Inflatable Swellable Packer Isolation for Faster Interval Chemical Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Swellable packers in oil well completion require a long time to swell, leading to uncertainty in interval selectivity during chemical treatments, risking undesirable flow and fracturing due to incomplete sealing.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable inner bag and swellable material with a hydraulic chemical injection line circuit are used to inflate and swell packers quickly, ensuring initial sealing and gradual adhesion to the well wall, allowing simultaneous chemical treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If swellable packers are used for interval isolation, then sealing capability is improved, but operation time is increased due to 3-10 day swelling period
Solution Approach 1:
The packer is inflated with fluid before the swelling process to establish initial sealing contact with the well wall. This preliminary inflation action creates a seal quickly, allowing chemical treatments to begin immediately without waiting for the complete swelling process to finish.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing process is divided into two distinct phases: initial sealing through inflation and final sealing through swelling. This segmentation allows the initial seal to be established quickly while the swelling process completes in the background, enabling overlapping operations.
2Productivity
If chemical treatment is performed during packer swelling period, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to uncertain interval selectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The packer is inflated to establish a reliable initial seal before chemical treatment begins. This preliminary sealing action ensures that interval selectivity is achieved before chemical injection, eliminating the risk of crossflow or fracturing during the treatment process.
3Productivity
If packer laying is accelerated, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional hydraulic systems
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic line circuit serves multiple functions: it inflates the packer, enables chemical injection, and controls the swelling process. By making the hydraulic system multi-functional, the complexity increase is justified by the ability to perform multiple operations through a single integrated system.
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
Accelerates packer laying and chemical treatment, reducing risks of crossflow and fracturing, enhancing selectivity and safety while minimizing operational costs and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a swellable packer is an isolation device that generally relies on elastomeric materials to expand and form an annular seal when immersed in certain well fluids
Implementation Method 2
The elastomeric materials used in these packers are generally sensitive to oil or water
Implementation Method 3
the chemical injection hydraulic line circuit supplies a fluid to fill the inflatable inner bag
Implementation Method 4
a chemical injection hydraulic line circuit of a chemical injection system
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a system for isolation and chemical injection in a completion string of oil wells with open intervals, comprising an inflatable inner bag and a swellable material, a chemical injection hydraulic line circuit of a chemical injection system, and at least one chemical injection mandrel. The chemical injection hydraulic line circuit is of the feedthrough type and is in fluid communication with the inner bag and at least one inflatable and swellable packer. Furthermore, a method for isolation and chemical injection in a completion string of wells with open intervals is disclosed.