Magnetic device for controlling fluid flow in well

Abstract

A control device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well includes a base magnetic tube (110), an outer magnetic tube (120), and a pressure drop passage (130). A pressure drop passage (130) receives a fluid at an inlet (131) having a first diameter and discharges the fluid at an outlet (132) having a second diameter. The base magnetic tube (110) is fitted inside the outer magnetic tube (120), and a pressure drop channel (130) is formed in a mating region between the base magnetic tube (110) and the outer magnetic tube (120).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lifting and flow, which relates to the technology of developing production in reservoir management, which is related to controlling production losses through production management to ensure production flow. More specifically, the present invention relates to a magnetic device for controlling the flow of fluids in a well. Background Art

[0002] Flow control devices (ICD - Inflow Control Device) or automatic control devices (AICD - Automatic Inflow Control Device) are designed to improve oilfield production by controlling the gas-oil ratio (GOR - Gas-Oil Ratio) and the water-sediment ratio (BSW - Basic Sediment and Water) in the production string entering the well.

[0003] Flow control devices typically work by applying a pressure drop that varies depending on the arrival of the fluid that must be controlled, typically an undesirable fluid such as gas, water, and sediment. It is desirable that the pressure drop increase significantly when these undesirable fluids arrive so that production along the well will be concentrated in the area where hydrocarbons are being produced.

[0004] However, flow control devices, particularly those installed in areas prone to salt precipitation, are particularly susceptible to scaling, which can lead to plugging of these devices and consequential scale-related production losses, as well as the need to shut down production for chemical cleanup treatments, resulting in lost revenue from shut-downs and costs associated with the use of critical resources such as completion rigs and stimulation vessels.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for advances in solutions for controlling fouling of flow control devices with reduced impact on hydrocarbon production.

[0006] Existing technology

[0007] The prior art includes the disclosure of several documents containing teachings regarding flow control devices.

[0008] A study published in the paper "Experimental evaluation of magnetic devices for scale prevention and proposal of a physical model and design approach" (SANTOS, Hugo Francisco Lisboa. Rio Oil & Gas Conference, 19th, 2018, Rio de Janeiro) aimed to evaluate the potential of using magnetic devices to prevent scale formation in wells where calcium carbonate scale formation is a concern. The tests were conducted in an onshore well using a magnetic device suitable for hydrocarbon transport pipelines.

[0009] Document US 11091967 discloses a downhole flow control configuration comprising a housing and a convergent-divergent flow path in the housing. The flow path comprises a first portion comprising an inlet; a convergent section and a throat section. The first portion preferably passes through a portion of the fluid with a higher degree of subcooling. The convergent-divergent flow path further comprises: a second portion comprising a divergent section that recovers fluid pressure losses in the convergent section and the throat section; an outlet; and an elongated spiral flow path connected to the outlet of the convergent-divergent flow path, wherein the spiral flow path generates a pressure drop in the fluid flowing therein during use.

[0010] US Pat. No. 10,208,575 discloses a flow control device comprising one or more stacked spiral paths, wherein the inlet to one end of the spiral is tapered on one or more sides to gradually increase the velocity of the polymer, thereby eliminating a point of rapid acceleration upon entering the spiral path. The inlet with its tapered portion can be curved to facilitate entry into the spiral. The spiral can be inserted tangentially, radially, or axially.

[0011] US 20120168181 discloses an adaptive inward flow control device, comprising: a first tubular portion having a plurality of perforations extending therethrough; a second tubular portion radially positioned relative to the first tubular portion to define an annulus between the first and second tubular portions, the annulus having at least one port extending therethrough; and a pressure drop device disposed in the annulus, positioned between the plurality of perforations, the at least one port being configured to generate a pressure drop in response to fluid flow therethrough. The device also includes an expandable device disposed radially outwardly of the first tubular portion and configured to expand while allowing fluid to flow therethrough.

[0012] References to US Pat. No. 11091967, US Pat. No. 10208575, and US Pat. No. 20120168181 note that the individual converging sections do not extend along the length of the spiral section, but are instead limited to the initial inlet and / or outlet regions, or that there is no teaching of a restricted portion. Furthermore, the spiral section is entirely formed within the internal structure. Finally, there is no mention of incorporating magnetic material into the device's structure.

[0013] Therefore, there are still obvious deficiencies in the prior art. With this in mind, the features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are only preferred non-limiting embodiments. Summary of the Invention

[0014] The present invention discloses a magnetic device 100 for controlling fluid flow in a well. The magnetic device includes a base magnetic tube 110, an outer magnetic tube 120, and a pressure drop channel 130. Pressure drop channel 130 receives fluid at an inlet 131 having a first diameter and discharges the fluid at an outlet 132 having a second diameter. Base magnetic tube 110 fits inside outer magnetic tube 120, and pressure drop channel 130 is formed in the mating region between base magnetic tube 110 and outer magnetic tube 120. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] To supplement this description and provide a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the accompanying drawings are shown which represent a preferred embodiment of the invention in an illustrative and non-limiting manner.

[0016] Figure 1 A magnetic device for controlling fluid flow in a well according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 The base magnetic tube constituting the magnetic device is shown.

[0018] Figure 3A base magnetic tube is shown that externalizes the magnetic device.

[0019] Figure 4 Details of the pressure drop channel are shown.

[0020] Figure 5 Components of the apparatus of the present invention are shown to aid in understanding its features. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present invention seeks to change the primary flow control mechanism of the well, ie, the flow control device, from a state that promotes scale to a state that prevents scale.

[0022] Prior to the present invention, wells typically consisted of flow control devices (ICDs and AICDs) installed in the production tubing string to provide a flow control mechanism.

[0023] However, controlling the production of undesirable fluids (GOR - produced gas flow and BSW - produced water flow) by prior art flow control devices is achieved by accepting unmitigated risks such as:

[0024] i) plugging of wells in case of brine scaling;

[0025] ii) the recovery potential of the desired fluid decreases more than anticipated; and

[0026] iii) Lower than expected returns due to difficulty in valuation of flow simulations.

[0027] On the other hand, the present invention uses magnetic protection by including magnetic components in the valve structure design to avoid the formation of scale precipitation inside. Therefore, the negative impact of the above risks can be reduced or eliminated.

[0028] Thus, when a well completion project includes the use of a flow control device, the well will be prepared to commence production using the present invention so as to avoid blockage due to scaling due to its magnetic components.

[0029] In other words, it is not necessary to use a probe or stimulation vessel specifically to clean the magnetic flow control device of the present invention if the aforementioned scaling risk materializes.

[0030] In this sense, it should be understood that the techniques presented in this invention can be applied to all technically feasible scenarios. These scenarios include vertical, directional, or horizontal wells; in sandstone or carbonate reservoirs; with or without sand containment; with dry or wet completions; and in both suprasalite and presalt formations. However, specific studies should be conducted to optimize the decision-making for each scenario.

[0031] Furthermore, implementation of the present invention brings with it a series of advantages which will be discussed below without being exhaustive.

[0032] - When used in production wells, it can reduce the formation of gas and water cones, thereby improving the production cost-effectiveness of oil fields equipped with this technology.

[0033] - For injection wells, it is possible to obtain an increase in sweep efficiency due to uniform flow in injection and thus contribute to enhanced oil field recovery.

[0034] - The arrangement of one or more of the magnetic devices of the invention can be used to carry out autonomous stimulation via a stationary production unit - SPU, which reduces the safety risks associated with the work carried out by a stimulation vessel, since there is at least a risk of collision between the stimulation vessel and the SPU, which could lead to the rupture of the pumping lines with the leakage of chemical products into the environment.

[0035] The device of the present invention also increases the reliability of flow control in the well section, both for GOR (produced gas rate) and BSW (produced water rate). In this sense, the invention helps to keep the well production within the operating limits of the SPU without affecting the oil flow rate, thus ensuring compliance with IBAMA and ANP requirements for gas flaring and produced water treatment limits, without having to reduce the well flow rate to implement this control.

[0036] - Controlling GOR helps reduce gas flaring, which helps reduce carbon emissions. Controlling BSW helps reduce the need to re-inject water into the reservoir and / or treat the water.

[0037] - Control of GOR and BSW contributes to reservoir management while increasing oil recovery and maintaining production, which also contributes to the maintenance of royalties allocated to society.

[0038] Preferred Embodiments

[0039] like Figure 1 The preferred embodiment of the present invention shown discloses a magnetic device 100 for controlling fluid flow in a well, the device comprising at least: a base magnetic tube / casing 110; an outer magnetic tube / casing 120; and a pressure drop channel 130.

[0040] like Figure 5 As shown, the base magnetic tube 100 is fitted inside the outer magnetic tube 120, and the pressure drop channel 130 receives the fluid at an inlet 131 having a first diameter and discharges the fluid at an outlet 132 having a second diameter. Furthermore, the pressure drop channel 130 is formed in the fitting area between the base magnetic tube 110 and the outer magnetic tube 120.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the base magnetic tube 110 includes a first half of the pressure drop channel 110 on its outer surface. Figure 3 As shown, the outer magnetic tube 120 includes a second half of the pressure drop channel 125 on its inner surface.

[0042] The base magnetic tube 110 and the outer magnetic tube 120 are made of a magnetic field-permeable metal alloy containing a defined proportion of at least one element capable of generating a magnetic field. In this regard, a magnetic field-permeable metal alloy such as inconel is preferably used. Furthermore, the magnetic field-generating element is preferably neodymium, iron, boron, or a combination thereof.

[0043] In order to achieve higher efficiency of the present invention in suppressing scaling, it is preferred that the base magnetic tube 110 and the outer magnetic tube 120 have respective different magnetic orientations. In this sense, it is preferred that the base magnetic tube 110 has a south magnetic orientation, and it is preferred that the outer magnetic tube 120 has a north magnetic orientation.

[0044] The purpose of using the above materials and with the above preferred arrangement is to obtain a vector product of the magnetic field (B) and the velocity (V) in the pressure drop channel 130 of at least 10,000 Ga.m / s in order to ensure the effectiveness of generating a movable crystal that does not adhere to the inner wall of the pressure drop channel 130.

[0045] Furthermore, it should be noted that a portion of these elements will be associated with the requirements of each project in order to achieve the specified cross product B x V. Thus, and by way of example, a section that will handle a higher flow rate may receive a lower amount of the elements mentioned in the metal alloy composition.

[0046] The first half 115 and the second half 125 of the pressure drop channel have a semicircular geometry and when they are joined form a pressure drop channel 130 having a circular geometry, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0047] The circular geometry of the pressure drop channel 130 is particularly advantageous because it provides laminar flow along the interior of the pressure drop channel 130. As is known to those skilled in the art, one of the key factors in the occurrence of scaling (salt precipitation in equipment) is the presence of turbulent flow conditions. Therefore, forming a pressure drop channel with a circular geometry within the magnetic jacket offers two advantages: one is the control of the flow conditions, and the other is the suppression of the critical path for the occurrence of precipitation by the magnetic field.

[0048] In addition, if Figures 1 to 3As shown, the pressure drop channel 130 has a preferably spiral arrangement. In addition, it is preferred that the first diameter 131 is larger than the second diameter 132, wherein a tapered portion is provided between the first diameter 131 and the second diameter 132. The tapered portion helps to generate a pressure drop in the magnetic device 100.

[0049] In a preferred configuration of the magnetic device of the present invention, the spacing between the spiral portions of the pressure drop channel 130 is 100 mm. Furthermore, the first diameter 131 is preferably 6.35 mm (1 / 4") and the second diameter is preferably 3.18 mm (1 / 8"). Furthermore, the base magnetic tube 110 is preferably at least 1 meter long and has an outer diameter of 139.70 mm (5 1 / 2"), and the outer magnetic tube 120 is at least 0.70 m long and has an outer diameter of 168.28 mm (6 5 / 8").

[0050] Notwithstanding the preferred dimensions described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific dimensions of the components will need to take into account the particularities of each project, including the characteristics of the fluid, reservoir, and well.

[0051] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the knowledge presented and will be able to reproduce the invention in the indicated embodiments and other variations encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well, characterized in that The control device comprises: Base magnetic tube (110); an outer magnetic tube (120); and a pressure drop channel (130) for receiving a fluid in an inlet (131) having a first diameter and discharging the fluid in an outlet (132) having a second diameter, The base magnetic tube (110) is fitted inside the outer magnetic tube (120), and the pressure drop channel (130) is formed in a fitting area between the base magnetic tube (110) and the outer magnetic tube (120).

2. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The base magnetic tube (110) includes a first half (115) of the pressure drop channel on its outer surface, and wherein the outer magnetic tube (120) includes a second half (125) of the pressure drop channel on its inner surface.

3. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 2, characterized in that The first half (115) and the second half (125) of the pressure drop channel have a semicircular geometry.

4. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The pressure drop channel (130) has a circular geometry.

5. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The pressure drop channel (130) has a spiral arrangement.

6. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 5, characterized in that The spacing between the spiral parts of the pressure drop channel (130) is preferably 100 mm.

7. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The first diameter (131) is larger than the second diameter (132), and a tapered portion exists between the first diameter (131) and the second diameter (132).

8. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 7, characterized in that The first diameter (131) is 6.35 mm (1 / 4") and the second diameter is 3.18 mm (1 / 8").

9. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The base magnetic tube (110) has an outer diameter of 139.70 mm (5 1 / 2") and the outer magnetic tube (120) has an outer diameter of 168.28 mm (6 5 / 8").

10. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The base magnetic tube (110) and the outer magnetic tube (120) are made of a metal alloy that is permeable to magnetic fields and contains at least one element capable of generating a magnetic field in a defined proportion.

11. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 10, characterized in that The metal alloy permeable to magnetic fields is Inconel.

12. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 10, characterized in that The element capable of generating a magnetic field is any one of neodymium, iron, boron, or a combination thereof.

13. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The base magnetic tube (110) and the outer magnetic tube (120) have respective different magnetic orientations.

14. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The base magnetic tube (110) preferably includes a south magnetic orientation, and the outer magnetic tube (120) preferably includes a north magnetic orientation.

15. The magnetic device (100) for controlling fluid flow in a well according to claim 1, characterized in that The vector product of the magnetic field (B) and the velocity (V) of the pressure drop channel (130) reaches a value of 10,000 Ga.m / s.

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