Single-Trip Liner and Bridge Plug Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for installing liners and bridge plugs in hydrocarbon wells require multiple trips of pipe, increasing rig time, wear, and the risk of errors and environmental damage.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow for the simultaneous installation of a liner and bridge plug using a single trip of pipe, utilizing a tubing string with internal valves and activators to deploy and seal the liner and bridge plug hydraulically or mechanically, with the bridge plug either carried above or within the liner, and a liner top that engages the casing to secure the wellbore.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional methods are used to install liner and bridge plug separately, then installation reliability is maintained, but rig time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the liner installation tool and bridge plug deployment tool into a single integrated apparatus. The tubing string carries both the liner setting tool and the bridge plug, allowing both components to be installed in one continuous operation rather than requiring separate trips, thereby reducing rig time and improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge plug is pre-positioned on the tubing string above the liner setting tool before entering the wellbore. This preliminary arrangement allows the bridge plug to be deployed immediately after the liner is set, eliminating the need for a second trip to retrieve and deploy the bridge plug separately
2Reliability
If multiple trips are made to install liner and bridge plug, then proper installation is ensured, but equipment wear increases and operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the liner setting function and bridge plug deployment function into a single apparatus, the patent reduces the number of separate operations required. The integrated design maintains installation reliability through proper sequencing mechanisms while simplifying the overall operational procedure by eliminating the need for multiple trips and separate tool deployments
3Reliability
If multiple trips are made for installation, then thorough deployment is achieved, but risk of errors and environmental damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous deployment of both the liner and bridge plug in a single uninterrupted operation. By maintaining continuous useful action throughout the installation process, the system reduces the number of times equipment must be lowered and raised, thereby minimizing opportunities for errors and reducing environmental exposure risks associated with repeated wellbore access
Data Source
AI summary
A liner and bridge plug are installed in a hydrocarbon well that has a casing and a section to be lined by the liner. The liner and bridge plug are installed by providing a tubing string that carries a bridge plug and a liner setting tool, the liner setting tool carrying a liner, inserting the tubing string into the hydrocarbon well until the liner is at a desired location along the casing, activating the liner setting tool to install the liner, activating the bridge plug to seal the wellbore and disengaging the tubing string from the bridge plug and the liner.