Self-Actuated Flow Interruption Valve for Extended Reach Well Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods face challenges in efficiently placing completion equipment, such as liners and screens, in the horizontal portions of extended-reach wells due to high friction and the need for precise placement of equipment like valves, packers, and monitoring devices.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a self-actuated cyclical flow interruption valve generates a 'water hammer' pulse to push completion equipment into the well by controlling fluid flow, overcoming friction and facilitating deployment through a deployment tool with a release mechanism for retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If completion equipment is placed in horizontal portions of extended-reach wells using conventional methods, then the equipment can be deployed, but high friction prevents effective placement and equipment may not reach the desired location
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a cyclical flow interruption valve that periodically interrupts fluid flow to generate repeated water hammer pulses. This periodic action creates multiple impact forces that progressively push the completion equipment through the horizontal well section, overcoming continuous frictional resistance that would prevent placement using steady-state forces alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes hydraulic principles by pumping fluid through the deployment string and using sudden flow interruption to generate water hammer pressure pulses. These hydraulic impulses convert fluid pressure into mechanical impact forces that propel the completion equipment forward, enabling placement in horizontal sections where gravitational forces are insufficient.
2Productivity
If a fluid actuated valve is used to push completion equipment into the well, then equipment placement is facilitated, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow interruption valve is designed as self-actuating, using the fluid flow itself to trigger the closure mechanism that generates water hammer pulses. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external actuators, control systems, or additional power sources, thereby maintaining high deployment productivity while minimizing the increase in system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temporal parameters of fluid flow by introducing periodic interruptions rather than continuous flow. This parameter change transforms the steady hydraulic force into pulsed impact forces, enabling equipment placement in horizontal sections without requiring complex mechanical pushing mechanisms.
3Length of moving object
If the horizontal extension of the well is made longer to reach distant reservoirs, then production capability is improved, but precise placement of completion equipment becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cyclical generation of water hammer pulses provides repeated propulsive forces that ensure the completion equipment reaches the full extent of the horizontal well section. This periodic impulsion compensates for energy losses over long distances and maintains sufficient force throughout the entire deployment path, ensuring both reach and precise final placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-actuating nature of the flow interruption valve creates an inherent feedback mechanism where the flowing fluid itself triggers the pulse generation. This automatic response ensures consistent pulse timing and force application throughout the deployment process, maintaining placement precision regardless of the horizontal well length.
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
Effectively deploys completion equipment into extended-reach horizontal wells by generating a controlled impact, ensuring accurate placement and overcoming frictional resistance, even in complex well geometries.
Implementation Method 1
The pulse that is generated when the self-actuated flow interruption valve closes creates an impact that acts to push the completion equipment distally into the well
Data Source
AI summary
A self-actuated cyclical flow interruption valve on a deployment tool is positioned at a proximal end of a well completion assembly. Fluid is pumped though the self-actuated cyclical flow interruption valve and vented immediately distal of the valve, to return to surface of the well. A water hammer pulse is generated each time the self-actuated cyclical flow interruption valve closes, thereby generating an impact force that acts to push the completion equipment distally into the well. The continuous cyclic force of the impact facilitates placement of the completion equipment where desired in the well, including within a horizontal extension of the well. Fluid discharged through the self-actuated cyclical flow interruption valve circulates up to the surface through a vertical and inclined section of the well.