Frangible Plug for Controlled Wellbore Port Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In oilfield operations, the presence of ports in completion tubing can lead to undesirable effects such as premature cleanup fluid exit and reduced efficiency during wellbore cleanup and packer placement, necessitating additional trips and potential tool sticking, which complicates pressure buildup and fluid flow control.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of frangible plugs within the ports that can be broken by an object traveling with production fluid, allowing controlled opening of ports from the toe to the heel of the wellbore without the need for electronics or additional resources, using degradable materials and mechanisms like fusible alloys or sliding hammers to manage port occlusion and deactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ports are included in completion tubing to allow production fluid flow, then fluid flow capability is improved, but operational reliability deteriorates due to premature cleanup fluid exit and reduced efficiency during wellbore cleanup and packer placement
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is designed to transition from a static closed state during operational phases to a dynamic broken state during production. The frangible component allows the plug to change its flow-control function based on operational requirements, maintaining reliability during operations while enabling fluid flow when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug utilizes changes in pressure parameters to control its state. During operational phases, pressure conditions maintain the plug in a closed state. When production is required, pressure changes facilitate breaking of the frangible component, transitioning the plug to an open state and enabling fluid flow.
2Productivity
If ports are present in completion tubing, then production fluid flow is enabled, but device complexity increases due to additional trips and potential tool sticking requiring washpipe operations
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible component is extracted as a separate, breakable element from the permanent tubing structure. This allows the port to be closed during operations without requiring complex operational procedures, as the frangible component can be easily broken by production fluid pressure to open the port when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible component is designed as a disposable, single-use element that is broken and discarded after serving its flow-control function. This eliminates the need for complex operational procedures to open ports, as the frangible component simply breaks and is carried out with production fluid, reducing operational complexity.
3Productivity
If ports are included in completion tubing, then fluid flow is allowed, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to the need for frangible component integration and breakage control
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is segmented into distinct components: a retainable portion that remains in the port and a frangible component that breaks off. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured separately with standard precision, then assembled, simplifying manufacturing requirements compared to creating a single complex precision component.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible component is pre-positioned in the plug during manufacturing, with its breakage plane predetermined. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for complex precision control during field operations, as the breakage location is already established during manufacturing, reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements.
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 solution enables efficient wellbore cleanup and pressure buildup by ensuring cleanup fluids reach the toe and allows controlled fluid flow without additional trips or resource-intensive methods, reducing the risk of tool sticking and improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The frangible plug can include a fusible alloy that melts when exposed to production fluid temperature
Implementation Method 2
The object is retained in the release section by a material degradable in the wellbore
Data Source
AI summary
A tubing string can include a plug blocking fluid flow through a port. The plug can be a frangible component or include a frangible component. When the frangible component is broken, fluid is allowed to flow through the port. An object is releasable from downwell and breaks the frangible component as the object travels towards the surface of the well, propelled by the production fluid. Fluid flow through the port can cause a sleeve to open or close additional ports. Fluid flow through the port can allow for optimized production from the wellbore.