WO2020169977A1 - Procédé aluminothermique d'abandon d'un puits - Google Patents

Procédé aluminothermique d'abandon d'un puits Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2020169977A1
WO2020169977A1 PCT/GB2020/050404 GB2020050404W WO2020169977A1 WO 2020169977 A1 WO2020169977 A1 WO 2020169977A1 GB 2020050404 W GB2020050404 W GB 2020050404W WO 2020169977 A1 WO2020169977 A1 WO 2020169977A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
well
abandoning
thermite
tool
tubing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2020/050404
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Philip Head
Original Assignee
Panda-Seal International Ltd
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 Panda-Seal International Ltd filed Critical Panda-Seal International Ltd
Publication of WO2020169977A1 publication Critical patent/WO2020169977A1/fr

Links

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
    • E21B29/00—Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground
    • E21B29/02—Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground by explosives or by thermal or chemical means
    • 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
    • E21B29/00—Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground
    • E21B29/002—Cutting, e.g. milling, a pipe with a cutter rotating along the circumference of the pipe
    • E21B29/005—Cutting, e.g. milling, a pipe with a cutter rotating along the circumference of the pipe with a radially-expansible cutter rotating inside the pipe, e.g. for cutting an annular window
    • 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
    • E21B29/00—Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground
    • E21B29/08—Cutting or deforming pipes to control fluid flow
    • 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
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
    • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs

Definitions

  • offshore structures may comprise production platforms which are either steel or concrete structures resting on the sea bed or floating platforms. Numerous conduits are connected to these offshore structures to carry the various fluids being gas, oil or water etc., which are necessary for the production of oil and/or gas from the well.
  • a typical production well will comprise a number of tubular conduits arranged concentrically with respect to each.
  • the method of abandoning the well which is presently known in the art involves the separate sealing of each of the concentric conduits which requires a large number of sequential steps.
  • the first step is to seal the first central conduit usually by means of cement or other suitable sealant.
  • the first annular channel between the first and second conduits is then sealed and the first central conduit is then cut above the seal and the cut section is removed from the well.
  • the second annular channel between the second and third conduits is then sealed and the second conduit cut above the seal and the cut section is removed from the well. This process is repeated until all the conduits are removed.
  • the number of separate steps required is typically very large indeed and the number of separate operations is five times the number of conduits to be removed. This adds considerably to the cost of the well abandonment due to the time taken and the resources required at the well head.
  • a method of abandoning a well by first lowering into the well a time delayed ignitor, filling the inner most tubing with a quantity of thermite, cutting the inner most tubing at surface, igniting the thermite, the inner most tubing is then devoured by the thermite molten reaction.
  • fill have a highly automated means of filling the well with either encapsulated thermite pellets or low temperature melting point alloy pellets into the well.
  • concurrent operations can be performed on adjacent wells by the modular surface apparatus, without the use of a rig
  • the sealing material could be a two part resin deployed by gravity.
  • the sealing material could comprise a low melting point alloy deployed using gravity and melted in situ using an electric heating element.
  • a cutting tool is inserted from outside the well to below the tubing or casing hanger and is rotated, and expanded to cut the tubing, through a blow out preventor
  • a mechanical time delayed ignitor initiates the thermite reaction
  • thermite is used to sever the riser pipe the required distance below the mud line (typical 10-20ft)
  • Figure 1 Is a section side view through a slickline tool, focusing on the upper half of the tool, and specifically a detail of the upper half
  • Figure 2 is a section side view through the same slickline tool focusing on the middle part of the tool
  • Figure 3 is a section side view through the same slickline tool focusing on the lower part of the tool
  • Figure 4 is a section side view of a platform, with the wellhead deck and top deck in view with a BOP and lubricator attached to the tree preparing to run the slickline tool shown in figure 1 to 3 into the well.
  • Figure 5 is a section side view of the same well with the lubricator removed and a hopper attached to the top of the BOP and big bags of material being positioned over and discharged into the hopper.
  • Figure 6 is a similar view to figure 5, in this case, the big bags are deposited into one of two tanks which feed an auger feeder, which positively feeds the product into the well
  • Figure 7 shows a section side view through a well at a stage in the sequence of the well abandonment.
  • Figure 8 shows a part side section with a through tree tubing cutter, outside of the well and then fully deployed into the well, to the required setting depth.
  • Figure 9 is a more detailed section side view of the tubing hanger in the wellhead before the tubing is cut.
  • Figure 10 is a more detailed section side view of the tubing hanger in the wellhead after the tubing is cut.
  • Figure 11 shows a section side view through a well at a subsequent stage in the sequence of the well abandonment.
  • Figure 12 is a more detailed section side view of the casing hanger in the wellhead before the casing is cut, and a seal assembly inserted into the cut casing.
  • Figure 13 shows a section side view through a well at a further subsequent stage in the sequence of the well abandonment.
  • Figure 14 shows a section side view through a well at a further subsequent stage in the sequence of the well abandonment.
  • Figure 15 shows a plan view over the wellhead deck, with an apparatus enabling concurrent operations on different wells without the use of the crane.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a Slickline ignitor, The tool consists of three sections.
  • the upper section consists of the following.
  • a GS running profile 1 an upper chamber 2 in its top half filled 3 with thermite and in its lower half 4 filled with KMn04, a glass barrier 5, hermitically sealing this upper chamber, a small lower chamber 6 below the glass barrier containing glycerine, a pin 7 positioned to fracture the glass barrier, and a lower threaded connection 8
  • the middle section consists of the following; a threaded adaptor 9 which connects it to the upper section, a mechanical clock 10 which can be programmed to operate a trigger from lhr to 24hrs. This is prepared by the wireline operator, just prior to deployment into the well. The trigger when activated, pushes out a pin 11 which in turn pushes the pin 7 in the upper housing to fracture the glass barrier 5, resulting in the ignitor performing its function.
  • the mechanical clock could be replaced by a battery powered electronic clock and trigger, and the use of either could be at the discretion of the end user.
  • the timing of the clock could be pre-determined before the ignitor is deployed, or it could be activated by a signal from the user, or other trigger.
  • the lower section consists of the following; a housing 12 to hold the timer and trigger, a length of blank pipe 13 to space out the slips away from the ignitor reaction, inside the blank pipe is sand or other thermal barrier material.
  • a slip arrangement 14 to set the tool inside the tubing at any desired depth.
  • a cup seal 15 to provide a pressure barrier, and a check valve 16 to allow well fluid pass the cup seal while installing or lowering the tool in the well.
  • a BOP stack 20 and a pressure vessel 21 extending from the BOP typically called a lubricator are attached to the well tree 22.
  • a lubricator Inside the lubricator the slickline tool 23 described in figures 1 to 3 is installed on a continuous slickline cable 24 (the winch unit is not shown) and the slickline cable passes through a dynamic pressure seal 25.
  • this shows a material feeder into well as a first option.
  • a gravity feeder is configured to feed material directly into well, ideally encapsulated thermite. It is the objective to bring the encapsulated thermite and low melting point metal alloy to the platform in big bags 30.
  • the straps will be fitted to chassis 31 which will enable then to fit onto a rail system 32 to feed them over the wellhead. Gravity feeding is our preferred method.
  • the big bag will be discharged into a hopper 33 fitted to the top of the BOP stack 20.
  • the specific gravity of the thermite and metal alloy are 5 sp.gr and 8-10 sp.gr respectively.
  • the pellet size will range between l-3mm dia. (40- 120thou).
  • Encapsulated thermite is prepared to ensure the chemical composition of the thermite remains in its correct percentages and does not get water wetted while inside the well.
  • the encapsulated thermite may be prepared by agglomerated the thermite ingredients into pellets of material, and then coating these pellets in a UV curable resin to keep the contents of each pellet sealed. These pellets may then be easily poured into the well, and will descend to the desired location at the bottom of the well without mixing with any water.
  • FIG 6 another option is to use an auger feeder directly into well. Big bags will be handled in the same way as the gravity feed method.
  • An auger feed 34 method will positively feed the bulk product into the well.
  • Two bins 35, 36 will supply the auger, while one bin is being filled the other closed bin will supply the product to the auger.
  • thermite is ideally encapsulated thermite.
  • FIG. 7 there is shown though tree and wellhead tubing cutter and through wellhead casing cutting system.
  • the system consists of a long tube 40 which can pass through the BOP stack 20 and the tree 43 and position a cutter 41 below the tubing hanger 42, which is in the wellhead housing 44.
  • a hydraulic swivel 45 At the top of the tube is a hydraulic swivel 45 to enable the tube to turn, while allowing the inside of the tube to be pressurised by hydraulic fluid.
  • the tube 40 is rotated by a hydraulic or pneumatic motor (not shown) at the required cutting speed. Hydraulic pressure is applied to ID of the tube 40, which energises the cutting tool carrier. The cutter is pushed against the ID of the tubing 46 and cuts the tubing. The torque is monitored and provides a clear indication when the cut is complete.
  • the cutter 41 carrier is on a hinge pin, if it does not retract when de- pressured, on retraction of the tube, a shear pin will enable the cutting tool carrier to rotate out of the way to ensure retrieval
  • the Through Tree Casing Cutter consists of a long tube 50 6.0" OD which can pass through the large bore BOP stack 51 after the tree has been removed, and positions a cutter 56 just below the casing hanger 52, located in the wellhead 44 to cut tubing 57.
  • This is a more robust construction than the thru tree tubing cutter but has the same principle.
  • the cutter is on a hinge pin 53, if it does not retract when de-pressured, on retraction of the tube, a shear pin will enable the cutting tool carrier to rotate out of the way. It also installs a plug 54 with a check valve 55 in the top of the casing that drops into the well. This is to ensure that when the low melting point alloy is poured into the well, it will only go into the annular space.
  • a first slickline tool assembly 60 as described above is set in the reservoir section of the well, a quantity of encapsulated thermite 61 is deposited on top of it in the order of 300ft from surface using gravity. After a suitable time delay, the ignitor is activated which in turn activates the thermite 60. This goes molten and effectively exposes some of the cement 62 behind the tubing 66. It also initiates the reaction of the encapsulated thermite 61.
  • Low temperature melting alloy pellets 69 are then deposited on top of the thermite molten tubing mass, this melts and fills any voids, cracks fissures, and when the entire mass has cooled down to reservoir temperature the low melting point alloy will solidify and during this process slightly expand and form a very robust seal which can be pressure tested to confirm integrity.
  • the low temperature melting alloy pellets may or may not be encapsulated in the same manner as the thermite.
  • a second slickline tool assembly 63 can then be lowered into the well, thermite 64 is then deposited on top of it (in the order of 2,500ft)
  • the tubing is cut 68 at surface and after a suitable time delay the ignitor is activated which in turn activates the thermite 64.
  • the weight of the tubing 65 above the thermite and molten tubing 66 results in the tubing 66 collapsing into the internal ID space 67 of the casing outside it, thus at the end of thermite reaction the tubing 65 will have dropped into the well in excess of 1,200 ft 58.
  • low temperature melting alloy pellets are then deposited on top of the thermite molten tubing mass, this melts 59 and fills any voids, cracks fissures, and when the entire mass has cooled down to reservoir temperature the low melting point alloy will solidify and during this process slightly expand and form a very robust seal which can be pressure tested to confirm integrity.
  • a third slickline tool assembly 70 is set in this casing in the 1 intermediate casing 71, a few hundred feet below the 9.5/8" casing shoe 72 Again, a similar process is repeated as above. That is thermite 74 is then deposited on top of it (in the order of 700ft) The 7 inch casing is cut at surface and a seal 73 set inside its upper end. After a suitable time delay the ignitor 70 is activated which in turn activates the thermite 74.
  • the weight of the casing 75 above the thermite and molten casing 76 results in the casing 76 collapsing into the internal ID space 77 of the open hole 78 casing outside it, thus at the end of thermite reaction the casing 75 will have dropped into the well in excess of 370 ft.
  • low temperature melting alloy pellets are then deposited on top of the thermite molten casing mass, this melts 79 and fills any voids, cracks fissures, and when the entire mass has cooled down to reservoir temperature the low melting point alloy will solidify and during this process slightly expand and form a very robust seal which can be pressure tested to confirm integrity.
  • the final operation is to sever to 9.5/8" riser about 20ft below the mudline.
  • Sand 80 is deposited on top of the set metal alloy 79 and the sealed casing 73, until it is about 40ft below the mudline.
  • a fourth slickline tool assembly 81 is the lowered and left on top of the sand plug 80. 20-30ft of thermite is then deposited on top of the ignitor. Once this has been ignited about a 10-15ft of severed casing 82 is created. This completes the well abandonment sequence for this particular well arrangement.
  • a big bag conveying system 90 would supply big bags to the arm loading position 91.
  • a 1st arm 92 will be at the loading position, a hydraulic powered lift underneath the arm will raise the big bag to the big bag holding arrangement.
  • a 2nd arm 93 would be over the well being worked on and it would be discharging the thermite or low melting point alloy into the hopper or auger feeder as described previously.
  • the arms will be mounted on a pillar 94 which can rotate and traverse along a rail 95 so the big bag can be positioned over the centre of any 1 of the 4 wells.
  • the slickline lubricators tubing 96 and casing size 97
  • swivel 98 which can orientate them from the vertical to horizontal for tool string loading and service.
  • the arm 99 holding the lubricators is mounted to a pillar 100 which can rotate and traverse along a rail 101 so it can access any 1 of the 3 other wells 102,103,104, 105 and perform concurrent operations.

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  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé d'abandon d'un puits, le puits comprenant une pluralité de longueurs de tubage concentrique, ledit procédé comprenant les étapes de l'abaissement d'un allumeur (70) dans le puits destiné à être abandonné, le remplissage du tube le plus intérieur (65) avec une quantité de matériau aluminothermique, la coupure du tubage le plus intérieur au-dessus du matériau aluminothermique, l'allumage du matériau aluminothermique de telle sorte que le tubage la plus intérieur soit ensuite détruit par la réaction aluminothermique.
PCT/GB2020/050404 2019-02-20 2020-02-20 Procédé aluminothermique d'abandon d'un puits WO2020169977A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1902332.4 2019-02-20
GBGB1902332.4A GB201902332D0 (en) 2019-02-20 2019-02-20 Thermite method of abandoning a well

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2020169977A1 true WO2020169977A1 (fr) 2020-08-27

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PCT/GB2020/050404 WO2020169977A1 (fr) 2019-02-20 2020-02-20 Procédé aluminothermique d'abandon d'un puits

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WO (1) WO2020169977A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN113137200A (zh) * 2021-04-29 2021-07-20 扬州工业职业技术学院 石油套管化学法修复装置
CN113137201A (zh) * 2021-04-29 2021-07-20 扬州工业职业技术学院 一种石油套管化学法修复装置及修复方法
US20220106861A1 (en) * 2020-10-02 2022-04-07 Chammas Plasma Cutters Llc Non-mechanical ported perforating torch

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060144591A1 (en) * 2004-12-30 2006-07-06 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Method and apparatus for repair of wells utilizing meltable repair materials and exothermic reactants as heating agents
WO2015116261A1 (fr) * 2014-01-30 2015-08-06 Olympic Research, Inc. Scellement hermétique de puits par réactions aluminothermiques
EP3135857A1 (fr) * 2012-03-12 2017-03-01 Interwell P&A AS Procédé d'exploitation de puits
US20180094504A1 (en) * 2016-09-30 2018-04-05 Conocophillips Company Nano-thermite Well Plug

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060144591A1 (en) * 2004-12-30 2006-07-06 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Method and apparatus for repair of wells utilizing meltable repair materials and exothermic reactants as heating agents
EP3135857A1 (fr) * 2012-03-12 2017-03-01 Interwell P&A AS Procédé d'exploitation de puits
WO2015116261A1 (fr) * 2014-01-30 2015-08-06 Olympic Research, Inc. Scellement hermétique de puits par réactions aluminothermiques
US20180094504A1 (en) * 2016-09-30 2018-04-05 Conocophillips Company Nano-thermite Well Plug

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20220106861A1 (en) * 2020-10-02 2022-04-07 Chammas Plasma Cutters Llc Non-mechanical ported perforating torch
US11719079B2 (en) * 2020-10-02 2023-08-08 Chammas Plasma Cutters Llc Non-mechanical ported perforating torch
CN113137200A (zh) * 2021-04-29 2021-07-20 扬州工业职业技术学院 石油套管化学法修复装置
CN113137201A (zh) * 2021-04-29 2021-07-20 扬州工业职业技术学院 一种石油套管化学法修复装置及修复方法
CN113137201B (zh) * 2021-04-29 2023-01-24 扬州工业职业技术学院 一种石油套管化学法修复装置及修复方法
CN113137200B (zh) * 2021-04-29 2023-01-24 扬州工业职业技术学院 石油套管化学法修复装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
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