Patent ID: 12234720

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

Throughout the application, ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third, etc.) may be used as an adjective for an element (i.e., any noun in the application). The use of ordinal numbers is not to imply or create any particular ordering of the elements nor to limit any element to being only a single element unless expressly disclosed, such as using the terms “before”, “after”, “single”, and other such terminology. Rather, the use of ordinal numbers is to distinguish between the elements. By way of an example, a first element is distinct from a second element, and the first element may encompass more than one element and succeed (or precede) the second element in an ordering of elements.

In the following description ofFIGS.1-4, any component described with regard to a figure, in various embodiments disclosed herein, may be equivalent to one or more like-named components described with regard to any other figure. For brevity, descriptions of these components may not be repeated for each figure. Thus, each and every embodiment of the components of each figure is incorporated by reference and assumed to be optionally present within every other figure having one or more like-named components. Additionally, in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein, any description of the components of a figure is to be interpreted as an optional embodiment which may be implemented in addition to, in conjunction with, or in place of the embodiments described with regard to a corresponding like-named component in any other figure.

Further, embodiments disclosed herein are described with terms designating a rig site in reference to a land rig, but any terms designating rig type should not be deemed to limit the scope of the disclosure. For example, embodiments of the disclosure may be used on an offshore rig and various rig sites, such as land/drilling rig and drilling vessel. It is to be further understood that the various embodiments described herein may be used in various stages of a well, such as rig site preparation, drilling, completion, abandonment etc., and in other environments, such as work-over rigs, fracking installation, well-testing installation, and oil and gas production installation, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments are described merely as examples of useful applications, which are not limited to any specific details of the embodiments herein.

In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for use in determining if deployed inflow control devices (ICD) within a wellbore have successfully opened. Specifically, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a specialized inflow control device configured to contain a volume of a unique tracer chemical and to release the unique chemical tracer when the ICD opens according to operational needs.

FIG.1illustrates an exemplary well100in accordance with one or more embodiments. As shown inFIG.1, a well path110may be drilled by a drill bit112attached by a drill string104to a drill rig102located on the surface of the earth106. The well may traverse a plurality of overburden layers108and one or more cap-rock layers114to a hydrocarbon reservoir116. The well path110may be a curved well path, or a straight well path. In one or more embodiments, the well path110may be described as vertical, deviated, horizontal, or extended reach drilling (ERD). One skilled in the art will be aware that deviated, horizontal, and ERD wells are considered to be complex.

Turning toFIG.2, in one or more embodiments, an example of a completion well site210is illustrated. Well fluids are produced from a reservoir211in a formation212by drilling a wellbore213into the formation212, establishing a flow path between the reservoir211and the wellbore213, and conveying the fluids from the reservoir211to a surface214through the wellbore213. Additionally, the wellbore213may include a vertical section to reach the reservoir211and a horizontal section extending into the reservoir211. A casing215may be installed in the wellbore213. In some embodiments, the casing215may be perforated to have perforations216into the reservoir211to allow a flow of the well fluids to enter the wellbore213. Typically, a production tubing217is disposed in the wellbore213to carry the fluids to the surface214. The production tubing217hangs from a wellhead218at the surface214and forms an annulus219between the production tubing217and the wellbore213. The production tubing217may extend horizontally into the reservoir211, thereby forming a flow conduit from the reservoir211to surface214. From the wellhead218, the fluids are transported, via a production flow line, to a production storage, transport, or facility. In some embodiments, a Christmas tree may be disposed on top of the wellhead218for fluid transportation.

As well fluids are produced from the reservoir211, the well fluids flow into the annulus219. As the well fluids may contain water, a ratio of hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and/or gas) to water may vary throughout the lifetime of the well. To control an influx of water, one or more inflow control devices300may be provided in the production tubing217. As the well fluids flow in the annulus219, the produced well fluids may flow from the annulus219and into the production tubing217via the one or more inflow control devices300.

In one or more embodiments, the completion well site210may also include a collection and analysis system221installed at the surface214. The collection and analysis system221may be configured to collect a volume of the wellbore fluid from the wellbore213and to analyze the wellbore fluid.

Turning now toFIG.3,FIG.3shows a wellbore213with an inflow control device completion in accordance with one or more embodiments. One or more inflow control devices (ICDs)300may be installed along the length of the wellbore213. In accordance with routine operations, each ICD300may open when deployed within the wellbore213. Each ICD300may be designed to contain a volume of a unique tracer chemical when it is deployed in a closed configuration, such that each ICD300contains a different tracer chemical than the other ICDs300.

The ICDs300may be opened when the rig conducts an ICD opening procedure. Once opened, each ICD300may be configured to release one or more unique tracer chemicals into the wellbore fluid. The rig may perform a bottom-up circulation, where wellbore fluid, and any released unique tracer chemicals, are displaced to the surface214. A volume of the displaced fluids may then be collected and analyzed using a collection and analysis system221, shown inFIG.2. The collection and analysis system221may be configured to determine which unique tracer chemicals are present in the displaced fluid and, as a result, which unique tracer chemicals are missing. This may allow for the determination of which, if any, of the ICDs300did not open as intended.

FIG.4depicts a flowchart in accordance with one or more embodiments. More specifically,FIG.4depicts a flowchart400of a method of determining successful functionality of one or more inflow control devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, one or more blocks inFIG.4may be performed by one or more components as described inFIGS.1-3. While the various blocks inFIG.4are presented and described sequentially, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that some or all of the blocks may be executed in different orders, may be combined, may be omitted, and some or all of the blocks may be executed in parallel. Furthermore, the blocks may be performed actively or passively.

Initially, a drilling rig may be installed at a surface214of a well100, S402. One or more inflow control devices (ICDs)300may be provided at the surface214. Each of the one or more ICDs300may be filled with one or more unique tracer chemicals, S404. The one or more tracer chemicals may be, for example, any chemical which does not dissolve or otherwise react with oil or water. Further, each of the one or more unique tracer chemicals may be designed on a case-by-case basis depending on field conditions (e.g., pressure or temperature).

The one or more ICDs300may be installed in a wellbore213of the well100, S406. In one or more embodiments, the ICDs300may be spaced along the length of the wellbore213, as shown inFIG.3. The ICDs300may be installed, for example, to control a water breakthrough to the wellbore213. An opening procedure may be performed on the ICDs300, S408. An opening procedure, for example, may preferably include creating a differential pressure across each of the ICDs300such that each of the ICDs300opens without mechanical intervention. In one or more embodiments, performing an opening procedure may include releasing the unique tracer chemicals from the one or more ICDs300, such that the unique tracer chemicals may communicate with the wellbore fluid.

A bottom-up circulation procedure may be performed using the drilling rig, S410. In one or more embodiments, performing a bottom-up circulation procedure may include displacing wellbore fluid from the wellbore213. The wellbore fluid may be, for example, drilling mud. In one or more embodiments, the wellbore fluid may include each of the unique tracer chemicals released from the one or more ICDs300. A volume of wellbore fluid may be collected at the surface214, S412. In one or more embodiments, the volume of wellbore fluid may be collected by a collection and analysis system221installed at the surface214. Once collected, the volume of wellbore fluid may be analyzed to determine which unique tracer chemicals are present in the volume, S414.

In one or more embodiments, the method may further include detecting which unique tracer chemicals are absent from the volume of wellbore fluid. As a result, it may be possible to identify which of the ICDs300did not open as intended. In response, a remedial action plan may be performed. A remedial action plan, for example, may include applying another differential pressure across the unopened ICDs by displacing fluid from the wellbore213. A further step of the remedial action plan may include mechanically opening any unopened ICDs300using an ICD shifting tool, which may be run-in-hole.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide at least one of the following advantages. In commercially available systems, it is often difficult to ensure that ICDs installed within a wellbore have opened as intended. The opening of the ICDs is critical to controlling water breakthrough to the wellbore, which can kill or reduce production potential of the well. Currently available systems for checking ICD status involve mechanical intervention post rig operation or after flowing the well. Both of these options necessarily require large time losses, which are expensive and lead to unplanned production rate reductions. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow for confirmation that installed ICDs have opened according to the operational plan. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure allow for a remedial action plan to be implemented to ensure all ICDs are open. Implementation of the embodiments described herein removes the need for the running in hole of mechanical tools to check each ICD individually. Further, a dramatic reduction in well downtime (in comparison to currently available systems) may be achieved.

Although only a few example embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the example embodiments without materially departing from this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus, although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function.