Straddle Packer Proppant Filtration and Velocity Bypass
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing straddle packers face operational issues such as unreliability, difficulty in setting and unsetting in long lateral bores, and are prone to 'wash' and 'screen out' when dealing with proppant-laden fracturing fluids, which complicates well stimulation and remediation processes.
Innovation Solution
A long-reach straddle packer with a fluid pressure packer set and velocity bypass system, featuring a proppant filtration plug body that excludes solid components while allowing fluid components to flow through, and a slotted frac hub with slots for fluid communication, enabling effective pressure isolation and rapid depressurization to prevent sticking in the wellbore.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional straddle packers are used in long lateral bores, then well stimulation can be performed, but operational reliability deteriorates due to frictional drag on work string and difficulty in setting/unsetting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical work string manipulation with fluid pressure actuation. The packer elements are set and unset using hydraulic pressure applied through the work string, eliminating the need for mechanical manipulation in long lateral bores. This substitution resolves the operational difficulty by using fluid pressure instead of mechanical force to actuate the packer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic actuation through a pressure cylinder and piston system. High-pressure fluid is pumped through the work string to activate the piston, which moves the packer elements between set and unset positions. This hydraulic system enables reliable operation in long lateral bores where mechanical manipulation would fail due to frictional drag.
2Productivity
If proppant-laden fracturing fluids are pumped through traditional straddle packers, then well stimulation can be performed, but the packer becomes unreliable due to proppant wash and screen out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a proppant filtration plug body with porous structure that allows fluid to pass through while filtering out proppant particles. This porous filter prevents proppant accumulation in the packer mechanism, maintaining reliability during proppant-laden fluid injection while enabling effective well stimulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The proppant filtration plug body acts as an intermediary between the proppant-laden fracturing fluid and the packer mechanism. It filters the fluid to remove proppant before the fluid reaches sensitive packer components, preventing wash and screen out while allowing the stimulation treatment to proceed effectively.
3Productivity
If proppant-laden fluids are used for well stimulation, then productivity can be enhanced, but proppant accumulation causes wash and screen out in the packer
Solution Approach 1:
The proppant filtration plug body utilizes porous material to filter proppant particles from the fracturing fluid. The porous structure allows fluid passage while retaining proppant, preventing harmful accumulation in the packer mechanism and eliminating wash and screen out issues during high-productivity stimulation treatments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of proppant-laden fluids into a beneficial filtration system. The proppant filtration plug body captures proppant particles, transforming the harmful proppant suspension into filtered fluid that protects the packer while maintaining stimulation productivity.
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
The solution enhances the reliability and efficiency of straddle packer operations in long lateral bores by preventing proppant accumulation and ensuring successful well stimulation and remediation treatments, even with heavily proppant-laden fluids, by maintaining pressure isolation and facilitating rapid tool recovery.
Implementation Method 1
a proppant filtration plug body that occludes a central passage of the straddle packer downhole of radial fluid paths through a frac sub of the straddle packer and uphole of fluid ports of a compression cylinder of the straddle packer, the proppant filtration plug body excluding solid components of high-pressure fluid pumped into the central passage while permitting fluid components of the high-pressure fluid to flow therethrough
Implementation Method 2
velocity bypass for proppant-laden fracturing fluids
Data Source
AI summary
A straddle packer for proppant-laden fracturing fluids has a slotted frac sub with a proppant filtration plug body that excludes proppant in the fracturing fluid from a central passage of the straddle packer downhole from the slotted frac hub. Pressure equalization sleeve filters exclude an entry of debris in a well bore through pressure equalization ports of the straddle packer.