Wellbore Material Wear Monitoring via BOP Sample Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing materials used in oil and gas equipment under high pressure high temperature (HPHT) and subsea operations cannot accurately predict the lifespan of equipment due to varying environmental conditions, as laboratory tests fail to replicate the harsh hydrocarbon production environments.
Innovation Solution
The method involves installing material samples in unused blowout preventer (BOP) outlets, exposing them to wellbore fluids, and monitoring their degradation over time, using a monitoring vessel with a retainer and end cap to assess wear, and employing cathodic protection with sacrificial anodes to limit degradation in subsea systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If laboratory scale tests are used to assess material wear, then testing can be performed in controlled conditions, but the tests cannot accurately mimic harsh hydrocarbon production environments and predict equipment lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates physical copies (material samples) of actual equipment materials and places them in the harsh wellbore environment to replicate real-world conditions. These samples serve as surrogates that experience the same degradation mechanisms as the actual equipment, allowing accurate wear assessment without needing to transport or test the actual equipment in field conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces material samples as intermediary objects between the laboratory testing environment and the harsh field environment. These samples act as mediators that can be exposed to real wellbore conditions (high temperature, high pressure, corrosive fluids) and then brought back for controlled laboratory analysis, bridging the gap between controlled testing and field reality.
2Reliability
If material samples are exposed to wellbore fluids in unused BOP outlets, then accurate wear assessment under actual field conditions is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes unused BOP outlets for multiple purposes: their original function for well control operations and the additional function of housing material samples for wear testing. This multi-functional use of existing infrastructure eliminates the need for separate dedicated testing apparatus, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable wear assessment capabilities.
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 approach allows for accurate assessment of material wear and prediction of equipment lifespan under actual field conditions, providing better service life recommendations and compound improvements by simulating real-world exposure to fluids and environmental stressors.
Implementation Method 1
The sacrificial anodes are mounted in various locations on a BOP and connected so that they limit degradation in the subsea equipment for the expected design life.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for analyzing material wear in a hydrocarbon production environment is disclosed. The method includes the steps of preparing a sample of material to be disposed proximate the hydrocarbon production environment; selecting a placement location for the sample of material, wherein the placement location is in fluid communication with a fluid flow for which the impact of the fluid flow on the sample of material is to be tested; disposing the sample of material in the placement location for a pre-determined amount of time; allowing the sample of material to be exposed to the fluid flow; retrieving the sample of material from the placement location after the pre-determined amount of time has passed; and analyzing the sample of material for wear caused by the hydrocarbon production environment.