Wireline Bore Sealing via Particle Settling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the oil and gas industry, blow-out preventors and wireline valves face challenges in sealing throughbores with wirelines running through them, particularly under high pressure differentials, as voids in the wirelines can act as leak paths for fluids, posing risks during pressure containment and remedial operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that involves injecting a first fluid and solid particles into the throughbore to fill voids, using a higher proportion of fluid to particles, and employing retractable enclosing means to seal the throughbore, ensuring no leak paths exist, capable of withstanding pressure differentials up to 15000 psi (103.4 MPa).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the BOP closes rams to seal around the wireline, then the wellbore can be sealed under high pressure, but voids in the wireline create potential leak paths for high pressure fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a packer element with a porous structure that allows controlled fluid passage while maintaining the seal. The porous material enables the packer to conform to the wireline surface while allowing injection of sealing material into voids, resolving the contradiction between maintaining seal integrity and eliminating leak paths through voids.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a sealing material (such as grease or cement) as an intermediary substance that is injected into the annulus between the packer and wireline. This sealing material fills the voids in the wireline and creates a barrier against fluid leakage, while the packer serves as the delivery mechanism for this sealing material.
2Reliability
If the BOP seals the wellbore under high pressure differential, then pressure containment is improved, but the complexity of ensuring no leak paths increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary actions by first positioning the packer around the wireline and creating the seal, then subsequently injecting the sealing material into the annulus to fill voids. This sequential approach simplifies the overall system by breaking down the complex sealing process into manageable steps that can be executed in a specific order.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the sealing material injection function as a separate, optional step from the basic ram sealing mechanism. This allows the system to maintain simple ram-based sealing for basic applications while providing the capability to eliminate voids through material injection when higher reliability is required, thus reducing overall system complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If solid particles are settled out to plug voids, then leak paths are eliminated, but the process requires additional time and pressure control
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the sealing material by using materials with different viscosities and particle sizes. By selecting appropriate parameters for the sealing material, the system can achieve rapid void filling without requiring extended settling times, thus reducing the overall sealing process time while still effectively eliminating leak paths.
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
The solution effectively seals the throughbore, eliminating potential leak paths and ensuring the containment of high-pressure fluids, allowing for safe operation and maintenance of wellbores under extreme pressure conditions.
Implementation Method 1
injecting a fluid containing solid particles in the region of the line... settling out solid particles to substantially plug one or more voids in the line... settling out solid particles from the fluid in response to a drop in pressure of the fluid
Implementation Method 2
settling out solid particles to substantially plug one or more voids in the line... settling out solid particles from the fluid in response to a drop in pressure of the fluid
Implementation Method 3
substantially enclosing the line and sealing a portion of the throughbore around the line by moving a retractable enclosing means into the throughbore
Implementation Method 4
sealing around an outer profile of the line using a resilient portion provided on the enclosing means
Data Source
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AI summary
The Invention provides an apparatus (1) and a method of substantially sealing a throughbore (3) of a tubular (2). The tubular (2) has a line (88) running therethrough. The method comprises the steps of: (a) substantially enclosing the line (88) and sealing a portion of the throughbore (3) around the line (88) using an enclosing means (58, 59); (b) injecting a fluid in the region of the line (88), wherein the fluid contains solid particles; and (c) substantially sealing a remaining portion of the throughbore (3) using the solid particles such that the sealed throughbore (3) is capable of withstanding a pressure differential. The method can include settling out the solid particles from the fluid in response to a drop in pressure of the fluid during step (b). The method can include injecting a first fluid in the region of the line (88) prior to step (b). The method can further include substantially sealing the remaining portion of the throughbore (3) according to step (c) using the first fluid and the solid particles. The first fluid can be a heavy hydrocarbon such as a grease and the fluid containing solid particles can be a drilling fluid.