This disclosure relates to wellbore cleaning tools.
Well logging in hydrocarbon production wells is used to help make important decisions related to well placement, type of intervention to be deployed, and optimizing reservoir depletion strategy. Wellbores are monitored as they are being drilled, by mudlogging and/or measurements while drilling (MWD), or post-drilling operations such as production and saturation logging tools.
This disclosure describes technologies relating to unblocking wellbores.
An example implementation of the subject matter described within this disclosure is a wellbore tool with the following features. A first expandable tubular is longitudinally extendable from a housing. The first expandable tubular is expandable to a diameter equal to an internal surface of a wellbore. A first expander is configured to expand the expandable tubular. A second expandable tubular is longitudinally extendable from the housing. The second expandable tubular is configured to expand to a diameter equal to an internal surface of the wellbore. The second expandable tubular is downhole of the first expandable tubular. A second expander is configured to expand the second expandable tubular. The second expander is downhole of the first expander. A sensor is downhole of the second expander. The sensor is configured to detect a presence of a wellbore obstruction proximal to the tool.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The first or the second expandable tubular is separable from the wellbore tool.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The first or second expander includes an inflatable bladder.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The first or second expander includes a first cylinder and a second cylinder coaxial to the first cylinder. The first cylinder and the second cylinder are arranged to move between an extended position and a retracted position. The retracted position expands the expandable tubular and the extended position contracts the expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The wellbore tool of claim 1, wherein the first expandable tubular and the second expandable tubular are separably longitudinally actuable from one another.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. A third expandable tubular is longitudinally extendable from the housing. The second expandable tubular is configured to expand to a diameter equal to an internal surface of the wellbore. A third expander is configured to expand the second expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The first or second expandable tubular includes a deformable sticky material.
An example implementation of the subject matter described within this disclosure is a method with the following features. A wellbore tool is received by a restricted wellbore. An expandable tubular is extended from the wellbore tool towards a wellbore restriction. The expandable tubular is expanded within the wellbore restriction or downhole of the wellbore restriction. A flow passage is opened within the wellbore responsive to expanding the expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The expandable tubular is a first expandable tubular. The method further includes extending a second expandable tubular from the wellbore tool downhole of the first expandable tubular. The second expandable tubular is expanded.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The second expanded expandable tubular is retracted toward the first expanded expandable tubular. An inner wall of the wellbore is scraped responsive to retracting the second expandable tubular. At least a portion of the restriction is moved towards the first expanded expandable tubular in response to retracting the second expanded expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The restriction is retained in an annular space defined by an outer surface of the second expandable tubular and an inner surface of the first expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. Expanding the expandable tubular includes inflating a bladder within the expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The expandable tubular is released from the wellbore tool. The wellbore tool is retrieved.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The restriction is retained in an annular space defined by an outer surface of the expandable tubular and an inner surface of the wellbore.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The expandable tubular and the restriction are retrieved from the wellbore.
An example implementation of the subject matter described within this disclosure is a wellbore tool with the following features. A wellbore tool is within a restricted wellbore. The wellbore tool includes a housing. An expandable tubular is longitudinally extendable from the housing. The expandable tubular configured to expand to a diameter equal to an internal surface of a wellbore. The expandable tubular is separable from the wellbore tool after the expandable tubular is expanded. An expander includes an inflatable bladder configured to expand the expandable tubular. A sensor is configured to detect a presence of a wellbore obstruction proximal to the tool.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The expandable tubular is a first expandable tubular and the expander is a first expander. The wellbore tool further includes a second expandable tubular longitudinally extendable from the housing. The second expandable tubular is configured to expand to a diameter equal to an internal surface of the wellbore. A second expander is configured to expand the second expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. A third expandable tubular is longitudinally extendable from the housing. The third expandable tubular is configured to expand to a diameter equal to an internal surface of the wellbore. A third expander is configured to expand the third expandable tubular.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The second expandable tubular and the second expander are separably longitudinally actuable independent from one-another.
Aspects of the example implementation, which can be combined with the example implementation alone or in combination, include the following. The second expander includes a first cylinder and a second cylinder coaxial to the first cylinder. The first cylinder and the second cylinder are arranged to move between an extended position and a retracted position. The retracted position expands the expandable tubular and the extended position contracts the expandable tubular.
Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented so as to realize one or more of the following advantages. Aspects of this disclosure can be used to increase accuracy of well logs and reduce the likelihood of tool loss within a wellbore. Aspects of this disclosure can be used to collect fluid and cutting samples.
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. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Obstructions associated with cuttings, remaining filter cakes, and organic (for example, waxes, asphaltenes) and inorganic (for example, scales, corrosion products) materials may prevent the logging tools from operating optimally, may cause logging tools to get stuck, or both. Under such circumstances, logging and intervention tools can get damaged, become difficult to retrieve, or in the worst case scenario, get lost in the wellbore. In order to reduce or eliminate such operational hazards, wellbores need to be cleaned to remove such obstructions or restrictions.
This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus to form a bypass through a wellbore that is at least partially blocked or restricted. The apparatus includes an expander and an expandable tubular that can be mounted on a stand-alone bottom hole assembly or at a downhole end of a separate wellbore tool, such as a logging tool. The expander is inserted into or through the obstruction and is expanded to clear the obstructing material within or along a wall of the wellbore. The expander expands to expand the expandable tubular up against the wall of the wellbore. This expanded tubular can hold the obstructing material in place for further operations, or can be retrieved prior to further operations.
A sensor 212 is downhole of the second expander 210. The sensor 212 is configured to detect a presence of the wellbore obstruction 110 (
In some implantations, the first expander 206, the second expander 210, or both, can include the following features. A first cylinder 214 and a second cylinder 216 are arranged coaxially to one another. The first cylinder 214 and the second cylinder 216 are arranged to move between an extended position and a retracted position. The retracted position expands the expandable tubular 204 or 208, and the extended position contracts the expandable tubular 204 or 208. As illustrated in
In some implementations, the first expandable tubular 204 and the second expandable tubular 208 are separably longitudinally actuable from one another. For example the first expandable tubular 204 can be expanded against an inner surface of the wellbore to act as an anchor while the second expandable tubular is longitudinally extended through the blockage 110 (
In operation, the wellbore tool 500 is received by the wellbore 102 and is placed at a depth substantially equal to (in proximity enough to have an effect when used) the depth of the obstruction 110. Once the wellbore tool 500 is in the proper position, the inflatable bladder 504 is expanded to expand the expandable tubular 502 against the wall of the wellbore 102. The bladder 504 is then contracted and removed from the wellbore 102, and the expandable tubular 502 is released leaving the expandable tubular 502 in place to support the wellbore 102 from further blockage. The remainder of the wellbore tool 500 can be removed once the expandable tubular 502 is released. Separating the expandable tubular can be done using shear pins, or can be caused by removing an interference during expansion. In some implementations, applying higher pressure will break one or more shear pins. In some implementations, additional anchors can be included in the expandable tubular 502 to support the expanded expandable tubular to the wellbore wall. In some implementations, the expandable tubular can be retracted after the operations are completed.
While previously described as separate and distinct implementations, the aspects of the implementations described in
The wellbore tool 200 then traverses the wellbore 102 towards a blockage 110 as shown in
At 606, the second expandable tubular 208 is expanded downhole of the wellbore restriction 110, as shown in
At 608, a flow passage is opened within the wellbore 102. In some implementations, the restriction 110 is retained in an annular space defined by an outer surface of the second expandable tubular 208 and an inner surface of the first expandable tubular 204 as illustrated in
In some implementations, the wellbore tool 112 can be deployed through the casing 802, the production tubing 804, or any other downhole tubular within the wellbore 102. As illustrated in
The wellbore tool 112 and the work-string 108 can be deployed throughout the entire length of the wellbore 102, for example, as illustrated in
While this disclosure contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any inventions or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. For example, the expander described with respect to
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.
Thus, particular implementations of the subject matter have been described. Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results.