Casing Rotating Tool for Single-Stage Horizontal Well Cementing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cementing operations in deviated wells face challenges in rotating the entire casing due to length and weight restrictions, necessitating two-stage cement jobs to prevent formation breakdown, which complicates the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A rotating tool positioned above the kickoff point in the well allows for the rotation of the casing string, enabling a single-stage cement job by using an inner and outer housing with a clutch mechanism to transfer rotational forces, facilitating the pumping and separation of cement and displacement fluid without rotating the entire string.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the entire casing string is rotated during cementing operation, then uniform displacement of cement slurry is achieved, but the operation becomes impossible due to length and weight of the string
Solution Approach 1:
The casing string is divided into segments: the lower portion remains stationary while the upper portion (above the rotating tool) is rotated. This segmentation allows rotation of only the manageable upper section, achieving uniform cement displacement without requiring rotation of the entire heavy and long casing string.
Solution Approach 2:
A rotating tool acts as an intermediary device positioned in the wellbore. This tool enables rotation of the casing string in a controlled manner at a specific location, facilitating uniform cement slurry displacement while avoiding the need to rotate the entire casing string directly.
2Reliability
If a two-stage cement job is performed to prevent formation breakdown, then formation integrity is protected, but the process complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating tool is positioned in advance in the wellbore before the cementing operation begins. This preliminary positioning enables a single-stage cement job to be performed effectively, preventing the need for complex two-stage operations while still protecting formation integrity through proper cement placement.
3Productivity
If the casing string is made longer to reach horizontal reservoirs, then well productivity increases, but the ability to rotate the string during cementing decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The casing string is segmented into a long lower portion that reaches the horizontal reservoir and an upper portion that can be rotated. The rotating tool enables rotation of only the upper segment, allowing long casing strings to be used for reaching distant reservoirs while maintaining the ability to perform cementing operations.
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
This approach ensures efficient annular cement well barrier integrity and zonal isolation by uniformly displacing cement into the annulus, reducing intervention complexity and ensuring the integrity of the cement job in a single stage, thereby enhancing productivity and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a clutch positioned between the inner and outer housing... the clutch transfer rotation forces to the casing string below the rotating tool, via the outer housing
Data Source
AI summary
Rotating a casing during a cementing operation to ensure efficient displacement of cement slurry. More specifically, embodiments are directed towards a sub and rotating tool that are positioned above a first cement operation, wherein the rotating tool is positioned in a kickoff point or build section of a horizontal well.