# US 11,078,770 B2 · Stimulating U-shape wellbores

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- Number: US 11,078,770 B2
- Document ID: US11078770B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/676,890
- Filed: 2019-11-07
- Published: 2020-08-13
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-11
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Khalid Mohammed M. Alruwaili; Mohamed Nabil Noui-Mehidi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078770B2

## CPC

- E21B 43/16: Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
- E21B 43/26: by forming crevices or fractures
- E21B 33/124: Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space
- E21B 33/13: Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
- E21B 41/0035: {Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches}
- E21B 43/305: {comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well}
- E21B 49/006: {Measuring wall stresses in the borehole}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A cylindrical drum with a fluid inlet is configured to be connected to a downhole end of a fluid conduit. The cylindrical drum has an outer surface along which is the fluid inlet. The cylindrical drum has a center and an inner surface. Fluid nozzles fluidically connect to an interior of the cylindrical drum and are positioned around the outer circumference of the cylindrical drum. The fluid nozzles are positioned to direct fluid away from the cylindrical drum. A rotatable collar is positioned in the center of the cylindrical drum. The rotatable collar has an outer surface parallel to the inner surface of the cylindrical drum. Sleeve plates are positioned between the inner surface of the cylindrical drum and the outer surface of the rotatable collar. Each of the sleeve plates defines a hole with a diameter smaller than a diameter of a corresponding dropped ball.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of notching a wellbore comprising:
positioning a notching tool within a wellbore at a distal end of a fluid string, wherein the notching tool is configurable in-hole to notch at a notching angle, and the notching angle of the notching tool is adjustable after the notching tool is at a fracture point within the wellbore;
adjusting the notching angle by dropping a ball through the fluid string toward the notching tool, the dropped ball sized to trigger a specified notching angle;
receiving the dropped ball by the notching tool; and
forming a notch at the specified notching angle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an angle of the least principle stress within the wellbore.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the specified notching angle is perpendicular to the least principle stress of the wellbore.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the tool comprises a plurality of sleeve plates and wherein receiving the dropped ball by the notching tool comprises receiving the dropped ball by a first sleeve plate of the plurality of sleeve plates, the first sleeve plate having a hole with a smaller diameter than the received dropped ball.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the dropped ball is a dissolvable dropped ball configured to dissolve after a pre-determined period of time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein forming the notch comprises:
actuating the first sleeve plate in response to receiving the dropped ball; and
directing fluid through a nozzle that corresponds to the first sleeve plate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
removing the notching tool from the wellbore; and
pumping a fracturing fluid through the wellbore toward the notch.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the wellbore is a U-shaped wellbore with a first end, a second end, and a horizontal wellbore section.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein pumping the fracturing fluid comprises:
pumping fracturing fluid from a first end of the wellbore; and
pumping fracturing fluid from a second end of the wellbore.