Patent Application
20250215783
None.
The present invention relates generally to deploying tools downhole. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, embodiments of the present invention include a non-propelled tool carrier that uses gravity to deploy downhole and buoyancy to return to the surface.
In the process of producing oil and gas from subsurface reservoirs, wellbores are drilled into the earth's surface. Wellbore may be cased or uncased and may have various tubulars within the wellbore during the life of the well. Frequently information about the wellbore and surrounding formation may be required. There are many different types of well logging tools that obtain measurements along the wellbore from simple pressure and temperature measurements, video inspections, and complex well logs using radiation are all achieved by running a tool down the wellbore and retrieving the tool.
Today, many different well logging tools are run by wireline, or wireline with a tractor to pull the wireline to the end of the well. These tools require special equipment and expense to deploy and retrieve. Some tools are pumped in and either sacrificed or require a change in circulation to retrieve the tool. This can be costly and may damage the well, especially if the well has not yet been cased.
In order to provide an inexpensive and versatile way to deploy tools, a tool carrier has been designed to lower tools into the borehole that will be “heavier” than the displaced wellbore fluid on the drop configuration, but then “lighter” than the wellbore fluid on the retrieve configuration. Thus, conveyance down the hole by gravity is how the carrier conveys tools into the hole. The tool may thus be conveyed without wireline and during periods of shut-in. Then at some event, the carrier transforms to the retrieve configuration by ejecting enough mass that the carrier and any attached tools become “net lighter” than the displaced wellbore fluid, and so begin to float to surface.
In one embodiment the Drop & Retrieve (DAR) tool is used to change buoyancy of one or more tools used in a wellbore. The tool is inserted in a “dense” configuration and descends. Once reaching a target, the tool may optionally achieve a second state of neutral buoyancy or latch in place, finally the tool would expand the gas cylinder and/or eject the fluid to become buoyant and return to the surface.
The invention more particularly includes an apparatus for use in a wellbore having a cylinder with compressed gas and dense fluid; a battery; and one or more tools used to measure conditions in a wellbore, wherein said apparatus descends until said dense fluid is ejected and the compressed gas is expanded, said apparatus ascending when said dense fluid is ejected.
A method to measure conditions in a wellbore by placing in a wellbore an apparatus having a cylinder with compressed gas and dense fluid; a battery; and one or more tools used to measure conditions in a wellbore; allowing the apparatus to descend in said wellbore; ejecting said dense fluid and expanding said compressed gas; allowing the apparatus to ascend in said wellbore; retrieving said apparatus; and obtaining the conditions measured in said wellbore.
A method to manage a hydrocarbon reservoir by placing in a wellbore an apparatus having a cylinder with compressed gas and dense fluid; a battery; and one or more tools used to measure conditions in a wellbore; allowing the apparatus to descend in said wellbore; ejecting said dense fluid and expanding said compressed gas; allowing the apparatus to ascend in said wellbore; retrieving said apparatus; obtaining the conditions measured in said wellbore; and adjusting one or more parameters of a wellbore.
The tool to measure conditions in a wellbore may be selected from a thermocouple, pressure meter, flow meter, thermometer, ohm meter, resistivity meter, video camera, pH meter, an agitator or vibrator, an acoustic tool, cutter, milling, used for sampling, measurement of fluid properties, verifying casing tubing or cement, measuring reservoir properties, or a combination of tools.
The tool may measure total depth, pressure, temperature, resistivity, pH, ionic concentration, hydrocarbon content, or combinations thereof.
The DAR may have a weight, batteries, dart, ball drop, dumb ball-and-rod, or other heavy component that is released at the bottom of the descent. In one embodiment the weight may be attached with a dissolvable cord or rod that releases the instrument after a period of time. The instrument may then travel via buoyancy to the surface. In another embodiment, a connector or pin may be used that is dissolvable. Finally, the DAR may be attached to a ball or dart used to operate one or more tools downhole. Once the ball or dart is seated, the DAR may be released after the connection to the ball or dart is dissolved. This allows the DAR to record the depth of the tool and measure from the surface to the collet location where the ball or dart is seated. The DAR can be retrieved from the launcher once it returns to the surface by buoyant force.
The DAR may be inserted into a wellbore during a shut in period.
The DAR may be inserted into a wellbore during a well treatment including fracturing, washing, descaling, acid treatment, surfactant, tracer, and the like.
The DAR cylinder may be expanded with a spring, solenoid, piston, motor, or other mechanical assistance.
In one embodiment the tool is introduced during a fluid treatment such as a wash, acid wash, scale inhibitor, or other well procedure. Introducing the tool during a well treatment or fluid swap provides a uniform fluid density that may not be available if different fluids are present in the wellbore. In another embodiment, the tool is introduced after a fluid treatment but before shut in. By introducing the tool during a treatment, fluid flow will carry the tool to the bottom of the wellbore. Introducing the tool after treatment allows the tool to descend with gravity limited by buoyancy allowing the operator to control descent rate.
The tool may include a thermocouple or temperature measurement; pressure measurement; a one, two or three axis gravity-accelerometer; video, sonic, acoustic, or noise recording; nuclear logging; density logging; to retrieve, store or transmit data from the wellbore. As tools, batteries, and processor size continue to decrease, additional tools and tool combinations may be conveyed using the tool.
For larger tools, a tool carrier may be deployed above or below the tool. Multiple tool carriers may be joined by flexible connectors to create buoyancy for heavier/denser tools and to accomplish multiple functions during a single trip. The benefit of being able to retrieve wellbore information during periods of shut-in provides a unique opportunity to increase productivity and decrease downtime.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. A more complete understanding of the present invention and benefits thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Turning now to the detailed description of the preferred arrangement or arrangements of the present invention, it should be understood that the inventive features and concepts may be manifested in other arrangements and that the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described or illustrated. The scope of the invention is intended only to be limited by the scope of the claims that follow.
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As used herein “shut-in” is any period in which production is stopped and the wellbore has no flow. It may be a planned or unplanned shut in and may be associated with one or more well processes. Shut-in may be done to replace or repair equipment, during a well treatment such as descaling, acid etching, washing, or other treatment.
As used herein, the dense fluid may be any heavier fluid including a brine, super-saturated brine, packer fluid, inert fluid, or any other fluid with a density sufficient to make the overall density of the tool, weights, and components greater than the density of the wellbore fluid. In one embodiment, it may be a heavier fluid, because that gives a greater weight-swing, but to achieve a slower descent the density could be closer to that of water 8.4 ppg or diesel of 6.9 ppg in a water well of 8.5 ppg fluid. Many of the additives used in drilling mud to control density and viscosity may be used to create a dense fluid for weighting the DAR tool, such as barite (barium sulfate), soda (sodium hydroxide), potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and other salts, emulsifiers, and oils including mineral oil and diesel. The density and volume of the fluid will control the rate of descent, a larger quantity of more dense fluid will descend faster than a smaller quantity of a less dense fluid. Controlling the rate of descent is important as the number of measurements per meter may be increased or decreased depending upon the rate of descent. It should be noted that the fluid used may actually be a lighter than wellbore fluid if the component tool is very dense. The key to fluid selection is to control the rate of descent which requires calculating the overall tool density with all associated equipment and buoys.
As used herein the compressed gas may be any compressible gas including air, nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, or other convenient gas. The gas may also be stored as a solid or liquid until pressure is reduced, but should be a gas that when transitioned to reservoir temperature and pressure would obtain the appropriate buoyancy to raise the DAR tool to the surface. The volume of gas may be controlled to achieve a specific buoyancy. The buoyancy will control the rate of ascent and, much like with the dense fluid, the rate of ascent can be controlled by the volume, density, and type of gas used. The gas may be any commercially available gas including air, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and noble gases such as argon, neon, xenon, and krypton. Typically a flammable gas like oxygen or LNG would not be used without an additional purpose, such as a fuel or reactant used by the downhole tool. In one embodiment the gas may be a cooled gas, liquid nitrogen, or carbon dioxide dry ice that expands as it warms to enhance the expansion and change in density. Controlling the rate of ascent is important as the number of measurements per meter may be increased or decreased depending upon the rate of ascent.
As used herein a well tool may be any tool used to measure conditions in a wellbore selected from a thermocouple, pressure meter, flow meter, thermometer, ohm meter, resistivity meter, video camera, pH meter, an agitator or vibrator, an acoustic tool, cutter, milling, used for sampling, measurement of fluid properties, verifying cement, measuring reservoir properties, opening casing, or other downhole function. The DAR tool may also have centralizers, retrieval/fishing connectors, and/or threading to connect with additional tools. One, two, three or more DAR tools may be connected to increase the size of tool available, increase buoyancy, or supply power. The DAR tool may be one unit with its own battery and controller connected to one or more tools with an additional battery and controller. The DAR tool may also house the battery and controller for the entire bottom hole assembly. The drop and retrieve tool may also be connect to additional buoyant capacity to counter-act heavier BHAs. Such buoys may be used to counteract larger, more dense BHA assemblies and tools and may include one or more foam, cork, or gas filled containers to counter a larger tool. Several buoys may be attached if required using various connectors. Different configurations may be constructed to carry multiple buoys, tools, and power supplies to obtain data. The tools and buoys may be assembled to achieve a near zero buoyant force with one or more drop and retrieve tools located at the top, middle, and/or bottom of the assembly to shift the weight of the overall assembly from dense to neutral to buoyant all at specific times, pressures, depths, or when interacting with various seats or landing areas within the wellbore.
As used herein a bottom hole assembly is a combination of tools and controllers designed to perform one or more functions in the wellbore. Typically designed to function at the bottom of the well, the bottom hole assembly may include a tool for positioning, determining depth, pressure and temperature, as well as other tools.
The DAR tool may be deployed during a shut-in while drilling, between drilling and completion, during completion, after completion, before, during, or after production. The DAR tool may be used to inspect specific features in a well, such as a connection, joint, or plug, or to measure properties along the wellbore. The drop and retrieve tool may be used to actuate or move downhole equipment, either physically or by other means, such as delivering a signal or communicate with smart tools installed in the wellbore. With batteries and signals improving, the drop and retrieve tool could deliver tools that do work/actuate/move sleeves/initiate a perf gun at certain depth, retrieve data and exchange parts with tools in the wellbore.
The following examples of certain embodiments of the invention are given. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, one of many embodiments of the invention, and the following examples should not be read to limit, or define, the scope of the invention.
The primary benefit of a DAR tool is being able to collect well data during periods of shut-in. At any point when a well is shut-in the DAR tool may be placed in the wellbore in “drop” mode. The DAR tool is loaded with a heavier fluid such as a dense saline solution with nitrogen or other gas compressed below the fluid. This makes the tool with cylinder denser than the wellbore fluid. The retaining valve is closed and triggered by a timer, a pressure sensitive switch, or switch to release the dense fluid and allow the compressed gas to expand. The expanded gas makes the tool and cylinder less dense than the wellbore fluid and the tool returns to the surface. Dependent upon the density of the tool, the drop and return may be timed to coincide with the length of the shut in, so that the tool can be retrieved.
In one embodiment a DAR tool comprising a cylinder with compressed gas and dense fluid, a battery, and bottom hole measurement equipment is placed in the wellbore after a wash has been conducted. The wellbore is shut in while the tool drops to the bottom of the wellbore. At bottom hole pressure, the DAR tool is activated to take measurements of total depth, pressure, temperature, resistivity, pH, ionic concentration, hydrocarbon content, or combinations thereof. Once the required measurements have been made, the tool purges the dense fluid allowing the compressed gas to expand. In one embodiment the cylinder may have a spring, solenoid, or other assist to move the piston and eject the dense fluid. The tool then returns to the surface before the shut-in is complete.
In another embodiment a DAR tool is a cylinder with compressed gas and dense fluid, a battery, and cement bond measurement equipment is placed in the wellbore after the cement has been placed. The tool measures cement bond during descent and/or ascent. It is possible that upon detecting an area of incomplete cement, the tool may vibrate acoustically to help place the cement in that area before it is set. The tool would be designed to descend and would activate upon reaching bottom hole pressure where the tool purges the dense fluid allowing the compressed gas to expand. The tool then returns to the surface. It is possible that larger batteries for measuring cement bond could be dropped, sheared, or dissolved once the measurements are complete further increasing buoyancy of the tool for the return trip to the surface.
Using the DAR tool during a treatment has the benefit of placing the tool at the bottom of the wellbore more quickly. This is especially useful during a treatment process like scale removal, acid etching, or other reservoir treatment. The tool can be inserted during or before the treatment pushing the tool to the bottom of the wellbore rapidly. The tool can be used to confirm that the treatment was successfully applied through the bottom of the wellbore. By measuring temperature, pressure, and fluid properties, operators can ensure the proper amount of fluid was applied to reach the entire wellbore. The tool can then conduct its required function, whether to measure fluid properties, measure wellbore properties, and/or inspect or activate a plug or valve.
In one embodiment, a resistivity tool is dropped into the wellbore during a wash and shut in. The wash fluid pushes the tool to the bottom of the wellbore where the tool purges the dense fluid allowing the compressed gas to expand. The resistivity tool is activated as the tool returns to the surface of the wellbore by buoyant force. In this way, a resistivity log can be obtained during a shut-in period reducing the amount of time required for assessing the wellbore.
Retrieving the DAR tool during production allows the tool to be recovered more rapidly. This is useful with heavier tools or for slower descents where the tool can descend slowly taking many measurements during descent. When the tool reaches the bottom of the wellbore, the tool purges the dense fluid allowing the compressed gas to expand. As production ensues, the tool uses buoyant force and flow to carry the tool to the surface of the wellbore where it is retrieved.
In one embodiment, the DAR is equipped with a dumb ball-and-rod which can be used to actuate an RHC plug. Once Set, the well is pressure tested set the packer. Once the packer is set and pressure tested, the DAR purges the dense fluid allowing the compressed gas to expand. The ball may be left in the toe, leaving a closed toe or released to return to the surface, or the ball may dissolve. The DAR with then float back up to surface to allow an “interventionless” completion to be set. The DAR is finally retrieved out of the tree when the DAR returns to the surface.
There are many wireline tools that could be replaced with a DAR tool. Simply assemble the tools and batteries intermixed with buoys to achieve a neutral density with the wellbore fluid. Frac guns, switches, retrievable ball drops, well logs and other tools that previously required a wireline to control and manage placement and return could be conducted with a DAR tool, simply balance the downhole tool with buoys and attach one or more DAR tools to control both descent, measurement period, and finally ascent. This also provides new methods of operation as the DAR tool could remain in the well for a period of time before being retrieved.
In closing, it should be noted that the discussion of any reference is not an admission that it is prior art to the present invention, especially any reference that may have a publication date after the priority date of this application. At the same time, each and every claim below is hereby incorporated into this detailed description or specification as a additional embodiments of the present invention.
Although the systems and processes described herein have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Those skilled in the art may be able to study the preferred embodiments and identify other ways to practice the invention that are not exactly as described herein. It is the intent of the inventors that variations and equivalents of the invention are within the scope of the claims while the description, abstract and drawings are not to be used to limit the scope of the invention. The invention is specifically intended to be as broad as the claims below and their equivalents.
All of the references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference. The discussion of any reference is not an admission that it is prior art to the present invention, especially any reference that may have a publication data after the priority date of this application. Incorporated references are listed again here for convenience:
This application is a non-provisional application which claims benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/616,972 filed Jan. 2, 2024 entitled “DROP & RETRIEVE TOOL CARRIER,” and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/616,955 filed Jan. 2, 2024 entitled “OBTAINING DATA FROM A WELL,” which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63616972 | Jan 2024 | US | |
| 63616955 | Jan 2024 | US |
