Annular Space Casing for Wellbore Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wellbore fracturing methods require a minimum annular space for fluid flow, which is corrosive to screens and limits the inner diameter of the casing, hindering efficient hydrocarbon production.
Innovation Solution
Creating an annular space outside the casing by dissolving a material wrapped around it, allowing treatment fluids to bypass screens and increase the inner diameter for production, using a dissolvable material on the casing's outer side, cementing, and perforating to form a cavity for fluid injection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a screen is placed inside the casing for fracturing operations, then fluid can be supplied to the formation through perforations, but the screen is corroded by the fracturing fluid and requires a minimum annular space width
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful element (screen) is removed from the system by replacing it with a dissolvable material that creates an annular space outside the casing. This eliminates the corrosion problem between fracturing fluid and screen, while also removing the constraint on annular space width requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of supplying fluid through the screen from the inside of the casing, the invention inverts the approach by creating an annular space outside the casing and supplying fluid through this external space. This reverses the traditional flow path and eliminates the need for a screen inside the casing.
2Productivity
If the annular space width is increased for proper fluid flow, then fluid can flow through perforations, but the inside diameter of the casing is reduced for hydrocarbon production
Solution Approach 1:
The invention moves the fluid flow path from the internal dimension (inside the casing) to the external dimension (outside the casing in the annular space). This dimensional shift allows the casing inner diameter to be maximized for production while fluid injection occurs in the external annular space.
3Ease of operation
If a screen is left in the casing after fracturing for reservoir fluid flow, then production can occur, but the screen is exposed to corrosive fracturing fluid during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is completely removed from the system and replaced with a dissolvable material that creates an external annular space. This eliminates the corrosion issue entirely while maintaining production capability through the casing without any screen obstruction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient fracturing and flooding without damaging screens, allowing the screen to be placed closer to the casing, increasing the inner diameter for improved hydrocarbon production and reducing corrosion risks.
Implementation Method 1
an annular space in the cement between the casing and the wellbore, the annular space formed by dissolving a dissolvable material placed over an outside of the casing
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a method for completing a wellbore in a formation is disclosed, that in one non-limiting embodiment includes placing a casing in the wellbore, cementing an annulus between the casing and the wellbore, and forming an annular cavity of a selected length in the cement between the casing and the wellbore. In one aspect, the forming the annular space includes placing a dissolvable material on an outside of the casing before placing the casing in the wellbore, and dissolving the dissolvable material after cementing to form the annular space.