Flow-Conveyed Fibrous Plugging Devices for Wellbore Fluid Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in effectively controlling fluid flow in subterranean wells, particularly in preventing or promoting fluid flow into specific formation zones, leading to inefficiencies in well operations.
Innovation Solution
The use of flow-conveyed plugging devices made from fibrous materials, which are conveyed into leak paths using pumped fluid, featuring enlarged geometries that wedge into restricted areas to seal off fluid communication, and can be made from degradable or non-degradable materials that degrade over time or with exposure to certain stimuli.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plugging devices are used to block fluid passageways, then fluid flow control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plugging device is divided into multiple functional components: a body portion for blocking the passage, a deployable portion with fibers or strands for sealing, and a delivery mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability for fluid flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
A delivery mechanism acts as an intermediary to transport the plugging device through the wellbore to the target location. This intermediary component simplifies the overall system by providing a controlled method of deployment without requiring complex manual intervention at depth.
2Ease of operation
If degradable materials are used for plugging devices, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of substance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The material properties of the plugging device are changed over time through controlled degradation. The device transitions from an intact state for effective blocking to a degraded state for removal or dissolution, allowing easy operational removal while managing material loss through predictable parameter changes in the degradable material.
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
These devices allow for temporary or permanent blocking of fluid passageways, enhancing control over fluid flow in wells by effectively sealing perforations and allowing for re-completion and stimulation of multiple formation zones with precise management of fluid communication.
Implementation Method 1
conveyed into leak paths using pumped fluid
Implementation Method 2
enlarged geometries that wedge into restricted areas to seal off fluid communication
Implementation Method 3
made from degradable or non-degradable materials that degrade over time or with exposure to certain stimuli
Data Source
AI summary
A system for use with a subterranean well can include a deployment apparatus configured to deploy one or more plugging devices into a fluid flow. The plugging devices are conveyed into the well by the fluid flow. The deployment apparatus can include multiple queues, different numbers of the plugging devices being contained in respective different ones of the queues. A method of deploying plugging devices can include connecting multiple queues of the plugging devices to a conduit, and deploying the plugging devices from a selected combination of the queues into the conduit. In another system, each of the plugging devices may include a body, and lines or fibers extending outwardly from the body.