Lost Circulation Fabric Deployment System for Wellbore Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lost circulation during wellbore drilling results in increased costs and extended drilling times due to drilling mud being lost to natural fissures or fractures, with existing solutions failing to effectively mitigate this issue.
Innovation Solution
A lost circulation fabric deployment system (LCFDS) is deployed, comprising a housing with a movable door, a flexible mesh material, and a release system that uses floats and a launch system to deploy the LCF into the wellbore, forming a seal at lost circulation zones to prevent mud loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drilling mud is used to cool and lubricate the drill bit during wellbore drilling, then drilling efficiency is improved, but drilling mud is lost to natural fissures or fractures causing lost circulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (lost circulation material or LCM) that is added to the drilling mud to plug the natural fissures and fractures. This LCM acts as a mediator that allows the drilling mud to continue its cooling and lubricating function while preventing loss into the formation, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining drilling efficiency and preventing mud loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where lost circulation material is embedded within the drilling mud system. The LCM particles are suspended in the drilling mud, forming a composite fluid system where the inner component (LCM) addresses the loss issue while the outer component (drilling mud) maintains its primary cooling and lubricating functions.
2Reliability
If existing lost circulation mitigation solutions are implemented, then some mud loss prevention is achieved, but they fail to effectively mitigate lost circulation in severe cases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining multiple types of lost circulation materials with different properties (such as cellulose-based materials, synthetic materials, and natural materials) to create a multi-functional drilling fluid system. This composite approach enhances the effectiveness of mud loss prevention while maintaining drilling continuity, overcoming the limitations of single-material solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts parameters of the drilling mud system including viscosity, density, and LCM concentration to optimize performance under different lost circulation conditions. By dynamically changing these parameters, the system can effectively mitigate severe lost circulation while maintaining drilling productivity.
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 LCFDS effectively reduces or prevents mud loss by deploying a flexible mesh material that forms a seal at lost circulation zones, reducing drilling costs and time by maintaining mud circulation and stabilizing the drilling process.
Implementation Method 1
a float coupled to the LCF, the float operable to deploy the LCF from the opening formed in the housing
Implementation Method 2
the launch system includes a compressible spring that is operable to expand to forcefully eject the LCF
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for deploying a lost circulation fabric (LCF) to seal a lost circulation zone during a drilling operation. The LCF may be contained within a lost circulation fabric deployment system (LCFDS) that is coupled to a tubular of a drilling string. The LCFDS may include a controller and sensors to detect the presence of a lost circulation zone and deploy the LCF upon detection of the lost circulation zone. In some implementations, a plurality of LCFDSs may be disposed on the tubular and work in cooperation to deploy a plurality of LCFs to form a seal along the lost circulation zone.