Inductive Couplers for Multilateral Borehole Electrical Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multilateral completion systems face challenges in efficiently deploying and connecting electrical conduits in lateral boreholes during drilling operations, leading to potential damage and disruptions in hydrocarbon production.
Innovation Solution
The deployment of a multilateral completion system utilizing inductive couplers and electrical conduits that establish a fault-tolerant, parallel connection between the main borehole and lateral boreholes, minimizing the risk of conduit damage and ensuring reliable connectivity through a series of inductive couplers and junctions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional electrical conduit deployment methods are used in lateral boreholes, then the deployment process is simpler, but the risk of conduit damage and production disruption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical conduit system is divided into multiple segments with individual inductive couplers at each section. Each segment can be independently deployed and connected, allowing the system to maintain connectivity even if one segment is damaged. This segmentation transforms a single-point-failure system into a multi-point-redundant system, directly addressing the reliability concern while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements redundant inductive coupler connections before potential damage can occur. By establishing multiple parallel electrical pathways through the main borehole and lateral boreholes, the system prepares advance protective measures that ensure continuity of hydrocarbon production even if one conduit is damaged during drilling or production operations.
2Reliability
If multiple electrical conduits are deployed in parallel, then the fault tolerance improves, but the deployment complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inductive couplers are pre-installed and positioned in the borehole structure before the actual electrical conduit deployment. This preliminary action allows for faster connection during the deployment phase, as the couplers are already in place and ready to establish electrical connections, thereby reducing the overall deployment time while maintaining the fault-tolerant parallel configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical electrical connections with inductive coupling, which uses electromagnetic fields to transfer power and signals wirelessly between conductors. This substitution eliminates the need for precise mechanical alignment and physical contact during deployment, significantly reducing deployment time and complexity while maintaining reliable electrical connectivity across multiple parallel conduits.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If inductive couplers are used to connect electrical conduits, then the risk of conduit damage decreases, but the manufacturing and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inductive coupler acts as an intermediary device between electrical conduits, providing wireless electromagnetic coupling that eliminates direct mechanical contact. This intermediary approach protects the conduits from physical damage during installation and operation, as the electrical connection is established through electromagnetic fields rather than direct wire-to-wire contact, reducing the harmful mechanical stresses that cause conduit damage.
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 enhances the reliability and efficiency of hydrocarbon production by reducing the likelihood of electrical conduit damage and ensuring continuous connectivity between the main borehole and lateral boreholes, thereby maintaining stable production.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the main bore completion and lateral completion includes an inductive coupler, which, when connected to an electrical conduit (such as an electrical conduit of an adjacent junction) or another component (such as another inductive coupler) of the multilateral completion system, electrically connects one or more components of the main bore completion or the lateral completion to another component of the multilateral completion system.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed embodiments include multilateral completion systems and methods to deploy multilateral completion systems. A multilateral completion system includes a main bore completion having an inductive coupler, a lateral completion having an inductive coupler, and a second lateral completion also having an inductive coupler. The multilateral completion system also includes a junction having an inductive coupler, and a second junction having an inductive coupler. The multilateral completion system further includes a final completion having a first inductive coupler electrically connected to the inductive coupler of the main bore completion, a second inductive coupler electrically connected to the inductive coupler of the lateral completion, a third inductive coupler configured to couple to the inductive coupler of the second junction, and an electrical conduit running through an inner diameter of the junction, whereby the main bore completion, the lateral completion and the second lateral completion are all electrically connected in parallel.