Wellbore tubulars including a plurality of selective stimulation ports and methods of utilizing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10221669-B2
Application number	US-201615264064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 2, 2015
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Wellbore tubulars including a plurality of selective stimulation ports and methods of utilizing the same. The wellbore tubulars include a tubular body including an external surface and an internal surface that defines a tubular conduit. The wellbore tubulars also include a plurality of selective stimulation ports, and each selective stimulation port includes a SSP conduit and an isolation device that is configured to selectively transition from a closed state to an open state responsive to a shockwave having greater than a threshold shockwave intensity. The methods include methods of stimulating a subterranean formation utilizing the wellbore tubulars. The methods also include methods of re-stimulating the subterranean formation utilizing the wellbore tubulars.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wellbore tubular configured to extend within a subterranean formation, the wellbore tubular comprising:
a tubular body including an external surface and an internal surface, wherein the internal surface defines a tubular conduit; and
a plurality of selective stimulation ports (SSPs), wherein each SSP of the plurality of SSPs includes:
(i) a SSP conduit extending between the internal surface of the tubular body and the external surface of the tubular body; and
(ii) an isolation device configured to selectively transition from a closed state, in which the isolation device restricts fluid flow through the SSP conduit, to an open state, in which the isolation device permits fluid flow through the SSP conduit, responsive to a shockwave, within a wellbore fluid extending within the tubular conduit, that has greater than a threshold shockwave intensity, wherein the isolation device is retained in the closed state prior to receipt of the shockwave, and wherein the isolation device is selectively transitioned from a closed state to an open state by at least one of;
(a) shattering a frangible disk that defines at least a portion of the selected isolation device of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs; and
(b) displacing an isolation disk, which defines at least a portion of the selected isolation device of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs, from the selected SSP conduit of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs.

2. The wellbore tubular of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of SSPs includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs that is spaced apart along a longitudinal length of the wellbore tubular.

3. The wellbore tubular of claim 2 , wherein the SSP conduit of each SSP of the plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs has a minimum SSP conduit cross-sectional area, and further wherein the minimum SSP conduit cross-sectional area varies systematically with location along the longitudinal length of the wellbore tubular.

4. The wellbore tubular of claim 3 , wherein the wellbore tubular includes an uphole tubular end and a downhole tubular end, and further wherein the minimum SSP conduit cross-sectional area of respective SSPs of the plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs increases systematically from the uphole tubular end toward the downhole tubular end.

5. The wellbore tubular of claim 3 , wherein the wellbore tubular includes a plurality of stimulation zones, wherein each stimulation zone of the plurality of stimulation zones includes a respective subset of the plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs, wherein each stimulation zone of the plurality of stimulation zones includes an uphole zone end and a downhole zone end, and further wherein the minimum SSP conduit cross-sectional area of respective SSPs of the plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs increases systematically from the uphole zone end toward the downhole zone end.

6. The wellbore tubular of claim 2 , wherein the SSP conduit of each SSP of the plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs has a minimum SSP conduit cross-sectional area, and further wherein the minimum SSP conduit cross-sectional area of each SSP of the plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs is at least substantially equal to a minimum SSP conduit cross-sectional area of a remainder of the plurality of longitudinally spaced SSPs.

7. The wellbore tubular of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of SSPs includes a plurality of radially spaced SSPs that is spaced apart around a transverse cross-section of the wellbore tubular.

8. The wellbore tubular of claim 1 , wherein each SSP of the plurality of SSPs further includes a sealing device seat shaped to form a fluid seal with a sealing device that selectively flows into engagement with the sealing device seat to selectively restrict fluid flow from the tubular conduit via the SSP conduit when the sealing device forms the fluid seal therewith.

9. The wellbore tubular of claim 8 , wherein the sealing device seat has a preconfigured geometry established prior to the tubular conduit being installed within the subterranean formation.

10. The wellbore tubular of claim 8 , wherein a shape of the sealing device seat of each SSP of the plurality of SSPs is at least substantially similar.

11. The wellbore tubular of claim 8 , wherein the sealing device seat is an erosion-resistant sealing device seat configured to resist erosion by particulate material, which is present within the wellbore fluid, during flow of the wellbore fluid through the sealing device seat.

12. The wellbore tubular of claim 8 , wherein the sealing device seat is a corrosion-resistant sealing device seat configured to resist corrosion by the wellbore fluid during fluid contact between the sealing device seat and the wellbore fluid.

13. A hydrocarbon well, comprising:
a wellbore extending within a subterranean formation that includes a hydrocarbon fluid; and
the wellbore tubular of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore tubular extends within the wellbore.

14. A method of stimulating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
generating a shockwave within a wellbore fluid that extends within a tubular conduit with a shockwave generation device, wherein the tubular conduit is defined by the wellbore tubular of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore tubular extends within the subterranean formation, wherein the generating includes generating within a region of the tubular conduit that is proximal a selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs such that a magnitude of the shockwave received by the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs is greater than a threshold intensity that is sufficient to transition a selected isolation device of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs from a respective closed state to a respective open state, and further wherein the generating includes generating such that the magnitude of the shockwave experienced by a remainder of the plurality of SSPs is insufficient to transition an isolation device of any SSP of the remainder of the plurality of SSPs from the closed state to the open state; and
responsive to receipt of the shockwave, transitioning the selected isolation device of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs from the respective closed state to the respective open state to permit fluid communication, via a selected SSP conduit of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs, between the tubular conduit and the subterranean formation, and wherein the isolation device is selectively transitioned from a closed state to an open state by at least one of;
(a) shattering a frangible disk that defines at least a portion of the selected isolation device of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs; and
(b) displacing an isolation disk, which defines at least a portion of the selected isolation device of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs, from the selected SSP conduit of each SSP of the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs includes a single SSP of the plurality of SSPs, and further wherein the transitioning includes transitioning the single SSP without transitioning a remainder of the plurality of SSPs.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the selected fraction of the plurality of SSPs includes at least 2 radially spaced SSPs that are radially spaced apart around a transverse cross-section of the wellbore tubular, and further wherein the transitioning includes transitioning the at least 2 r

Assignees

• Tolman Randy C
• Spiecker P Matthew
• Lonnes Steve
• Hall Timothy J
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Tolman Randy C
• Spiecker P Matthew
• Lonnes Steve
• Hall Timothy J

Classifications

• E21B23/04

  operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion (E21B23/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• E21B43/114 Primary

  Perforators using direct fluid action {on the wall to be perforated}, e.g. abrasive jets · CPC title

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B34/063

  Valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc (E21B34/103 takes precedence) · CPC title