1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of well cleaning, and more specifically to modified coiled tubing apparatus and methods of using same in well cleaning operations.
2. Related Art
The ability to pump fluid while conveying tools makes wellbore cleanouts a natural application for coiled tubing (CT). During a conventional cleanout, fluid is pumped through the CT, often across a nozzle, and into the annulus, lifting solid particles to surface. Certain well types or conditions, however, make conventional cleanouts difficult or ineffective. For example, in wells where the CT outside diameter is small relative to the annulus internal diameter, it may be difficult to achieve the flow rate needed to lift particles in the annulus as the annular velocity is quite low.
In wells where conventional cleanouts are impractical, reverse circulation sometimes provides a means to lift solids to the surface. In reverse circulation, fluid at surface is pumped into the annulus, where it then flows down the well and into the CT, lifting particles in the process. Because the fluid velocity in the CT is much higher than in the annulus at the same flow rate, particles are more easily suspended and moved along. Using standard surface equipment, the particles are collected and disposed of with minimal disruption to normal well processes.
The main concern with reverse circulating is the safety risk associated with allowing fluid to flow from downhole to surface through the CT. A potential well must meet strict qualifications before a reverse cleanout is performed in order to minimize this risk. Current reversing tools are not adequate in many situations since they require either CT manipulation or pumping to return to a safe position, a hazardous situation arises if these functions are lost during the job. Also, presently known reversing tools can potentially allow hydrocarbons to flow up the CT to surface; the hydrocarbons can only be detected when they reach surface and already present a potential well control situation.
From the above it is evident that there is a need in the art for improvement in well cleaning.
In accordance with the present invention, apparatus (also referred to herein as reversing tools, or simply tools) and methods are described that reduce or overcome problems in previously known apparatus and methods.
A first aspect of the invention are apparatus comprising:
Apparatus of the invention include those apparatus wherein the reversing tool apparatus may be referred to as “intrinsically safe”, in that they do not rely on pumping or CT manipulation to return to a safe mode of operation. The inventive apparatus and methods employ one or more forms of actuation, for example motor and solenoid actuators. Motors and solenoids may be used with several types of mechanical systems to achieve the desired result.
The inventive apparatus may further include a hydraulic system used in conjunction with these actuation systems. A pressure lock piston, forced up by a spring, may allow hydraulic fluid to flow freely into a compensation chamber, so that there is no pressure differential across a hydraulic fluid check valve, which may be a ball and spring combination. In its down position, the pressure lock piston only allows flow across the hydraulic fluid check valve in one direction, from the compensation chamber into a high pressure chamber. The pressure lock piston is normally forced up by the spring. When the hydraulic fluid pressure above pressure lock piston is higher than the annulus (outside the tool) pressure below the piston, the spring can be overridden and pressure lock piston may move down. When a pressure differential is seen across the hydraulic fluid check valve assembly, a solenoid may be activated, causing its actuator to move toward a ball to roll the ball off its seat and release the hydraulic pressure. A compensating piston may provide an adequate supply of hydraulic fluid for the system. The compensating piston allows for direct pressure transfer from the tool ID above a flow-preventing valve to the hydraulic fluid.
Apparatus of the invention may include surface/tool communication through one or more communication links, including but not limited to hard wire, optical fiber, radio, or microwave transmission. The inventive apparatus and methods may include a chemical detector at the tool level, which enables an operator to stop reversing long before hydrocarbons or other chemicals can reach surface and pose a safety risk. The chemical detector, if used, may be selected from any functioning system, or future functioning system, or combination of systems.
Another aspect of the invention is a method, one method of the invention comprising:
Methods of the invention include those comprising sensing a chemical, such as a hydrocarbon, in the reverse flow.
Apparatus and methods of the invention will become more apparent upon review of the brief description of the drawings, the detailed description of the invention, and the claims that follow.
The manner in which the objectives of the invention and other desirable characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following description and attached drawings in which:
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings are not to scale and illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention, and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.
All phrases, derivations, collocations and multiword expressions used herein, in particular in the claims that follow, are expressly not limited to nouns and verbs. It is apparent that meanings are not just expressed by nouns and verbs or single words. Languages use a variety of ways to express content. The existence of inventive concepts and the ways in which these are expressed varies in language-cultures. For example, many lexicalized compounds in Germanic languages are often expressed as adjective-noun combinations, noun-preposition-noun combinations or derivations in Romanic languages. The possibility to include phrases, derivations and collocations in the claims is essential for high-quality patents, making it possible to reduce expressions to their conceptual content, and all possible conceptual combinations of words that are compatible with such content (either within a language or across languages) are intended to be included in the used phrases.
The invention describes modified coiled tubing (CT) apparatus and methods for cleaning wellbores using same. As used herein the term “cleaning” means removing, or attempting to remove, unwanted material in a wellbore. A “wellbore” may be any type of well, including, but not limited to, a producing well, a non-producing well, an experimental well, and exploratory well, and the like. Wellbores may be vertical, horizontal, some angle between vertical and horizontal, and combinations thereof, for example a vertical well with a non-vertical component. During a conventional cleanout, fluid is pumped through the CT, often across a nozzle, and into the annulus, lifting solid particles to surface. Certain well types or conditions, however, make conventional cleanouts difficult or ineffective. For example, in wells where the CT outside diameter is small relative to the well internal diameter, it may be difficult to achieve the flow rate needed to lift particles in the annulus as the annular velocity is quite low. In wells where conventional cleanouts are impractical, reverse circulation sometimes provides a means to lift solids to the surface. In reverse circulation, fluid at surface is pumped into the annulus, where it then flows down the well and into the CT, lifting particles in the process. Because the fluid velocity in the CT is much higher than in the annulus at the same flow rate, particles are more easily suspended and moved along. Using standard surface equipment, the particles are collected and disposed of with minimal disruption to normal well processes. The main concern with reverse circulating is the safety risk associated with allowing fluid to flow from downhole to surface through the CT. A potential well must meet strict qualifications before a reverse cleanout is performed in order to minimize this risk. Current reversing tools are not adequate in many situations since they require either CT manipulation or pumping to return to a safe position, a hazardous situation arises if these functions are lost during the job. Also, presently known reversing tools can potentially allow hydrocarbons to flow up the CT to surface; the hydrocarbons can only be detected when they reach surface and already present a potential well control situation.
Given that safety is a primary concern, and that there is considerable investment in existing equipment, it would be an advance in the art if reverse well cleanouts could be performed using existing apparatus modified to increase safety and efficiency during the cleaning procedures, with minimal interruption of other well operations. This invention offers methods and apparatus for these purposes. The American Petroleum Institute (API) requires that downhole tools be equipped with two barriers that independently prevent fluid from flowing back to surface through the CT. These barriers usually take the form of check valves. If fluid flows downhole, the valves will open, providing minimal interference. If fluid starts to move uphole, however, the valves close to prevent flow.
Referring now to the figures,
There are many varieties of check valves. Any and all known check valves and methods of using them are foreseeable functional equivalents and considered within the invention. One feature of the inventive apparatus and methods comprises a mechanical flow control system that only allows flow downhole through the tool, but that also can be overridden in the event that reverse circulation is desired. In order for the system to be safe, the override may be initiated and actuated from the well surface, or, in the absence of mechanical control from the well surface, locally initiated and actuated at the tool. If locally initiated and actuated, apparatus and methods of the invention may include a power source at the tool, so that the tool can shift to a safe position if communication is lost with surface. The type and capacity of the power source will vary depending on the actuation method used.
The basic operation of the hydraulic system of
Because of the nature of dart valve 40, a minimum pressure differential is necessary in order to flow across the valve.
Apparatus of the invention may be powered locally by battery, fuel cell, or other local power source. Apparatus of the invention may include a two-way communication link to the surface, which may be a fiber optic line, wire line, or wireless, that provides two-way communication that makes the valve operation easier and safer. For example, a position sensor may be used to signal to surface whether a dart of a dart valve is in the up or down position, or a flapper of a flapper-style check valve. The operator may then be confident that the valve is open before reverse circulating, and the operator may stop reversing flow if the valve closes inadvertently. Apparatus and methods of the invention may also employ a failsafe signal line from surface to downhole. If present, the operator may fire a light source to the tool if reversing mode is desired. If the operator decides to stop reversing, or if the signal line is damaged or broken, the failsafe light source is removed. When this is detected at the tool, the tool automatically releases the hydraulic pressure in high pressure chamber 42 and returns the system to a safe position. In other words, even if the communications link is broken and the operator cannot pump or manipulate the CT (e.g. parted CT), the tool will still return to a safe position and prevent uphole flow of well fluids. This feature provides a benefit over known reversing valves, which require either pumping or CT manipulation to return to a safe mode.
Apparatus of the invention may be described as intrinsically safe. In other words, if communication and control from surface are lost, apparatus of the invention return to safe mode and prevent uphole flow. Certain embodiments may use only one solenoid to operate a hydraulic system; in these embodiments, the apparatus is charged by a pressure drop across the dart valve. Other actuation arrangements are possible, however, that also return to a safe mode in the absence of intervention from surface. Two examples of alternate actuation methods are described below. These are presented as an overall picture of the types of actuators and actuation methods available and should only be considered as representative non-limiting examples.
A motor may be used that produces a linear stroke to move the tool between conventional and reversing positions. A motor 62 might be packaged in tools of the invention as illustrated in embodiments 60 and 600 of
As one alternative annular bypass apparatus and method, apparatus and methods of the invention may comprise two or more solenoids to actuate the reversing tool, as illustrated schematically in embodiments 70 and 700 of
While the annular bypass apparatus and method embodiments have been described as using a motor or dual solenoid system to operate the reversing tools of the invention, the invention is not so limited. Any component or collection of components that function to allow selectively opening and closing the path to the annulus may be employed. When the path to the annulus is open, and pressure in the annulus is greater than pressure in the CT, fluid and any solid debris may bypass the check valves and flow up the CT.
The motor and dual solenoid arrangements may be used in inline bypass arrangements as illustrated in embodiments 601 and 701 in
Two other embodiments 603 and 703 that may utilize either a motor (embodiment 603) or a dual-solenoid (embodiment 703) actuation system are illustrated schematically in
An optional feature of apparatus of the invention is one or more sensors located at the tool to detect the presence of hydrocarbons (or other chemicals of interest) in the fluid traversing up CT main passage 2 during a reverse flow procedure. The chemical indicator may communicate its signal to the surface over a fiber optic line, wire line, wireless transmission, and the like. When a certain chemical is detected that would present a safety hazard if allowed to reach surface (such as oil or gas), the reversing system is returned to its safe position, long before the chemical creates a problem.
An overall operating process logic diagram for using apparatus of the invention is illustrated in
A typical use of this invention will be in situation when a normal clean out using coiled tubing is or will become more difficult as a well bore becomes too large in diameter, causing the annulus to be too wide. In these situations, forcing cleaning fluid down the CT will not normally produce high enough rate in the annulus to force the fluid and debris out of the well bore. Apparatus of the invention may then be employed to “reverse the flow”. Cleaning fluids are pumped down the annulus, and one of the apparatus and method embodiments of the invention employed to reverse flow upwards through the CT.
Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims. In the claims, no clauses are intended to be in the means-plus-function format allowed by 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6 unless “means for” is explicitly recited together with an associated function. “Means for” clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.
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