Hollow Bridge Plug Cementing for Post-Shut-Off Well Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bridge plug systems permanently seal off oil-producing zones during water shut-off operations, preventing access for production logging tools and necessitating sidetracking or further drilling to access isolated resources.
Innovation Solution
A bridge plug assembly with a hollow pipe and flared opening, combined with a cement bailer featuring a conical tip and lateral apertures, allows cement deposition without blocking the interior, enabling access for logging tools by maintaining an open flowpath through the cemented area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cement is deposited to permanently seal the bridge plug, then water shut-off is achieved, but access to oil-producing zones is permanently blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge plug assembly is divided into separate functional components: a cement bailer for sealing and a hollow pipe with flared opening for maintaining access. The cement bailer deposits cement around the bridge plug body while the hollow pipe provides a separate, unobstructed pathway through the cement sheath, allowing logging tools to access isolated zones without compromising the water shut-off seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow pipe acts as an intermediary structure that penetrates through the cement sheath deposited by the cement bailer. This intermediary pathway allows logging tools and production equipment to access the oil-producing zones above the bridge plug without requiring removal of the cement seal, thus maintaining both water shut-off effectiveness and operational access.
2Reliability
If cement is deposited around the bridge plug, then the seal is fortified, but the interior flowpath is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function and access function are segmented into separate components: the cement bailer provides the fortified seal around the bridge plug body, while the hollow pipe with flared opening provides a dedicated access pathway. This segmentation allows the cement to strengthen the seal without blocking the access route, as the hollow pipe maintains a clear interior flowpath through the cemented area.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow pipe creates a three-dimensional pathway through the two-dimensional cement sheath. By establishing this vertical conduit through the cement deposit, the system maintains seal integrity in the radial direction while preserving axial access for logging tools, effectively solving the blockage problem through dimensional separation of functions.
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
Enables cementing of bridge plugs while preserving access for production and logging operations, allowing full wellbore access post-shut-off, enhancing operational efficiency and resource recovery.
Implementation Method 1
a conical tip at a lower end of the cement bailer sized to generate a seal within the flared opening of the hollow pipe
Implementation Method 2
one or more lateral apertures defined in an outer surface of the cement bailer and operable to expel cement from an interior of the cement bailer
Data Source
AI summary
A system for performing water shut-off and logging operations in wellbores includes a bridge plug assembly including a cylindrical body, one or more expandable elements mounted to the cylindrical body and operable to generate a pressure seal within the wellbore, a hollow pipe extending vertically from the cylindrical body, and a flared opening at an upper end of the hollow pipe. The system further includes a cement bailer for cementing the bridge plug in place within the wellbore, the cement bailer including a conical tip at a lower end of the cement bailer sized to generate a seal within the flared opening of the hollow pipe of the bridge plug assembly, and one or more lateral apertures defined in an outer surface of the cement bailer and operable to expel cement from an interior of the cement bailer.