Downhole Flow Regulator for High-Permeability Flow Restriction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In oil and gas operations, significant contrasts in relative permeability between regions of a formation can lead to preferential fluid flow through high permeability areas, bypassing oil in low permeability regions, resulting in inefficient hydrocarbon production, particularly in carbonate and sandstone formations, and causing issues like 'short cutting' and water breakthrough in steam-assisted gravity drainage processes.
Innovation Solution
A downhole flow control device with a flow regulator and biasing mechanism that restricts fluid flow when differential pressure exceeds a threshold, using a valve arrangement and flow ports to provide backpressure and prevent excessive flow through high permeability paths, allowing controlled fluid distribution and preventing bypassing of low permeability regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fluid is injected into formation regions of high permeability to assist hydrocarbon production, then fluid injection efficiency is improved, but fluid bypasses low permeability regions causing preferential flow and reducing hydrocarbon recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different flow resistance characteristics to different regions of the formation. Flow control devices are installed in high permeability regions to create localized flow restrictions, while low permeability regions maintain their natural flow characteristics. This allows fluid to be redistributed from high permeability zones to low permeability zones, ensuring more uniform sweep efficiency and improved hydrocarbon recovery across the entire formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the flow resistance parameter in high permeability regions by installing flow control devices with adjustable flow restrictions. By modifying the local flow resistance parameter, the injection pressure distribution is altered to redirect fluid flow into low permeability regions that would otherwise be bypassed, thereby improving overall hydrocarbon recovery while maintaining injection efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If flow control devices are installed in high permeability regions to restrict fluid flow, then fluid distribution uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control device is designed as a multi-functional unit that combines flow restriction, pressure regulation, and region identification capabilities in a single device. This universal design allows the same device structure to be deployed across multiple high permeability regions without requiring customization, thereby achieving uniform fluid distribution while minimizing the increase in device complexity through standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow control device incorporates self-regulating features that automatically adjust flow restriction based on local pressure conditions. The device uses the differential pressure between high and low permeability regions to automatically modulate its flow control action, eliminating the need for complex external control systems and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining fluid distribution uniformity.
3Reliability
If flow restriction is applied in high permeability regions, then water breakthrough is prevented, but fluid flow rate through the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control device employs dynamic flow restriction that automatically adjusts based on differential pressure conditions. When water breakthrough occurs or is imminent (indicated by excessive differential pressure across the device), the flow restriction increases to prevent breakthrough. When differential pressure is within acceptable ranges, the restriction is relaxed to maintain optimal fluid flow rates, thus balancing water breakthrough prevention with productivity maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor differential pressure across the flow control element. This feedback information is used to dynamically adjust the flow restriction level, ensuring that water breakthrough is prevented when pressure differentials indicate imminent breakthrough, while allowing higher flow rates during normal operation when breakthrough risk is low, thereby maintaining both reliability and productivity.
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 flow control device ensures more even fluid distribution and increased hydrocarbon recovery by restricting flow through high permeability paths, thereby enhancing production efficiency and preventing undesirable fluid flow patterns such as water breakthrough in heavy oil or steam-assisted gravity drainage processes.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing mechanism configured to urge the valve arrangement towards an open configuration from a restricted configuration in which fluid flow though the flow path is restricted
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a flow control device comprising a body locatable with a tubular and a flow regulator, housed within the body. The flow regulator defines a flow path through the body to accommodate flow between internal and external locations of a tubular in use. The flow regulator comprises a valve arrangement forming part of the flow path, and a biasing mechanism configured to urge the valve arrangement towards an open configuration from a restricted configuration in which fluid flow though the flow path is restricted. The biasing mechanism and the flow path through the flow control device are configured such that a differential pressure acting across the flow regulator, in excess of a particular threshold, moves the valve arrangement from the open configuration towards the restricted configuration in order to limit flow through the flow control device.