Wellbore Piping Surface Grooves for Eccentric Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The issue of eccentricity in wellbore piping structures, where casing and tubing sag, bend, or drop out of alignment, leading to inadequate sealing of filler material and reduced wellbore integrity, particularly in horizontal or inclined sections.
Innovation Solution
Modifying the external and/or internal surfaces of piping sections with patterns of indents and/or protrusions, such as radial, slanted, or helical grooves, to allow filler material to reach and seal gaps between the piping and adjacent structures, even when not centered within the wellbore.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If piping sections are used with smooth external surfaces, then manufacturing is simpler and cost is lower, but filler material cannot effectively seal gaps when piping is eccentric
Solution Approach 1:
The piping surface is modified locally with protrusions and indents only in the regions that will contact filler material, while maintaining smooth surfaces in other areas. This localized modification improves sealing effectiveness without significantly increasing overall manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The surface modifications (protrusions and indents) are pre-applied to the piping sections before installation in the wellbore. This preliminary action ensures that when filler material is pumped, it can immediately access the modified surface features to create effective seals, even in eccentric conditions
2Adaptability or versatility
If piping sections are made with centered alignment, then sealing is effective, but the system cannot accommodate eccentricity in horizontal or inclined wellbore sections
Solution Approach 1:
The piping surface is modified with a pattern of protrusions and indents that creates a porous-like structure. This allows filler material to penetrate and access the space between the piping and adjacent structures, maintaining sealing integrity even when the piping is eccentric and not centered in the wellbore
3Reliability
If filler material is pumped to seal gaps in eccentric piping, then sealing may be achieved, but filler cannot access regions where piping contacts adjacent structures
Solution Approach 1:
The piping surface is segmented into multiple protrusions and indents, creating numerous small access points for filler material. This segmentation allows filler to reach sealing positions through multiple pathways, improving accessibility even when some regions are blocked by contact with adjacent structures
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided herein a method for preparing a wellbore comprising: positioning one or more sections of piping within the wellbore as part of a piping string by attaching the one or more sections to additional similar sections of piping, wherein at least a region of an external surface of the one or more sections of piping is shaped to include a pattern of indents and/or protrusions, and wherein the shaped region of the external surface is located so as to be exposed to a surrounding external environment when the section of piping is coupled to the additional similar sections of piping as part of the piping string. There is also provided herein a section of piping for use as part of a wellbore structure and a method for producing a section of piping for use as part of a wellbore structure.