Formation swelling control using heat treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9719328-B2
Application number	US-201514715184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A downhole tool system includes a downhole tool string configured to couple to a downhole conveyance. The downhole conveyance extends into a wellbore, from a terranean surface, through at least a portion of a subterranean zone. The subterranean zone includes a geologic formation. The downhole tool system also includes a heating device coupled with the downhole tool string. The heating device is configured to transfer heat to the geologic formation in the wellbore at a specified temperature sufficient to adjust a quality of the geologic formation associated with a fluid absorption capacity of the geologic formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole tool system, comprising:
a downhole tool string configured to couple to a downhole conveyance that extends in a wellbore from a terranean surface through at least a portion of a subterranean zone, the subterranean zone comprising a geologic formation, the downhole tool string comprising a bottom hole assembly that includes a drill bit configured to form the wellbore; and
a heating device coupled with the downhole tool string uphole of the bottom hole assembly and the drill bit, the heating device configured to transfer heat to the geologic formation in the wellbore at a specified temperature sufficient to adjust a quality of the geologic formation associated with a fluid absorption capacity of the geologic formation, and the heating device is configured to transfer heat to a radial surface of the geologic formation in a first portion of the wellbore that is directly adjacent the heating device during operation of the drill bit in a second portion of the wellbore downhole of the first portion of the wellbore,
wherein the quality of the geologic formation associated with the fluid absorption capacity of the geologic formation comprises a cationic exchange capacity of the geologic formation.

2. The downhole tool system of claim 1 , wherein the specified temperature is sufficient to reduce the cationic exchange capacity of the geologic formation.

3. The downhole tool system of claim 1 , wherein the geologic formation comprises a shale formation.

4. The downhole tool system of claim 3 , wherein the shale formation comprises smectite clay.

5. The downhole tool system of claim 1 , wherein the specified temperature is between 400° C. and 500° C.

6. The downhole tool system of claim 1 , wherein the heating device comprises at least one of a microwave heating device, a laser heating device, or an in situ combustor.

7. The downhole tool system of claim 1 , wherein the downhole conveyance comprises a tubing string or a wireline.

8. The downhole tool system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor positioned adjacent the heating device; and
a control system configured to receive a temperature value from the temperature sensor and adjust the heating device based, at least in part, on the received temperature value.

9. The downhole tool system of claim 1 , wherein the heating device is configured to transfer heat to the geologic formation in the wellbore at the specified temperature sufficient to adjust the quality of the geologic formation associated with the fluid absorption capacity of the geologic formation to reduce an absorption of a drilling fluid, by the first portion of the wellbore in the geologic formation, during operation of the drill bit.

10. A method for treating a geologic formation, comprising:
forming a wellbore from the terranean surface to the subterranean zone with a bottom hole assembly that comprises a drill bit, where forming the wellbore from the terranean surface to the subterranean zone comprises drilling through a geologic formation of the subterranean zone;
positioning, in the wellbore, a downhole heating device that is coupled to a downhole conveyance that extends from the terranean surface to the subterranean zone that comprises the geologic formation, the downhole heating device positioned on the downhole conveyance uphole of the bottom hole assembly;
generating, with the downhole heating device, an amount of heat power at a specified temperature to transfer to a portion of the geologic formation in the wellbore, where the generating the amount of heat power at the specified temperature occurs simultaneously with drilling through the geologic formation of the subterranean zone;
applying the generated heat to a radial surface of the geologic formation in a first portion of the wellbore that is directly adjacent the downhole heating device while drilling through a second portion of the wellbore downhole of the first portion of the wellbore; and
adjusting a quality of the geologic formation adjacent the first portion of the wellbore, the quality associated with a fluid absorption capacity of the geologic formation based on the generated amount of heat power at the specified temperature, the fluid absorption capacity of the geologic formation comprising a cationic exchange capacity of the geologic formation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the specified temperature is sufficient to reduce the cationic exchange capacity of the geologic formation.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein generating, with the downhole heating device, an amount of heat power at a specified temperature to transfer to a portion of the geologic formation comprises at least one of:
activating a downhole laser to generate the amount of heat power at the specified temperature to transfer to the portion of the geologic formation;
activating a downhole microwave to generate the amount of heat power at the specified temperature to transfer to the portion of the geologic formation; or
activating a downhole combustor to generate the amount of heat power at the specified temperature to transfer to the portion of the geologic formation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein activating a downhole combustor to generate the amount of heat power at the specified temperature to transfer to the portion of the geologic formation comprises:
circulating one or more combustion products through the wellbore to the downhole combustor; and
combusting the combustion products in the downhole combustor to generate the amount of heat power.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising focusing the generated heat power on a portion of the geologic formation in the wellbore.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
forming an additional wellbore from the terranean surface to the subterranean zone, where forming the additional wellbore from the terranean surface to the subterranean zone comprises drilling through the geologic formation of the subterranean zone;
positioning, in the additional wellbore, the downhole heating device;
generating, with the downhole heating device, an amount of heat power at a specified temperature to transfer to a portion of the geologic formation in the additional wellbore, where the generating the amount of heat power at the specified temperature occurs subsequently to drilling through the geologic formation of the subterranean zone; and
adjusting a quality of the geologic formation in the additional wellbore associated with a fluid absorption capacity of the geologic formation in the additional wellbore based on the generated amount of heat power at the specified temperature.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising tripping a drilling assembly out of the additional wellbore after drilling through the geologic formation and before positioning the downhole heating device in the additional wellbore adjacent the portion of the geologic formation.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
measuring a temperature in the wellbore adjacent the portion of the geologic formation during generation of the heat power;
comparing the measured temperature and the specified temperature; and
based on a difference in the measured temperature and the specified temperature, adjusting the downhole heating device.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the specified temperature based, at least in part, on one or more of:
a property of a drilling fluid used to form the wellbore;
a mineral property of the geologic formation; or
a physical property of the geologic formation

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Buraik Khaled A

Classifications

• E21B36/04 Primary

  using electrical heaters · CPC title

• E21B7/00

  Special methods or apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• E21B36/00 Primary

  Heating, cooling or insulating arrangements for boreholes or wells, e.g. for use in permafrost zones · CPC title

• E21B47/065

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/07

  Temperature · CPC title