Liner Flotation System Reduces Drag in Extended Reach Wells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extended reach horizontal wells in the oilfield industry face challenges in advancing liners due to excessive frictional forces, hindering maximum oil and gas recovery, and existing solutions like 'wet shoe' systems are limited in enabling subsequent operations.
Innovation Solution
A liner flotation system is introduced, featuring a chamber filled with a buoyant material within the liner, equipped with valves to manage fluid flow, reducing drag forces and allowing for secure positioning and subsequent operations like cementing and fluid circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the liner is advanced into extended reach horizontal wells, then oil and gas recovery is maximized, but frictional forces become excessive and prevent further advancement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a buoyancy system that provides an upward force counteracting the downward frictional drag on the liner. By filling a chamber with buoyant material (less dense than well fluids), the system generates buoyant force that offsets the frictional resistance, enabling the liner to be advanced into extended reach horizontal wells where conventional gravity-dependent systems fail.
2Reliability
If the liner is cemented in place, then the liner is secured, but fluid flow is blocked and subsequent operations cannot be conducted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the liner system into functionally separate components: a cementable section for securing the liner in place, and a buoyancy chamber section that maintains fluid flow capability. The buoyancy chamber is positioned within the liner and can be filled with buoyant material while allowing fluid to pass through, creating a segmented functional architecture that resolves the conflict between securing and maintaining operational access.
Solution Approach 2:
The buoyant material in the chamber acts as an intermediary element that enables both cementing and fluid flow. The chamber structure serves as a mediator between the cementing process (providing structural support) and the fluid flow requirement (maintaining open pathways), allowing both functions to coexist without interference.
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
The system effectively reduces drag forces, enables secure liner placement, and facilitates subsequent well operations by maintaining fluid flow, thereby enhancing oil and gas recovery and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The liner has a chamber filled with gas or other material to make the liner more buoyant as it is moved through the fluids in the well
Data Source
AI summary
A liner flotation system comprises a liner, a first valve, and a second valve configured to form a gas filled chamber within the liner. The first valve is operable to allow fluid flow into the chamber, and the second valve operable to allow fluid flow out of the chamber. A sleeve is disposed in the chamber, and the first valve is movable into engagement with the sleeve to provide an indication of a position of the first valve. A method of securing a liner in a well comprises lowering a liner having a gas filled chamber in the well, actuating a valve to open fluid flow into the chamber, removing the gas from the chamber, and moving the valve into engagement with a sleeve coupled to the liner to provide an indication of a position of the valve.