Untethered Drone String for Downhole Perforation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wellbore operations in the oil and gas industry are inefficient and generate significant debris due to the reliance on wireline cables, which are time-consuming and require substantial equipment and labor, and existing perforating devices often leave behind large amounts of material that must be removed or left in the wellbore.
Innovation Solution
The development of autonomous or semi-autonomous untethered drone strings for downhole delivery and operation, equipped with selective detonators and control circuits, which allow for precise and sequential detonation of shaped charges, reducing debris and eliminating the need for wireline cables by using injection-molded plastic components that disintegrate upon detonation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wireline cables and conventional perforating devices are used, then downhole operations can be performed, but the operations are time-consuming and generate significant debris
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the wireline cable from the system by deploying self-contained drones that are lowered into the wellbore independently. Each drone carries its own power source, control electronics, and shaped charges, eliminating the need for continuous cable connection and significantly reducing deployment time
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the perforating operation into multiple independent drone units rather than using a single conventional perforating gun. Each drone is a separate, autonomous module that can be deployed and activated independently, improving operational flexibility and reducing overall deployment time
2Productivity
If wireline cables and conventional perforating devices are used, then downhole operations can be performed, but substantial equipment and labor are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the wireline cable infrastructure from the system. By using autonomous drones with onboard power and control systems, the complex cable management equipment, reel systems, and associated labor requirements are removed entirely
Solution Approach 2:
Each drone is equipped with self-contained systems including onboard batteries, control electronics, and detonation mechanisms. The drones autonomously navigate and position themselves in the wellbore without requiring external cable connection or manual intervention, significantly reducing equipment complexity and labor requirements
3Productivity
If conventional perforating devices are used, then perforation operations can be completed, but large amounts of debris are left in the wellbore requiring removal
Solution Approach 1:
The drones are designed as disposable units made from materials that completely disintegrate upon detonation of the shaped charges. The body is constructed from plastic and other materials that break down into fine particles that can be easily flushed from the wellbore, eliminating the need for debris removal operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition of the drone body from traditional metal components to plastic and other decomposable materials. This parameter change ensures complete disintegration upon detonation, transforming the debris problem into a manageable situation where only fine particles remain that can be easily removed with normal wellbore flow
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 reduces the time, equipment, and labor required for downhole operations, minimizes debris in the wellbore, and enables precise control over the deployment and operation of wellbore tools without the need for wireline cables, improving operational efficiency and reducing post-perforation cleanup.
Implementation Method 1
perforating the wellbore and the hydrocarbon formation by detonating the shaped charges
Implementation Method 2
each perforating gun may have a substantially cylindrical carrier body housing a charge carrier including one more shaped charges
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, devices, systems, and methods for autonomously or semi-autonomously conveying downhole oil and gas wellbore tools and performing downhole oil and gas wellbore operations are disclosed. The exemplary devices, systems, and methods may include an untethered drone that substantially disintegrates and/or dissolves into a proppant when shaped charges that the untethered drone carries are detonated. Two or more untethered drones, wellbore tools, and/or data collection devices may be connected in an untethered drone string and detonated for efficiently performing wellbore operations and reducing the amount of debris left in the wellbore after such operations.