers are contacted with the formation to change the surfaces from water wet or oil wet to intermediate wet or gas wet. Preferred wettability modifiers include partially or completely fluorinated surfactants or polymers, for example fluorosilanes such as perfluorosilanes, urethane oligomers containing perfluoro alkyl moieties, fluoroacrylates, and fluoroalkyl containing terpolymers or their mixtures. Other examples include surfactants, for example viscoelastic surfactants such as cationic surfactants such as quaternary amines, and zwitterionic surfactants, such as betaines, optionally mixed with co-surfactants.

This invention proposes a method for completing an interval of an open-hole injection wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, said wellbore being communicating with the formation by way of an interface that comprises at least a filter cake invaded zone comprising bridging materials and other embedded solid materials, said method comprising the steps of injecting a clean-up fluid and contacting it with the filtercake for a period of time sufficient to loose some of the other solids embedded in the filter cake; removing the loosened solids by a high-rate displacement fluid comprising suspending additives; and then injecting a dissolving fluid comprising a diverter and an effective amount of a salt or acid capable of dissolving the bridging material.

Methods of drilling and completing open hole well bores and methods of removing filter cake comprised of a gelling agent and calcium carbonate are provided. A method of the invention for removing filter cake comprised of a gelling agent and calcium carbonate from the walls of an open hole well bore is basically comprised of the steps of contacting the filter cake with a delayed clean-up solution comprised of water and a formate ester and removing the clean-up solution from the well bore.

The present disclosure provides systems utilizing fiber optics for monitoring downhole parameters and the operation and conditions of downhole tools and controlling injection operations based on measurements in an injection well and/or a production well.