Simulation device and method for integrated evaluation experiment for sand control wellbore plugging and plugging removal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697277-B2
Application number	US-201916578269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2019
Priority date	Apr 7, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A simulation device for integrated evaluation experiment for sand control wellbore plugging and plugging removal, including a wellbore system, a whole sand control well plugging system, a local sand control well plugging system and a plugging removal system. The wellbore system simulates downhole working conditions of the sand control wellbore. Perforations of the whole sand control well plugging system and sand-filled pipe of the local sand control well plugging system are applied on the casing pipe of the wellbore system. The plugging process of the sand control well system is simulated by pumping a sand-laden slurry into the wellbore system. The plugging removal process is simulated by setting the plugging removal tool of plugging removal system through an oil tube in the wellbore system. The plugging removal effect of the plugging removal tool is analyzed and evaluated according to the reliable data measured by the pressure gauge, flowmeter, etc.

First claim

We claim:

1. A simulation device for integrated evaluation experiment for sand control wellbore plugging and plugging removal, comprising:
a wellbore system,
a whole sand control well plugging system,
a local sand control well plugging system, and
a plugging removal system;
wherein the wellbore system comprises a casing pipe and a sand screen pipe which are fixed on a support frame; the sand screen pipe located in the casing pipe and the casing pipe are coaxially arranged; a gravel packing section is formed between the casing pipe and the sand screen pipe; and a top cover at a top of the sand screen pipe is connected to the casing pipe by bolts, so that the top cover and the sand screen pipe are sealed to form a cavity;
the whole sand control well plugging system comprises a plurality of perforations and a second water inlet pipe; wherein the perforations are spaced apart and are distributed on the casing pipe along a length direction, and each perforation is provided with a second pressure sensor and connected to a second water tank via the second water inlet pipe which is provided with a second flowmeter, a second valve, a pressure stabilizer, a second pressure gauge and a second pump;
the local sand control well plugging system comprises a sand-filled pipe with a plurality of third pressure sensors along an axial direction of the sand-filled pipe, and a third water inlet pipe; wherein one end of the sand-filled pipe is fixed on the casing pipe and connected to the gravel packing section, and the other end of the sand-filled pipe is connected to the second water tank via the third water inlet pipe which is provided with a third pump, a third pressure gauge, a third valve and a third flowmeter;
the plugging removal system comprises an oil tube, a first water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe; wherein a plugging removal tool, a centralizer, a filter and an assembly ring are successively provided from bottom to top at the oil tube which is located in and coaxially provided with the sand screen pipe; the oil tube communicates with a first water tank via the first water inlet pipe which is provided with a first pump, a first valve, a first flowmeter and a first pressure gauge; one end of the water outlet pipe communicates with the cavity, and the other end of the water outlet pipe communicates with a third water tank; and the first water inlet pipe is provided with a first pressure sensor and a confining pressure regulating valve.

2. The simulation device of claim 1 , wherein a screen mesh is provided in the third water tank.

3. The simulation device of claim 1 , wherein the casing pipe and the sand screen pipe are made of transparent organic glass.

4. A simulation method for integrated evaluation experiment for the sand control wellbore plugging and plugging removal using the device of claim 1 , comprising:
a) after experimental devices are connected, adding clean water as an operating fluid into the second water tank to simulate fluid production without sand, and recording flow rate and pressure according to pressure gauges, pressure sensors and flow meters;
b) adding a certain amount of sand into the clean water as an operating fluid to simulate a plugging process of the sand control well bore; when simulating a plugging process of the whole sand control wellbore, opening the second pump to allow the operating fluid in the second water tank to flow into the wellbore system via the second water inlet pipe; when simulating a plugging process of a local sand control wellbore, opening the third pump to allow the operating fluid in the second water tank flow into the well bore system via the third water inlet pipe;
c) opening the first pump to allow a blockage relieving acid flow into the wellbore system via the first water inlet pipe for the plugging removal; for local plugging, lifting up the plugging removal tool to the same height as the sand-filled pipe by the assembly ring; for whole plugging, lifting up and down the oil tube at a certain speed through the assembly ring while the plugging removal tool is working;
d) recording pressure at different locations and times and flow rates at different locations; and calculating, by the following formula, permeabilities of the local sand control wellbore and the whole sand control wellbore according to the recorded pressure and flow rate:

K
i

=

Q
⁢

⁢
μ
⁢

⁢
Δ
⁢

⁢

L
i

A
⁢

⁢
Δ
⁢

⁢

P
i

where, K i is the permeability of interval i on the sand-filled pipe, Q is the flow rate through the sand-filled pipe, μ is the fluid viscosity, ΔL i is the length of interval i, A is the cross-sectional area of the sand-filled pipe, ΔP i is the pressure difference between two ends of the interval i;
e) by comparing permeabilities before plugging, after plugging and after plugging removal and observing the simulation process, evaluating the effect of the plugging removal tool; analyzing and evaluating the plugging removal effect with different working parameters when changing a speed for lifting the oil tube up and down, a pressure and displacement of the first pump during the plugging removal of the whole sand control wellbore; under the same simulation condition, applying different plugging removal tools or techniques to obtain a best plugging removal tool or technique under certain conditions according to the plugging removal effect.

5. The simulation method of claim 4 , wherein, during the simulation, the confining pressure regulating valve is adjusted to hold pressure of the wellbore system to further simulate sand control intervals of different depths, and the pressure is obtained by the first pressure sensor.

6. The simulation method of claim 4 , wherein different plugging types of sand screen pipe are simulated by changing the size of the sand in the operating fluid in the second water tank and the size of gravel in the gravel packing section.

7. The simulation method of claim 4 , wherein during the plugging removal process, a dye is added to the blockage relieving acid, and the process is recorded by a high-speed camera for the later evaluation of the plugging removal effect.

Assignees

• Univ China Petroleum East China

Inventors

• Liao Hualin
• Dong Lin
• Niu Jilei
• Dong Changyin
• Ma Wenhao
• Yang Shuai
• Xu Yue
• Yang Yandong
• Wang Hongliang

Classifications

• G01N15/0826 Primary

  and measuring fluid flow rate, i.e. permeation rate or pressure change · CPC title

• E21B43/12 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• E21B43/10 Primary

  Setting of casings, screens, liners {or the like} in wells · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title