EP3702581A1 - Verfahren zur stabilisierung einer wand mit freiliegenden tonschichten - Google Patents

Verfahren zur stabilisierung einer wand mit freiliegenden tonschichten Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3702581A1
EP3702581A1 EP19159329.2A EP19159329A EP3702581A1 EP 3702581 A1 EP3702581 A1 EP 3702581A1 EP 19159329 A EP19159329 A EP 19159329A EP 3702581 A1 EP3702581 A1 EP 3702581A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
clay
wall
perforations
clayward
support structure
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP19159329.2A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Original Assignee
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV filed Critical Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
Priority to EP19159329.2A priority Critical patent/EP3702581A1/de
Priority to AU2020227184A priority patent/AU2020227184B2/en
Priority to PCT/EP2020/054787 priority patent/WO2020173881A1/en
Publication of EP3702581A1 publication Critical patent/EP3702581A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
    • E21B43/10—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
    • E21B43/103—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
    • E21B43/108—Expandable screens or perforated liners
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
    • E21B43/08—Screens or liners
    • E21B43/086—Screens with preformed openings, e.g. slotted liners
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
    • E21B43/10—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
    • E21B43/103—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
    • E21B43/105—Expanding tools specially adapted therefor
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/02—Subsoil filtering
    • E21B43/10—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
    • E21B43/103—Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like
    • E21B43/106—Couplings or joints therefor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of stabilizing a wall comprising exposed layers of clay.
  • the wall may be a wellbore wall in an open section of a wellbore in an earth formation.
  • a known problem encountered in coalbed methane gas wells is swelling of formation clays in the interburden rock layers of coal seam gas wells. This may result in spalling of fine particles that may negatively impact gas production through damage to the well's pump and/or the permeability of the coal layers. Such phenomena may compromise the structural integrity of the wellbore and/or severely restrict production.
  • the conventional technology to mitigate the swelling of smectite clays in oil and gas reservoirs is to stabilize the clay using a brine such as 4 % KCl, and although this technology is relatively low cost and initially effective the mitigation of clay swelling is temporary presumably because K + ions are easily washed from the clay when the well is brought into production.
  • An alternative approach recently reported is to use nanoparticles and nanofluids to control clay swelling.
  • the invention provides a method of stabilizing a wall comprising exposed layers of clay, comprising steps of:
  • the presently proposed method involves allowing clay from a clay wall to absorb water through perforations of a perforated support structure that is positioned against the wall. As the clay swells, it can be kept in place by the perforated support structure. As a result, the pressure in the clay increases and eventually the clay becomes less permeable and it may even become fully impermeable to water. This stabilizes the wall against eroding.
  • FIG. 1 schematically shows a setup in which the principle of the method is demonstrated.
  • a cup 1 was partially filled with dry bentontite clay 2.
  • the perforations 4 were rectangular in shape, 4x30 mm in size.
  • a quantity of water 5 was provided on top of the metal plate.
  • the clay 2 was in physical contact with a clayward-facing side 6 of the perforated support structure 3, while the water 5 was on an opposing side 7, which faces away from the clayward-facing side 6.
  • the perforations 4 allowed fluid transport through the perforated support structure 3 from the opposing side 7 to the clayward-facing side 6 through the perforations 4.
  • a load cell was arranged against the opposing side 7 to measure the load on the metal plate. None of the perforations was obstructed by the load cell.
  • Figure 2 shows the pressure measured by means of the load cell as a function of time over days. It can be seen that the pressure gradually increased and leveled off in a plateau which was reached after about 7 days. Even though the perforations remained open, during those 7 days and thereafter, the clay remained on the clayward-facing side and no clay had been pushed through the perforations. This was confirmed by visual inspection after 42 days. Although Applicant does not wish to be bound by this theory, the experiment supports Applicant's understanding that the shear strength of the saturated clay is larger than the swelling force exerted on the clay exposed by the perforations.
  • the swelling force reaches about 180 N once in equilibrium, which in the experimental setup as used corresponds to a pressure of less than 1 bar (100 kPa), which is much smaller than the collapse force of the supporting structure.
  • the size of the perforations can be selected such that the perforations are large enough to shear the clay before the swelling pressure exceeds the collapse pressure.
  • Fig. 3 specifically shows a length 12 of expandable slotted tubular which has been inserted into a borehole 8 in an earth formation.
  • the borehole 8 is part of the wellbore.
  • the earth formation in this case has producing zones 17 (which may be coal seams) separated from each other by layers of clay 3.
  • the clay is exposed to the wellbore.
  • the EST may be provided in the form of a metal (suitably carbon steel) pipe which has been provided with a pattern of slots 20.
  • the slots may be oriented along the longitudinal axis and they may be provided in staggered rows which partly overlap. For reasons of clarity, not all slots are individually identified in the drawing.
  • the clayward-facing side of the length 12 of EST is brought in physical contact with the wall by expanding the EST against the wall. This can be done by moving an expansion tool through the EST. This may for example be achieved by pulling an expansion cone 19 on a drill string 19'.
  • the basic technology is described in for example now expired US patent 5,366,012 .
  • the slotted perforations 20 from Fig. 3 will dilate into deformed slots 20', which act as the perforations 4 of Fig. 1 .
  • the method would then be completed by exposing the interior of the expanded slotted tubular to a water-containing fluid, whereby allowing the water containing fluid to contact the wall through the deformed slots 20'. Interestingly, only where the clay is located behind the deformed slots 20' will the slots eventually be blocked. The deformed slots 20' will remain open in the producing zones 17 where no or insufficient clay is present to fully block the deformed slots 20'.
  • the required dimensions for the slots will depend on various parameters including one or more of the clay type, the thickness of the EST wall, the amount of expansion or deformation of the slots, the shape of the slots, etc..
  • a main consideration for determining the slot dimensions would include that the exposure area (defined by an area of the wall that is exposed to the opposing side) though each of the deformed slots is sufficiently small that the force on the clay that is exposed (given in approximation by the swelling pressure of the clay after local swelling times the exposure area) is smaller than a shear strength of the clay after local swelling.
  • Figures 5 and 6 illustrate an embodiment, wherein a string of support structures is employed wherein each support structure is connected to its adjacent neighboring ones using a connector.
  • Fig. 5 schematically shows a string 10 of expandable slotted tubulars run in a borehole 8 in the earth.
  • the string 10 comprises at least two tubular lengths 12 joined together.
  • Each of the tubular lengths 12 comprise a first longitudinal end 14, a second longitudinal end, and an expandable middle section 18 which connects the first longitudinal end 14 and the second longitudinal end 16.
  • the expandable middle section is provided with a pattern of slotted perforations 20 (for reasons of clarity, not all perforations are individually identified in the drawing).
  • the first and second longitudinal ends (14,16) are respectively provided with first and second connectors which are not expandable.
  • Such connectors may be standard treaded pipe or casing joints commonly used in the oil field industry.
  • the first and second connectors (14,16) may be unslotted and/or unperforated, such as standard joints are.
  • the first and second connectors (14,16) are preferably threaded connectors, but alternatively the first and second connectors may be welded connectors.
  • the first connector 14 of one of the at least two tubular lengths is connected to the second connector 16 of an adjacent one of the at least two tubular lengths.
  • the string 10 of expandable slotted tubulars In the assembled configuration, the expandable middle sections 18 of respective adjacent tubular lengths 12 are separated from each other by said connectors (14,16).
  • the string 10 of slotted tubulars may be expanded.
  • An expansion operation may include moving an expansion tool in a longitudinal direction though the string 10.
  • the expansion tool is preferably a flexible expansion device which is capable of expanding the respective middle sections 18 while leaving the connectors (14,16) unexpanded.
  • the end result is schematically illustrated in Fig. 6 .
  • the slotted perforations 20 from Fig. 5 have dilated into deformed slots 20'. (Again, for clarity reasons, not all deformed slots 20' have been marked in the figure).
  • the moving of the flexible expansion device through the string 10 of expandable slotted tubulars may be accomplished by exerting a translation force to the expansion device, which results in the expansion device applying a stress on the string of slotted tubulars in a contact area between the expansion device and the string of slotted tubulars.
  • the flexible expansion device may be a force-limited collapsible cone. Such devices are known and available on the market.
  • the stress is limited to a predetermined maximum stress, by (partly) collapsing of the flexible expansion device when the predetermined maximum stress is reached.
  • the predetermined maximum stress is higher than a first yield stress in the middle sections of the string of slotted tubulars and lower than a second yield stress in the connectors.
  • the yield stress is a material property which defines the stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Once the material is exposed to its yield stress, some fraction of deformation will be permanent and non-reversible.
  • Figure 7 shows the force measured by the load cell for the case of 2 mm thick metal plate and 4 mm width slots. Even though 4-mm wide slots worked well for the 8-mm thick plate (as illustrated by in Fig. 2 ), Fig. 7 shows force is released each time after it builds up. This suggests releases of clay take place when the force exceeds a certain limit. Visual inspection confirmed clay was accumulating on the water-facing side (i.e. the opposing side) of the slotted metal plate, whereas that was clearly not the case for the 4-mm slots in the 8-mm thick plate and for the 8-mm slots in the 16-mm thick plate.
  • the slotted tubulars may be provided with expandable well screens, such as those disclosed in US patents 5,901,789 and 6,315,040 or similar. However, it is expected that such screens will not be required to stabilize the clay and therefore it is recommended to run a single layer of EST by itself.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Bulkheads Adapted To Foundation Construction (AREA)
  • Solid-Sorbent Or Filter-Aiding Compositions (AREA)
EP19159329.2A 2019-02-26 2019-02-26 Verfahren zur stabilisierung einer wand mit freiliegenden tonschichten Withdrawn EP3702581A1 (de)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19159329.2A EP3702581A1 (de) 2019-02-26 2019-02-26 Verfahren zur stabilisierung einer wand mit freiliegenden tonschichten
AU2020227184A AU2020227184B2 (en) 2019-02-26 2020-02-24 Method of stabilizing a wall with exposed layers of clay
PCT/EP2020/054787 WO2020173881A1 (en) 2019-02-26 2020-02-24 Method of stabilizing a wall with exposed layers of clay

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19159329.2A EP3702581A1 (de) 2019-02-26 2019-02-26 Verfahren zur stabilisierung einer wand mit freiliegenden tonschichten

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3702581A1 true EP3702581A1 (de) 2020-09-02

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EP19159329.2A Withdrawn EP3702581A1 (de) 2019-02-26 2019-02-26 Verfahren zur stabilisierung einer wand mit freiliegenden tonschichten

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EP (1) EP3702581A1 (de)
AU (1) AU2020227184B2 (de)
WO (1) WO2020173881A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN114813365B (zh) * 2022-03-01 2024-05-03 同济大学 一种断层位移及断层剪切强度测量装置与方法

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5366012A (en) 1992-06-09 1994-11-22 Shell Oil Company Method of completing an uncased section of a borehole
US5901789A (en) 1995-11-08 1999-05-11 Shell Oil Company Deformable well screen
US6315040B1 (en) 1998-05-01 2001-11-13 Shell Oil Company Expandable well screen
US20040251033A1 (en) * 2003-06-11 2004-12-16 John Cameron Method for using expandable tubulars
US20070227733A1 (en) * 2006-03-29 2007-10-04 Vercaemer Claude J Method of sealing an annulus surrounding a slotted liner
GB2482703A (en) * 2010-08-11 2012-02-15 Jan Krzysiek Drilling apparatus for enlarging or maintaining a borehole
WO2018191783A1 (en) * 2017-04-19 2018-10-25 Romolo Lorenzo Bertani Contaminant extraction in a borehole

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5366012A (en) 1992-06-09 1994-11-22 Shell Oil Company Method of completing an uncased section of a borehole
US5901789A (en) 1995-11-08 1999-05-11 Shell Oil Company Deformable well screen
US6315040B1 (en) 1998-05-01 2001-11-13 Shell Oil Company Expandable well screen
US20040251033A1 (en) * 2003-06-11 2004-12-16 John Cameron Method for using expandable tubulars
US20070227733A1 (en) * 2006-03-29 2007-10-04 Vercaemer Claude J Method of sealing an annulus surrounding a slotted liner
GB2482703A (en) * 2010-08-11 2012-02-15 Jan Krzysiek Drilling apparatus for enlarging or maintaining a borehole
WO2018191783A1 (en) * 2017-04-19 2018-10-25 Romolo Lorenzo Bertani Contaminant extraction in a borehole

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Publication number Publication date
AU2020227184A1 (en) 2021-09-16
AU2020227184B2 (en) 2022-09-15
WO2020173881A1 (en) 2020-09-03

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