Trojan Drill Pipe Annular Storage for Downhole Material Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrocarbon development operations face challenges in delivering materials like corrosive substances, lubricants, and solids downhole without compromising drilling operations or risking damage to equipment, especially when these materials deteriorate when combined with wellbore fluids.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a concentric pipe system, known as the Trojan drill pipe, which creates an annular storage space between inner and outer tubular members, allowing for the on-demand deployment of materials at specific depths within the wellbore without passing through the drill pipe or annulus, using a window assembly to control the release of materials into the wellbore.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If materials are delivered through the drill pipe bore or annulus, then material delivery is achieved, but equipment damage risk increases and drilling operations are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The drill pipe is segmented into an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member, creating separate pathways: the inner bore for drilling operations and the annular storage space for material containment. This segmentation allows material delivery without compromising the drill pipe bore or annulus, eliminating equipment damage risk while maintaining operational reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular storage space acts as an intermediary chamber between the surface and the wellbore treatment zone. Materials are loaded into this intermediate space at the surface, transported downhole with the drill string, and then released at the target depth through window assemblies, preventing direct contact with drill pipe bore or annulus that could cause damage.
2Reliability
If materials are contained in the annular storage space, then material delivery without equipment damage is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The annular storage space serves multiple functions: it contains materials during transport, provides a controlled release mechanism through window assemblies, and maintains compatibility with standard drill pipe outer diameters. This multi-functionality justifies the added structural complexity by eliminating equipment damage risks and enabling reliable material delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tubular member is nested within the outer tubular member, creating a compact concentric structure. This nesting arrangement maximizes the annular storage space volume while maintaining a standard outer diameter for the drill pipe assembly, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If window assemblies are used for controlled material release, then precise volume delivery is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The window assemblies are designed to be movable between open and closed positions, allowing dynamic control of material release. This dynamic capability enables precise volume delivery by controlling when and how much material is released at the target depth, justifying the added complexity through improved measurement precision.
4Adaptability or versatility
If larger diameter solids are delivered downhole, then hydraulic fracturing effectiveness is improved, but material delivery through conventional methods becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The concentric pipe structure segments the delivery pathway, allowing large diameter solids to be contained in the annular storage space without needing to pass through the limited bore of the drill pipe. This segmentation enables delivery of large proppants for hydraulic fracturing while maintaining ease of operation during drilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular storage space serves as an intermediary chamber that accommodates large diameter solids during transport. These solids can be loaded at the surface, transported downhole protected from wellbore fluids, and then released at the target zone without requiring them to pass through conventional restricted pathways.
5Adaptability or versatility
If two-component compositions are delivered downhole, then application versatility is improved, but premature activation or contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inner and outer tubular members create segregated compartments within the drill pipe assembly, allowing two-component compositions to be delivered separately downhole. This segmentation prevents premature mixing and activation, maintaining composition stability until the components are intentionally combined at the target depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular storage space and inner tubular member create protected intermediary pathways that isolate two-component compositions from wellbore fluids and each other during transport. This intermediary protection prevents contamination and premature activation, enabling reliable delivery of multi-component compositions for enhanced application versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A drill pipe assembly has an inner tubular member with a Trojan central bore. An outer tubular member circumscribes the inner tubular member. An annular storage space is defined between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member. An uphole connection member connects to an uphole drill string so that the Trojan central bore is in communication with the uphole drill string. A downhole connection member connects to a downhole drill string so that the Trojan central bore is in communication with the downhole drill string. A window assembly is moveable between a closed position and an open position. In the open position the window assembly provides a flow path between the annular storage space and an outside of the outer tubular member. In the closed position the window assembly prevents a flow between the annular storage space and the outside of the outer tubular member.