Embodiments described relate to stimulation tools and applications directed at open-hole wells. In particular, tools and techniques which allow for the positioning of a recovery screen at a production region are disclosed. More specifically, positioning in a manner that allows isolation of the screen from contaminants such as water while allowing communication and circulation for purposes of stimulation is disclosed. Embodiments described herein also protect the open wellbore wall and allow for such stimulation in a multi-zonal fashion.
Exploring, drilling and completing hydrocarbon and other wells are generally complicated, time consuming and ultimately very expensive endeavors. In recognition of these expenses, added emphasis has been placed on well logging, profiling and monitoring of well conditions throughout the productive life of the well. With the most accurate and up to date information available, a considerable amount of time and money may be saved in managing production from the well. Similarly, over the years, added emphasis has been placed on other time saving measures such as performing well applications with as few a number of physical interventions as practical. For example, in many situations a series of related applications may be run by way of a single deployment of a toolstring into the well as opposed to several separate deployments of individual application tools into the well.
One such opportunity for reducing the number of well interventions is in the area of well stimulation. As used herein, the term “well stimulation” is meant to refer to fracturing, gravel packing, or any number of well treatment applications directed at stimulating a formation reservoir in order to encourage and maintain hydrocarbon recovery therefrom. For example, in many circumstances a cased well may be present with a perforated production region at the reservoir. That is to say, openings or perforations may traverse the casing and extend into the surrounding formation reservoir. However, in order to optimize hydrocarbon recovery from the reservoir, stimulation applications may be carried out at the region. Indeed, as noted below, multiple stimulation application procedures may be carried out at the region with a single trip in the well of a properly configured toolstring. As such, the time required for multiple deployments of different application tools to the region may be condensed into a single ‘stimulation’ trip, saving countless hours and capital expenditures.
As indicated, a toolstring may be configured to carry out multiple related stimulation applications near a perforated region of a cased well. For example, the same toolstring may be equipped to carry out a fracturing application, followed by a gravel packing application and hydrocarbon recovery upon a single delivery of the toolstring to the site of the perforated region. More specifically, a fracturing application may be applied where a proppant containing slurry is directed from a release mechanism of the toolstring toward the noted perforations. In this manner, the perforations may be stimulated and propped open.
A subsequent circulation of a gravel packing slurry may be directed from the same release mechanism or elsewhere toward the noted screen mechanism and exposed portions of the formation (i.e. in the area of the perforations). As such, the formation may be supported and the screen mechanism tightly secured in place. In this manner, reliable hydrocarbon recovery may proceed through the porous gravel pack occupying the space between the screen mechanism and the perforated region. Furthermore, fracturing, gravel packing, and production through the screen mechanism may all be achieved through a single deployment of the toolstring. Indeed, in certain situations, the toolstring may even be equipped with a perforating gun so as to allow formation of the perforations in advance of the described stimulating applications. That is to say, even perforating may be achieved as part of the single toolstring deployment.
Unfortunately, while the above described stimulation techniques may be cost effectively employed on a single trip in a cased well, they may be ineffective altogether when such a toolstring is delivered to an open-hole well. Unlike a cased well, an open-hole well may include a variety of exposed formation layers, some of which may hinder effective recovery through a screen mechanism, even where fracturing and/or gravel packing has been employed at the production region. That is, as in the exemplary circumstance below, conditions at formation layers outside of the production region may have an impact on recovery due to the open-hole nature of the well.
Often times, hydrocarbon recovery efforts are directed at oilfield formations that are primarily alternating layers of sand and shale. The thin sand layers in particular, may be good candidates for perforating, fracturing, and hydrocarbon recovery. By the same token, the predominantly shale makeup of the formation layers may allow the well to remain un-cased without undue concern over its structural soundness for follow-on applications. Thus, the cost of casing the well may be saved.
Unfortunately, even a properly positioned screen mechanism at the thin sand layer is subject to water and other contaminants emanating from other surrounding layers such as the shale layers. In the case of water contamination, hydrocarbon production through the screen may be rendered ineffective. Additionally, with no casing, the gravel slurry or other treatment material can have a substantial, negative effect on the surrounding wellbore wall of the open hole well. Thus, as a practical matter, fracturing, gravel packing and follow-on hydrocarbon recovery are not pursued via use of a single toolstring employed on a single trip in an open-hole well.
A stimulation technique is provided for use in an open hole well. The stimulation technique utilizes a system which comprises one or more isolation devices positioned to isolate desired regions of the open hole well. At least one release mechanism is used to provide controlled release of stimulation material to a desired wellbore region of the open hole well. Additionally, a protection mechanism cooperates with each release mechanism to prevent undesirable contact between stimulation material, e.g. gravel slurry, and the surrounding wellbore wall of the open hole well. The protection mechanism also may be used to protect the open hole well from undesirable screenout pressure. In many applications, the entire system may be deployed and the stimulation technique carried out in a single trip downhole into the open hole well.
Embodiments are described with reference to certain stimulation tools and techniques employed in an open-hole well. For example, embodiments herein focus on gravel packing applications. However, a variety of stimulation applications may take advantage of embodiments of open-hole stimulation systems as detailed herein.
For example, the technique may be employed in fracturing applications and in non-gravel packing treatments. Examples of well treatment techniques comprise screenless techniques, e.g. resin consolidation techniques, resin coated gravel techniques, frac techniques with consolidated material, and other stimulation techniques. Individual stimulation/treatment techniques or combinations of different techniques may be employed during the same trip downhole. Regardless, embodiments of stimulation systems detailed herein may be particularly configured for use in open-hole wells and may even be employed in a multi-zonal fashion in many environments.
Referring now to
Each stimulation assembly 125, 175 of the system 100 is outfitted with a slurry release mechanism 120, 170 uphole or above a recovery screen 124, 174. Each screen 124, 174 may range from about 4 inches to about 8 inches in diameter and be up to several feet or more in length depending on the size of the affiliated production region 225, 425 (see
Unlike a conventional stimulation system, the system 100 of
Continuing with reference to
The system 100 also may be equipped with additional tools such as a consolidation tool 115, washdown shoe 190 and others. In the embodiment shown, a pressure testing implement such as a ball drop sub may be incorporated above the washdown shoe 190. Additionally, the shoe 190 itself may be provided to advance downhole installation of the system 100 such as depicted in
The above described tools may each be selectively and individually actuated. For example, a sliding sleeve may be built into the consolidation tool 115 as well as each recovery screen 124, 174. Similarly, internal shifting devices may be employed to separately direct each of the slurry release mechanisms 120, 170. Thus, in an application sense, the system 100 is controllable for each individual well zone of a plurality of well zones. That is, whether performing a stimulation technique, e.g. packing or resin consolidating, or recovering from a particular production region 225, 425 (see
Referring now to
The assembly 175 is secured at a wall 285 of the well 280 by setting packers 113, 114 as described above. Additionally, an isolation packer 172 is provided which isolates the recovery screen 174 at the region 225. For example, in the embodiment shown, the production region 225 may be located at a particular sand-based formation layer 295 adjacent another formation layer 290 of shale. Due to the presence of the packers 114, 172 adjacent the region 225, the screen 174 may be substantially isolated at the sand-based formation layer 295. That is to say, the screen 174 may be substantially cut off from communication with the shale layer 290. Such isolation may be employed to reduce the likelihood of the screen 174 coming into contact with contaminants such as water from outside of the production region 225. For example, water may often be found at a neighboring shale layer 290. Nevertheless, as indicated, the lack of a protective casing at the well wall 285 outside of the production region 225 may be substantially overcome due to the manner of isolation employed at the region 225.
Continuing with reference to
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Referring now to
Continuing with reference to
The above-noted control unit 415 also may be employed to direct positioning of the downhole system 100 past certain formation layers (i.e. 490) and appropriately across other downhole formation layers 495, 497, 290, 295 depending on the particular recovery strategy. Accordingly, in the embodiment shown, stimulation assemblies 125, 175 are positioned with recovery screens 124, 174 adjacent production regions 425, 225 of certain formation layers 497, 295. Thus, open-hole packers 111-113 may be set, for example, as directed by the surface control unit 415. Indeed, in spite of the inherent variability in the diameter of the open-hole well 280, once set, the open-hole packers 111-113 allow for sufficient retention and stability of the system 100 at the depicted location.
Isolating packers 122, 172 may also be set so as to substantially isolate the screens 124, 174 as detailed hereinabove. Therefore, even in circumstances where the producing formation layer 497, 295 is a relatively thin sand layer surrounded by adjacent contaminant prone layers 495, 290, the screens 124, 174 remain protected. For example, the screens 124, 174 would remain isolated from exposure to water from adjacent shale layers 495, 290. Again setting of the isolating packers 122, 172 may be directed from the control unit 415 at surface.
Once positioned, and properly isolated as described above, a stimulation application may be run. For example, in the embodiment shown, a gravel packing application has been completed as detailed above. As depicted in
With the completion of gravel packing, the system 100 may be ready for hydrocarbon recovery. Thus, while the space out pipe 150 of the system 100 may be conventional production tubing, it may be desirable to replace coiled tubing 410 by advancing jointed pipe or additional production tubing to interface the system 100 in the well 280. In some embodiments, the system 100 may be advanced into position as shown by way of jointed pipe from the outset. In yet another embodiment, the architecture of the well 280 may be cased to a certain depth with the open-hole stimulation system 100 suspended therefrom. That is, the system 100 may be particularly configured to address the narrow set of recovery issues present beyond the limits of an otherwise cased well.
Referring now to
In the embodiment of
As with prior embodiments, a stimulation application such as gravel packing may proceed with a gravel slurry 200 directed from the slurry release mechanism toward the recovery screen 174. As depicted, the slurry 200 may deposit gravel 275 below the shroud 500 and through perforations 527 thereof. As indicated above, the application may proceed until the screen 174 and shroud 500 are adequately stabilized along with the formation 295 itself. Furthermore, the structural support of the shroud 500 may provide substantial radial reinforcement to the production region 225. Thus, in circumstances where the formation 295 is prone to break down and/or the gravel pack becoming dehydrated or otherwise deficient, the shroud 500 may prevent formation collapse upon the screen 174. As such, recovery through the screen 174 may remain possible once initiated by a shifting tool as described above. It should be noted that non-gravel pack stimulation applications and other types of stimulation applications may be performed at select regions of the well with an assembly employing shroud 500 or employing another suitable protection mechanism 300.
Once properly isolated, a stimulating slurry may be circulated across an isolating packer as indicated at 660. As detailed herein, this may be achieved via flow through a protection mechanism, e.g. flow through shunt tubes or through the confines of a shroud. In the case of a shroud, the added advantage of formation support may also be achieved. Furthermore, as indicated at 675 and 690, where multiple stimulating isolations are to be run with the system, they may be run simultaneously or sequentially, depending on the parameters of the operation.
Embodiments described hereinabove provide stimulation systems and techniques directed at open-hole hydrocarbon wells. These embodiments may be particularly well suited for use at oilfield formations with intervening layers of sand and shale. The embodiments allow for bypassing of complete well casing throughout the well which may translate into substantial cost savings in terms of completions operations. Furthermore, in spite of the open-hole nature of the systems, such cost savings may be achieved without undue risk of exposure of recovery screens to water or other contaminants Additionally, the systems may be constructed for multi-zone placement of multiple screens, each with their own dedicated slurry delivery mechanism. Thus, multiple stimulations may take place simultaneously or sequentially at a variety of downhole production regions.
Persons skilled in the art and technology to which the embodiments described herein pertain will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of operation may be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principle, and scope of these embodiments. For example, embodiments herein detail stimulation in the form of gravel packing. However, other stimulation applications may be performed with embodiments of an open-hole stimulation system as detailed herein. Indeed, fracturing, consolidation applications may utilize embodiments as disclosed herein. Furthermore, the foregoing description should not be read as pertaining only to the precise structures described and shown in the accompanying drawings, but rather should be read as consistent with and as support for the following claims, which are to have their fullest and fairest scope.
The present document is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 12/705,885, filed on Feb. 15, 2010, and the present document also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/187,439, filed on Jun. 16, 2009, the contents and disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61187439 | Jun 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12705885 | Feb 2010 | US |
Child | 12794748 | US |