Stimulation systems and methods
OwnerRadu Mircea COMSA, Andreea Gabriela BADEAinventors
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Abstract
Oil stimulation systems enable vibrations, including strong vibrations, to be transmitted towards the productive formation, via the rock matrix, from the exterior of a well casing with minimal attenuation from a component with a greater toughness than the contacted rock. In-situ amplification for the vibration transmission counters attenuation and stimulates oil flow within a productive formation.
Claims27
A system, comprising:
- a production well in communication with a productive formation,
- a vibration source above a rock matrix, configured to introduce vibrations in a vibrations direction, and
- a solid base between the vibration source and the rock matrix, below the vibration source as compared to the vibrations direction, acting as a vibration transmission point to the rock matrix,
- wherein the vibration source has a downhole vibrating part disposed within a well casing,
- wherein the base is located downhole,
- wherein the base has a part in contact with the downhole vibrating part, an area of said contact between the part of the base and the downhole vibrating part defining a first respective active section area,
- wherein the downhole vibrating part and the base vibrate freely relative to the well casing,
- wherein at least a portion of the base is disposed exterior of the well casing,
- wherein the portion of the base part exterior of the well casing contacts the rock matrix, said contacts defining a contacted part of the rock matrix, an area of said contact between the portion of the base part and the contacted part of the rock matrix defining a second respective active section area,
- wherein the base has a respective toughness greater than the toughness of the contacted part of the rock matrix, and
- wherein the second respective active section area exceeds the first respective active section area.
A system comprising:
- a production well in communication with a productive formation,
- a vibration source, and
- a solid base acting as a vibration transmission point to the soil;
- wherein:
- the productive formation is between 50 m and 250 m below the Earth's surface,
- the vibration source has a vibrating part over the base, and in contact with the base,
- the base is located at least in part in the exterior of the well casing,
- the base has at least a part located underground, in contact with the soil,
- the base has a respective toughness greater than a respective toughness of the soil in contact with the base,
- the base part in contact with the soil has a transverse section area exceeding the transverse section area of the vibrating part in contact with the base,
- the vibration source is adapted to generate vibrations with a peak force in excess of 50 kN.
A system for stimulating the oil production from a reservoir using vibrations whose vibration transmission to the rock is realized from a composite material volume with a respective toughness greater than the toughness of the rock in contact with the composite material volume, the composite material volume being created from an operation on the rock, including one of a rock toughening operation and a rock consolidation operation.
A system for stimulating oil production using vibrations, comprising a source component, located in a well casing of a production well, below a liquid level of the production well, the source component being adapted to output, in the production well casing, a flow of one of gas and foam, below the liquid level.
A system, intended for use in stimulating oil production, comprising:
- surface equipment,
- oil lifting equipment adapted to lift oil to the surface equipment, and
- a vibration component, adapted to generate vibrations for stimulating the production of the oil;
- wherein at least one of the oil lifting and the surface equipment have a vibration proof construction, and
- wherein the vibration proof construction includes one or more of tubing and pump dampers, flexible connections, snubbers, shock absorbers, and vibration proof fasteners.
A method for stimulating the production of oil using vibrations, comprising:
- providing a plurality of vibration process-dedicated wells aligned over or lateral to a horizontal part of a production well;
- and
- sequentially applying a vibration process to the plurality of vibration process-dedicated wells;
- wherein the sequential application of the vibration process comprises generating vibrations from a vibration source mounted on equipment adapted to be mobile equipment.
A method for stimulating the production of oil using vibrations, comprising:
- providing a plurality of vibration process-dedicated wells aligned over or lateral to a horizontal part of a production well;
- applying a vibration process to the plurality of vibration process-dedicated wells;
- wherein the application of the vibration process comprises generating vibrations from a plurality of vibration sources each dedicated to a respective one of the plurality of vibration-process wells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.