Systems and methods for optimization of wellbore operations of producing wells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345109-B2
Application number	US-202318489948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2023
Priority date	Oct 19, 2023
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing an intervention operation in a wellbore using a friction reducer fluid include a coiled tubing insertable into the wellbore, a pump operable to pump the friction reducer fluid through the coiled tubing and into the wellbore, and sensors operable to detect wellbore conditions. A controller including a processor is operable to automatically predict a wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur a lock-up in the future based on the wellbore conditions and control the pump to pump the friction reducer fluid though the coiled tubing and into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for performing an intervention operation in a wellbore using a friction reducer fluid, comprising:
a coiled tubing insertable into the wellbore;
a pump operable to pump the friction reducer fluid through the coiled tubing and into the wellbore;
sensors operable to detect wellbore conditions; and
a controller comprising a processor, wherein the controller is operable to automatically:
predict a wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur a lock-up in the future based on the wellbore conditions; and
control the pump to pump the friction reducer fluid though the coiled tubing and into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to automatically predict the wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur the future lock-up based on a generative model usable to predict a future friction coefficient of the coiled tubing.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the generative model comprises a Markov chain.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is operable to automatically predict the wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur the future lock-up based on a current friction coefficient for the coiled tubing determined using a model for the coiled tubing and the wellbore conditions that is used in the generative model.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur the future lock-up is the wellbore depth at which a predicted future friction drag force determined using the predicted future friction coefficient is equal to or greater than a critical buckling load of the coiled tubing.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to automatically control the pump based on at least one of a pumping start time or a pump rate.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to automatically:
determine an amount of the friction reducer fluid to prevent the future lock-up; and
control the pump to pump the amount of the friction reducer fluid through the coiled tubing into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further operable to continue to automatically determine the amount of friction reducer fluid to prevent future lock-up and continue to automatically control the pump to pump the friction reducer to prevent future lock-ups, until the coiled tubing is inserted to a target wellbore depth.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further operable to automatically:
determine a minimum amount of the friction reducer fluid to prevent the future lock-up; and
control the pump to pump the minimum amount of the friction reducer fluid through the coiled tubing into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

10. A method of operating a coiled tubing injection system to perform a coiled tubing injection operation comprising:
injecting a coiled tubing into a wellbore using a coiled tubing injector;
monitoring wellbore conditions relating to the injection operation using sensors to detect wellbore conditions;
automatically predicting, using a controller comprising a processor, a wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur a lock-up in the future based on the wellbore conditions; and
automatically controlling a pump using the controller to pump a friction reducer fluid into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein automatically predicting the wellbore depth of the future lock-up further comprises using a generative model to predict a future friction coefficient of the coiled tubing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the generative model comprises a Markov model.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein automatically predicting the wellbore depth of the future lock-up further comprises using a model for the coiled tubing and the wellbore conditions to determine a current friction coefficient for the coiled tubing usable in the generative model.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur the future lock-up is the wellbore depth at which a predicted future friction drag force determined using the predicted future friction coefficient is equal to or greater than a critical buckling load of the coiled tubing.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
automatically determining a minimum amount of friction reducer fluid to prevent the future lock-up; and
automatically controlling the pump to pump the minimum amount of the friction reducer fluid through the coiled tubing into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

16. A computer-readable medium storing instructions which when processed by at least one processor perform a method of operating a coiled tubing injection system for injecting a coiled tubing into a wellbore and controlling a pump to pump a friction reducer fluid into the wellbore comprising:
monitoring wellbore conditions relating to injecting the coiled tubing;
automatically predicting, using a controller comprising a processor, a wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur a lock-up in the future based on the wellbore conditions; and
automatically controlling the pump using the controller to pump the friction reducer fluid into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein automatically predicting the wellbore depth of the future lock-up further comprises using a generative model to predict a future friction coefficient of the coiled tubing.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein automatically predicting the wellbore depth of the future lock-up further comprises using a model for the coiled tubing and the wellbore conditions to determine a current friction coefficient for the coiled tubing usable in the generative model.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the wellbore depth at which the coiled tubing will incur the future lock-up is the wellbore depth at which a predicted future friction drag force determined using the predicted future friction coefficient is equal to or greater than a critical buckling load of the coiled tubing.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein automatically controlling the pump using the controller further comprises:
automatically determining a minimum amount of the friction reducer fluid to prevent the future lock-up; and
automatically controlling the pump to pump the minimum amount of the friction reducer fluid through the coiled tubing into the wellbore to prevent the future lock-up.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Ogundare Oluwatosin
• Nicholson Jeremy C
• Jantz Eric Lynn

Classifications

• E21B19/22 Primary

  Handling reeled pipe or rod units, e.g. flexible drilling pipes {(lifting or hauling appliances using two or more cooperating endless chains B66D3/003)} · CPC title

• E21B2200/20

  Computer models or simulations, e.g. for reservoirs under production, drill bits · CPC title

• E21B37/00

  Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells (E21B21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B21/08 Primary

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title

• E21B47/002

  by visual inspection · CPC title