METHOD OF SIMULTANEOUS INTRODUCING OF TWO OR MORE THAN TWO CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES AND/OR WATER INTO A SUBTERRANEOUS HYDROCARBON FORMATION AND/OR CONTROL OF THE RATE OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS OF THESE SUBSTANCES, AND A DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS METHOD

Abstract

Method of simultaneous introducing of two or more than two chemical substances and/or water into a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation and/or control of the rate of chemical reactions of these substances, and a device for implementation of this method This invention relates to the method of simultaneous introducing of two or more than two chemical substances and/or water into a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation and/or control of rate of chemical reactions of these substances and/or water by introducing their controlled amount into a subterraneous formation containing liquid and/or gaseous hydrocarbons, particularly crude oil, shale gas or natural, below a dedicated packer for exploration and production of these hydrocarbons and simultaneous inserting of a dedicated data cable (3) for interconnection of the measuring and/or regulating components in the wellbore, where the said chemical substances and/or water are supplied into the wellbore at controlled rate through the free casing (5) by means of at least three mutually separated flexible tubing (2a,b) (flexible injection lines) or the combination of these flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) with the solid wellbore tubing, or by means of at least one flexible multi-channel tubing containing inside at least three fix-attached flexible tubing (channels) of smaller diameter leading into the space in the wellbore and/or pay zone below/behind at least one remotely-adjustable packer connected with the well head that, after reaching the required position, seals off space in the wellbore below the packer and the pay zone (16) against the space above the packer in the wellbore and up to the well head. The invention also includes a device for the implementation of this method.

Claims

1. A method of simultaneous introducing of two or more than two chemical substances and/or water into the wellbore space below a packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation and/or controlling rate of chemical reactions of these substances and/or water by supplying their controlled amount into the wellbore spacing below a packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation through vertical or horizontal wells for the purpose of exploration and production of gaseous hydrocarbons and/or liquid hydrocarbons, particularly crude oil, shale gas or natural gas, and simultaneous inserting of the cable for interconnection of measuring and/or regulation components in the wellbore, characterized in that the said chemical substances and/or water are supplied into the wellbore spacing below a packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation at controlled rate through the free casing by means of at least three mutually separated flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) or combination of these flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) with the solid wellbore tubing, or by means of at least one flexible multi-channel tubing containing inside at least three fix-attached flexible tubing of smaller diameter leading into the space of the wellbore below/behind at least one remotely-adjustable packer and/or into the pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation, connected with the well head that, after reaching the required position, seals off the pay zone together with the well space below the packer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the packer in the horizontal well is remotely-adjusted by means of its own drive, flexible tubing (injection lines), multi-channel tubing, solid wellbore tubing in combination with flexible tubing (injection lines), by a suitable packer setting string, or hydraulically, or by means of a device generating electric impulses to drive the packer setting mechanism.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the said flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) or their combination with the solid wellbore tubing or at least one flexible multi-channel tubing, that also contain the cable for interconnecting measuring and/or regulation components, together with the temperature and/or pressure sensors, and with at least one packer are lowered, particularly on a suitable rope (wireline) to the required depth of the open vertical well and, subsequently, they are fixed on the outer surface of the packer against the free casing using elastic sealing.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the said flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) or their combination with the solid wellbore tubing, or at least one flexible multi-channel tubing, that contain the cable for interconnection of measuring and/or regulation components, together with the temperature and/or pressure sensors, and with at least one packer are shifted to the required position of the open horizontal well by means of the packer drive or by shifting on flexible pipes (flexible wellbore tubing) and, subsequently, they are sealed off on the outer surface of the packer against the free casing using elastic high-temperature and/or high-pressure sealing.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, together with the first packer, the second the packer is shifted through the free casing to the required position for sealing off the pay zone from the opposite side; the perforation of the casing connected with the outer pay zone is located between them.

6. The method according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the said chemical substances are, before entering into the space below the packer in the wellbore and/or the pay zone of the subterraneous hydrocarbon formation, mutually mixed or mixed with water or substances acting as reaction retarder.

7. The method according to any of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the flow rate of the chemical substances and/or water or the substances acting as reaction retarder for controlling rate of chemical reactions in the space below the packer in the wellbore and/or the pay zone of the subterraneous hydrocarbon formation is controlled based on feedback of the applied wellbore sensors, particularly of the temperature and/or pressure sensors located below the packer in the wellbore and/or the pay zone of the subterraneous hydrocarbon formation.

8. The method according to any of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the said chemical substances are selected from the group of compounds including basic chemical substances—TGEC, i.e. compositions producing source of heat and gases, such as alkali metal nitrates, alkaline metal earth nitrates, salts of various organic acid nitrates, and/or RIS, i.e. chemical substances initiating and stabilizing the reaction with TGEC, such as various borates, boranes, aluminates or alanes.

9. The method according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, in the combination of the flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) with the solid wellbore tubing, the said chemical substances and/or water are supplied via the flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) and the explored hydrocarbons are produced through the solid wellbore tubing.

10. A device for simultaneous introducing of two or more than two chemical substances and/or water into the wellbore space below a packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation, and/or for controlling the rate of chemical reaction of these substances by introducing their controlled amount into the wellbore space below a packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation through a vertical or horizontal well for the exploration and production of gaseous hydrocarbons and/or liquid hydrocarbons, particularly crude oil, shale gas or natural gas, using the method according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it includes: a) the outer casing fitted in the vicinity of its end at the pay zone with the perforation; at least one remotely-adjustable packer connected by flexible tubing (injection lines) and/or data cable with the well head, is inserted into the casing; the packer with the sealing head installed on its top is fitted with elastic sealing on at least a part of its side surface, and b) at least three mutually separated flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) or combination of these flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) with the solid wellbore tubing, or at least one flexible multi-channel tubing containing at least three fix-attached flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) and/or channels of smaller diameter, for supply and/or control of the said chemical substances, and for the cable interconnecting the measuring sensors or regulation components, below/behind this packer, with the detachable inlet into the sealing head of the packer, passing through the packer with the outlet below/behind this packer, in the direction to the pay zone.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the flexible multi-channel tubing contains inside at least four mutually separated fix-attached flexible tubing (channels) of smaller diameter; the multi-channel tubing includes: the first tubing (channel) for supplying the basic chemical substance; the second tubing (channel) for supplying the initiating and stabilizing chemical substance; the third tubing (channel) for supplying water and/or the substance acting as the reaction retarder; and the fourth tubing (channel) for introducing the cable for interconnecting the measuring or regulation components in the well.

12. The device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) inside the flexible multi-channel tubing are mutually fix-attached by filling the remaining space with a flexible material based, for instance, on silicone resistant against external pressure.

13. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that, for shifting the remotely-adjustable packer in the horizontal well, the packer is fitted with hydraulic or electric drive or it includes additional auxiliary device for shifting on the rope (wireline) or shifting by means of flexible pipes (flexible wellbore tubing), whereas the drive is out of the well; the elastic sealing of the packer against the casing can be controlled by a suitable packer setting string, or hydraulically, or by means of a device generating electric impulses to drive the packer setting mechanism.

14. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the sealing head of the packer contains additional holes (NPT-bores) for installing the sensors for temperature and/or pressure measurement, or for enabling the channeling of the temperature and/or pressure sensor cable below the packer.

15. The device according to claim 10 or 14, characterized in that, for dosing the said chemical substances and/or water into wellbore space below a packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation, the flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) or combination of these flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) with the solid wellbore tubing, or the flexible multi-channel tubing are connected to and sealed off against the wellbore space below a packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation by means of the sealing on the head of the packer and via the control and/or regulation components attached on the sealing head of the packer.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that the control and/or regulation components are control valves and/or non-return valves.

17. The device according to claims 10 to 16, characterized in that the control and/or regulation components, flexible tubing (flexible injection lines), or the combination of these flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) with the solid wellbore tubing, or flexible multi-channel tubing, the temperature and/or pressure sensors are, in addition to the packer head, also fixed and sealed off in the packer.

18. The device according to claims 10 to 17, characterized in that it contains, below (vertical setting) or behind (horizontal setting) of the packer, preferably at the end of the flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) or flexible multi-channel tubing, the mixer, possibly with a stirrer, mutually interconnecting the pre-separated tubing (channels) for stirring the chemical substances.

19. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the remotely-controllable packer separates and seals off against the wellbore space below the packer and/or pay zone of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation from the external atmosphere below the wellhead and above the packer (1-packer-application) and/or also below the packer (2-packer-application) in the wellbore.

20. The device according to any of claims 10, 15 or 17 to 18, characterized in that the flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) or flexible multi-channel tubing are woven stainless-steel hoses or hoses made of plastic, preferably of PTFE (Teflon).

21. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the securing element is installed on the well surface in the direction perpendicular to the casing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0054] FIG. 1 shows schematic representation of the device according to the invention in the vertical well with one packer;

[0055] FIG. 2 shows schematic representation of the device according to the invention in the horizontal well with two packers;

[0056] FIG. 3 shows schematic representation of the device according to the invention—flexible multi-channel tubing in cross-section containing inside four mutually separated fix-attached flexible tubing and/or channels of smaller diameter.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE MARKS

[0057] 1: steel rope (wireline) [0058] 2a: 1st flexible tubing (flexible injection line) [0059] 2b: 2nd flexible tubing (flexible injection line) [0060] 3: cable of temperature and/or pressure sensor [0061] 4: securing element [0062] 5: casing (boring tube) [0063] 6: valves [0064] 6′: non-return valves [0065] 7: sealing head of packer [0066] 8: elastic sealing [0067] 9: packer [0068] 9a: 1st packer [0069] 9b: 2nd packer [0070] 10: perforation [0071] 11: mixer with stirrer [0072] 12: chemical substances [0073] 13: reaction chamber [0074] 14: packer drive [0075] 15: distance and control element [0076] 16: pay zone (active production zone in subterraneous hydrocarbon formation) [0077] 17a: 1st pulley [0078] 17b: 2nd pulley

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0079] The device according to FIG. 1 for the vertical well consists of casing (bore tubing) 5 terminated before the end with perforation 10 connecting the well with pay zone 16—crude oil. Inside casing 5 secured on the top just above the ground with securing element 4 there is remote-adjustable packer 9 which hangs, for instance, on controllable steel rope (wireline) 1 and which is closed on the top with sealing head 7; elastic sealing 8 is made on a part of the packer outer surface in longitudinal direction. Valves 6 and/or non-return valves 6′ are fix-attached on sealing head 7 of packer 9. Both valves 6 and/or non-return valves 6′, and sealing head 7 on packer 9 and packer 9 are adapted for passage of cable 3, connected with the temperature and/or pressure sensor, and two or more flexible tubing (flexible injection line.) 2a and 2b leading below packer 9. Mixer with stirrer 11 is connected at ends of all flexible tubing (flexible injection line) 2a, 2b behind the packer 9.

[0080] According to the method of the submitted invention for the open vertical well, packer 9 together with the flexible hoses/tubing, led over pulleys 17a, 17b, which are, for instance, flexible tubing (flexible injection lines) 2a, 2b, and with the cable of measuring sensors 3 of temperature and pressure are lowered, for instance, on steel rope (wireline) 1 through casing (boring tube) 5 to the required position and, after reaching it, packer 9 is fixed in casing 5 by means of elastic sealing 8. The chemical substances and/or water are fed below packer 9 via separated flexible tubing (flexible injection line) 2a, 2b connected below packer 9. For better dosage and/or control of these chemical substances and/or water into pay zone 16 with crude oil, including, in particular, the reaction chamber interconnected with deposit 16 by perforation 10, flexible tubing (flexible injection line) 2a, 2b are preferably led via the controllers, i.e. valves 6 or non-return valves 6′.

[0081] By this method, the packer controlled, for instance, hydraulically separates the well with exploited crude oil from the surrounding atmosphere.

Example 2

[0082] The device similar to that in Example 1 is also utilized for the open horizontal well (with possibly built-in securing element 4, (see FIG. 1)), with one or more perforations; however, two packers 9a and 9b inserted into the well are mutually connected by distance and control element 15, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0083] The system of two packers 9a and 9b is inserted into horizontal casing 5 using the flexible tubing (flexible injection line) or multi-channel tubing (i.e. coiled-tubing), or own drive 14 of packer 9a; however, second packer 9b acts as a sealing component only, i.e. without any additional device. When the required distance is reached at which the perforation is located between both packers 9a and 9b, both packers are sealed. Perforation 10 connected with pay zone 16 and reaction chamber 13 is thus located between both packers 9 and 9a, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0084] The chemical substances are then fed through the flexible tubes via the control elements (valves) and via packer 9a into the reaction chamber between both packers where the required reaction takes place, as shown in FIG. 2.

Example 3

[0085] The device used for exploration of crude oil according to FIG. 3 is shown in cross-section in the form of flexible multi-channel tubing woven with stainless-steel fibres with outer jacket F, resistant against pressure of 68.948 to 82.737 MPa (10,000 to 12,000 psi) and temperature up to about 250° C., for simultaneous introducing of three chemical substances and/or water and inserting cables into the vertical or horizontal well of the casing diameter 0.127 to 0.178 m (5 to 7 inches).

[0086] Length of this multi-channel tubing was 1,500 m, however, it can be even longer.

[0087] This multi-channel tubing contained inside four fix-attached flexible tubing of smaller diameter leading into the space of the pay zone below/behind at least one remote-adjustable packer.

[0088] The first flexible tubing (injection line) marked A with outer jacket G of diameter 18 to 20 mm, was used for introducing the basic chemical substance TGEC, i.e. the composition producing the source of heat and gases.

[0089] The second flexible tubing (injection line) marked B with outer jacket G of diameter at least 15 mm was used for leading the cables to one or two thermocouples or to the cable monitoring thermal conditions inside the well, one underground pressure sensor cable, and/or for one pressure cable of the sensor of the upper well hole and/or for one cable to the regulating valve in the vertical well.

[0090] The third flexible tubing (injection line) marked C with outer jacket G of diameter approximately 14 to 17 mm was used for introducing the chemical substance (RIS) initiating and stabilizing the reaction with the basic chemical substance.

[0091] The fourth flexible tubing (injection line) marked D, with outer jacket G, of diameter approximately 14 to 17 mm was used for introducing the reaction inhibitors, such as water or the chemical substance functioning as the reaction retarder (inhibitor).

[0092] Remaining internal space marked E delimited by the jacket of the flexible multi-channel tubing and the said first to fourth tubes A-D was filled with a flexible material based on silicone so that the multi-channel tubing would be resistant against external pressure.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0093] The method and device according to the invention makes it possible to quickly, efficiently and much more safely fill and/or control the chemical substances during their reaction in the wellbore below a dedicated packer and/or in the pay zone (active production zone) of a subterraneous hydrocarbon formation.

[0094] The said method and device with its design enable all lines and/or data cable(s) to be fully inert and/or coated against any corrosive substances and that can be even located in the environment of water above a water flooded packer, which substantially simplifies using, for instance, monitoring devices for temperature and/or pressure measurement below and/or above the packer(s) and, in this way, the price of the device is subsequently favorably influenced.

[0095] In addition, the device facilitates easy assembly and disassembly, i.e. it can be quickly and at low costs transported to another well, irrespective of whether the device is being lowered into the wellbore by steel rope (wireline) and/or by hanging the device on a suitable solid wellbore tubing (i.e. 2⅞″-tubing, 2⅜″-tubing, 1″-tubing, 0.75″-tubing, etc.).