Slotted Metal Pipe Nesting Plugging for Karst Cave Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plugging technologies are ineffective for karst cave-type leakage, as the plugging material struggles to form a stable bridge, leading to low success rates, high costs, and increased risks of blowout and well collapse.
Innovation Solution
An energy-gathered bundle type nesting plugging and wall reinforcing device, comprising a slotted metal pipe with spiral or straight slits and a mandrel with explosive grooves, is used to create a bridge by plastic deformation of the metal pipe upon explosion, allowing for the injection of plugging materials to form an artificial well wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional plugging technologies are used for karst cave leakage, then plugging materials can be introduced into the well, but the plugging material cannot form a stable bridge and the success rate remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the metal pipe with spiral slits and positioning explosive charges at specific locations before deployment. The explosive charges are pre-placed in grooves along the mandrel, and the metal pipe is pre-formed with spiral slits that will expand upon explosion. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the explosive is detonated downhole, the metal pipe immediately expands to form a stable bridge structure, eliminating the need for complex post-installation adjustments and significantly improving plugging success rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by transforming the metal pipe from a compressed state during deployment to an expanded state upon explosive detonation. The spiral slits in the metal pipe allow it to change volume and shape dramatically when the explosive charge detonates, expanding the pipe to form a rigid bridge structure. This parameter change from compact to expanded state enables the plugging material to form a stable bridge in karst cave formations, directly addressing the bridge formation capability issue.
2Productivity
If conventional plugging methods are used, then plugging can be attempted, but the process requires repeated construction, takes long time, and incurs high costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical plugging methods with an explosive-driven mechanical expansion system. Instead of manually or mechanically forcing plugging materials into the wellbore through complex repeated construction processes, the system uses explosive charges to rapidly expand the metal pipe into position. This substitution of mechanical systems with explosive energy delivery dramatically reduces construction time and eliminates the need for repeated trial constructions, directly improving productivity while reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The preliminary action of pre-positioning the metal pipe with spiral slits and pre-placing explosive charges allows for rapid deployment once the tool is lowered into the wellbore. The entire plugging process reduces to a single explosive detonation that immediately forms the bridge structure, eliminating the need for repeated construction attempts and significantly reducing the time and cost associated with conventional methods.
3Reliability
If conventional plugging technologies are applied, then plugging materials can be introduced, but the risk of blowout and well collapse increases
Solution Approach 1:
The preliminary action of pre-configuring the metal pipe with spiral slits and positioning explosive charges ensures that the plugging structure is formed in a controlled manner. The spiral slits are pre-cut at specific intervals, and explosive charges are pre-placed in grooves, ensuring that when detonated, the expansion occurs in a predictable pattern that creates a stable, distributed bridge structure. This controlled preliminary preparation prevents sudden, uncontrolled expansions that could cause blowouts or well collapse, thereby reducing harmful factors while maintaining plugging effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The controlled parameter change from compressed to expanded state, achieved through pre-configured spiral slits and explosive charges, ensures that the metal pipe expands in a controlled manner to form a stable bridge. The spiral slit geometry and explosive charge positioning ensure uniform expansion, creating a distributed load that reinforces the wellbore wall rather than creating sudden stress concentrations. This controlled parameter change reduces the risk of blowout and well collapse while maintaining effective plugging.
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 solution significantly improves the plugging success rate for karst cave formations, reducing costs and risks, and enabling safe and efficient drilling through karst caves, thus enhancing natural gas exploitation and energy security.
Implementation Method 1
a movable fit therebetween. The plugging and wall reinforcing device is applied to karst cave plugging, comprising the steps of: delivering the plugging and wall reinforcing device to the karst cave; by using energy generated by an explosion of the explosives, causing the slotted metal pipe fixed on the mandrel to be plastically deformed and attached to a wall of the karst cave
Implementation Method 2
by using energy generated by an explosion of the explosives, causing the slotted metal pipe fixed on the mandrel to be plastically deformed and attached to a wall of the karst cave
Implementation Method 3
the slotted metal pipe has spiral slits or straight slits cut on a pipe wall thereof
Implementation Method 4
the nesting blasting tool is a mandrel (i.e., a shooting pole) having a surface provided with a plurality of explosive grooves in which explosives are placed
Data Source
AI summary
A plugging and wall reinforcing device and a method of using thereof. The nesting plugging and wall reinforcing device comprises an external slotted metal pipe and an internal nested blasting tool, wherein the slotted metal pipe has spiral slits or straight slits cut on a pipe wall thereof; the nested blasting tool is a mandrel having a surface provided with a plurality of explosive grooves in which explosives are placed; the slotted metal pipe is disposed around the mandrel, with a movable fit therebetween. The present invention can effectively improve the plugging success rate.