Telescoping Fracturing Nozzle Assembly for Wellbore Perforation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fracturing in open holes is complex due to tortuous fracture propagation, leading to screenout conditions that decrease well productivity, and existing methods fail to effectively manage fracture extension and fluid flow in the presence of varying stress concentrations around the borehole.
Innovation Solution
A fracturing jet nozzle assembly with nested telescoping sections that redirect fracturing fluid flow from fully extended stages to smaller stages, allowing continuous extension and minimizing the distance between the nozzle and the perforation, ensuring efficient fracture initiation and propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a single-stage nozzle is used to create a large perforation, then the initial fracture initiation is improved, but the fracture propagation becomes tortuous and leads to screenout
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle assembly is divided into multiple telescoping stages (first stage, second stage, third stage) with each stage having nozzles that operate at different extension positions. This segmentation allows the system to create multiple smaller perforations rather than one large perforation, resulting in more linear fracture propagation paths and reduced screenout risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping assembly allows the nozzle stages to dynamically extend and retract based on the perforation depth. As the perforation grows, the stages extend to maintain optimal nozzle-to-perforation distance, enabling continuous adaptation to changing fracture propagation conditions and maintaining linear fracture paths.
2Device complexity
If the nozzle is positioned far from the formation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the fracturing performance and penetration depth decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle assembly uses a nested telescoping structure where the second stage is nested within the first stage, and the third stage is nested within the second stage. This allows multiple nozzle stages to be compactly stored in a retracted position while enabling extended positions for deep perforation, achieving high penetration depth without excessive device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping stages can dynamically extend and retract to maintain optimal positioning relative to the growing perforation. This dynamic adjustment ensures the nozzles remain at the correct distance from the formation throughout the fracturing process, maximizing penetration depth while managing structural complexity.
3Length of stationary object
If the telescoping stages continue extending without flow redirection, then the perforation depth increases, but the fluid flow efficiency decreases and fracture propagation is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The flow redirection mechanism operates periodically as each telescoping stage reaches its maximum extension. When a stage is fully extended, its nozzles are bypassed and flow is redirected to the next inner stage. This periodic flow redistribution ensures that fluid always flows through nozzles at optimal positions, maintaining energy efficiency throughout the deep perforation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically redirects flow based on the extension state of each stage without external control. As stages extend and reach their limits, the flow naturally redirects to inner stages through the bypass mechanism, allowing the system to self-regulate fluid distribution and maintain efficiency during continuous extension.
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 fracture extension and propagation by maintaining optimal fluid flow and pressure, reducing tortuosity and screenout risks, thereby improving well productivity and fracture efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
jets that create a series of fan shaped slots in the formation
Implementation Method 2
positions around the borehole that may be easier to create a tensile crack than other positions where extreme compressive pressures are preventing tensile failure
Implementation Method 3
As the stage adjacent the outermost stage continues to extend into the perforation and reaches maximum extension the nozzles in the outermost stage are cut off from fracturing fluid flow and that flow is in turn redirected to the remaining stages
Implementation Method 4
enhance the initiation and propagation of formation fractures by adding a feature of continuing extension during fracturing
Data Source
AI summary
A fracturing jet nozzle assembly has nested telescoping sections that each have nozzles in them. The outermost stage makes for a large perforation as it and the adjacent stages begin extension. As the stage adjacent the outermost stage continues to extend into the perforation and reaches maximum extension the nozzles in the outermost stage are cut off from fracturing fluid flow and that flow is in turn redirected to the remaining stages that have not yet fully extended. The innermost stage preferably does not get cut off from jet fluid flow even at its full extension.