Flexible Polymer Cable for Wellbore Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for deploying instrument cables and control lines in oil and gas wellbores are costly, labor-intensive, and pose safety hazards due to the need for upsizing wellbores and manual clamping, which restricts rotation and increases operational risks.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a flexible polymer cable with embedded sensors, supported by cable anchor sub-assemblies and carriers, allowing rotation and deployment without clamping to the casing, and featuring a metal sheath for protection and low-friction polymer for ease of movement, enabling efficient data collection and reduced operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cables are rigidly attached to casing with bands or clamps, then cable support and delivery is achieved, but wellbore diameter must be increased and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible cable sheath that allows the cable to bend and conform to the wellbore geometry without requiring rigid clamps or bands. This flexible enclosure enables the cable to be supported by friction and normal forces against the casing wall, eliminating the need for additional clearance space that would be required for rigid attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical clamp-based attachment system with a friction-based support system. Instead of using mechanical fasteners that require additional space, the cable is supported through distributed friction forces along its length, allowing it to be delivered through the existing wellbore without upsizing.
2Reliability
If cables are clamped to casing for support, then cable delivery is enabled, but manual clamping operations increase labor time and costs
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system is designed to be self-supporting through friction forces generated during the delivery process itself. As the cable is pulled or pushed through the wellbore, the normal force between the cable sheath and casing wall generates sufficient friction to support the cable weight, eliminating the need for separate manual clamping operations at various locations along the wellbore.
3Ease of operation
If heavy cable loads are suspended above rig floor, then cable positioning is achieved, but safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heavy cable load from the suspended position above the rig floor and redistributes it along the wellbore trajectory. By having the cable supported continuously along its path through friction forces, the concentrated load that would require heavy suspension equipment is converted into distributed loads that are borne by the wellbore structure itself, eliminating the safety hazard of suspended heavy loads over personnel.
4Reliability
If casing rotation is restricted to protect cables, then cable integrity is maintained, but drilling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cable sheath allows the cable to accommodate casing rotation through bending and conforming to the changing geometry, rather than requiring rigid protection that would prevent rotation. This flexibility enables the cable to maintain integrity while the casing rotates during drilling operations, thereby preserving drilling efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for rapid deployment of fiber optic distributed sensing cables, conventional electronic cables, or hydraulic control lines in the annulus of a wellbore along a specific well zone without the need to clamp cables to the casing or tubing string for support.