Automatic real time screen-out mitigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023383639-A1
Application number	US-202217825045-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 26, 2022
Priority date	May 26, 2022
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure presents processes for mitigating wellbore screen-out. The processes can automatically determine an onset of wellbore screen-out by analyzing corrected pressure data from the at least one pressure sensor, select at least one type of mitigation action based on the automatic determination of the onset of the wellbore screen-out, and mitigate the wellbore screen-out with the selected at least one type of mitigation action.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of mitigating wellbore screen-out, the method comprising:
automatically determining an onset of wellbore screen-out by analyzing corrected pressure data from a hydraulic fracturing well site; selecting at least one type of mitigation action based on the automatic determination of the onset of the wellbore screen-out; and mitigating the wellbore screen-out with the selected at least one type of mitigation action.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is selected from the group consisting of:
proppant concentration adjustments; fluid rheology adjustments by changing a concentration of friction reducer or other chemicals; and slurry pumping rate adjustments.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the selection of the at least one type of mitigation action is based on a pressure safety window and a risk from the automatic determination of the onset of the wellbore screen-out.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the pressure safety window is a difference between a pressure of fracturing fluid measured at a surface of the wellbore and a maximum pressure of the fracturing fluid for the hydraulic fracturing well site.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the risk is a rate of increase in pressure of fracturing fluid.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is performed automatically.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is performed by a user.

8 . A system for mitigating wellbore screen-out, the system comprising:
at least one surface pressure sensor; and at least one processor configured to perform operations including:
automatically determining an onset of wellbore screen-out by analyzing corrected pressure data from the at least one pressure sensor from a hydraulic fracturing well site;
selecting at least one type of mitigation action based on the automatic determination of the onset of the wellbore screen-out; and
mitigating the wellbore screen-out with the selected at least one type of mitigation action.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is selected from the group consisting of:
proppant concentration adjustments; fluid rheology adjustments by changing a concentration of friction reducer or other chemicals; and slurry pumping rate adjustments.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the selection of the at least one type of mitigation action is based on a pressure safety window and a risk from the automatic determination of the onset of the wellbore screen-out.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the pressure safety window is a difference between a pressure of fracturing fluid measured at a surface of the wellbore with the at least one pressure sensor and a maximum pressure of the fracturing fluid for the hydraulic fracturing wellsite.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the risk is a rate of increase in pressure of fracturing fluid.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is performed automatically.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is performed by a user.

15 . A computer program product having a series of operating instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that cause at least one processor to perform operations to mitigate wellbore screen-out, the operations comprising:
automatically determining an onset of wellbore screen-out by analyzing corrected pressure data from a hydraulic fracturing well site; selecting at least one type of mitigation action based on the automatic determination of the onset of the wellbore screen-out; and mitigating the wellbore screen-out with the at least one type of mitigation action.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is selected from the group consisting of:
proppant concentration adjustments; fluid rheology adjustments by changing a concentration of friction reducer or other chemicals; and slurry pumping rate adjustments.

17 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the selection of the at least one type of mitigation action is based on a pressure safety window and a risk from the automatic determination of the onset of the wellbore screen-out.

18 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the pressure safety window is a difference between a pressure of fracturing fluid measured at a surface of the wellbore with at least one pressure sensor and a maximum pressure of the fracturing fluid for the hydraulic fracturing well site.

19 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the risk is a rate of increase in pressure of fracturing fluid.

20 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the at least one type of mitigation action is performed automatically.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Sridhar Srividhya
• Romani Joseph Andrew
• Shetty Dinesh Ananda

Classifications

• E21B44/005 Primary

  Below-ground automatic control systems · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• E21B34/10

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B47/09

  Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes · CPC title