Well kickoff systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837267-B2
Application number	US-201715812256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Nov 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for removing fluid from a subterranean well with a fluid removal system includes lowering an elongated member into tubing of the subterranean well to a lower position, the elongated tubing having a plunger or valve body located at an end, wherein fluid passes past the plunger or through a valve opening as the valve body moves into the subterranean well. The plunger or valve body is moved in a direction out of the subterranean well so that fluid cannot pass the plunger or through the valve opening, moving the fluid out of the subterranean well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for removing a drilling and completion fluids from a subterranean well, the method including:
lowering an elongated member into a tubing of the subterranean well a travel length of the tubing to a lower position, the elongated member having a valve body located at, and fixed to, an end of the elongated member, wherein the fluid passes through a valve opening of a one way valve and into the valve body as the elongated member moves in a direction into the subterranean well;
moving the elongated member in a direction out of the subterranean well so that the one way valve moves to a closed position and the fluid cannot pass through the valve opening, moving the fluid in the direction out of the subterranean well, wherein the elongated member is moved in the direction out of the subterranean well the entire travel length; and
moving the elongated member in a direction into the subterranean well and in a direction out of the subterranean well until the wellbore is free of the drilling and completion fluids then removing the elongated member from the subterranean well so that the fluids of the subterranean well produce to the surface without the elongated member.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated member is a rod.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the valve body sealing engages an inner diameter of the tubing when moving the elongated member in the direction out of the subterranean well.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the valve body is in fluid communication with an annulus between an outer diameter of the elongated member and the inner diameter of the tubing so that moving the elongated member in the direction out of the subterranean well moves the fluid in the annulus in the direction out of the subterranean well.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated member is coiled tubing and where:
the elongated member is unrolled from a reel when lowering the elongated member into the tubing of the subterranean well;
moving the valve body in the direction out of the subterranean well includes rerolling the elongated member onto the reel;
a portion of the elongated member remains coiled around the reel when the elongated member is at the lower position; and
the elongated member is unrolled from the reel and rerolled onto the reel with a hydraulic linear pump located at an earth's surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a standing valve is located within the tubing axially below the travel length of the tubing, and wherein the standing valve prevents the fluid from exiting the bottom end of the tubing when lowering the elongated member into the tubing of the subterranean well.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein an outer diameter of the valve body sealingly engages an inner diameter of the tubing when lowering the elongated member into the tubing of the subterranean well and when moving the elongated member in the direction out of the subterranean well.

8. A method for removing a drilling and completion fluids from a subterranean well, the method including:
setting a standing valve within a tubing axially below a travel length of the tubing;
lowering a hollow elongated member into the tubing of the subterranean well the travel length of the tubing to a lower position proximate to a bottom end of the tubing, wherein the standing valve prevents the fluid from exiting the bottom end of the tubing when lowering the elongated member into the tubing of the subterranean well, and wherein an outer diameter of a valve body sealingly engages an inner diameter of the tubing while lowering the hollow elongated member into the tubing, moving the fluid in a direction out of the subterranean well through the elongated member;
moving the elongated member in a direction out of the subterranean well, wherein the outer diameter of the valve body sealingly engages the inner diameter of the tubing while moving the elongated member in the direction out of the subterranean well, where the elongated member is moved in the direction out of the subterranean well the entire travel length; and
moving the elongated member in a direction into the subterranean well and in a direction out of the subterranean well until the wellbore is free of the drilling and completion fluids then removing the elongated member from the subterranean well so that the fluids of the subterranean well produce to the surface without the elongated member.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a circulating valve of the elongated member is in a closed position while lowering the hollow elongated member into the tubing and the circulating valve is in an open position while moving the elongated member in the direction out of the subterranean well.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fluid passes through a valve opening of a one way valve and into the valve body as the elongated member moves in a direction into the subterranean well, and the one way valve moves to a closed position and the fluid cannot pass through the valve opening while moving the elongated member in the direction out of the subterranean well.

11. A method for removing a drilling and completion fluids from a subterranean well, the method including:
lowering a hollow elongated member into a tubing of the subterranean well a travel length of the tubing to a lower position, the elongated member having a barrel at an end of the elongated member, wherein a rod extends within the elongated member and the rod has a valve body located at an end of the rod and within the barrel;
reciprocating the rod between a direction out of the subterranean well and a direction into the subterranean well so that:
moving the rod in the direction out of the subterranean well closes a lower one way valve and opens an upper one way valve and the fluid within the valve body moves out of the valve body and into the elongated member; and
moving the rod in the direction into the subterranean well opens the lower one way valve and closes the upper one way valve and the fluid within the subterranean well moves into the valve body; and
moving the rod in a direction into the subterranean well and in a direction out of the subterranean well until the wellbore is free of the drilling and completion fluids then removing the rod from the subterranean well so that the fluids of the subterranean well produce to the surface without the rod; wherein

the tubing is free of tubing inner diameter restrictive devices along the travel length that would restrict movement of the elongated member so that the elongated member moves freely between an upper position proximate to a top end of the tubing and the lower position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the elongated member is coiled tubing and a hydraulic linear pump at a surface located at an end of a coil tubing reel reciprocates the rod between the direction out of the subterranean well and the direction into the subterranean well.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rod is selected from a group consisting of individual rods, continuous coiled rods, or wire.

14. The method of claim 11 , further including centralizing the rod within the elongated member to prevent the rod from engaging an inner diameter surface of the elongated member.

15. A fluid removal system for a subterranean well for removing a drilling and completion fluids from the subterranean well, the fluid removal system having:
an elongated member sized to extend into a tubing of the subterranean well a travel length of the tubing to a lower position a distance proximate to a bottom end of the tubing;
a valve body located at an end of the elongated member

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Xiao Jinjiang
• Lastra Rafael Adolfo
• Roth Brian A

Classifications

• E21B43/126 Primary

  Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by drives outside the borehole, e.g. by a rotary or oscillating drive (powered by fluid E21B43/129) · CPC title

• E21B2200/04

  Ball valves · CPC title

• F04B47/026

  Pull rods, full rod component parts · CPC title

• F04B47/02

  the driving mechanisms being situated at ground level (F04B47/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04B53/126

  Ball valves · CPC title