Pre-installed Wellbore Conduit for Immediate Kill Fluid Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for killing a well are inefficient and risky, especially in severe well control situations where access to the wellhead is impossible, requiring time-consuming and costly drilling of a relief well to inject kill fluid.
Innovation Solution
A pre-installed conduit with a flow passage extending from the surface to the bottom of the wellbore allows for the injection of kill weight fluid near the influx point, generating hydrostatic pressure to stop formation fluid flow, using an annular area between tubular strings or a separate tubular string, with a valve at the wellhead for fluid injection and check valves to prevent fluid backflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a relief well is drilled to intersect the out of control well for injecting kill fluid, then well control can be achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming, expensive, and risky
Solution Approach 1:
A conduit is pre-installed in the wellbore during normal drilling operations, extending from the surface to near the bottom of the wellbore. This preliminary action ensures that when a blowout occurs, the kill fluid injection path is already in place, eliminating the need to drill a relief well and enabling immediate well control.
2Reliability
If a relief well is drilled to intersect the out of control well for injecting kill fluid, then well control can be achieved, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit is installed during normal drilling operations as a preventive measure. This preliminary action eliminates the need for expensive relief well drilling in emergency situations, significantly reducing the cost of well control operations.
3Reliability
If kill weight fluid is forced into the wellbore at the surface during a blowout, then well control may be achieved, but it is virtually impossible when formation fluids are flowing rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit acts as an intermediary device that delivers kill fluid directly to the bottom of the wellbore, bypassing the turbulent flow conditions at the surface. This eliminates the difficulty of forcing kill weight fluid into a rapidly flowing wellbore by injecting at the point where it is most effective.
4Loss of time
If a conduit is pre-installed in the wellbore to enable kill fluid injection, then immediate well control is possible, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit is pre-installed during normal drilling operations when conditions are controlled and planned. This preliminary action allows for proper installation and integration with the existing wellbore infrastructure, minimizing the added complexity compared to emergency installation.
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 method enables immediate and effective well control by ensuring a guaranteed flow path for kill weight fluid to the wellbore bottom, reducing the risk and cost associated with traditional relief well drilling and ensuring well control without the need for additional drilling.
Implementation Method 1
flow the kill weight fluid into the wellbore near the bottom of the wellbore so that as the kill weight fluid column fills the wellbore, enough hydrostatic pressure is eventually generated to stop the flow of formation fluids into the wellbore
Data Source
AI summary
A well system and associated method, in which a kill weight fluid can be flowed into a wellbore via a flow passage extending from the surface to a downhole location, and prior to the flowing, the flow passage is installed with a casing string into the wellbore. A well system and associated method, in which a flow passage is positioned external to a casing, and wherein a downhole well parameter is measured via the flow passage. Another method can include flowing a kill weight fluid into a wellbore via a flow passage extending along a casing string, the flowing being performed while a formation fluid flows into the wellbore.