Enhanced Cavitation via Formation Conglomeration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for creating cavities in weakly consolidated, semi-consolidated, or unconsolidated formations to reduce sand production face challenges with formation collapse, limiting the effectiveness of cavity formation and sand-free production rates.
Innovation Solution
Introducing an aggregation, agglomeration, or conglomeration composition into the formation to prevent collapse, followed by producing the formation above critical drawdown pressure to create cavities, and optionally using a consolidation composition to further enhance the formation, thereby reducing relative drawdown pressure and sand co-production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If an aggregation, agglomeration, or conglomeration composition is introduced into the formation to prevent formation collapse, then formation strength is enhanced and cavitation can be performed safely, but the process complexity and treatment time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation, agglomeration, or conglomeration composition is introduced into the formation before cavitation to pre-strengthen the formation structure. This preliminary consolidation allows the formation to withstand the stresses of subsequent cavitation operations, preventing collapse while enabling safe cavity creation around the wellbore.
2Productivity
If the formation is produced above critical drawdown pressure to create cavities, then sand co-production is reduced or eliminated, but formation collapse risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aggregation, agglomeration, or conglomeration composition is introduced to counteract the potential harmful effect of formation collapse before cavitation occurs. This preliminary protective action enables the formation to be produced above critical drawdown pressure for cavity creation while maintaining formation stability and preventing collapse.
3Productivity
If a consolidation composition is introduced after cavitation to further enhance formation, then MSFR is increased, but the treatment process and time are extended
Solution Approach 1:
The consolidation composition is introduced after cavitation has been established to further enhance the formation structure. This sequential approach allows the cavity to be formed first, then the consolidation treatment strengthens the surrounding formation, enabling higher maximum sand-free production rates while maintaining formation integrity.
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 effectively reduces or eliminates sand co-production, allowing for higher maximum sand-free production rates and controlled cavitation without risking formation collapse.
Implementation Method 1
introducing an aggregation, agglomeration or conglomeration composition into a producible formation or zone to prevent or reduce formation collapse
Implementation Method 2
introducing an aggregation, agglomeration or conglomeration composition into a producible formation or zone to prevent or reduce formation collapse
Implementation Method 3
introducing a consolidation composition into the cavitated formation or zone to consolidate the formation
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for cavitating a producible formation is disclosed to improve hydrocarbon production and to increase a production rate without an concurrent co-production of formation particulate. The method and system include conglomerating the producible formation using a conglomerating composition. Once the producible formation is conglomerated, the conglomerated, producible formation is produced above its critical draw down pressure to form a cavity surrounding the wellborn in the conglomerated, producible formation and placing the cavitated, conglomerated, producible formation on production below a higher maximum sand free rate (MSFR).