Sand Plug Formation in Horizontal Well Casings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Forming sand plugs in horizontal well casings is challenging due to the complexity and incompatibility with mechanical isolation plugs in high-angle bends or collapsing formations, which slows down the fracturing process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic fracturing method that injects fracturing fluid with proppant and a transitory binder and filler into the well casing without a placement apparatus, allowing higher flow rates and reducing friction pressure, enabling faster and more accurate plug formation and placement, even in high-angle bends, by using a filler with a specific gravity of 2.0 or greater and a transitory binder with a specific gravity less than 2.0 to maintain plug integrity during fracturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical isolation plugs are used in horizontal well casings, then isolation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and operation difficulty increase due to high-angle bends and collapsing formations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical isolation plugs with a sand plug formed by injecting fracturing fluid containing proppant and binder through the well casing. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical placement apparatus and makes the process compatible with high-angle bends and collapsing formations that prevent mechanical plug insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic injection of fracturing fluid to transport and deposit proppant and binder materials that form the isolation plug. The fluid pressure drives the materials to the target location and enables plug formation without mechanical placement equipment, resolving the operation difficulty in challenging well configurations.
2Reliability
If sand plugs are formed using placement apparatus, then plug formation is achieved, but productivity decreases due to increased time and manipulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the placement apparatus from the sand plug formation process, eliminating the time-consuming manipulation and installation steps. The plug is formed directly by injecting fracturing fluid through the well casing, significantly reducing operation time and increasing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fracturing fluid itself serves dual purposes: it transports the proppant and binder materials and simultaneously acts as the forming medium for the sand plug. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate placement apparatus and reduces process complexity and time requirements.
3Reliability
If placement apparatus is used for sand plug formation, then plug placement is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the placement apparatus entirely from the sand plug formation process. The fracturing fluid injection system directly places the plug materials at the desired location without requiring additional complex equipment, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining placement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The fracturing fluid serves multiple functions: it transports proppant and binder, provides the medium for plug formation, and enables precise placement through hydraulic pressure control. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specialized placement apparatus, reducing overall system complexity.
4Reliability
If mechanical isolation plugs are used, then isolation is achieved, but loss of time increases due to manipulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous useful action by injecting fracturing fluid that simultaneously transports materials and forms the isolation plug in a single continuous process. This eliminates the intermittent manipulation and installation steps required for mechanical plugs, significantly reducing time loss while maintaining isolation effectiveness.
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
This method reduces the time to form and place plugs, increases flow rates, and simplifies the fracturing process by eliminating the need for placement apparatuses, ensuring effective plug formation and hydraulic fracturing without damaging equipment, while maintaining plug integrity during pressure application and easy removal after fracturing.
Implementation Method 1
injects fracturing fluid with proppant and a transitory binder and filler into the well casing without a placement apparatus, allowing higher flow rates
Implementation Method 2
The high concentration of sand and/or proppant screens out against the fractures and begins to bridge off. The sand continues to bridge off against the perforations in the well casing
Implementation Method 3
using a filler with a specific gravity of 2.0 or greater and a transitory binder with a specific gravity less than 2.0 to maintain plug integrity during fracturing
Implementation Method 4
a transitory binder with a specific gravity less than 2.0 to maintain plug integrity during fracturing
Implementation Method 5
fracturing fluid at high pressure to initiate and then propagate a fracture in the formation during each stage
Data Source
AI summary
A hydraulic fracturing method includes injecting a fluid containing a transitory binder and filler into a substantially horizontal well casing without any placement apparatus present in the substantially horizontal well casing, the filler containing particles of a solid material. The transitory binder and filler are placed over first perforations in the well casing. The method includes opening second perforations through the well casing, injecting additional fracturing fluid through the substantially horizontal well casing, and forming a plug over and through the first perforations with the transitory binder and filler.