Flute Well Completion for Flexible CO2 Injection Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carbon capture and storage installations face challenges such as thermal expansion damage to geological formations, operational inefficiencies due to low reservoir pressures, and the need for flexible injection rates to accommodate varying demands and environmental conditions, while minimizing investment costs and avoiding well work-overs.
Innovation Solution
The installation employs a well completion design with variable pressure drop control through flow control devices that adjust fluid pathways along the well, allowing for multiple injection configurations and flexible injection rates, and incorporates a buffer system to manage fluctuations in carbon dioxide supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If CO2 is injected at high pressure into deep reservoirs, then injection efficiency is improved, but thermal expansion damage to geological formation and well completion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the well completion system adjustable through flow control devices that can modify fluid pathways and pressure drops dynamically. This allows the system to adapt injection conditions to prevent thermal expansion damage while maintaining injection efficiency, resolving the contradiction between high-pressure injection benefits and formation damage risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters by controlling pressure drop distribution along the wellbore using flow control devices. By adjusting pressure and flow parameters dynamically, the system optimizes injection efficiency while preventing excessive thermal expansion that would damage the formation and completion materials.
2Ease of operation
If reservoir pressure is low, then CO2 injection is easier, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control devices enable dynamic adjustment of pressure drop distribution, allowing the system to maintain optimal injection rates and pressures even when reservoir pressure varies. This dynamic control ensures both ease of operation and sustained operational efficiency across different reservoir pressure conditions.
3Device complexity
If fixed injection rate is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but flexibility to accommodate varying demands is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic flow control devices that can adjust injection rates in response to varying demands and reservoir conditions. This dynamic capability provides injection rate flexibility while maintaining relatively simple system architecture, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow control devices serve multiple functions: they control pressure drop, regulate injection rates, and adapt to different operating conditions. This multi-functionality provides system flexibility without proportionally increasing complexity, allowing the completion to handle varying demands effectively.
4Ease of manufacture
If existing well architecture is used to limit investment costs, then capital expenditure is reduced, but ability to cope with varying injection rates is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By incorporating adjustable flow control devices into existing well architecture, the patent enables the completion to adapt to varying injection rates without requiring new well infrastructure. This dynamic adjustment capability expands the injection rate range while utilizing cost-effective existing assets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters through flow control devices that can modify pressure drop and flow distribution. This allows existing wells to operate across a wider range of injection rates by adjusting physical parameters, thereby reducing the need for expensive new infrastructure while maintaining versatility.
5Reliability
If safety valves and moving parts are used, then operational safety is improved, but operability at low temperatures is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or eliminates problematic moving parts and traditional safety valves from the low-temperature environment by implementing alternative safety mechanisms that do not rely on mechanical components susceptible to low-temperature failure. This resolves the contradiction between safety requirements and low-temperature operability.
6Productivity
If injection rate is increased to meet demand, then productivity is improved, but Joule-Thomson effect causes temperature drops outside operating envelope
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control devices dynamically adjust pressure drop distribution to manage the Joule-Thomson effect during high-rate injection. By controlling where and how pressure drops occur along the wellbore, the system maintains fluid temperature within the operating envelope of completion materials even at elevated injection rates, thus preserving both productivity and thermal 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 design maximizes injection range and flexibility, reduces the need for well replacements, and maintains operational efficiency across varying reservoir pressures and temperature changes, ensuring safe and cost-effective carbon storage.
Implementation Method 1
the well completion is configured to apply a variable pressure drop along the well
Implementation Method 2
The installation should also minimize Joule-Thomson effect, such that temperatures remain inside the operating envelope of available commercial completion materials
Implementation Method 3
At the bottom of the reservoir, a CO2 expansion may occur which will cause a low temperature that could damage the geological formation and/or damage the well completion due to thermal expansion on concrete and/or steel tubing
Implementation Method 4
damage the well completion due to thermal expansion on concrete and/or steel tubing
Data Source
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AI summary
The installation comprises a well completion (28) having at least an inner tubing (40) and at least an injection casing (42) defining with the inner tubing (40) an intermediate space (44). The well completion (28) comprises a wellhead (46) equipped with flow control devices (60L, 60M) able to operate between a first injection configuration in which the carbon containing compound is injected only in the inner tubing (40), a second injection configuration in which the carbon containing compound is injected only in the intermediate space (44) between the inner tubing (40) and the injection casing (42), and a third injection configuration in which the carbon containing compound is injected in both the inner tubing (40) and the intermediate space (44).