Liner Cementing Bypass Section Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional top-down cement operations in horizontal wells face challenges in maintaining a wet shoe track and preventing cement from being left inside the liner, leading to suboptimal cement placement and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A running tool with a bypass section, including a control sleeve, opening seat, and closing seat, allows for controlled cement placement and fluid communication, enabling top-down cementing while preventing cement from entering the liner, and reestablishing fluid communication post-cementing for pressure testing and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional top-down cement operation is performed by blocking-off the shoe track with a wiper plug and un-stinging the running tool from the liner, then cement can be circulated into the annulus from the uphole end, but cement can be left inside the liner and a wet shoe cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The running tool is divided into functionally independent sections: a bypass section with bypass ports for cement circulation, and a setting section with setting ports for maintaining fluid communication. This segmentation allows cement to be pumped through the bypass ports into the annulus while preventing cement from entering the liner, simultaneously achieving ease of operation and reliable cement placement quality
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass section acts as an intermediary component between the running string and the liner. It provides dedicated bypass ports that serve as intermediate pathways for cement circulation, allowing cement to be delivered to the annulus without directly contacting the liner interior, thus preventing cement contamination while maintaining operational ease
2Productivity
If the bypass section is opened to allow fluid communication for cement placement, then cement can be placed in the annulus, but fluid communication must be reestablished post-cementing for pressure testing
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass section employs movable components including a control sleeve that can shift position to open or close bypass ports dynamically. During cement placement, the control sleeve opens the bypass ports to allow efficient cement circulation. Post-cementing, the control sleeve can be repositioned to close the bypass ports and reestablish fluid communication through alternative pathways, enabling pressure testing without requiring complex additional equipment
3Device complexity
If the running tool is used for both setting and cementing operations, then equipment reduction is achieved, but functional interference between setting mechanism and bypass section must be managed
Solution Approach 1:
The running tool is segmented into distinct functional zones: a setting section with setting ports for liner setting operations, and a bypass section with bypass ports for cementing operations. Each section has dedicated ports and control mechanisms, allowing setting and cementing functions to operate independently without interference, thus reducing equipment complexity while maintaining operational ease
Solution Approach 2:
The running tool is designed as a multi-functional universal device that integrates both setting and cementing capabilities. The setting section handles liner setting while the bypass section handles cement placement, allowing a single tool to perform multiple functions that would traditionally require separate equipment, thereby reducing overall device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A running tool sets and cements a liner in a borehole. While the tool's bypass section is closed, a plug deployed to the tool diverts hydraulic pressure to set a liner hanger in the borehole. The setting plug is unseated, and the bypass section is switched opened by deploying another plug to an opening seat and shifting a control sleeve open relative to a bypass port. While the tool's packoff remains sealed in the hanger, cement pumped out the bypass port is bullheaded into a lap of the liner and borehole. When cementing is complete, the bypass section is switched closed by deploying another plug to a closing seat and shifting the control sleeve closed relative to the bypass port. The bypass section is then placed in a flow-through condition where fluid communication is reestablished through the tool to the liner by allowing fluid to flow past the plugs in the tool.