Foam Cleanout Methods And Systems For Wellbores
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsSai S. Rao, Kaustubh S. Kulkami
Life of this patent
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Abstract
System and methods for cleaning debris or particulates from a wellbore using foam is provided, including predicting if a foam cleanout of a well is feasible by calculating foam properties at each of a number of segments in a well during a foam cleanout, comparing the foam properties to screening limits, providing an output to indicate if a foam cleanout is feasible. If feasible, the foam cleanout is performed.
Claims32
A method for performing a foam cleanout of a well, comprising:
- calculating foam properties at each of a plurality of segments in the well during the foam cleanout;
- comparing the foam properties to screening limits;
- providing an output to indicate if a foam cleanout is feasible;
- and
- if feasible, performing the foam cleanout, or if not feasible, adjusting the foam properties until the output indicates that the foam cleanout is feasible, and then performing the cleanout, using the calculated foam properties for each of the plurality of segments.
A system for predicting if a foam cleanout of a well is feasible, comprising:
- a computing system to implement calculation modules;
- and
- a foam calculator comprising:
- a geothermal gradient module to determine a geothermal gradient in the well;
- a foam compressibility module to use a foam equation of state to solve for changes in quality of a foam;
- a hydraulics module to calculate a hydraulic pressure of a foam column;
- a foam properties module to calculate rheological properties of the foam;
- and
- a hole cleaning module to calculate a sand transport rate.
A non-transitory, machine readable medium comprising code that, when executed, directs a processor to:
- obtain parameters for a foam cleanout of a well from a user;
- calculate a geothermal gradient in the well;
- calculate changes in a quality of a foam;
- calculate a hydraulic pressure of a foam column;
- calculate rheological properties of the foam;
- calculate a sand transport rate;
- and
- report a feasibility for the foam cleanout at each of a plurality of parameters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.