Completion Arrangement with Flushing Portals for Debris Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current completion techniques for hydrocarbon wells often result in the completion section becoming stuck due to entrained rock and debris, particularly in long horizontal wells, leading to incomplete well completion or the need for remedial actions like jarring.
Innovation Solution
A completion arrangement featuring a completion section with flushing portals and impacting formations that allow drilling fluid to circulate and remove obstructing material, eliminating the need for cementing and enhancing the stability of the openhole section by using flow restrictors and a drill bit or ream-in shoe to navigate through the well bore.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the completion section is inserted using weight-driven techniques, then the completion can be deployed to the end of the well, but the completion may get stuck due to entrained rock and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The drill bit is activated during the insertion process to preliminarily clear the wellbore of obstructions before the completion section encounters them. This preliminary cleaning action prevents the completion from getting stuck during deployment
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit acts as an intermediary tool between the completion section and the wellbore obstructions. It performs the function of removing debris and rock, allowing the completion to pass through areas that would otherwise be blocked
2Ease of repair
If remedial actions like jarring are taken to free the completion, then the completion may be freed, but these actions are not always successful and may lead to well side-tracking
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of waiting for the completion to get stuck and then attempting remedial actions, the drill bit performs preliminary cleaning of the wellbore during insertion. This prevents the need for jarring or other remedial actions that may fail
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potential harm of wellbore obstructions into a benefit by using the drill bit to actively remove these obstructions during the insertion process, turning a problem area into a cleared path for completion deployment
3Strength
If cementing is used to hold the casing liner in place, then structural integrity is achieved, but the process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cementing step from the completion process. By using a drill bit to clear the wellbore and create a clean path, the need for cementing to hold the completion in place is eliminated, simplifying the overall process
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit enables the completion to be self-sustaining during insertion. By clearing obstructions in real-time, the completion section can be deployed to total depth without requiring additional cementing operations to secure it in place
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 solution reduces the likelihood of the completion section becoming stuck during insertion, allowing for successful deployment to total depth without cementing, maintaining well stability through the strength of the reservoir rock and enabling longer completion runs for extended reach applications.
Implementation Method 1
impacting formations, operable by being drivingly moveable relative to the drilled well bore
Implementation Method 2
The impacting formations are operable to crush, cut, abrade, scrape, pound or grind material and formations in the well bore
Implementation Method 3
drilling fluid introduced into said production tubing is arranged to flow via said means into a space between said production tubing and said well bore and circulate in said space
Implementation Method 4
circulate in said space
Implementation Method 5
said means arranged to serve as flushing portals whereby drilling fluid introduced into said production tubing is arranged to flow via said means into a space between said production tubing and said well bore
Implementation Method 6
The impacting formations are operable by rotating said production tubing, to which said impacting formations are coupled via said completion section
Implementation Method 7
The impacting formations are operable to crush, cut, abrade, scrape, pound or grind material and formations in the well bore
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a completion arrangement for a hydrocarbon well bore (12, 20) comprising: a completion section (26) arranged to be coupled to production tubing (22), and having means (200, 206) to allow hydrocarbons to pass therein from reservoir rock (16) in which the well bore is formed, said means (200, 206) also arranged to serve as flushing portals, whereby drilling fluid introduced into said production tubing (22) is arranged to flow via said means (200, 206) into a space (208) between said production tubing (22) and said well bore (12, 20) and circulate in said space (208); the said arrangement further including impacting formations (28), drivingly moveable relative to the well bore (12, 20), wherein one, or both, of said drilling fluid circulating in said space (208) and said impacting formations (28) are arranged to remove obstructing material and formations from the well bore (12, 20), for return to surface by way of said space (208), during insertion of the completion arrangement into the well bore (12, 20).