Self-Correcting Subsurface Well Flow Through Fracture Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling near-wellbore fluid flow in subsurface wells are inefficient and result in suboptimal recovery of natural resources, particularly in geothermal and hydrocarbon wells, due to issues such as casing and formation barriers, pressure gradients, and hydraulic fracture inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The use of chemical and mechanical treatments to modify the properties of proppants and fracture zones, including dissolution, erosion, and precipitation, to control and redistribute fluid flow, enhancing permeability and flow distribution across multiple fracture zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If chemical and mechanical treatments are applied to modify proppant properties and fracture zone characteristics, then fluid flow distribution and permeability are improved, but treatment complexity and operational time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-correcting flow mechanisms where the treatment process automatically adjusts and optimizes itself during operation. The system monitors flow characteristics and automatically modifies treatment parameters to maintain optimal performance, reducing the need for complex external control systems and manual intervention while improving resource recovery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes controlled changes in physical and chemical parameters of the treatment materials and processes to optimize fracture zone permeability and fluid flow distribution. By adjusting parameters such as chemical concentration, injection pressure, and treatment temperature, the system achieves improved productivity while managing treatment complexity through systematic parameter optimization
2Productivity
If chemical treatments are used to dissolve or erode proppant material, then permeability increases and flow distribution improves, but material integrity and wellbore stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies chemical treatments with spatially varying properties and concentrations tailored to specific zones within the fracture network. Different chemical formulations and treatment intensities are applied to different locations based on local flow characteristics and permeability needs, allowing permeability enhancement in flow-constrained zones while maintaining structural integrity in stability-critical areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates monitoring systems that track wellbore stability parameters and flow characteristics in real-time during treatment operations. This feedback mechanism allows for dynamic adjustment of treatment parameters to maintain optimal balance between permeability enhancement and structural stability, preventing excessive erosion that could compromise wellbore integrity
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 approach improves the efficiency of resource recovery by achieving more uniform and controlled fluid flow, increasing the volume and rate of resource extraction, and extending production time, thereby enhancing the economic viability of geothermal and hydrocarbon production.
Implementation Method 1
A chemical solution that reacts either with proppant material or with the fracture wall material is injected during relatively long-term fluid circulation
Implementation Method 2
circulating the chemical solution through the reservoir for a relatively long period of time to cause self-correcting feedback in permeability changes
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and techniques may include enhancing production of a natural resource from a reservoir in the earth. A technique may include, in a reservoir comprising a first and a second well, pumping a first material down the first well into the reservoir, and circulating the first material through the reservoir at a first flow rate and up the second well for a period of time, the first material interacting with a proppant in a fracture zone in the reservoir or reacting with a formation in the fracture zone, or reacting with both. A first permeability of the fracture zone in the reservoir may be reduced to define a reduced permeability. The reduced permeability in first fracture zone may direct the flow of the material to a second fracture zone, increasing the flow of material in a second fraction zone, and the permeability of the second fraction zone may be reduced.