Completing long, deviated wells
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsClifford Lynn Talley, Ramon Eduardo Melean
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buoyancy fluid is sealed in an interior central bore of a completion liner with a plug assembly in the interior central bore. The buoyancy fluid has a lower density than the fluid contained in the wellbore. The buoyancy fluid reduces the force, and thus friction, at the interface between the liner and the bottom of the wellbore while the completion liner is being run to final depth. When the buoyancy fluid is no longer needed, the plug assembly can be withdrawn uphole from the completion liner and to the surface.
Claims16
A method of installing a liner into a fluid containing subterranean wellbore, the method comprising:
- sealing a buoyancy fluid in an interior central bore of the liner with a plug assembly in the interior central bore by sealing the plug assembly to an interior surface of the liner while the plug assembly is at the terranean surface, the buoyancy fluid having a lower density than the fluid contained in the wellbore;
- positioning the liner to a specified final depth in the wellbore;
- withdrawing the plug assembly uphole;
- and
- after withdrawing the plug assembly uphole, flooding the liner with a fluid having a density greater than the buoyancy fluid.
A method of installing a liner into a fluid containing subterranean wellbore, the method comprising:
- sealing a buoyancy fluid in an interior central bore of the liner with a plug assembly in the interior central bore by sealing the plug assembly to an interior surface of the liner while the plug assembly is at the terranean surface, the buoyancy fluid having a lower density than the fluid contained in the wellbore;
- positioning the liner to a specified final depth in the wellbore;
- prior to withdrawing the plug assembly, applying a specified pressure to an uphole side of the plug assembly to open a port through the plug assembly between a location uphole of the seal and a location downhole of the seal;
- withdrawing the plug assembly uphole;
- and
- flooding the interior central bore of the liner downhole of the plug with a fluid having a density greater than the buoyancy fluid while displacing the buoyancy fluid from the interior central bore liner downhole of the plug.
A method of installing a liner into a fluid containing subterranean wellbore, the method comprising:
- sealing a buoyancy fluid in an interior central bore of the liner with a plug assembly in the interior central bore by sealing the plug assembly to an interior surface of the liner while the plug assembly is at the terranean surface, the buoyancy fluid having a lower density than the fluid contained in the wellbore;
- positioning the liner to a specified final depth in the wellbore;
- withdrawing the plug assembly uphole;
- where the liner comprises a plurality of frac window sleeves and the method further comprises after withdrawing the plug assembly uphole, operating the frac window sleeves and fracturing a subterranean zone around the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.