In situ pump for downhole applications

• US 9,920,574 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robertson Intellectual Properties, Llc
• Original Assignee: Robertson Intellectual Properties, Llc
• Inventors: Robertson, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Zakiya W
• Application Number:
  US14/958,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/02 for locking the tools or the like in landing nipples or in recesses between adjacent sections of tubing E21B23/03 - E21B23/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/00 Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/18 Drilling by liquid or gas jets, with or without entrained pellets E21B7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for providing pressurized fluid to a formation that includes a power source body configured to contain a gas-generating fuel and a tool body comprising a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is configured to hold a fluid, and the second chamber is configured to receive gas from the gas-generating fuel within the power source body. The apparatus further comprises a piston sealed between the first chamber and the second chamber and configured to stroke through the first chamber in response to a pressure increase within the second chamber, and a hose configured to generate a high-pressure jet of the fluid and to extend from the tool body or a diverter sub into the formation when the piston strokes through the first chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing pressurized fluid, comprising:

a power source body configured to contain a gas-generating fuel;

a tool body comprising a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is configured to hold a fluid, and the second chamber is configured to receive gas from the gas-generating fuel within the power source body;

a displacement member sealed between the first chamber and the second chamber and configured to stroke through the first chamber in response to a pressure increase within the second chamber, wherein the displacement member strokes from a first inside diameter of the tool body to a second inside diameter of the tool body that is longitudinally disposed with respect to the first inside diameter, and wherein the second inside diameter is greater than the first inside diameter and when the displacement member strokes the seal between the first chamber and the second chamber of the tool body releases; and

a hose configured to generate a high-pressure jet of the fluid and to extend from the tool body, a diverter sub, or combinations thereof, when or after the displacement member is displaced or strokes through the first chamber for providing the pressurized fluid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a valve configured to release the gas from the second chamber through the hose when the displacement member strokes or is displaced.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more o-rings disposed upon the displacement member form the seal between the first chamber and second chamber, and wherein the seal is a gas-tight seal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an intake coupling coupled to the displacement member, wherein the intake coupling comprises ports configured to direct the fluid in the first chamber to the hose when the displacement member strokes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hose comprises a jet-drilling nozzle for providing the pressurized fluid into a target formation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diverter sub is configured to direct the hose laterally out of the apparatus as the displacement member strokes through the tool body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a viscosity modifier, a surfactant, an acid, a proppant, abrasive materials, gelled water, a bonding material, or combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high-pressure jet of fluid comprises fluid that is collected, filtered, stored, pressurized, or combinations thereof, from a wellbore or a surrounding formation while the apparatus is located at penetration zone of a target formation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a length of the hose within the tool body is at least twice as long as a length of the hose within the diverter sub, and wherein at least a portion of the length of the hose within the tool body is collapsible.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displacement member is a piston that strokes through the first chamber for providing the pressurized fluid.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hose is configured to be driven through a target formation by the pressurized fluid, at least one nozzle on the hose, a mechanical drive, or combinations thereof.

12. An apparatus for jet-drilling a downhole production formation, comprising:

a tool body configured to be placed in a cased and perforated wellbore within the downhole production formation;

at least one chamber within the tool body configured to contain a fluid;

a piston initially positioned at one end of the at least one chamber and configured to stroke through a length of the at least one chamber; and

a jet-drilling nozzle, wherein the stroking of the piston forces the fluid through the jet-drilling nozzle and into the downhole production formation, and wherein the piston is configured to enable a release of high-pressure gas into the downhole production formation after the fluid is forced into the downhole production formation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the jet-drilling nozzle is removed from the apparatus prior to the release of the high-pressure gas.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the jet-drilling nozzle is configured to be removed from the apparatus by passing a solid material through the hose, passing a metallic material through the hose, passing an acid through the hose, or combinations thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the jet-drilling nozzle comprises any number of orifices, any size of orifices, any configuration, and any shape of orifices for forcing the fluid into the downhole production formation.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a number of orifices on the jet-drilling nozzle, sizes of the orifices on the jet-drilling nozzle, a ratio of the number of orifices on a leading edge to a number of orifices on a trailing edge of the jet-drilling nozzle controls pressure of the pressurized fluid, a forward travel rate of the jet-drilling nozzle, and a cutting or perforating penetration of the jet-drilling nozzle.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one chamber is configured to contain the drilling fluid used for jet-drilling, wherein a second chamber is configured to contain the fuel used to pressurize the jet-drilling performed by the apparatus within the wellbore.

18. A method of generating a jet of high pressure fluid within a wellbore, comprising:

activating a gas-generating fuel contained within a fuel chamber of a downhole tool to produce an expanding gas;

pressurizing a gas-expansion chamber of the downhole tool with the expanding gas;

stroking a displacement member through a fluid chamber configured to hold a fluid, wherein the displacement member strokes due to pressurizing of the gas-expansion chamber and causes pressurizing of the fluid; and

jetting the fluid out of an outlet of the downhole tool in response to the pressurizing of the fluid, wherein the jetting of the fluid creates a bore in a production formation surrounding the wellbore;

removing a jet-drilling nozzle from the outlet by passing a solid material through the hose, passing a metallic material through the hose, passing an acid through the hose, or combinations thereof; and

releasing the expanding gas after removing the jet-drilling nozzle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of creating the bore comprises extending a hose into the bore to enlarge the bore for forcing the fluid into the production formation, wherein the hose extends into the bore from a tool body, a diverter sub, or combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising stimulating the production formation by releasing the expanding gas from the outlet after the fluid has been jetted.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein releasing the expanding gas comprises releasing the expanding gas through a valve in the displacement member, releasing the expanding gas around the displacement member, or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing well logging to produce logging data for identifying a target formation to create the bore and using the logging data to position the downhole tool at the target formation for creating the bore.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using the logging data for re-entry of the downhole tool or a second downhole tool at prior target formation or the bore.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising the method steps of

deploying a positioning tool within a wellbore at a site of a target formation, wherein the positioning tool comprises a selective profile;

and

latching the downhole tool into the positioning tool, wherein the downhole tool comprises a profile complementary to the selective profile of the positioning tool for positioning the downhole tool at the target formation.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising using logging data, the positioning tool, or combinations thereof for re-entry of the downhole tool or a second downhole tool at prior target formation or the bore.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the displacement member is a piston or a crush cylinder.

27. A method of generating a jet of high pressure fluid within a wellbore, comprising:

activating a gas-generating fuel contained within a fuel chamber of a downhole tool to produce an expanding gas;

pressurizing a gas-expansion chamber of the downhole tool with the expanding gas;

stroking a piston through a fluid chamber configured to hold a fluid, wherein the piston strokes due to pressurizing of the gas-expansion chamber;

jetting the fluid out of an outlet of the downhole tool in response to the stroking of the piston, wherein the jetting of the fluid creates a bore in a production formation surrounding the wellbore; and

releasing the expanding gas from the outlet after the fluid has been jetted by releasing the expanding gas through the piston, releasing the expanding gas around the piston, or combinations thereof.

28. An apparatus for providing pressurized fluid, comprising:

a power source body configured to contain a gas-generating fuel;

a tool body comprising a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is configured to hold a fluid, and the second chamber is configured to receive gas from the gas-generating fuel within the power source body;

a displacement member sealed between the first chamber and the second chamber and configured to stroke through the first chamber in response to a pressure increase within the second chamber;

a hose configured to generate a high-pressure jet of the fluid and to extend from the tool body, a diverter sub, or combinations thereof, when or after the displacement member is displaced or strokes through the first chamber for providing the pressurized fluid; and

a vent or a valve configured to release the gas from the second chamber through the hose when the displacement member strokes or is displaced.

29. An apparatus for jet-drilling a downhole production formation, comprising:

a tool body configured to be placed in a cased and perforated wellbore within the downhole production formation;

at least one chamber within the tool body configured to contain a fluid, a material or combinations thereof;

a piston initially positioned at one end of the at least one chamber and configured to stroke through a length of the at least one chamber; and

a jet-drilling nozzle, wherein the stroking of the piston forces the fluid through the jet-drilling nozzle and into the downhole production formation, wherein the jet-drilling nozzle is configured to be removed from the apparatus by passing a solid material through the hose, passing a metallic material through the hose, passing an acid through the hose, or combinations thereof.

30. A method of generating a jet of high pressure fluid within a wellbore, comprising:

activating a gas-generating fuel contained within a fuel chamber of a downhole tool to produce an expanding gas;

pressurizing a gas-expansion chamber of the downhole tool with the expanding gas;

stroking a displacement member through a fluid chamber configured to hold a fluid, wherein the displacement member strokes due to pressurizing of the gas-expansion chamber and causes pressurizing of the fluid; and

jetting the fluid out of an outlet of the downhole tool in response to the pressurizing of the fluid, wherein the jetting of the fluid creates a bore in a production formation surrounding the wellbore, and wherein the production formation is stimulated by releasing the expanding gas from the outlet after the fluid has been jetted.