Coiled Tubing Cleanout Using Flow-Model Solids Depth Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coiled tubing cleanout operations face challenges in accurately determining the initial position and size of solid fills in wellbores, leading to inefficient and suboptimal removal strategies due to uncertain input parameters.
Innovation Solution
A system combining a calibrated Flow Model (FM) with real-time measurements from sensors to estimate the depth of solids origin (DSO) and adjust operational parameters for optimized solids removal, using dynamic inputs and outputs to calibrate the FM for improved accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional coiled tubing cleanout operations are used without real-time monitoring, then operational simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision of solids position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors solids concentration at the surface and feeds this information back to update the flow model predictions. This real-time feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of operational parameters and improves measurement precision of solids position without requiring complex downhole sensing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
A surface-based sensor system acts as an intermediary to indirectly measure solids position deep in the wellbore. Instead of placing sensors at the difficult-to-reach solids location, the system uses easily accessible surface measurements combined with flow modeling to determine downhole conditions.
2Productivity
If real-time flow modeling and monitoring are implemented, then productivity of cleanout operations is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements monitoring and modeling at a level sufficient to achieve the critical goal of solids position determination, rather than attempting to measure all possible parameters. This partial action approach maintains productivity improvements while limiting energy consumption to what is necessary for the core function.
3Measurement precision
If iterative flow model calibration is performed to improve DSO accuracy, then measurement precision of solids position is improved, but loss of time in calibration process occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The flow model is calibrated using available historical and real-time data before critical decisions are made. By performing preliminary calibration with initial data and then updating iteratively, the system achieves sufficient accuracy without excessive calibration time, enabling timely operational decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration process operates continuously in the background using incoming measurement data, rather than requiring separate calibration phases. This continuous calibration approach improves DSO accuracy over time without interrupting or significantly delaying cleanout operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods presented herein facilitate coiled tubing operations, and generally relate to generating a depth of solids origin (DSO) guess that represents a depth location of solids in a wellbore traversing a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, using a calibrated flow model (FM) to predict an amount of solids at a surface location of the wellbore based at least in part on the DSO guess, comparing the predicted amount of the solids at the surface location of the wellbore to a measured amount of solids at the surface location of the wellbore, determining that the DSO guess is equal to an actual DSO within the wellbore when the predicted amount of the solids at the surface location of the wellbore matches the measured amount of solids at the surface location of the wellbore, and adjusting one or more operational parameters of a coiled tubing system to reduce an amount of the solids at the DSO within the wellbore.