Oscillating fluid flow in a wellbore

• US 7,909,094 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Schultz, Roger L., Gleitman, Daniel D., Pipkin, Robert L., Cavender, Travis W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WRIGHT, GIOVANNA COLLINS
• Application Number:
  US12/120,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20090008088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 166/249, 166/312, 166/303, 166/177.2, 166/272.3, 166/177.1, 166/177.6, 137/833, 137/835
• US Class Current: 166/249
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/02 using burners
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0042 characterised by sealing the junction between a lateral and a main bore
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/305 comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2224 Structure of body of device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2234 And feedback passage[s] or path[s]

Abstract

A system for oscillating compressible working fluid in a wellbore defined in a subterranean formation includes a fluid supply and a fluid oscillator device. The fluid supply communicates compressible working fluid into a conduit disposed within the wellbore. The fluid oscillator device is configured to reside in the wellbore. The fluid oscillator device includes an interior surface that defines an interior volume of the fluid oscillator device, an inlet into the interior volume, and an outlet from the interior volume. The interior surface is static during operation to receive the compressible working fluid into the interior volume through the inlet and to vary over time a flow rate of the compressible working fluid from the interior volume through the outlet.

Claims

1. A system for oscillating compressible working fluid in a wellbore defined in a subterranean formation, the system comprising:

a fluid supply that communicates compressible injection fluid into a conduit disposed within the wellbore defined in the subterranean formation, the fluid supply comprising a steam generator; and

a fluid oscillator device configured to reside in the wellbore and comprising an interior surface defining an interior volume of the fluid oscillator device, an inlet into the interior volume, and an outlet from the interior volume, the interior surface being static during operation to receive the compressible injection fluid into the interior volume through the inlet and to vary over time a flow rate of the compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation from the interior volume through the outlet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the compressible injection fluid comprises heat transfer fluid.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the fluid supply comprises a heat transfer fluid generator configured to reside in the wellbore.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the fluid supply comprises a heat transfer fluid generator configured to reside above a ground surface outside of the wellbore.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the compressible injection fluid comprises steam of less than one hundred percent quality.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a conduit in fluid communication with the outlet and configured to inject the compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the outlet comprises a first outlet, the fluid oscillator device further comprises a second outlet, and the interior surface is configured to alternate a flow of compressible injection fluid between the first outlet and the second outlet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the outlet comprises a first outlet from the interior volume;

the fluid oscillator device further comprises a second outlet from the interior volume;

a first portion of the interior surface defines a chamber, a third outlet from the chamber into a first feedback channel, and a fourth outlet from the chamber into a second feedback channel;

a second portion of the interior surface defines the first feedback channel and the first outlet extending from the first feedback channel;

a third portion of the interior surface defines the second feedback channel and the second outlet extending from the second feedback channel;

the inlet is configured to direct the compressible injection fluid into the chamber; and

the first and second feedback channels are each configured to direct at least a portion of the compressible injection fluid toward a region in the chamber proximate the inlet.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the chamber comprises a first chamber, a fourth portion of the interior surface defines a second chamber extending from the first chamber, and the second chamber is configured to receive at least a portion of the compressible injection fluid from the first chamber and to direct at least a portion of the received compressible injection fluid back into the first chamber.

10. The system of claim 1, the conduit comprising an outer conduit, the system further comprising an inner conduit disposed within the outer conduit, the fluid oscillator device configured to receive compressible injection fluid from an annulus between the outer conduit and the inner conduit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the compressible injection fluid comprises at least one of air, steam, nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, carbon monoxide gas, or natural gas.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the interior surface defines a resonant chamber that is static during operation to vary over time a pressure of the compressible injection fluid in the interior volume.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid oscillator device comprises a whistle.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a hydrocyclone device configured to receive a mixture of compressible injection fluid and condensed fluid from the conduit, separate at least a portion of the condensed fluid from a remainder of the mixture, and communicate the remainder of the mixture into the inlet of the whistle.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a tapered insert defining at least a portion of the interior volume of the whistle and a tapered slot to receive the tapered insert.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a seal configured to reside in the wellbore to define an isolated region of the wellbore, the fluid oscillator device configured to reside in the isolated region.

17. The system of claim 16, the seal comprising at least one packer.

18. A method comprising:

directing a compressible injection fluid through at least a portion of a wellbore defined in a subterranean formation and into a fluid oscillator device installed in the wellbore;

directing at least a first portion of the compressible injection fluid within the fluid oscillator device to perturb a flow of at least a second portion of the compressible injection fluid within the fluid oscillator device;

directing at least a portion of the compressible injection fluid out of the fluid oscillator device at a flow rate that varies over time for injection into the subterranean formation; and

injecting the portion of compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation, wherein injecting the portion of compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation comprises reducing a viscosity of resources in the subterranean formation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein injecting the portion of compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation comprises stimulating a flow of resources through the subterranean formation.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the wellbore comprises a first wellbore and injecting the portion of compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation comprises stimulating a flow of resources through the formation into a second wellbore defined in the subterranean formation.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising periodically compressing a portion of the compressible injection fluid within the fluid oscillator device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising propagating sound waves through the subterranean formation, wherein the sound waves are generated by the periodic compression of the compressible injection fluid in the fluid oscillator device.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the flow rate varies in a periodic manner over time.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein directing at least a first portion of the compressible injection fluid within the fluid oscillator device to perturb a flow of at least a second portion of the compressible injection fluid within the fluid oscillator device comprises directing at least the first portion of the compressible injection fluid within the fluid oscillator device to perturb a direction of the flow of at least the second portion of the compressible injection fluid within the fluid oscillator device.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising producing fluids of the subterranean formation to the surface.

26. The method of claim 18, the working fluid is communicated into the formation via perforations.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein injecting the portion of compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation comprises injecting the portion of compressible injection fluid into the subterranean formation through perforations defined in a casing in the wellbore.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the fluid oscillator device is installed in a fixed location in the wellbore.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising sealing an axial section of the wellbore, the fluid oscillator device residing in the sealed axial section.

30. A method comprising:

directing a working fluid comprising a liquid through at least a portion of a wellbore defined in a subterranean formation and into a fluid oscillator device installed in the wellbore;

vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid to form a compressible working fluid; and

directing at least a portion of the compressible working fluid out of the fluid oscillator at a flow rate that varies over time.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising directing at least a first portion of the compressible working fluid within the fluid oscillator device to perturb a flow of at least a second portion of the compressible working fluid within the fluid oscillator device.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid comprises reducing the pressure of the liquid to induce a liquid to gas phase change of the liquid working fluid.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the liquid comprises condensed water and the compressible working fluid comprises steam.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising producing fluid of the subterranean formation to the surface.