Resilient Tire Flake Lost Circulation Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lost circulation materials (LCMs) are non-resilient and fail to effectively form stable seals and plugs in wellbore environments, leading to excessive fluid loss and operational challenges during drilling operations.
Innovation Solution
A lost circulation material (LCM) comprising flakes formed from spent vehicle tires, which are resilient and adaptable under in-situ stresses, forming stable seals and plugs in permeable and fractured formations to reduce fluid loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-resilient particulate and fibrous LCMs are used, then the LCM can be easily manufactured and introduced into drilling fluid, but the LCM fails to form stable seals and plugs under dynamic loading conditions in wellbore environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the LCM material from non-resilient to resilient by using elastomeric materials. This parameter change allows the LCM to dynamically adapt its properties under loading conditions, forming stable seals and plugs while maintaining reliability in wellbore environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures including resilient particulate LCMs, fibrous LCMs, and flake LCMs with elastomeric properties. These composite materials combine the ease of introduction with the ability to form stable, adaptable seals under dynamic loading conditions.
2Reliability
If resilient flake LCMs are used to form adaptable seals under dynamic loading, then the seal stability improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes elastomeric materials that can be processed into resilient LCM flakes through relatively simple manufacturing steps. These materials, while providing enhanced performance, are used in forms that can be easily produced and introduced into drilling fluids, balancing manufacturing ease with improved seal stability.
3Loss of substance
If LCM is introduced to combat lost circulation, then fluid loss is reduced, but the drilling operation experiences non-productive time due to treatment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs LCMs that are pre-formed with resilient properties, allowing them to immediately begin forming seals upon introduction into the drilling fluid. This preliminary preparation of the LCM material reduces the time required for treatment operations to become effective, minimizing non-productive time while controlling fluid loss.
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 resilient flakes of the LCM improve the success rate of treatment operations by maintaining stability under dynamic loading conditions, reducing non-productive time and preventing well abandonment due to fluid loss.
Implementation Method 1
The flakes of the LCM may form a mat that is resilient under in-situ stresses and pressure conditions. The flakes of the LCM may further form adaptable seals and plugs in the highly permeable, fractured, and vugular formations to maintain seal and plug stability under the dynamic loading behavior of a wellbore environment.
Data Source
AI summary
A lost circulation material (LCM) having flakes formed from waste vehicle tires. The LCM includes flakes produced from waste vehicle tires processed to remove steel components of the tires and produce flakes having a specific size. Also, methods of lost circulation control and manufacture of the waste vehicle tire LCM.