System and Method for Cleaning a Production Tubing

• US 20190316443A1
• Filed: 12/13/2017
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altus Intervention AS (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Altus Intervention AS (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Haugland, Lasse
• Granted Patent: US 11,781,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/14 for displacing a cable or a cable-operated tool, e.g. for logging or perforating operations in deviated wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 27/00 Containers for collecting or depositing substances in boreholes or wells, e.g. bailers, baskets or buckets for collecting mud or sand; Drill bits with means for collecting substances, e.g. valve drill bits
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 27/02 Dump bailers, i.e. containers for depositing substances, e.g. cement or acids
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 27/04 where the collecting or depositing means include helical conveying means
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/14 operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools E21B34/066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 37/00 Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells E21B21/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of cleaning production tubing in a producing petroleum well comprising the steps: i) providing collection tool configured for both selectively collecting debris while residing downhole to obtain collected debris as well as selectively releasing collected debris while residing downhole; ii) lowering collection tool to specific location at certain depth into production tubing of the producing petroleum well where there is at least a partial choking of local production flow due to accumulated debris deposited on production tubing; iii) collecting accumulated debris with collection tool to obtain collected debris; iv) pulling collection tool to production zone of production tubing or downstream of production zone where there will be enough production flow during production to ensure lifting capacity for collected debris; and v) releasing collected debris into production zone of production tubing to obtain released debris being lifted by production flow when production is running. The invention leads to time and cost savings during cleaning of production tubing.

Claims

1. Method of cleaning a production tubing (10) in a producing petroleum well, the method comprises steps of:

providing a collection tool (100) configured for both selectively collecting debris (90) while residing downhole to obtain collected debris (92) as well as selectively releasing the collected debris (92) while residing downhole;

lowering said collection tool (100) to a specific location (99) at a certain depth into the production tubing (10) of the producing petroleum well where there is at least a partial choking of a local production flow due to accumulated debris (90) deposited on the production tubing (10);

collecting said accumulated debris (90) with the collection tool (100) to obtain collected debris (92);

pulling said collection tool (100) to a production zone (25) of the production tubing (10) or downstream of said production zone (25) having enough production flow during production to ensure a lifting capacity for the collected debris (92), and

releasing said collected debris (92) into the production tubing (10) to obtain released debris (94) being lifted by the production flow (35) when production is running.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the production is started before releasing said collected debris (92).

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the production is started after releasing said collected debris (92).

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein releasing said collected debris (92) is carried out during controlled movement of said collection tool (100).

5. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the collection tool (100) is placed below the production zone (25) before the production is started.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the method further comprises anchoring said collection tool (100) during releasing said collected debris (92) into the production tubing (10).

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of anchoring said collection tool (100) during the step of collecting said accumulated debris (90).

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the released debris (94) is separated from the production flow (35) at a surface of the petroleum well using a separator tool.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the steps of lowering said collection tool (100), collecting said accumulated debris, pulling said collection tool (100), and releasing said collected debris (92), are repeated until all accumulated debris (90) is removed at the location of the partial choking to restore the production at or underneath the specific location (99).

10. A collection tool (100) for cleaning a production tubing in a producing petroleum well, said collection tool (100) comprises a collection chamber (103-1 . . . 103-5) for containing debris (92), the collection tool configured to both selectively collect debris (90) while residing downhole to obtain collected debris (92) as well as to selectively release the collected debris (92) while residing downhole.

11. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 10, wherein the collection tool (100) is provided with at least one of a release valve (105a, 105b) and a release port (114) for allowing releasing of the collected debris (92).

12. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 11 comprising the release valve (105a, 105b), and further comprising a slideable friction member (110a, 110b ) for engaging with the production tubing (10), wherein a relative position of the slideable friction member (110a, 110b) relative to the collection tool (100) controls the state of the release valve (105a, 105b).

13. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 10, wherein the collection tool (100) is configured to release the collected debris (92) at a downstream side (s2) of the collection tool (100).

14. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 13, wherein the collection tool (100) is configured to lead the production flow (35) at least partially from the upstream side (s1) through the collection chamber (103-1 . . . 103-5) of the collection tool (100) to the downstream side (s2) for washing out the collected debris (92).

15. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a debris collection tool (100) configured to collect the debris (90) mechanically.

16. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a pump for collecting the debris (90).

17. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 10, further comprising an anchoring device (200) configured to anchor against the production tubing (10) to fix a position of the collection tool (100).

18. The collection tool (100) in accordance with claim 10, wherein the collection tool (100) includes a filling level indicator to indicate a filling level of the collection chamber (103-1 . . . 103-5).

19. The collection tool in accordance with claim 10 comprising a wireline tractor (200) to form a downhole tool assembly.

20. The collection tool in accordance with claim 10 comprising a docking station to form a downhole tool assembly.