Downhole Tool Activation via Dart Engagement for Friction Mitigation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Directional drilling faces challenges such as frictional drag and erratic torque in deep boreholes, leading to reduced drill bit penetration rates and potential damage, particularly in slide drilling where friction is pronounced due to lack of drill string rotation, and existing friction tools require reassembly of the drill string to activate or deactivate, consuming valuable time and resources.
Innovation Solution
A downhole tool system utilizing darts with key sections that engage with a corresponding profile on the tool to activate or deactivate a power section, allowing for controlled fluid flow diversion to power the tool, enabling selective activation and deactivation without disrupting the entire drill string operation, and incorporating a shock tool to break static friction and improve drill string dynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If friction tools are used to overcome friction and hole drag by vibrating the drill string, then the rate of penetration and drill string performance improve, but controlling the tool requires varying the flow rate of drilling fluid at the surface, which impacts the operation of the entire drill string
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control mechanism from the surface operation and places it downhole with the friction tool. A dart is dropped downhole to engage with the friction tool, activating it locally without requiring surface flow rate adjustments. This separates the control function from the overall drilling fluid circulation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The dart acts as an intermediary carrier that transports control function downhole. The dart engages with the friction tool to activate it, and can be retrieved or left behind, providing a simple mechanism to control the tool without affecting surface operations or the entire drill string.
2Productivity
If the friction tool is run during the entirety of the drilling operation to continuously mitigate friction, then friction reduction is maximized, but it becomes unnecessary or problematic during certain stages such as shallow depth or within casing
Solution Approach 1:
The friction tool's operation is made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. The tool can be activated or deactivated by dropping or retrieving a dart, allowing operators to adapt the tool's operation to match the specific drilling stage and conditions, avoiding harmful vibrations during inappropriate stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction tool operates periodically or intermittently based on drilling needs rather than continuously. The dart can be dropped to activate the tool when friction mitigation is needed and retrieved or left to deactivate it when not needed, creating a periodic activation pattern that matches operational requirements.
3Reliability
If the drill string is pulled to the surface to reassemble with the friction tool when needed, then the tool can be properly installed and activated, but this process consumes several very expensive work hours
Solution Approach 1:
The friction tool is extracted as a separate, independently controllable unit that can be activated or deactivated without moving the entire drill string. The dart mechanism allows the tool to be controlled in-place, eliminating the need to pull the drill string to the surface for reassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction tool is designed to be self-contained with its own activation mechanism (the dart) that can be deployed independently. The tool serves itself by being activated through the dart engagement rather than requiring external intervention through drill string reassembly.
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 system effectively reduces friction, improves drill bit penetration rates, and allows for remote activation and deactivation of the downhole tool, minimizing downtime and operational costs by enabling controlled vibration and axial motion of the drill string without the need for constant tool reassembly.
Implementation Method 1
diverting fluid flow from the bore to activate the tool
Implementation Method 2
vibrating a portion of the drill string to mitigate the effect of friction or hole drag
Implementation Method 3
Frictional engagement of the drill string and the surrounding formation can reduce the rate of penetration
Data Source
AI summary
A system provides for the remote activation and deactivation of a downhole tool such as an agitator tool. The downhole tool uses a dart-catching section configured with a profile that engages with a corresponding key section of a dart. Different tools in the string may have different profiles, allowing darts to pass through tools to reach a tool with a matching profile further downhole. The dart includes a removable nozzle that can be detached by a object dropped from the surface, after which a second dart may be dropped to engage with the first dart to change operating parameters of the tool.