Single-Run Well Abandonment Tool with Integrated Bridge Plug
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current well abandonment procedures in the oil and gas sector require multiple runs to seal and fill abandoned wells, which is time-consuming and costly, as they involve separate steps for bridge plug deployment, cementing, and filling, often necessitating multiple trips of equipment into and out of the well.
Innovation Solution
A downhole tool with a tube containing well filler material and hydraulic fluid, connected to a bridge plug via a tube-plug connector, allows the bridge plug to be anchored and the well to be filled in a single run by using hydraulic and mechanical anchors, enabling the tube to be disconnected and the filler material to be discharged above the anchored plug.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple runs are used to deploy bridge plug, cement, and filling material separately, then each function can be performed with dedicated equipment, but the time and cost of well abandonment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (bridge plug deployment, cementing, and filling) into a single integrated tool string that can be deployed in one run. The tool string includes a bridge plug, a cementing unit with a first chamber for cement, and a second chamber for filling material, all connected to a common hydraulic system. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate equipment runs and significantly reduces abandonment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool string is designed as a universal device that performs multiple functions simultaneously. The hydraulic system can selectively activate different components (bridge plug anchors, cement discharge, filling material discharge) based on operational requirements. This multi-functionality allows a single equipment deployment to accomplish what previously required multiple specialized runs.
2Productivity
If multiple runs are used to deploy bridge plug, cement, and filling material separately, then each operation can be optimized independently, but the overall cost of well abandonment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool string is segmented into distinct functional modules: a bridge plug section with anchors, a cementing unit with a first chamber, and a filling unit with a second chamber. Each module can be independently designed and optimized while being integrated into a single deployable unit. The hydraulic system is also segmented with separate lines controlling different functions, allowing independent operation of each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where the cementing unit and filling unit are integrated within the same tool string housing. The first chamber for cement and the second chamber for filling material are nested within the overall tool structure, sharing common hydraulic control systems and deployment mechanisms. This nesting reduces the number of separate equipment runs needed while maintaining the ability to perform each function independently.
3Loss of time
If a single run is used to deploy bridge plug and filling material, then time and cost are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a centralized hydraulic control system to manage the complex operations of the multi-functional tool string. Hydraulic lines are routed to activate bridge plug anchors, discharge cement, and release filling material in sequence. This hydraulic automation reduces the need for manual intervention and simplifies the control of complex operations, making the single-run approach feasible despite the increased device complexity.
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 and cost of well abandonment by allowing the bridge plug to be anchored and the well to be filled in a single operation, improving efficiency and reducing the need for repeated equipment runs.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic actuator in fluid communication with the tube such that the actuator is configured to activate at least one anchor of a connected bridge plug in response to a pressure being applied to well filler material and hydraulic fluid in the tube
Implementation Method 2
a tube for containing well filler material and hydraulic fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for sealing and filling a well which may form a part of a well abandoning operation. A tube containing well filler material is connected to a bridge plug by a connector so that the bridge plug can be positioned by moving the tube and then anchored. Once the bridge plug is anchored, the tube is disconnected and the well filler can be discharged into the well above the anchored bridge plug. In this way, the bridge plug anchoring and the filling of at least a portion of the well can be performed in a single run.