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US 2019/0292866 A1Published application
Method to manipulate a well using an overbalanced pressure container
AssigneeMetrol Technology Limited
InventorsShaun Compton ROSS, Leslie David JARVIS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to manipulate a well, comprising running an apparatus (60a) having a container (68a) with a volume of gas at a higher pressure than a surrounding portion of the well. The well is isolated, and a wireless control signal, such as an electromagnetic or acoustic signal, is sent to operate a valve assembly (62a) to selectively allow or resist fluid exit from a portion of the container (68a), via a port (61a). Some of the pressurised gas may itself be expelled in to the surrounding portion of the well, or it may be used to drive a fluid out of the container, such as an acid.
Claims42
A method to manipulate a well, comprising:
- (a) providing an apparatus comprising:
- a container having a volume of at least 1 litre (l) and at most 1600 l;
- a port to allow pressure and fluid communication between a portion of the container and a surrounding portion of the well;
- a mechanical valve assembly having a valve member adapted to move and one of to selectively allow and to selectively resist, directly or indirectly, fluid exit from at least a portion of the container, via the port;
- a control mechanism to control the mechanical valve assembly, comprising a communication device configured to receive a control signal for moving the valve member;
- (b) providing a fluid comprising a gas in at least a portion of the container, said portion having a volume of at least 1 l;
- (c) pressurising the gas to a pressure of at least 1000 psi and maintaining it at said pressure for at least one minute;
- (d) running the apparatus into the well, such that the apparatus is at least 100 m below the surface of the well;
- then,
- (e) isolating the port of apparatus from the surface of the well using at least one isolating component, the, or the uppermost, isolating component being at least 100 m from the surface well;
- (f) sending a control signal to the communication device at least in part by a wireless control signal transmitted in at least one of the following forms:
- electromagnetic (EM), acoustic, inductively coupled tubulars and coded pressure pulsing;
- then,
- (g) moving the valve member in response to said control signal to allow at least a portion of the fluid to be released from the container;
- and wherein
- (h) the container has a pressure of at least 100 psi more than a surrounding portion of the well immediately before the valve member is moved in response to the control signal.
13 more elements
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A method to manipulate a well, comprising:
- (a) providing an apparatus comprising:
- a container having a volume of at least 1 l and at most 1600 l;
- a port to allow pressure and fluid communication between a portion of the container and the surrounding portion of the well;
- a mechanical valve assembly having a valve member adapted to move and one of to selectively allow and to selectively resist fluid exit from at least a portion of the container via the port;
- a control mechanism to control the mechanical valve assembly, comprising a communication device configured to receive a control signal for moving the valve member;
- (b) providing a propellant in at least a portion of the container;
- (c) activating the propellant to produce a gas at a pressure of at least 1000 psi;
- (d) running the apparatus into the well, such that the apparatus is at least 100 m below the surface of the well;
- then,
- (e) sending a control signal to the communication device at least in part by a wireless signal transmitted in at least one of the following forms:
- electromagnetic (EM), acoustic, inductively coupled tubulars and coded pressure pulsing;
- then,
- (f) moving the valve member in response to said control signal to allow at least a portion of one of the gas and a liquid to be released from the container;
- wherein the container has pressure of at least 100 psi more than a surrounding portion of the well immediately before the valve member is moved in response to the control signal.
11 more elements
A method to manipulate a well, comprising:
- providing an apparatus in a well, the apparatus comprising:
- a container having a volume of at least 10 l, and containing at least one of gas and liquefied gas at a pressure of at least 1000 psi;
- a port to allow pressure and fluid communication between a portion of the container and the surrounding portion of the well;
- a mechanical valve assembly having a valve member adapted to move, and one of to selectively allow and selectively resist, directly or indirectly, fluid exit from at least a portion of the container, via the port;
- a control mechanism to control the mechanical valve assembly, comprising a communication device configured to receive a control signal for moving the valve member;
- sending a control signal to the communication device at least in part by a wireless control signal in at least one of the following forms:
- electromagnetic (EM), acoustic, inductively coupled tubulars and coded pressure pulsing;
- moving the valve member in response to said control signal;
- allowing gas from said at least one of gas and liquefied gas in the container, to escape from the container to reduce the hydrostatic head in the well.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.