Elastomer sealing performance is of critical importance for downhole tools application including the use of fracturing(Frac)plugs during multi-stage hydraulic fracking.In practice sealing performances of such plugs ar...Elastomer sealing performance is of critical importance for downhole tools application including the use of fracturing(Frac)plugs during multi-stage hydraulic fracking.In practice sealing performances of such plugs are normally evaluated through pressure tests,and in numerical simulation studies,maximum contact stress,average contact stress and contact length data are used to determine sealing quality between a packer and casing.In previous studies,the impact of friction forces on sealing performance is often overlooked.This work aims to fill this knowledge gap in determining the influence of friction forces on elastomer packer sealing performances.We first determined the most appropriate constitutive hyperelastic model for the elastomers used in frac plug.Then we compared analytical calculation results with Finite Element Analysis simulation using a simplified tubular geometry and showed the significant influences on interfacial friction on elastomer packer stress distribution,deformation,and contact stress after setting.With the demonstration of validity of FEA method,we conducted systematic numerical simulation studies to show how the interfacial friction coefficients can affect the maximum contact stress,average contact stress,contact stress distribution,and maximum mises stress for an actual packer used in plug products.In addition,we also demonstrated how the groove in a packer can affect packer deformation and evolvement during setting with the consideration of interfacial stress.This study underscores the critical role that friction forces play in Frac plug performance and provides a new dimension for optimizing packer design by controlling interfacial interactions at the packer contact surfaces.展开更多
Lost circulation is a common downhole problem of drilling in geothermal and high-temperature,high-pressure(HTHP)formations.Lost circulation material(LCM)is a regular preventive and remedial measure for lost circulatio...Lost circulation is a common downhole problem of drilling in geothermal and high-temperature,high-pressure(HTHP)formations.Lost circulation material(LCM)is a regular preventive and remedial measure for lost circulation.However,conventional LCMs seem ineffective in high-temperature formations.This may be due to the changes in the mechanical properties of LCMs and their sealing performance under high-temperature conditions.To understand how high temperature affects the fracture sealing performance of LCMs,we developed a coupled computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method(CFD-DEM)model to simulate the behavior of granular LCMs in fractures.We summarized the literature on the effects of high temperature on the mechanical properties of LCMs and the rheological properties of drilling fluid.We conducted sensitivity analyses to investigate how changing LCM slurry properties affected the fracture sealing efficiency at increasing temperatures.The results show that high temperature reduces the size,strength,and friction coefficient of LCMs as well as the drilling fluid viscosity.Smaller,softer,and less frictional LCM particles have lower bridging probability and slower bridging initiation.Smaller particles tend to form dual-particle bridges rather than single-particle bridges.These result in a deeper,tighter,but unstable sealing zone.Reduced drilling fluid viscosity leads to faster and shallower sealing zones.展开更多
Sustained casing pressure(SCP)is a crucial issue in the oil and gas production lifecycle.Epoxy resins,exhibiting exceptional compressive strength,ductility,and shear bonding strength,have the potential to form reliabl...Sustained casing pressure(SCP)is a crucial issue in the oil and gas production lifecycle.Epoxy resins,exhibiting exceptional compressive strength,ductility,and shear bonding strength,have the potential to form reliable barriers.The injectivity and sealing capacity of the epoxy resin is crucial parameters for the success of shallow remediation operations.This study aimed to develop and assess a novel solid-free resin sealant as an alternative to Portland cement for mitigating fluid leakage.The investigation evaluated the viscosity,compressive strength,and brittleness index of the epoxy resin sealant,as well as its tangential and normal shear strengths in conjunction with casing steel.The flow characteristics and sealing abilities of conventional cement and epoxy resin were comparatively analyzed in cracks.The results showed that the application of a viscosity reducer facilitated control over the curing time of the epoxy resin,ranging from 1.5 to 6 h,and reduced the initial viscosity from 865.53 to 118.71 m Pa,s.The mechanical properties of the epoxy resin initially increased with a rise in curing agent content before experiencing a minor decrease.The epoxy resin containing 30%curing agent exhibited optimal mechanical properties.After a 14-day curing period,the epoxy resin's compressive strength reached81.37 MPa,2.12 times higher than that of cement,whereas the elastic modulus of cement was 2.99 times greater than that of the epoxy resin.The brittleness index of epoxy resin is only 3.42,demonstrating high flexibility and toughness.The tangential and normal shear strengths of the epoxy resin exceeded those of cement by 3.17 and 2.82 times,respectively.In a 0.5 mm-wide crack,the injection pressure of the epoxy resin remained below 0.075 MPa,indicating superior injection and flow capabilities.Conversely,the injection pressure of cement surged dramatically to 2.61 MPa within 5 min.The breakthrough pressure of0.5 PV epoxy resin reached 7.53 MPa,decreasing the crack's permeability to 0.02 D,a mere 9.49%of the permeability observed following cement plugging.Upon sealing a 2 mm-wide crack using epoxy resin,the maximum breakthrough pressure attained 5.47 MPa,3.48 times of cement.These results suggest that epoxy resin sealant can be employed safely and effectively to seal cracks in the cement.展开更多
Slug flow or high GVF(Gas Volume Fraction)conditions can cause pressure disturbance waves and alternating loads at the boundary of mechanical seals for multiphase pumps,endangering the safety of multiphase pump units....Slug flow or high GVF(Gas Volume Fraction)conditions can cause pressure disturbance waves and alternating loads at the boundary of mechanical seals for multiphase pumps,endangering the safety of multiphase pump units.The mechanical seal model is simplified by using periodic boundary conditions and numerical calculations are carried out based on the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model.UDF(User Define Function)programs such as structural dynamics equations,alternating load equations,and pressure disturbance equations are embedded in numerical calculations,and the dynamic response characteristics of mechanical seal are studied using layered dynamic mesh technology.The results show that when the pressure disturbance occurs at the inlet,as the amplitude and period of the disturbance increase,the film thickness gradually decreases.And the fundamental reason for the hysteresis of the film thickness change is that the pressure in the high-pressure area cannot be restored in a timely manner.The maximum value of leakage and the minimum value of axial velocity are independent of the disturbance period and determined by the disturbance amplitude.The mutual interference between enhanced waves does not have a significant impact on the film thickness,while the front wave in the attenuated wave has a promoting effect on the subsequent film thickness changes,and the fluctuation of the liquid film cavitation rate and axial velocity under the attenuated wave condition deviates from the initial values.Compared with pressure disturbance conditions,alternating load conditions have a more significant impact on film thickness and leakage.During actual operation,it is necessary to avoid alternating load conditions in multiphase pump mechanical seals.展开更多
Based on the waterflooding development in carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East,in order to solve the problem of the poor development effects caused by commingled injection and production,taking the thick bioclastic...Based on the waterflooding development in carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East,in order to solve the problem of the poor development effects caused by commingled injection and production,taking the thick bioclastic limestone reservoirs of Cretaceous in Iran-Iraq as an example,this paper proposes a balanced waterflooding development technology for thick and complex carbonate reservoirs.This technology includes the fine division of development units by concealed baffles and barriers,the combination of multi well type and multi well pattern,and the construction of balanced water injection and recovery system.Thick carbonate reservoirs in Iran-Iraq are characterized by extremely vertical heterogeneity,development of multi-genesis ultra-high permeability zones,and highly concealed baffles and barriers.Based on the technologies of identification,characterization,and sealing evaluation for concealed baffles and barriers,the balanced waterflooding development technology is proposed,and three types of balanced waterflooding development modes/techniques are formed,namely,conventional stratigraphic framework,fine stratigraphic framework,and deepened stratigraphic framework.Numerical simulations show that this technology is able to realize a fine and efficient waterflooding development to recover,in a balanced manner,the reserves of thick and complex carbonate reservoirs in Iran and Iraq.The proposed technology provides a reference for the development optimization of similar reservoirs.展开更多
Nowadays,rubber seals are ubiquitous machine parts widely used in industry for purposes of leakage prevention,pressure maintenance,dirt exclusion and separation of various media from each other.However,rubbers exhibit...Nowadays,rubber seals are ubiquitous machine parts widely used in industry for purposes of leakage prevention,pressure maintenance,dirt exclusion and separation of various media from each other.However,rubbers exhibit very high coefficients of friction(COF),which make rubber seals loss of function and cause severe safety problems.Thus,the ideal design of dynamic rubber seals involve many challenges such as minimizing the friction and wear,good adhesion and reducing the leakage rate,so as to reduce energy consumption and environmental pollution,and extend the service life time of seals.展开更多
文摘Elastomer sealing performance is of critical importance for downhole tools application including the use of fracturing(Frac)plugs during multi-stage hydraulic fracking.In practice sealing performances of such plugs are normally evaluated through pressure tests,and in numerical simulation studies,maximum contact stress,average contact stress and contact length data are used to determine sealing quality between a packer and casing.In previous studies,the impact of friction forces on sealing performance is often overlooked.This work aims to fill this knowledge gap in determining the influence of friction forces on elastomer packer sealing performances.We first determined the most appropriate constitutive hyperelastic model for the elastomers used in frac plug.Then we compared analytical calculation results with Finite Element Analysis simulation using a simplified tubular geometry and showed the significant influences on interfacial friction on elastomer packer stress distribution,deformation,and contact stress after setting.With the demonstration of validity of FEA method,we conducted systematic numerical simulation studies to show how the interfacial friction coefficients can affect the maximum contact stress,average contact stress,contact stress distribution,and maximum mises stress for an actual packer used in plug products.In addition,we also demonstrated how the groove in a packer can affect packer deformation and evolvement during setting with the consideration of interfacial stress.This study underscores the critical role that friction forces play in Frac plug performance and provides a new dimension for optimizing packer design by controlling interfacial interactions at the packer contact surfaces.
基金The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52274009)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2022M723501)Science and Technology Planning Project of Sichuan Province(Grant No.2021YJ0359).
文摘Lost circulation is a common downhole problem of drilling in geothermal and high-temperature,high-pressure(HTHP)formations.Lost circulation material(LCM)is a regular preventive and remedial measure for lost circulation.However,conventional LCMs seem ineffective in high-temperature formations.This may be due to the changes in the mechanical properties of LCMs and their sealing performance under high-temperature conditions.To understand how high temperature affects the fracture sealing performance of LCMs,we developed a coupled computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method(CFD-DEM)model to simulate the behavior of granular LCMs in fractures.We summarized the literature on the effects of high temperature on the mechanical properties of LCMs and the rheological properties of drilling fluid.We conducted sensitivity analyses to investigate how changing LCM slurry properties affected the fracture sealing efficiency at increasing temperatures.The results show that high temperature reduces the size,strength,and friction coefficient of LCMs as well as the drilling fluid viscosity.Smaller,softer,and less frictional LCM particles have lower bridging probability and slower bridging initiation.Smaller particles tend to form dual-particle bridges rather than single-particle bridges.These result in a deeper,tighter,but unstable sealing zone.Reduced drilling fluid viscosity leads to faster and shallower sealing zones.
基金funded by the National Natural Science(Grant No.52274015)。
文摘Sustained casing pressure(SCP)is a crucial issue in the oil and gas production lifecycle.Epoxy resins,exhibiting exceptional compressive strength,ductility,and shear bonding strength,have the potential to form reliable barriers.The injectivity and sealing capacity of the epoxy resin is crucial parameters for the success of shallow remediation operations.This study aimed to develop and assess a novel solid-free resin sealant as an alternative to Portland cement for mitigating fluid leakage.The investigation evaluated the viscosity,compressive strength,and brittleness index of the epoxy resin sealant,as well as its tangential and normal shear strengths in conjunction with casing steel.The flow characteristics and sealing abilities of conventional cement and epoxy resin were comparatively analyzed in cracks.The results showed that the application of a viscosity reducer facilitated control over the curing time of the epoxy resin,ranging from 1.5 to 6 h,and reduced the initial viscosity from 865.53 to 118.71 m Pa,s.The mechanical properties of the epoxy resin initially increased with a rise in curing agent content before experiencing a minor decrease.The epoxy resin containing 30%curing agent exhibited optimal mechanical properties.After a 14-day curing period,the epoxy resin's compressive strength reached81.37 MPa,2.12 times higher than that of cement,whereas the elastic modulus of cement was 2.99 times greater than that of the epoxy resin.The brittleness index of epoxy resin is only 3.42,demonstrating high flexibility and toughness.The tangential and normal shear strengths of the epoxy resin exceeded those of cement by 3.17 and 2.82 times,respectively.In a 0.5 mm-wide crack,the injection pressure of the epoxy resin remained below 0.075 MPa,indicating superior injection and flow capabilities.Conversely,the injection pressure of cement surged dramatically to 2.61 MPa within 5 min.The breakthrough pressure of0.5 PV epoxy resin reached 7.53 MPa,decreasing the crack's permeability to 0.02 D,a mere 9.49%of the permeability observed following cement plugging.Upon sealing a 2 mm-wide crack using epoxy resin,the maximum breakthrough pressure attained 5.47 MPa,3.48 times of cement.These results suggest that epoxy resin sealant can be employed safely and effectively to seal cracks in the cement.
基金the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52372368)。
文摘Slug flow or high GVF(Gas Volume Fraction)conditions can cause pressure disturbance waves and alternating loads at the boundary of mechanical seals for multiphase pumps,endangering the safety of multiphase pump units.The mechanical seal model is simplified by using periodic boundary conditions and numerical calculations are carried out based on the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model.UDF(User Define Function)programs such as structural dynamics equations,alternating load equations,and pressure disturbance equations are embedded in numerical calculations,and the dynamic response characteristics of mechanical seal are studied using layered dynamic mesh technology.The results show that when the pressure disturbance occurs at the inlet,as the amplitude and period of the disturbance increase,the film thickness gradually decreases.And the fundamental reason for the hysteresis of the film thickness change is that the pressure in the high-pressure area cannot be restored in a timely manner.The maximum value of leakage and the minimum value of axial velocity are independent of the disturbance period and determined by the disturbance amplitude.The mutual interference between enhanced waves does not have a significant impact on the film thickness,while the front wave in the attenuated wave has a promoting effect on the subsequent film thickness changes,and the fluctuation of the liquid film cavitation rate and axial velocity under the attenuated wave condition deviates from the initial values.Compared with pressure disturbance conditions,alternating load conditions have a more significant impact on film thickness and leakage.During actual operation,it is necessary to avoid alternating load conditions in multiphase pump mechanical seals.
基金Supported by the Major Science and Technology Project of CNPC(2023ZZ19-01).
文摘Based on the waterflooding development in carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East,in order to solve the problem of the poor development effects caused by commingled injection and production,taking the thick bioclastic limestone reservoirs of Cretaceous in Iran-Iraq as an example,this paper proposes a balanced waterflooding development technology for thick and complex carbonate reservoirs.This technology includes the fine division of development units by concealed baffles and barriers,the combination of multi well type and multi well pattern,and the construction of balanced water injection and recovery system.Thick carbonate reservoirs in Iran-Iraq are characterized by extremely vertical heterogeneity,development of multi-genesis ultra-high permeability zones,and highly concealed baffles and barriers.Based on the technologies of identification,characterization,and sealing evaluation for concealed baffles and barriers,the balanced waterflooding development technology is proposed,and three types of balanced waterflooding development modes/techniques are formed,namely,conventional stratigraphic framework,fine stratigraphic framework,and deepened stratigraphic framework.Numerical simulations show that this technology is able to realize a fine and efficient waterflooding development to recover,in a balanced manner,the reserves of thick and complex carbonate reservoirs in Iran and Iraq.The proposed technology provides a reference for the development optimization of similar reservoirs.
基金Financially supported by Natural Science Fund of Hainan Province(518MS024)
文摘Nowadays,rubber seals are ubiquitous machine parts widely used in industry for purposes of leakage prevention,pressure maintenance,dirt exclusion and separation of various media from each other.However,rubbers exhibit very high coefficients of friction(COF),which make rubber seals loss of function and cause severe safety problems.Thus,the ideal design of dynamic rubber seals involve many challenges such as minimizing the friction and wear,good adhesion and reducing the leakage rate,so as to reduce energy consumption and environmental pollution,and extend the service life time of seals.
