Casing attachment system for attenuating annular pressure buildup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584373-B2
Application number	US-202117995026-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2021
Priority date	Apr 7, 2020
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A method of attenuating annular pressure buildup within a wellbore. The method includes running first and second strings of casing into a wellbore, wherein the first string of casing surrounds an upper portion of the second string of casing forming an annular region. The method also includes providing a packing of compressible material within the annular region. The compressible material comprises carbonaceous particles. The particles may reside within a porous sleeve or filter, or they may be packed together in a matrix using a cross-linked polymer or binder. The packing is fixed at a selected depth within the annular region, and is designed so that the compressible material absorbs pressure in response to thermal expansion of wellbore fluids during the production of hydrocarbon fluids from the wellbore. The method further includes placing a wellhead over the wellbore, thereby forming a trapped annulus in the wellbore over the annular region.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of attenuating annular pressure buildup within a wellbore, comprising:
running a first string of casing into a wellbore, the first string of casing extending into a subsurface to a first depth; running a second string of casing into the wellbore, the second string of casing extending into the subsurface to a depth that is greater than the first depth, and wherein the first string of casing surrounds an upper portion of the second string of casing forming an annular region; providing one or more packings of compressible material fixed at selected depths within the annular region, wherein the compressible material is designed to absorb pressure in response to thermal expansion of wellbore fluids within the annular region during the production of hydrocarbon fluids from the wellbore; placing a column of cement around the second string of casing below the first depth; and placing a wellhead over the wellbore, thereby forming a trapped annulus in the wellbore over the annular region; and wherein the compressible material in each of the one or more packings comprises a plurality of individual compressible particles, with the compressible particles together having a reversible volumetric contraction of greater than or equal to (≥) 3% at pressures progressing from 3,000 pounds per square inch (psi) up to 10,000 psi, wherein the plurality of compressible particles having a resiliency between exceeding 100% to 120% 100%, and wherein the compressible material is inert to heated wellbore fluids.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a fluid mixture resides within the trapped annulus around the packings of compressible material; and each of the one or more packings of compressible material is affixed to (i) an outer diameter of the second string of casing, or (ii) pup joints threadedly connected to the second string of casing, in series.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the compressible material with each of the one or more packings is between 5 feet and 35 feet in length; and the method further comprises mechanically or adhesively placing each of the one or more packings of compressible material along the second string of casing before the second string of casing is run into the wellbore.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of particles comprises calcined petroleum coke and sulfur; and the one or more packings comprises at least three packings spaced apart along the second string of casing.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of compressible particles in each of the one or more packings comprise carbonaceous particulate material held together forming a sheet; the sheet of each of the one or more packings comprises a binder for holding the compressible particles as a matrix; and the sheet of each of the one or more packings of compressible material is adhesively or frictionally secured to the outer diameter of respective pipe joints along the second string of casing.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the binder comprises at least one of silicone, nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), fluoroelastomer (FKM), hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), or a soft plastic to form the matrix.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more packings of compressible material comprises:
an elastomeric sleeve placed along the outer diameter of a second string of casing; an upper collar securing the sleeve to the second string of casing at an upper end of the sleeve; a lower collar securing the sleeve to the second string of casing at a lower end of the sleeve; and a plurality of compressible particles held within the elastomeric sleeve.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sleeve is fabricated from neoprene, polyurethane rubber, vinyl, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, silicone rubber, or combinations thereof.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sleeve is fabricated from a compliant polymeric material having micro-pores that permit an ingress of wellbore fluids.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more packings of compressible material comprises:
an elongated rigid porous filter secured along the outer diameter of the second string of casing, or threadedly placed in series with the second string of casing; and a plurality of compressible particles held within the porous filter.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the porous filter of each of the one or more packings comprises a sand screen or a slotted tubular joint, and is fabricated from metal or ceramic.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the compressible particles has an outer diameter that is between 100 micrometers (μm) and 900; and the compressible particles together have a compressibility of between 10% and 30%, when increasing pressure from 15 psi up to 10,000 psi.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
placing a string of production tubing into the wellbore within the second string of casing; producing hydrocarbon fluids from the wellbore; and in response to thermal expansion of the fluid mixture in the trapped annulus, absorbing increased pressure using the compressible particles.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a range of pressures expected to be experienced by the fluid mixture in the trapped annulus; and determining a maximum pressure for effectiveness of the compressible particles.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
designing the compressible particles to have an optimum pressure performance at an expected pressure.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more packings comprise at least three packings; and the method further comprises determining an optimum length of the packings, an optimum spacing of the packings, an optimum number of the packings, or combinations thereof, for absorbing pressure build-up within the trapped annulus.

17 . A method of placing compressible particles within a wellbore, comprising:
running a first string of casing into a wellbore, the first string of casing extending into a subsurface to a first depth; running a second string of casing into the wellbore, the second string of casing extending into the subsurface to a depth that is greater than the first depth, and wherein the first string of casing surrounds an upper portion of the second string of casing forming an annular region; providing a series of packings of compressible material, with each packing being fixed at a selected depth within the annular region, wherein:
each packing of compressible material is affixed to an outer diameter of the second string of casing or is threadedly placed in series with the second string of casing,
the compressible material comprises a plurality of carbonaceous particles,
the carbonaceous particles are designed to absorb pressure in response to thermal expansion of wellbore fluids within the annular region during the production of hydrocarbon fluids from the wellbore;
the carbonaceous particles having a resiliency between exceeding 100% to 120%; and
the compressible material is inert to heated wellbore fluids;
placing a column of cement around the second string of casing below the first depth; and placing a wellhead over the wellbore, thereby forming a trapped annulus in the wellbore over the annular region.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the carbonaceous particles are designed to have an optimum pressure performance at an expected pressure; the plurality of compressible particles together have a reversible volumetr

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Technology & Engineering Company

Inventors

• Petersen Thomas A
• Datta Sudhin
• White Spencer A
• Veselka Andy J
• Morris Jr William C
• Narhi Ward E

Classifications

• E21B41/00 Primary

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• E21B43/08

  Screens or liners {(expandable screens or liners E21B43/108)} · CPC title

• E21B33/03

  Well heads; Setting-up thereof · CPC title

• E21B43/00

  Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells (applicable only to water E03B) · CPC title

• E21B33/14 Primary

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title