Vibrating Tool for Casing String Advancement and Cementing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In deep wells and horizontal well operations, the frictional forces between the casing string and the borehole wall make advancing the casing string difficult, exacerbated by deviations in the wellbore, hydraulic loading, and gravity.
Innovation Solution
The use of a vibrating tool with a variable flow resistance device integrated into the casing string, which generates cyclic hydraulic loading to break static friction and facilitate the advancement of the casing string, while also enhancing cement distribution during the cementing operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional casing string advancement methods are used, then the casing string can be installed in the wellbore, but the frictional forces between the casing string and borehole wall make advancement difficult, especially in deep wells and horizontal well operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration through a vibrating tool that generates vibratory motion in the casing string. This vibration reduces static friction between the casing string and borehole wall, enabling easier advancement of the casing string through the wellbore, particularly in deep wells and horizontal well operations where frictional forces are most problematic
2Ease of operation
If hydraulic loading is applied to the casing string, then the casing string can be advanced, but hydraulic loading against the wellbore exacerbates the difficulty of advancement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic action through cyclic hydraulic loading that repetitively interrupts fluid flow to generate cyclic hydraulic loading on the casing string. This periodic loading creates a pulsating motion that helps advance the casing string along the borehole by reducing static friction, while the periodic nature allows the system to manage hydraulic forces more effectively than continuous loading
3Ease of operation
If gravity acts on the drill string in horizontal wells, then the drill string can be positioned, but gravity acting on the casing string exacerbates the difficulty of advancement
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrating tool generates vibratory motion that counteracts the effect of gravity on the casing string during advancement. The vibration creates dynamic forces that reduce static friction and enable the casing string to move more easily through the wellbore, particularly important in horizontal well operations where gravity continuously acts on the casing string
4Ease of operation
If a vibrating tool is used to reduce drag force, then the casing string can be advanced more easily, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrating tool is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a vibration generation device and as a cement distribution enhancer. The same tool that reduces drag force through vibratory motion also enhances cement distribution during the cementing operation, reducing the need for separate devices and thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity
5Productivity
If the vibrating tool is used during cementing operation, then cement distribution is enhanced, but the tool must be removed after cementing is completed
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrating tool is designed to be removable after completing its function during the cementing operation. The tool can be drilled out or otherwise removed from the casing string once the cementing is completed, allowing the wellbore to be left without the complex vibration generation equipment. This approach balances the benefits of enhanced cement distribution with the need to simplify the final wellbore configuration
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 vibrating tool effectively reduces drag force on the casing string, allowing for easier advancement and improved cement distribution, thereby enhancing the efficiency of wellbore casing and cementing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a force generating tool that repetitively interrupts fluid flow to generate cyclic hydraulic loading on the casing string, thereby causing repeated extension and contraction of the casing string
Implementation Method 2
The pulsating motion of the casing string caused by the vibrating tool helps advance the casing string along the borehole
Implementation Method 3
the frictional forces between the casing string and the borehole wall make advancing the casing string very difficult. These frictional forces are exacerbated by deviations in the wellbore, hydraulic loading against the wellbore, and, especially in horizontal wells, gravity acting on the drill string
Implementation Method 4
during the cementing operation, the pulsing and vibration of the casing string enhances the distribution of the cement as it is pumped into the annulus around the casing
Data Source
AI summary
A casing string is augmented with one or more variable flow resistance devices or “vibrating tools” to facilitate advancement of the casing and distribution of the cement in the annulus once the casing is properly positioned. Vibrating tools in the form of plugs can be pumped down and landed inside the casing string. The method includes vibrating the casing string while advancing the casing down the wellbore or while the cement is pumped into the annulus, or both. After the cementing operation is completed, the devices may be drilled out or retrieved with fishing tools to reopen the casing string for further operations. One or more wipers may be provided on the plugs, but the section housing the flow path may be free of wipers to allow the size and flow capacity of the flow path to be optimized.