Multi-Tube Well Intervention Hose to Prevent Cable Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coiled tubing interventions in oil and gas wells face issues with frictional wear and tear on electrical cables due to relative movement within the tubing, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage during deep well operations.
Innovation Solution
The use of laterally supported individual tubes within a flexible hose for fluid, electrical, and optical communication, which minimizes wear and allows for multiple operations without changing hoses, including well logging, jetting, and drilling, by providing internal lateral and longitudinal support to prevent differential stretching and friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coiled tubing is used to provide fluid and electrical communication pathways into the well, then hydraulic communication and electrical communication are achieved, but frictional wear and tear on the electrical cable occurs due to relative movement within the tubing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single coiled tubing into multiple separate tubing strings, each dedicated to a specific function (fluid communication, electrical communication, optical communication). This segmentation eliminates relative movement between different communication pathways, thereby preventing frictional wear and tear on the electrical cable while maintaining all required communication functions.
2Productivity
If a single coiled tubing is used for multiple operations, then equipment changes are reduced, but wear and tear on the electrical cable increases due to relative movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication pathways into separate tubing strings for different operations (fluid injection, electrical communication, optical communication). This allows each tubing to be optimized for its specific function without suffering from relative movement-induced wear, thereby maintaining high operation efficiency while improving electrical cable durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal system where multiple specialized tubing strings work together to enable various operations (well logging, jetting, drilling, fracturing) simultaneously. Each tubing string is single-purpose, but the combination provides multi-functionality, allowing efficient execution of multiple operations without cable wear from relative movement.
3Reliability
If electrical cable and coiled tubing have different elongations under their own weight, then relative movement occurs causing wear and tear, but using heavier tubing reduces elongation difference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the electrical cable into its own dedicated tubing string, isolated from the fluid communication tubing. This eliminates the problem of differential elongation between cable and tubing, as each has its own support structure. The electrical tubing can be independently designed and weighted without affecting the fluid tubing, maintaining cable connection stability without requiring heavier overall tubing.
Data Source
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AI summary
Well intervention apparatus comprising a flexible hose (2) to be lowered into a well, a stuffing seal (12) which engages around the hose (2) during lowering, at least one tool (28, 30, 32) provided at a downhole end portion of the hose (2), and a plurality of individual tubes (38, 40, 42) extending along an inside region of the hose (2) and connecting to the at least one tool (28, 30, 32), each individual tube (38, 40, 42) providing a fluid path for fluid communication between outside of the well and the at least one tool (28, 30, 32) inside the well, and each individual tube being laterally supported in said inside region such that its lateral movement is restricted.