Electrical device for well stimulation

Abstract

An electrical device for well stimulation comprising a plurality of sections configured to be assembled, end to end, to form a tool. The tool comprises first and second electrodes. The second electrode is an electrically insulated peripheral electrode of the first electrode. The first and second electrodes of the tool forming, at one of the ends of the tool, a stimulation head. Additionally, one end of a body of a first section comprises a peripheral ring that is rotatably movable and translatably immobile relative to the body of the first section. The peripheral ring comprises a thread configured to engage with a thread of the second electrode of one end of a second section.

Claims

1. An electrical well stimulation device, comprising: a plurality of sections configured to be joined end-to-end to form a tool comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, each section comprises a part of the first electrode to form the first electrode and each section comprises a part of the second electrode to form the second electrode, the second electrode is a peripheral electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode of the tool forming a stimulation head at one of the ends of the tool; one end of a body of a first section comprises a peripheral ring which is rotationally mobile and translationally immobile relative to the body of the first section, the peripheral ring comprises a threading configured to cooperate with a threading of a second electrode part of a second section to join the second section to the first section; the threading of the peripheral ring is an external threading, a second electrode part of the first section comprises an extension between the peripheral ring and a termination of the end of the first section; and the first section comprises an electrical contact configured to establish an electrical connection between the second electrode part of the first section and the second electrode part of the second section in a zone of contact of the extension in response to the second section being joined onto the first section.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the zone of contact is a peripheral zone of the extension.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extension comprises a peripheral seal arranged between the zone of contact of the extension and the external threading.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical contact comprises at least one of the following: an electrically conductive peripheral seal or an electrically conductive foil.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first section and the second section comprises a rotation blocker configured to cooperate with each other to rotationally immobilize a body of the second section relative to the body of the first section in response to the second section being joined onto the first section.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the device comprises at least three sections, the rotation blocker of at least one section is geometrically configured not to cooperate with the rotation blocker of at least one other section.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the peripheral ring or the body of the first section comprises an indentation forming a bearing surface configured to cooperate with a gripper.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the indentation is a blind hole or a flat.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of the first electrode part of the first section forms a sleeve configured to receive an extension of the first electrode part of the second section, the sleeve comprises an electrical contact configured to establish an electrical connection between the first electrode parts of the first and second sections.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first section comprises a second peripheral ring that is rotationally mobile and translationally immobile relative to the body of the first section, the second peripheral ring comprises a threading configured to cooperate with a threading of the second electrode part of a third section to join the third section onto the first section.

11. An electrical well stimulation device, comprising: a plurality of sections configured to be joined end-to-end to form a tool comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, each section comprises a part of the first electrode to form the first electrode and each section comprises a part of the second electrode to form the second electrode, the second electrode is a peripheral electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode of the tool forming a stimulation head at one of the ends of the tool; one end of a body of a first section comprises a peripheral ring which is rotationally mobile and translationally immobile relative to the body of the first section, the peripheral ring comprises a threading configured to cooperate with a threading of a second electrode part of a second section to join the second section to the first section; the threading of the second electrode part of the second section is an external threading, the second electrode part of the second section comprises an extension between the threading and a termination of the end of the second section, the second section comprises an electrical contact configured to establish an electrical connection between the second electrode part of the first section and the second electrode part of the second section in a zone of contact of the extension in response to the second section being joined onto the first section.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the zone of contact is a peripheral zone of the extension.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the extension comprises a peripheral seal arranged between the zone of contact of the extension and the external threading.

14. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electrical contact comprises at least one of the following: an electrically conductive peripheral seal or an electrically conductive foil.

15. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the first section and the second section comprises a rotation blocker configured to cooperate with each other to rotationally immobilize a body of the second section relative to the body of the first section in response to the second section being joined onto the first section.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the device comprises at least three sections, the rotation blocker of at least one section is geometrically configured not to cooperate with the rotation blocker of at least one other section.

17. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the peripheral ring or the body of the first section comprises an indentation forming a bearing surface configured to cooperate with a gripper.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the indentation is a blind hole or a flat.

19. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein one end of the first electrode part of the first section forms a sleeve configured to receive an extension of the first electrode part of the second section, the sleeve comprises an electrical contact configured to establish an electrical connection between the first electrode parts of the first and second sections.

20. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first section comprises a second peripheral ring that is rotationally mobile and translationally immobile relative to the body of the first section, the second peripheral ring comprises a threading configured to cooperate with a threading of the second electrode part of a third section to join the third section onto the first section.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given as a nonlimiting example, and with reference to the figures which represent:

(2) FIGS. 1, 2, and 3: views before joining, after joining and in half-cross section after joining of an electrical well stimulation device,

(3) FIGS. 4 and 5: cross-sectional views of a first section and of a second section of an electrical well stimulation device according to a particular embodiment, before joining and after joining,

(4) FIG. 6: a perspective view of the first section of FIG. 4,

(5) FIG. 7: a cross-sectional view of a first section, of a second section and of a third section of an electrical stimulation device according to a particular embodiment, after joining, and

(6) FIG. 8: a cross-sectional view of a variant embodiment of the electrical stimulation device of FIG. 7.

(7) In these figures, identical references from one figure to another denote identical or analogous elements. For reasons of clarity, the elements represented are not to scale, unless stated otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(8) FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 schematically represent an electrical well stimulation device 10.

(9) Hereinafter in the description, the nonlimiting case of a stimulation device 10 for a well for extracting an underground resource, such as oil, natural gas, water, etc., will be assumed. However, as indicated previously, “well stimulation” should be understood generally to mean the generation of a shockwave in a natural or drilling well. Such a well stimulation can be implemented to improve the production of an underground resource extraction well, to perform a seismological survey, to produce a fracturing of underground rock, etc.

(10) As illustrated by FIG. 1, the electrical stimulation device 10 comprises a plurality of sections 11 adapted to be joined end-to-end.

(11) FIG. 2 represents said electrical stimulation device 10 after said sections 11 have been joined so as to obtain a tool 10a. FIG. 3 schematically represents a view in half-cross section of the tool 10a of FIG. 2.

(12) It should be noted that “electrical stimulation device” denotes all of the sections 11, whether joined or not, whereas “tool” denotes the object obtained by the joining of the sections 11. Consequently, all the various sections 11 joined together will be able to be denoted hereinbelow in the description as “electrical stimulation device” or “tool”.

(13) As illustrated by FIG. 3, the tool 10a comprises a first electrode 12 and a second electrode 13. Said first electrode 12 and said second electrode 13 are electrically insulated from one another, throughout the body of the tool 10a, by an electrically insulating layer 14.

(14) Said first and second electrodes 12, 13 of the tool 10a form, at one end of said tool 10a, a stimulation head 15, which is considered to be known to those skilled in the art.

(15) Each section 11 comprises, for example, a part of the first electrode 12, a part of the electrically insulating layer 14 and a part of the second electrode 13 of the tool 10a.

(16) Hereinafter in the description the nonlimiting case will be assumed in which the second electrode 13 is a peripheral electrode surrounding the electrically insulting layer 14, said electrically insulating layer 14 surrounding the first electrode 12 which constitutes a central core of the tool 10a.

(17) It should be noted that the tool 10a can comprise other elements not represented in FIGS. 1 to 3. For example, one or more sections 11 of the tool 10a may each comprise an electrical energy accumulator, an electrical protection device, etc.

(18) The present invention relates to a refinement made to the joining means of at least two sections of the electrical stimulation device 10, hereinafter respectively denoted first section 11a and second section 11b. It should be noted that this refinement is preferably implemented for the joining means of all the sections 11 of said electrical stimulation device 10.

(19) More particularly, one end of the body of the first section 11a comprises a peripheral ring 16. Said peripheral ring 16 is rotationally mobile relative to said body of said first section 11a and is translationally immobile relative to said body of said first section 11a. Furthermore, said peripheral ring 16 comprises a threading adapted to cooperate with a threading 133 of one end of a body of the second section 11b to join said second section 11b onto said first section 11a.

(20) FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically represent cross-sectional views of an exemplary embodiment of the first and second sections 11a, 11b, respectively before joining and after joining FIG. 6 schematically represents, in perspective, the first section 11a of FIGS. 4 and 5.

(21) In the embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, the threading of the peripheral ring 16 of the first section 11a is an external threading, that is to say a threading arranged on the face of the peripheral ring 16 located on the side opposite the first electrode 12 forming the central core of said first section 11a. Furthermore, the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a comprises an extension 130 between the peripheral ring 16 and a termination 131 of the end of said first section 11a.

(22) As illustrated by FIG. 6, the peripheral ring 16 is, for example, produced by means of two half-rings 16a, 16b joined between two peripheral abutments 132a, 132b of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a. The two half-rings 16a, 16b are joined together by any appropriate means, for example by means of screws 160. Because the peripheral ring 16 is arranged between the two abutments 132a, 132b of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a, said peripheral ring 16, while being rotationally mobile relative to said second electrode 13 of said first section 11a, is translationally immobile relative to said second electrode 13 of said first section 11a.

(23) On the side of the second section 11b, the second electrode 13 forms, at the end of said second section 11b, a sleeve inside which the extension 130 of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a can penetrate. The threading 133 of the second section 11b, produced on said sleeve, is an internal threading, that is to say a threading arranged on the face of said sleeve located on the side of the first electrode 12 forming the central core of the second section.

(24) As illustrated by FIG. 5, the internal threading 133 of the second electrode 13 of the second section 11b is adapted to cooperate with the external threading of the peripheral ring 16 of the first section 11a to join said second section 11b onto said first section 11a.

(25) Because of the presence of the peripheral ring 16, the joining of the second section 11b onto the first section 11a is simple to form. In effect, once the threading 133 of the second section 11b has been engaged with the threading of the peripheral ring 16, it will be sufficient, to produce the join, to rotate said peripheral ring 16 while keeping the body of the second section 11b rotationally immobile relative to the body of the first section 11a.

(26) In order to further facilitate the joining of the second section 11b onto the first section 11a, the peripheral ring 16 and/or the body of the first section 11a comprise an indentation forming a bearing surface suitable for cooperating with handling means.

(27) In the example illustrated by FIG. 6, the peripheral ring 16 and the body of the first section 11a both comprise such indentations, in order to be able to immobilize the body of the first section 11a when the peripheral ring 16 is rotated. More particularly, the peripheral ring 16 comprises, in the example illustrated by FIG. 6, blind holes 161 suitable for cooperating with a pin wrench, and the body of the first section 11a comprises flats 111. According to other examples, there is nothing to preclude considering other forms of indentations.

(28) In a preferred embodiment, the first section 11a and the second section 11b comprise respective means, called “rotation blocking means”, adapted to cooperate to rotationally immobilize the body of the second section 11b relative to the body of the first section 11a when joining said second section 11b onto said first section 11a.

(29) The presence of such rotation blocking means makes it possible to further facilitate the joining of the second section 11b onto the first section 11a. In effect, once the rotation blocking means of the second section 11b have been engaged with the rotation blocking means of the first section 11a, it is sufficient, to produce the join, to rotate the peripheral ring 16 relative to the body of the first section 11a.

(30) In the example illustrated by FIG. 6, the rotation blocking means are, for the first section 11a, in the form of a key 110. For the second section 11b, said rotation blocking means are, for example, in the form of a groove (not represented in the figures) in which said key can slide while the second section 11b is being joined onto the first section 11a.

(31) After joining, the end of the second electrode 13 of the second section 11b surrounds the extension 130 of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a and a part of the peripheral ring 16 of said first section 11a.

(32) The electrical contact between the first electrode 12 of the first section 11a and the first electrode 12 of the second section 11b can be established by using any suitable means known to those skilled in the art. In the example illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, the end of the first electrode 12 of the first section 11a forms a sleeve 121 suitable for receiving an extension 120 of the first electrode 12 of the second section 11b. The extension 120 of the first electrode 12 of the second section has no layer of electrically insulating material, and means are provided inside the sleeve 121 of the first electrode 12 of the first section 11a for establishing the electrical contact between the first electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, the electrical contact means of the sleeve 121 are of multicontact type, for example a sleeve comprising blades with shape memory, a helical spring or even foils.

(33) The electrical contact between the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a and the second electrode 13 of the second section 11b is, for example, established via the peripheral ring 16, the latter being optionally made of an electrically conductive material.

(34) In a preferred embodiment, illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a comprises means called “electrical contact means”, suitable for establishing an electrical contact between the second electrode 13 of the second section in a contact zone of the extension 130 of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a.

(35) In the example illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, said electrical contact means are in the form of an electrically conductive peripheral seal 134. There is nothing to preclude, according to other examples, considering other types of electrical contact means, for example an electrically conductive foil arranged at the periphery of the extension 130 of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a. Furthermore, it should be noted that the electrical contact means could be borne by the second electrode 13 of the second section 11b, or even by both the first section 11a and the second section 11b.

(36) By virtue of the electrical contact established at the extension 130 of the second electrode 13, the electrical current, which by skin effect has a tendency to circulate in the second electrode 13 as close as possible to the electrically insulating layer 14, will have a tendency to circumvent the peripheral ring 16. In effect, by assuming that the electrical current circulates from the first electrode 12 of the first section 11a to the first electrode 12 of the second section 11b then returns by circulating from the second electrode 13 of the second section 11b to the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a, it can be seen that the shortest path allowing the electrical current to pass as close as possible to the electrically insulating layer 14 consists in passing through the contact zone of the extension 130 of the first section 11a. That said, the electrical current will have a tendency to circumvent the peripheral ring 16.

(37) In the example illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5, the extension 130 of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a comprises two peripheral seals 135. Advantageously, said peripheral seals 135 are arranged between the contact zone of said extension 130 and the peripheral ring 16. In this way, as indicated previously, the electrical current will have a tendency to circumvent said peripheral seals 135, and the risks of the latter being damaged by the circulation of the electrical current are reduced.

(38) FIG. 7 schematically represents a variant embodiment of the first section 11a illustrated by FIGS. 4 to 6. In this variant embodiment, said first section 11a, (represented with grey shading in FIG. 7) comprises two peripheral rings arranged at opposite ends of said first section 11a.

(39) Thus, the first section 11a comprises, at an end opposite the end of the peripheral ring 16 described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, another peripheral ring 17. Said peripheral ring 17 is rotationally mobile and translationally immobile relative to the body of the first section 11a. Furthermore, said peripheral ring 17 comprises a threading suitable for cooperating with a threading of one end of a body of a third section 11c to join said third section 11c onto said first section 11a.

(40) In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 7, the threading of the peripheral ring 17 of the first section 11a is an external threading. Furthermore, the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a comprises an extension 136 between the peripheral ring 17 and a termination 137 of the end of said first section 11a.

(41) On the side of the third section 11c, the second electrode 13 forms, at the end of said third section 11c, a sleeve into which the extension 136 of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a can penetrate. The threading of the third section 11c, produced on the second electrode at said sleeve, is an internal threading, that is to say a threading arranged on the face of said sleeve located on the side of the first electrode 12 forming the central core of the third section 11c.

(42) As illustrated by FIG. 7, the internal threading of the second electrode 13 of the third section 11c is adapted to cooperate with the external threading of the peripheral ring 17 of the first section 11a to join said third section 11c onto said first section 11a.

(43) Everything that has been described above concerning the peripheral ring 16 and the extension 130 can also be applied to the peripheral ring 17 and to the extension 136 of the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a.

(44) In the nonlimiting example illustrated by FIG. 7, the first section 11a has no electrically insulating layer 14 and no first electrode 12. In effect, the respective electrically insulating layers 14 and first electrodes 12 of the second section 11b and of the third section 11c extend inside the first section 11a, and cooperate therein so as to ensure both the electrical continuity of the first electrode 12 and the electrical insulation between said first electrode 12 of the tool 10a and the second electrode 13 of the first section 11a.

(45) There is nothing to preclude, according to other examples, having a first section 11a comprising a part of the electrically insulating layer 14 and/or a part of the first electrode 12.

(46) FIG. 8 schematically represents a variant embodiment of the first section 11a of FIG. 7, in which said first section 11a comprises a part of the electrically insulating layer 14 and a part of the first electrode 12 of the tool 10a. Advantageously, the first electrode 12 of the first section 11a forms two opposite sleeves, respectively 121 and 123, adapted to receive respective extensions 120 and 122 of the first electrode of the second section 11b and of the first electrode of the third section 11c.

(47) Such arrangements are advantageous in that they make it possible to have identical ends for the second section 11b and the third section 11c, which facilitates their production and their internal arrangement.

(48) More generally, it should be noted that the embodiments considered above have been described as nonlimiting examples, and that other variants can consequently be envisaged.

(49) Notably, the electrical stimulation device 10 has been described by considering a peripheral ring 16 comprising an external threading. There is nothing to preclude, according to other examples, considering a peripheral ring 16 comprising an internal threading adapted to cooperate with an external threading produced on the periphery of the body of the second section 11b. The peripheral ring 16 then takes the form of a sleeve into which the end of the second section 11b can penetrate. In the case, described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, of a first section 11a comprising two peripheral rings 16, 17, one and/or the other of said two peripheral rings can comprise an internal threading adapted to cooperate with an external threading produced on the periphery of the second electrode 13 of another section.

(50) Furthermore, the electrical stimulation device 10 may comprise only two sections 11, but it may also comprise more thereof. In a preferred embodiment, when said electrical stimulation device 10 comprises at least three sections, the rotation blocking means of at least one section are not geometrically adapted to cooperate with the rotation blocking means of at least one other section.

(51) Such provisions make it possible to use said rotation blocking means as polarizers. Such a polarizing function can prove advantageous notably in the case where the sections comprise electrical energy accumulators and/or electrical protection devices. In such a case, the position of the sections relative to one another may prove essential, and will be able to be ensured by virtue of the rotation blocking means also offering a polarizing function.

(52) In the case where said rotation blocking means are in the form of keys and associated grooves, the polarizing function will be able to be obtained by considering keys in different numbers, of different dimensions, of different positions, etc., from one section to another.