Well Plug With Fluid-Tight External Cables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current well plugging methods require the removal of control cables and hydraulic lines, which are time-consuming, costly, and pose safety risks, especially when using a drill rig, due to potential degradation of insulation materials and the need for complex connector systems.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of fluid-tight external cables that form a sealing part of the well plug, eliminating the need to pull tubing and associated cables from the wellbore, allowing for lighter equipment usage and reducing the risk of fluid leaks by integrating the cables as part of the plug formation without additional connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control cables and hydraulic lines are removed from the wellbore before plugging, then the well barrier integrity is improved, but the time and cost of the operation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing fluid-tight external cables in positions where control cables and hydraulic lines will later be removed. These pre-positioned cables maintain well barrier integrity throughout the plugging operation, eliminating the need to remove cables before plugging and thus reducing operation time while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If control cables and hydraulic lines are removed from the wellbore before plugging, then the well barrier integrity is improved, but the operation cost increases due to drill rig requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-installing fluid-tight external cables before production tubing installation, the patent eliminates the need to remove cables during plugging operations. This preliminary action allows the use of lighter, less expensive equipment instead of requiring a drill rig, thereby reducing operation costs while maintaining well barrier integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the problematic control cables and hydraulic lines from the wellbore environment by replacing them with fluid-tight external cables that remain in place. This extraction of problematic elements eliminates the need for their removal during plugging, reducing both cost and complexity of the operation.
3Reliability
If control cables and hydraulic lines are removed from the wellbore before plugging, then the well barrier integrity is improved, but safety risks increase due to complex operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing fluid-tight external cables before production tubing installation. This eliminates the need for complex cable removal operations during plugging, thereby reducing safety risks associated with heavy equipment operations and cable handling while maintaining well barrier integrity.
4Reliability
If additional connectors are used to seal around cables passing through the barrier, then the well barrier integrity is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic connectors and cable sealing components from the system by using fluid-tight external cables that maintain barrier integrity without requiring additional connectors. This eliminates the complexity of connector systems while maintaining well barrier integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of plugging a well in a plug and abandonment procedure includes providing a tubing in a wellbore, in a location for a well plug, the tubing is provided with an internal cable section placed inside of the tubing, and forming a plug in the well in said location for the well plug across the width of the tubing and a surrounding wellbore annulus to create a permanent barrier without pulling the tubing from the wellbore. The step of forming the plug includes substantially removing the internal cable section inside the tubing and forming a fluid-tight seal in the tubing where the internal cable section has been removed, for separating, on either side of the seal, first and second fluid volumes of the tubing.