Backup Packer With Protective Sleeve For Wellbore Fluid Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wellbore operations are challenging due to corrosion and size constraints, which hinder the installation of plugs and increase costs, and existing methods require multiple trips and additional equipment, making them time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A backup packer system with a separate control line is used in a completion string, allowing for electrical or hydraulic activation, featuring an elastomeric protective sleeve that can be removed for long-term functionality, enabling the packer to remain inactive until needed, thus reducing equipment trips and extending wellbore life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plug is installed in the wellbore to control fluids, then fluid control is improved, but corrosion and size constraints prevent installation and reduce wellbore life
Solution Approach 1:
The backup packer is pre-installed in the completion string in an unset state during the initial completion operation. This preliminary placement allows the packer to be positioned and protected by the sleeve before it is ever activated, eliminating the need for future intervention and extending wellbore life by preventing corrosion-related failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric protective sleeve is applied to the backup packer before installation to protect it from corrosion and damage during the extended period it remains unset in the wellbore. This beforehand protection ensures the packer remains functional and reliable when it is eventually activated, addressing the corrosion issue directly.
2Reliability
If existing methods are used to install plugs and equipment, then fluid control is achieved, but multiple trips and additional equipment are required making operations time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The backup packer and protective sleeve are pre-assembled into the completion string before the well is put into production. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for future trips to install or activate the packer, saving significant time and operational costs while ensuring fluid control capability is available when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The completion string is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides initial fluid control through the first packer, protects the backup packer during long-term storage in the wellbore through the sleeve, and enables future intervention if needed by activating the backup packer. This multi-functionality consolidates multiple operations into a single initial trip.
3Reliability
If the backup packer is set permanently during initial installation, then fluid control is ensured, but the ability to extend wellbore life and reduce future trips is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The backup packer is designed to transition from an unset to a set state only when activated by hydraulic or electrical signals through the separate control line. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to future needs while maintaining protection during the storage period, balancing immediate fluid control with long-term flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into two separate control lines: one for the first packer and another for the backup packer. This segmentation allows independent activation of each packer, enabling the backup packer to remain protected and unset while the first packer performs initial fluid control, thus maintaining both reliability and adaptability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the protective sleeve is left on the backup packer indefinitely, then protection from corrosion is improved, but the packer cannot be activated when needed
Solution Approach 1:
The protective sleeve is applied as a preliminary measure during installation to protect the packer during storage. The design anticipates future activation by incorporating a removal mechanism or accessible configuration that allows the sleeve to be removed or repositioned when the backup packer needs to be activated, balancing protection with operational accessibility.
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
The backup packer system improves production rates, extends wellbore life, reduces equipment trips, and prevents additional challenges by acting as a barrier to control fluid flow and secure the wellbore, while being activated only when necessary.
Implementation Method 1
The backup packer can include an elastomeric protective sleeve that can be removed before running the backup packer
Implementation Method 2
The backup packer can be run and set electrically (e.g., actuated by using wirelines) or hydraulically by applying pressure through a separate, second control line
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for controlling fluids in a wellbore are described. The methods and systems include running a production string into the wellbore, the production string includes production tubing and completion components with a first packer with a first control line and a backup packer with a second control line; setting the first packer in the wellbore in response to a signal on the first control line; producing hydrocarbons from the wellbore with the first packer set and the backup packer unset; and setting the backup packer in the wellbore in response to a signal on the second control line.