Patent Application
20230349251
The present disclosure describes apparatus, systems, and methods for removing debris from a wellbore.
During drilling and workover operations, it can be required to run a cleaning tool or junk retrieval tool into the wellbore to remove any junk or dirt that might have settled within or on certain wellbore components. Sometimes, the junk and dirt restricts an ability to retrieve or connect to the wellbore components. Often, many wellbore trips are needed to conventionally remove the junk and debris and subsequently remove the wellbore components from the wellbore.
In an example implementation, a downhole tool includes a top sub-assembly configured to connect to a downhole conveyance that is operable to run the tool into a wellbore formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation; a housing coupled at an uphole end to the top sub-assembly, the housing defining an interior volume; a vacuum positioned in the interior volume and configured to generate a fluid suction; a debris chamber fluidly coupled to the vacuum and positioned in the interior volume; a nozzle coupled at a downhole end of the housing, the nozzle including one or more openings; and a controller communicably coupled to the vacuum and configured to perform operations including activating the vacuum to generate the fluid suction to circulate wellbore debris through the vacuum and into the debris chamber.
An aspect combinable with the example implementation further includes a power source electrically coupled to the controller and the vacuum and configured to provide electrical power to the controller and the vacuum.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the power source includes one or more batteries.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the one or more batteries includes one or more rechargeable batteries configured to recharge with electrical power provided by the downhole conveyance that includes a wireline.
Another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects further includes one or more latches positioned on an outer surface of the tool.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the one or more latches positioned on an outer surface of the nozzle.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the one or more latches is configured to snap into a profile of a wellbore component.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the wellbore component includes a plug.
In another example implementation, a method for removing debris in a wellbore includes running a downhole tool on a downhole conveyance into a wellbore formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation. The downhole tool includes a top sub-assembly connected to the downhole conveyance, a housing coupled at an uphole end to the top sub-assembly, where the housing defines an interior volume, a vacuum positioned in the interior volume, a debris chamber fluidly coupled to the vacuum and positioned in the interior volume, and a nozzle coupled at a downhole end of the housing, the nozzle including one or more openings. The method further includes positioning the downhole tool at a particular depth in the wellbore above a wellbore component mounted in the wellbore; activating the vacuum to generate a fluid suction; and circulating wellbore debris, with the fluid suction, through the vacuum and into the debris chamber.
An aspect combinable with the example implementation further includes providing electrical power to the vacuum from a power source positioned in the interior volume.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the power source includes one or more batteries, the method further including recharging the one or more batteries with electrical power provided by the downhole conveyance that includes a wireline.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, circulating wellbore debris, with the fluid suction, through the vacuum and into the debris chamber includes circulating wellbore debris from am uphole surface of the wellbore component to uncover a profile of the wellbore component.
Another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects further includes moving the downhole tool to contact the uphole surface of the wellbore component with the nozzle; and stinging one or more latches positioned on an outer surface of the nozzle into the profile of the wellbore component.
Another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects further includes pulling the downhole tool out of the wellbore with the one or more latches stung into the profile to retrieve the wellbore component.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the wellbore component includes a plug.
Another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects further includes determining that the downhole tool is at the particular depth in the wellbore.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, determining that the downhole tool is at the particular depth includes at least one of determining, with a controller of the downhole tool, that the downhole tool is at the particular depth; or determining, with a downhole conveyance unit, that the downhole tool is at the particular depth.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, activating the vacuum to generate the fluid suction includes automatically activating the vacuum by the controller when the downhole tool is at the particular depth.
Another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects further includes determining that the automatic activation of the vacuum failed; and based on the determination, activating the vacuum by the downhole conveyance unit when the downhole tool is at the particular depth.
In another example implementation, a vacuum plug retrieval tool includes a housing configured to connect to a slickline that is operable to run the tool into a wellbore formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation; a debris chamber mounted in the housing; a nozzle coupled at a downhole end of the housing, the nozzle including one or more openings that are open to the wellbore; and a vacuum positioned in the housing and configured to generate a fluid suction when activated to circulate wellbore debris through the one or more openings, into at least a portion of the vacuum, and into the debris chamber.
An aspect combinable with the example implementation further includes a controller communicably coupled to the vacuum; and one or more batteries electrically coupled to the controller and the vacuum and configured to provide electrical power to the controller and the vacuum.
Another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects further includes one or more mechanical dogs positioned on an outer surface of the nozzle.
In another aspect combinable with any of the previous aspects, the one or more mechanical dogs is configured to snap into a profile of a downhole plug.
Implementations of systems and methods for removing debris from a wellbore according to the present disclosure may include one or more of the following features. For example, systems and methods for removing debris from a wellbore according to the present disclosure can remove debris from on top of a wellbore component that would conventionally prevent such component from being stung into and retrieved. As another example, systems and methods for removing debris from a wellbore according to the present disclosure can remove debris from a wellbore component and retrieve the wellbore component to a surface in a single trip.
The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
According to the present disclosure, the downhole tool 100 can be run into the wellbore 20 in order to remove all or a portion of debris 47 that are found in the wellbore 20, such as adjacent or on top of the wellbore component 55. In some aspects, the wellbore component 55 can be a removable wellbore seal (for example, plug, packer, or other component). As a removable wellbore component, the debris 47 can interfere with a removal tool’s ability to, for example, detach the wellbore component 55 from within the wellbore 20 (for example, from a wellbore tubular) and run the wellbore component 55 out of the wellbore 20. In some aspects, the downhole tool 100 can be operated to remove the debris 47 that settles on top of the wellbore component 55, as well as retrieve the wellbore component 55 from the wellbore 20 when necessary. The downhole tool 100 can, therefore, eliminate or reduce a number of trips into or out of the wellbore 20 that are conventionally required for debris/junk removal and component retrieval.
.As shown, the wellbore system 10 accesses the subterranean formation 40 (and other formations) and provides access to hydrocarbons located in such subterranean formation 40. In an example implementation of system 10, the system 10 may be used for a production operation in which the hydrocarbons may be produced from the subterranean formation 40 within a wellbore tubular (for example, through the production casing 35 or other production tubular).
A drilling assembly (not shown) may be used to form the wellbore 20 extending from the terranean surface 12 and through one or more geological formations in the Earth. One or more subterranean formations, such as subterranean formation 40, are located under the terranean surface 12. One or more wellbore casings, such as a surface casing 30 and production casing 35, may be installed in at least a portion of the wellbore 20. In some embodiments, a drilling assembly used to form the wellbore 20 may be deployed on a body of water rather than the terranean surface 12. For instance, in some embodiments, the terranean surface 12 may be an ocean, gulf, sea, or any other body of water under which hydrocarbon-bearing formations may be found. In short, reference to the terranean surface 12 includes both land and water surfaces and contemplates forming and developing one or more wellbore systems 10 from either or both locations.
In some embodiments of the wellbore system 10, the wellbore 20 may be cased with one or more casings. As illustrated, the wellbore 20 includes a conductor casing 25, which extends from the terranean surface 12 shortly into the Earth. A portion of the wellbore 20 enclosed by the conductor casing 25 may be a large diameter borehole. Additionally, in some embodiments, the wellbore 20 may be offset from vertical (for example, a slant wellbore). Even further, in some embodiments, the wellbore 20 may be a stepped wellbore, such that a portion is drilled vertically downward and then curved to a substantially horizontal wellbore portion. Additional substantially vertical and horizontal wellbore portions may be added according to, for example, the type of terranean surface 12, the depth of one or more target subterranean formations, the depth of one or more productive subterranean formations, or other criteria.
Downhole of the conductor casing 25 may be the surface casing 30. The surface casing 30 may enclose a slightly smaller borehole and protect the wellbore 20 from intrusion of, for example, freshwater aquifers located near the terranean surface 12. The wellbore 20 may than extend vertically downward. This portion of the wellbore 20 may be enclosed by the production casing 35. Any of the illustrated casings, as well as other casings or tubulars that may be present in the wellbore system 10, may include wellbore liners in which the wellbore component 55 can be installed.
The example implementation of the downhole tool 200 also includes a housing 206 that connects to the top sub-assembly 202 (for example, threadingly or otherwise). The housing 206 defines an interior volume 208 into which one or more debris collector components can be positioned (as explained in more detail with reference to
As further shown, the downhole tool 200 includes a nozzle 210 that connects to the housing 206 (for example, threadingly or otherwise). In this implementation, the nozzle 210 includes one or more openings 212 that are positioned to fluidly couple the nozzle 210 (and housing 206) to a wellbore when the downhole tool 200 is positioned within the wellbore (for example, to remove debris). As further shown, the nozzle 210 includes one or more latches 214 (for example, mechanical dogs) positioned on an exterior surface of the nozzle 210. In some aspects, the latches 214 are shaped and positioned to engage one or more profiles of a wellbore component in order to connect the downhole tool 200 with the wellbore component (for instance, to retrieve the wellbore component to a surface).
Certain features of the described controller 216 can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry in the controller, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. Features can be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for example, in a machine-readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor; and method steps can be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the described implementations by operating on input data and generating output. The described features can be implemented advantageously in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. A computer program is a set of instructions that can be used, directly or indirectly, in a computer to perform a certain activity or bring about a certain result. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.
In this example, the power source 218 can be or include one or more batteries (for example, lithium ion batteries or otherwise) or other independent power source (for example, piezoelectric (PE) wafers, fluid driven turbine, thermoelectric generators) that can provide, for example, electrical power to the controller 216 (as well as other components of the downhole tool 200). For instance, in aspects in which the downhole tool 200 is attached to a slickline downhole conveyance, the power source 218 can provide all power for the downhole tool 200. Alternatively, in aspects in which the downhole tool 200 is attached to a wireline downhole conveyance, the power source 218 can be charged by the wireline and provide some (in combination with the wireline) or all power for the downhole tool 200.
As further shown in
In this example, the vacuum 222 is also in communication with the controller 216 (for instance, to receive activation and/or deactivation commands from the controller 216, as well as, in some aspects, vacuum motor speed settings from the controller 216). The vacuum 222 can also be electrically connected to the power source 218 to receive electrical power from the source 218.
Turning now to
In some aspects, the pre-set depth is the primary activation technique for activating the vacuum 222. In some aspects, a secondary activation technique can also be implemented, such as a signal that is transmitted from the surface, through the downhole conveyance (for example, slickline or wireline) to the controller 216, which in turn activates the vacuum 222 based on the signal. In some aspects, the secondary activation technique is implemented (for example, automatically or manually) when the primary activation technique fails to activate the vacuum 222. For instance, an activation switch or button on a slickline unit can manually send the signal to the controller 216 to activate and start the vacuum 222.
As shown in
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. For example, example operations, methods, or processes described herein may include more steps or fewer steps than those described. Further, the steps in such example operations, methods, or processes may be performed in different successions than that described or illustrated in the figures. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
