WO2021136931A1 - Procédé et appareil pour créer un joint annulaire dans un puits de forage - Google Patents

Procédé et appareil pour créer un joint annulaire dans un puits de forage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021136931A1
WO2021136931A1 PCT/GB2020/053369 GB2020053369W WO2021136931A1 WO 2021136931 A1 WO2021136931 A1 WO 2021136931A1 GB 2020053369 W GB2020053369 W GB 2020053369W WO 2021136931 A1 WO2021136931 A1 WO 2021136931A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
wellbore
casing
workstring
packer
disposed
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2020/053369
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Paul Bernard Lee
Dayln BEAZER
Stuart BUTCHER
Original Assignee
BYWORTH, Ian James
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 BYWORTH, Ian James filed Critical BYWORTH, Ian James
Priority to US17/790,699 priority Critical patent/US20230057678A1/en
Publication of WO2021136931A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021136931A1/fr

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B23/00—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing, or removing tools, packers or the like in the boreholes or wells
    • E21B23/04—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing, or removing tools, packers or the like in the boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion
    • E21B23/0419—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing, or removing tools, packers or the like in the boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion using down-hole motor and pump arrangements for generating hydraulic pressure
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B23/00—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing, or removing tools, packers or the like in the boreholes or wells
    • E21B23/04—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing, or removing tools, packers or the like in the boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion
    • E21B23/0421—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing, or removing tools, packers or the like in the boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion using multiple hydraulically interconnected pistons
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B29/10—Reconditioning of well casings, e.g. straightening
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B33/128—Packers; Plugs with a member expanded radially by axial pressure
    • E21B33/1285—Packers; Plugs with a member expanded radially by axial pressure by fluid pressure
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B33/129—Packers; Plugs with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B33/13—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices, or the like
    • E21B33/134—Bridging plugs
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E21B33/13—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices, or the like
    • E21B33/14—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices, or the like for cementing casings into boreholes
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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 DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
    • E21B47/09—Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells, e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of creating an annular seal in the annulus between a wellbore and a casing disposed in the wellbore, wherein at least one tubular casing element comprising an external sealing element disposed thereon is disposed in the wellbore.
  • the present invention also relates to a workstring apparatus for creating an annular seal in the annulus between a wellbore and a casing disposed in the wellbore.
  • the present invention also relates to a method of placing a casing patch in a wellbore, a method of completing a wellbore and a tubular casing element for a wellbore .
  • sustained annular pressure is defined as unwanted fluid pressure in the annulus between the wellbore casing and the wellbore. This pressure can migrate towards the surface and can therefore pose a risk to wellbore integrity.
  • a method of creating an annular seal in the annulus between a wellbore and a casing disposed in the wellbore, wherein at least one tubular casing element is disposed in a wellbore, said tubular casing element comprising an external sealing element disposed thereon comprising: locating a workstring in the wellbore, the workstring comprising: at least one packer apparatus comprising a body portion, an elastomeric packer element disposed on said body portion and at least one hydraulic cylinder, wherein said elastomeric packer element is configured to be deformed into an outwardly deployed condition in response to actuation of said at least one hydraulic cylinder to deform casing located in the wellbore; a fluid accumulator arranged to hold fluid for actuation said at least one hydraulic cylinder; an electrically powered pump arranged to pump fluid from said fluid accumulator to actuate said at
  • This provides the advantage of a low cost and reliable method of creating an annular seal in a wellbore between casing and the surface of the wellbore or between two concentric casing elements.
  • the workstring can be moved along the wellbore to a position at which an external sealing element is located on the tubular casing and actuated to deform the casing outwardly, compressing the external sealing element against the wellbore and therefore providing a reliable seal. This can be done multiple times along the casing to provide multiple annular seals and therefore multiple zones of isolation.
  • a plurality of tubular casing elements having external sealing elements disposed thereon are disposed in a wellbore, and wherein said workstring comprises a plurality of packer apparatuses each having an elastomeric packer element, the method further comprising: moving the workstring to a position in the wellbore at which said elastomeric packer elements are located at the same depths as said external sealing elements; and operating said electrically powered pump to actuate said plurality of packer apparatuses to deform the respective plurality of elastomeric packer elements outwardly to contact and deform a plurality of tubular casing elements outwardly and compress said plurality of external sealing elements against the surface of a wellbore or casing in which said tubular casing element is located to form a plurality of annular seals.
  • the workstring further comprises sensor apparatus configured to sense characteristics of the formation of the portion of wellbore in which the workstring is located and/or to locate the position of external sealing elements of tubular casing elements disposed in the wellbore, the method further comprising: moving the workstring through the wellbore to a position at which the sensor apparatus indicates to an operator of the workstring that an annular seal is desirable at that location in the wellbore and/or an external sealing element is located adjacent said at least one elastomeric packer element; and operating said electrically powered pump to deform said elastomeric packer element outwardly to contact and deform said tubular casing element outwardly and compress said external sealing element against the surface of a wellbore or casing in which said tubular casing element is located to form an annular seal.
  • This provides the advantage of a reliable means to quickly locate the external sealing elements to reduce the time taken to
  • the step of moving the workstring through the wellbore to a position at which the sensor apparatus indicates to an operator of the workstring that an annular seal is desirable at that location in the wellbore and/or an external sealing element is located adjacent said at least one elastomeric packer element includes operating fibre optic cables to sense wellbore parameters to indicate characteristics of the casing and/or fluid migration in the wellbore to the operator.
  • Said at least one packer apparatus may comprise locking means configured to retain said elastomeric packer element in the outwardly deployed condition, said at least one packer apparatus further comprising a detachable portion containing said elastomeric packer element, the method further comprising: after said at least one packer apparatus has been operated to form an annular seal in the wellbore, detaching said detachable portion of said at least one packer apparatus of which the locking means has retained the elastomeric packer element in the outwardly deployed condition to deform casing to leave said detachable portion in the wellbore to act as a bridge plug.
  • the method may further comprise pumping cement into the wellbore to sit on top of said detachable portion.
  • the method may further comprise: lining a wellbore with a plurality of tubular casing elements; pumping cement into the annulus between said plurality of tubular casing elements and the surface of the wellbore or casing in which said plurality of casing elements is located; and locating said work string in the wellbore and operating said work string to form at least one annular seal in said wellbore before said cement has set.
  • This provides the advantage of a method of creating annular seals in a wellbore disposed between sections of cemented casing. This therefore provides the advantage of significantly improving wellbore integrity. This also provides the advantage of enabling completion of a wellbore in a manner which provide pre-isolated production zones to simplify hydrocarbon production from multiple zones.
  • a workstring apparatus for creating an annular seal in the annulus between a wellbore and a casing disposed in the wellbore
  • the workstring comprising: at least one packer apparatus comprising: a first body portion removably connectable to a second body portion; an elastomeric packer element disposed on said first body portion, said elastomeric packer element configured to be deformed into an outwardly deployed condition in response to actuation of at least one piston disposed on said second body portion; locking means disposed on said first body portion to retain said elastomeric packer element in the outwardly deployed condition; wherein said first body portion can be disconnected from said second body portion after said elastomeric packer element is moved to the outwardly deployed condition to deform casing in a wellbore in which the assembly is disposed to enable retrieval of said second body portion from said wellbore; a fluid accumulator arranged to hold fluid for actuation said at least one hydraulic cylinder; an electrical
  • this provides the advantage of preventing contamination of the apparatus with wellbore fluid.
  • This also provides the advantage that part of the packer apparatus can be left in the wellbore with the elastomeric packer element deployed outwardly to prevent elastic deformation of the deformed wellbore casing which can result in seal failure.
  • the apparatus further comprises sensor apparatus configured to sense characteristics of the formation of the portion of wellbore in which the workstring is located and/or to locate the position of an external sealing element of tubular casing elements disposed in the wellbore.
  • This provides the advantage of enabling accurate location at any depth of a position along the wellbore at which an annular seal is to be created.
  • said sensor apparatus comprises at least one fibre optic cable and control apparatus configured to sense characteristics of the formation of the portion of wellbore in which the workstring is located and/or to locate the position of an external sealing element of tubular casing elements disposed in the wellbore based on light signals from said at least one fibre optic cable.
  • said locking means comprises: a first plurality of teeth disposed on an outer surface of said first body portion; and a ratchet member having a second plurality of teeth disposed thereon for engagement with said first plurality of teeth; wherein said ratchet member is able to move in a first direction along said first body portion during deformation of said elastomeric packer element but is prevent from movement in a second direction, opposite to said first direction by engagement of said first and second pluralities of teeth.
  • Said ratchet member may comprise a split ring.
  • Said locking means may further comprise a ratchet retainer ring in engagement with said elastomeric packer element.
  • the apparatus further comprises an electrically operated release apparatus to enable disconnection of the first body portion from the second body portion.
  • the apparatus further comprises a floating piston in fluid communication with both: fluid held in the fluid accumulator; and fluid located in a wellbore in use; such that fluid held in the fluid accumulator is isolated from fluid located in the wellbore but is at an equal pressure to fluid located in the wellbore.
  • the apparatus further comprises a a plurality of packer apparatuses.
  • a method of placing a casing patch in a wellbore comprising: mounting a tubular casing element having an external sealing element disposed thereon on a workstring according as defined above; moving said work string to a location in the wellbore at which a casing patch is required; operating said work string to deform said tubular casing element to form an annular seal at the desired location of said casing patch and disconnect said tubular casing element from the work string; and moving the work string away from said tubular casing element forming said casing patch.
  • a method of completing a wellbore comprising: lining a wellbore with at least one tubular casing element, said at least one tubular casing element comprising an external sealing element disposed thereon; and creating an annular seal between a wellbore and a casing disposed in the wellbore as defined above.
  • the workstring can be moved along the wellbore to a position at which an external sealing element is located on the tubular casing and actuated to deform the casing outwardly, compressing the external sealing element against the wellbore and therefore providing a reliable seal. This can be done multiple times along the casing to provide multiple annular seals and therefore multiple zones of isolation.
  • a tubular casing element for a wellbore comprising an external sealing element disposed thereon, wherein the external sealing element is a tubular sleeve formed from two or more of the following materials: an elastomer; a composite material; an alloy; a metal; or Teflon ®.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a bottom hole assembly (BHA) comprising a workstring apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention for creating an annular seal in the annulus between a wellbore and a casing disposed in a wellbore;
  • BHA bottom hole assembly
  • Figure 2a is a side view of a packer apparatus of the workstring of Figure 1;
  • Figure 2b is a cross-sectional view of the packer apparatus of Figure 2a showing the elastomeric packer element in the retracted condition;
  • Figure 3a is a side view of the fluid accumulator of the workstring of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view of the fluid accumulator of Figure 3a;
  • Figure 4 is an elevation view of a tubular casing element comprising an external sealing element in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 5 is an elevation view of the external sealing element of the tubular casing element of Figure 4;
  • Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tubular casing element of Figure 4;
  • Figure 7a is an elevation view of the workstring of Figure 1 disposed in casing in a wellbore in a first stage of an operation to create annular seals in the wellbore;
  • Figure 7b is a view corresponding to Figure 7a showing the workstring deforming casing to form annular seals
  • Figure 8a is an elevation view of the workstring of Figure 1 in casing disposed in a wellbore in a first stage of a surface casing vent flow remediation operation
  • Figure 8b is a view corresponding to Figure 8a in a second stage of a surface casing vent flow remediation operation;
  • Figure 9a is an elevation view of the workstring of Figure 1 in a first stage of an operation to place a casing patch in a wellbore;
  • Figure 9b is a view corresponding to Figure 9a showing the workstring in position in a wellbore casing
  • Figure 9c is a view corresponding to Figure 9b showing the packer apparatuses actuated to create a casing patch
  • Figure 10a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a packer apparatus for use in the workstring of Figure 1;
  • Figure 10b is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the packer apparatus of Figure 10a in the condition in which fluid is pumped into the hydraulic cylinders by the electrically operated pump to deploy the elastomeric packer element to deform casing and actuate the locking means;
  • Figure 10c is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the packer apparatus of Figures 10a and 10b in the separated condition;
  • FIG 11 is a close-up detail of box A of Figure 10b showing the locking means of the packer apparatus.
  • a workstring apparatus 2 for creating an annular seal in a wellbore comprises at least one packer apparatus 4 comprising a body portion 6 and an elastomeric packer element 8 which is deformable into an outwardly deployed condition to deform wellbore casing.
  • a fluid accumulator 10 is provided to hold fluid to actuate at least one hydraulic cylinder 12 of the packer apparatus 4.
  • An electrically powered pump 14 is operable to pump fluid from accumulator 10 into the hydraulic cylinders 12 of packer apparatus 4 to deform the elastomeric packer element 8 outwardly.
  • a wireline 16 connects the workstring 2 to the surface and provides electrical power to the workstring 2.
  • Wireline 16 may be an electrical feed such as a composite rod or e-coil.
  • the workstring 2 also comprises sensor apparatus 18 which may include a casing collar locator 20 and formation evaluation logging tools 22.
  • the sensor apparatus enables the workstring 2 to sense characteristics of the formation of the portion of the wellbore in which the workstring is located and also enables location of the position of an external sealing element of tubular casing elements disposed in the wellbore.
  • the sensor apparatus 18 therefore allows for real time data acquisition to give the workstring operator real time control of what is happening downhole at the location of the bottom hole assembly (BHA).
  • BHA bottom hole assembly
  • the sensor apparatus may also include a fibre optic cable assembly 19 on wireline 16 and control apparatus (not shown) to analyse light signals in the fibre optics to provide data on wellbore conditions such as strain changes, pressure, temperature and fluid flow. This enables operators to determine how effective seals created by the workstring 2 are.
  • the wireline 16 or COROD Continuous Rod
  • COROD Continuous Rod
  • Single or multiple fibre optic cable assemblies with the option of single or multi-electrical conductors can be contained inside either electric line, braided cable or continuous rod.
  • Such fibre optic and electrical measurements may measure distributive temperature, acoustics, strain, fluid migration and formation characteristics,
  • the cable and logging tools provide the ability to monitor a change in fluid migration real time downhole with accurate depth measurements .
  • the cable and/or logging tools show the movement of fluid migration behind the casing prior to activation of the packer apparatus 4.
  • continual measurements can be taken through the cable and logging tools to show a real time change downhole on the casing and fluid migration. These measurements show the ability to shut off fluid migration real time downhole and further confirm changes in the casing expansion during and after the apparatus activation.
  • the cable and logging tools also have the ability to show change post activation with movement of the logging tools and cable above and below the area of the casing in which a seal has been created.
  • the logging tools and cable can also be used to show changes in trapped gas up hole as the workstring is moved through the wellbore.
  • Workstring apparatus 2 further comprises a cable head 20 which connects the wireline 16 to the bottom hole assembly. Cable head 20 is able to signal along wireline 16 if the workstring apparatus 2 becomes stuck. Release tool 22 can then be activated to release the wireline from the rest of the apparatus 2 to enable retrieval. An emergency release solenoid valve ensures that if power loss occurs the workstring apparatus 2 will be in the undeployed condition for easy retrieval with a fishing tool.
  • Casing collar locator 20 may be replaced with a gamma ray tool for precise depth correlation, Formation evaluation logging tools 22 enable the operator to determine physical properties of the well such as formation density, porosity, permeability, type and natural fracture orientation.
  • packer apparatus 4 comprises a body portion 6 formed from several lengths of tubing defining the outer surfaces of hydraulic cylinders 12.
  • Hydraulic cylinders 12 are formed between inner mandrel sections 24 each having an internal port 26 providing fluid communication between the inside of mandrel 24 and hydraulic cylinder 12.
  • Annular ports 28 are provided through tubular portions defining the body portion 6 to enable wellbore fluid to be exhausted.
  • the hydraulic cylinders 12 therefore form multiple pistons to drive ring 30 to deform elastomeric packer element 8 when fluid pressure is increased in hydraulic cylinders 12 above annular pressure.
  • the modular configuration of the hydraulic cylinders 12 enable the number of cylinders to be changed to increase and decrease the force available to the operator.
  • packer apparatus 104 may preferably be used in workstring 2 instead of packer apparatus 4.
  • Packer apparatus 104 for deforming casing 50 comprises a first body portion 106a removably connectable to a second body portion 106b.
  • An elastomeric packer element 108 is disposed on the first body portion 106a and is configured to be deformed into an outwardly deployed condition ( Figures 10b and 10c) in response to actuation of at least one hydraulic cylinder 112 disposed on the second body portion 106b.
  • a locking means 170 is disposed on the first body portion 106a and is configured to retain the elastomeric packer element 108 in the outwardly deployed condition after it has deformed casing 50.
  • the first body portion 106a can be disconnected from the second body portion 106b after the elastomeric packer element is deployed to deform casing 50 to enable retrieval of the second body portion 106b from the wellbore.
  • the packer apparatus defines a longitudinal bore 105 which passes through both the first and second body portions 106a and
  • the longitudinal bore comprises a first part 105a and a second part 105b.
  • Hydraulic cylinders 112 are in fluid communication with the longitudinal bore 105 via internal ports 126.
  • Annular ports 128 is provided to enable wellbore fluid to be exhausted during actuation of the hydraulic cylinders 112. It can be seen that a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 112 (three in the embodiment shown) are mounted in a stacked configuration using inner mandrel sections 124 in series on the second body portion 106b.
  • Locking means 170 comprises a ratchet member 172 in the form of a split ring which is held in place on the first body portion 106a by a retainer ring 174 and an axial retainer 176.
  • a first plurality of teeth 178 is formed on the surface of the first body portion 106a and a second plurality of teeth 180 is formed on the internal surface of ratchet member 172.
  • the configuration of the respective sets of teeth 178 and 180 enable the ratchet member 172 to skip over teeth 178 as it moves in the direction of compression of elastomeric packer element 108 (to the right in the drawings which corresponds to the downhole direction).
  • teeth 178 and 180 prevent the ratchet member 172 moving in the opposite direction (to the left in the drawings) such that once deployed, the elastomeric packer element 108 is held in the deformed condition.
  • the first body portion 106a and second body portion 106b can be disconnected from one another.
  • Collar portion 190 forms part of an electrically operated release apparatus that is actuated by a signal down wireline 16.
  • the release mechanism can the be operated to enable separation and retrieval of the second body portion 106b and the hydraulic section formed from hydraulic cylinders 112 to the surface for reuse.
  • shear pins (not shown) could be used to releasably connect first and second body portions 106a and 106b.
  • First body portion 106a remains downhole in deformed casing 50 to prevent elastic deformation of the seal 60 to prevent seal failure.
  • accumulator 10 comprises a floating piston 32 defining an internal side 34 filled with hydraulic fluid used to pressurise hydraulic cylinders 12 of the packer apparatus 4. Internal chamber 34 is therefore isolated from the annular wellbore pressure. Wellbore fluid can enter the accumulator 10 through ports 36 after passing through filter 38 to avoid debris entering the annular pressurised side 40 of the floating piston 32. As a consequence, wellbore pressure entering the annular pressure side 40 of the accumulator 10 moves floating piston 32 to pressurise internal hydraulic fluid in the internal side 34 of the accumulator 10 which is in fluid communication via a valve system with packer apparatus 4.
  • a tubular casing element 50 is a standard length of casing having a casing collar 52 with an external thread to receive the external thread 54 of an adjacent length of casing.
  • tubular casing elements 50 are generally formed from metal such as steel.
  • a casing centraliser 56 is located adjacent casing collar 52.
  • Tubular casing element 50 comprises an external sealing element 58 which could be a rubber packing glove or preferably be formed from two or more materials such as an elastomer, an alloy, aluminium or Teflon®. This enables the external sealing element 58 to be chosen with the correct properties to seal in a particular formation.
  • Workstring 2 is located at a position in wellbore 100 at which one or more annular seals are to be formed.
  • the wellbore 100 has previously been lined with tubular casing elements 50. No cementing is required.
  • the workstring 2 can be deployed via a pump down deployment method or a tractor method for example in horizontal wells.
  • the casing collar locator 20, fibre optics 19 and/or gamma ray tool is able to sense the location of casing collars or other characteristics of the wellbore indicating that the packer apparatuses 4 are located adjacent tubular sealing elements 58.
  • the method of Figure 7a and 7b can also be conducted after the annulus between the wellbore 100 and casing 50 has been cemented, but before the cement has set. It can also be seen that two packer apparatuses 4 are used to create two annular seals 60. However, a larger or smaller number of packer apparatuses 4 can be used or connected to the accumulator depending on the particular conditions of the wellbore. The workstring 2 can then be positioned on a different portion of the wellbore to repeat the operation.
  • packer apparatus 104 enables the elastomeric packer element 108 to remain downhole to prevent elastic deformation of casing 50 which can cause seal failure.
  • First part 106a of packer 104 left downhole also provides a bridge plug and a base for cement.
  • wellbore 200 is lined with cemented tubular casing elements
  • micro-annuli may be created if the cement has not bonded correctly. This may be caused by poor cement quality, fluid or debris not allowing proper bonding of the cement to the casing, pressure changes, cement dehydration, temperature changes or contraction of the cement formation or casing.
  • pressure changes When decommissioning a well, such casing vent flows must be shut off at the source.
  • Current industry practice is to perforate the casing 50 and squeeze cement to try to shut off the vent.
  • workstring 2 can be used to shut off such micro-annuli.
  • the workstring 2 is positioned at a location at which micro-annuli are sensed and packer apparatus 4 is actuated by pumping fluid from the accumulator to deform tubular casing element 8 and deform casing 50 outwardly to form an annular seal 60 closing off the vents.
  • a casing patch 70 is mounted to workstring 2 at the surface.
  • workstring 2 to which casing patch 70 has been mounted is then deployed to the desired location in the wellbore.
  • packer apparatuses 4 are then operated to deploy elastomeric packer elements 8 and deform the casing patch 70 against casing 50 located in the wellbore to patch out the casing. This also de-latches the casing patch 70 from the workstring 2.

Abstract

Appareil de train de tiges de travail (2) permettant de créer un joint annulaire dans un trou de forage. Le train de tiges de travail (2) comprend au moins un appareil formant garniture d'étanchéité (4) comprenant une partie corps (6) et un élément garniture d'étanchéité élastomère (8) qui est déformable dans un état déployé vers l'extérieur pour déformer un tubage de puits de forage. Un accumulateur de fluide (10) est fourni pour contenir un fluide destiné à actionner au moins un vérin hydraulique (12) de l'appareil formant garniture d'étanchéité (4). Une pompe à alimentation électrique (14) peut fonctionner pour pomper un fluide depuis l'accumulateur (10) dans les vérins hydrauliques (12) de l'appareil formant garniture d'étanchéité (4) pour déformer l'élément garniture d'étanchéité élastomère (8) vers l'extérieur. Un câble (16) relie le train de tiges de travail (2) à la surface et fournit de l'énergie électrique au train de tiges de travail (2). Le câble (16) peut être une alimentation électrique telle qu'une tige composite ou une bobine électrique.
PCT/GB2020/053369 2020-01-02 2020-12-24 Procédé et appareil pour créer un joint annulaire dans un puits de forage WO2021136931A1 (fr)

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US17/790,699 US20230057678A1 (en) 2020-01-02 2020-12-24 Method and apparatus for creating an annular seal in a wellbore

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GBGB2000026.1A GB202000026D0 (en) 2020-01-02 2020-01-02 method and apparatus for creating an annular seal in a wellbore
GB2000026.1 2020-01-02

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WO2021136931A1 true WO2021136931A1 (fr) 2021-07-08

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GB202000026D0 (en) 2020-02-19
US20230057678A1 (en) 2023-02-23

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