Ring Assembly for Stuck Pipe Mitigation in Deviated Wells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stuck pipes and wear/damage to tubular strings in subterranean wells due to cutting accumulations and uneven bore surfaces cause inefficiencies and increased costs in hydrocarbon development operations, especially in deviated and horizontal wells.
Innovation Solution
A weighted ring assembly with rotatable blades and a textured surface that can store and release chemicals, featuring wheels for axial movement and a latching mechanism, designed to clear obstructions and reduce friction by being mounted around the tubular string and lowered into the well.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a tubular string is lowered into a subterranean well, then drilling operations can be performed, but the tubular string may become stuck due to cutting accumulations and contact with the bore surface
Solution Approach 1:
The ring assembly acts as an intermediary device between the tubular string and the bore environment. It includes a textured outer surface that contacts the bore to prevent sticking, rotating blades that clear cuttings, and wheels that facilitate movement over obstructions. This intermediary protects the tubular string from direct contact with harmful bore conditions while maintaining drilling productivity.
2Reliability
If chemicals are applied throughout the entire bore to prevent sticking, then the tubular string mobility improves, but chemical usage increases and the rest of the bore is unnecessarily exposed to chemicals
Solution Approach 1:
The ring assembly applies chemical treatment locally at the interface between the tubular string and the bore, rather than treating the entire bore. The chemical delivery system is integrated into the ring assembly, which is positioned only where needed around the tubular string. This localized application prevents sticking while minimizing chemical consumption and avoiding unnecessary exposure of other bore regions to chemicals.
3Reliability
If the ring assembly includes all functional components (blades, wheels, chemical delivery), then it can effectively clear obstructions and prevent sticking, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ring assembly merges multiple functional components into a single integrated device. The textured outer surface, rotating blades, wheels for axial movement, and chemical delivery system are all combined in one assembly that surrounds the tubular string. This consolidation provides comprehensive stuck pipe prevention functionality while avoiding the need for multiple separate devices, thereby managing complexity through integration.
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 ring assembly effectively prevents pipe sticking, reduces chemical usage by targeted delivery, and enhances drilling performance by clearing cuttings and filter cakes, thereby minimizing downtime and costs associated with stuck pipes.
Implementation Method 1
An outer diameter surface of the structural ring can include a texture
Implementation Method 2
The ring assembly can have sharp rotating blades, including perforated micro drill bits, that can remove and clear obstructions and cutting accumulations within the bore of the subterranean well
Implementation Method 3
A fluid flow path can extend from the internal cavity to an exterior of the ring assembly. A chemical can be stored in the internal cavity. The ring assembly can deliver the stored chemical to the location where the chemical is needed
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for moving a tubular string within a subterranean well include a ring assembly. The ring assembly includes a structural ring sized with a ring inner diameter to circumscribe the tubular string and a ring outer diameter to fit within a bore of the subterranean well. A rotatable blade extends from the structural ring. Wheels are spaced around an inner diameter surface of the structural ring.