Search

EP-4739882-A2 - METHOD TO SIMULATE EFFECT OF TURBULATOR-CENTRALIZER ON DISPLACEMENT OF WELLBORE FLUIDS WHILE CEMENTING

EP4739882A2EP 4739882 A2EP4739882 A2EP 4739882A2EP-4739882-A2

Abstract

Prepare a work order (WO) by: collecting user input; running an initial CFD-based cementing operation simulation, outputting a CFD result including simulated annular placement of cement with insufficient DE. Choose a section of casing; simulate mechanically coupling a turbulator to adjust displacement efficiency (DE) of cement within the annulus before casing installation; adjust turbulator mechanical properties to maximize DE; create the WO including adjusting turbulator spacing along the casing of the wellbore to one turbulator per joint; perform an additional CFD-based simulation with adjusted turbulator spacing to update and output simulated annular placement of cement and DE; determine a change in DE; adjust the WO based on a further simulation loop; and finalize the WO. Cement the wellbore by: transporting turbulators to a wellsite; installing wellbore casing spaced by turbulator spacing of the finalized WO; and pumping cement into the annulus, the cement contacting the turbulators to reduce channeling.

Inventors

  • JOGDAND, ANOOP SHESHRAO
  • YERUBANDI, K V V N Krishna Babu
  • CUELLO JIMENEZ, Walmy

Assignees

  • Halliburton Energy Services Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240327

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A wellbore servicing method comprising: (I) preparing a turbulator parts list associated with a wellbore cementing operation in a planning phase, the turbulator parts list resulting from execution, on a processor communicatively coupled to a non-transitory memory, of operations comprising: (a) collecting an input of a user; (b) running an initial computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based simulation of the cementing operation, the initial CFD-based simulation outputting a CFD result comprising a simulated annular placement of a cement within an annulus of a wellbore, the wellbore having a wellbore geometry, and a displacement efficiency (DE); (c) based on the input of the user, determining that the simulated annular placement of the cement from the initial CFD-based simulation exhibits an insufficient DE within the annulus of the wellbore; (d) based on the input of the user, choosing a section of a casing of the wellbore, the section comprising a length of the casing from a first point to a second point; (e) simulating mechanically coupling a turbulator to the section of the casing of the wellbore prior to the installation of the casing within the wellbore, the turbulator configured to adjust the DE of the cement within the annulus and proximate to the section of the casing during the wellbore cementing operation; (f) based on the input of the user, adjusting mechanical properties of the turbulator to maximize the DE of the cement within the section during the wellbore cementing operation, the mechanical properties including at least the size of the turbulator and the specifications of the turbulator; (g) creating the turbulator parts list for a designed cementing operation that comprises adjusting a turbulator spacing along the casing of the wellbore to create an adjusted turbulator spacing, the adjusted turbulator spacing being one turbulator per joint; (h) performing an additional CFD-based simulation of the cementing operation with the adjusted turbulator spacing, the additional CFD-based displacement simulation updating and outputting the simulated annular placement of the cement within the annulus of the wellbore and the DE; (i) based on the additional CFD-based simulation, determining a change in the DE; (j) based on the determined change in the DE, adjusting the turbulator parts list based on a further simulation loop; and (k) after the further simulation loop ends, finalizing the turbulator parts list for the designed cementing operation to yield a finalized turbulator parts list comprising: the designated mechanical properties of each turbulator, a number of turbulators associated with the section of casing of the wellbore, and a turbulator spacing associated with the section of the casing of the wellbore; (II) based on the finalized turbulator parts list, performing the wellbore cementing operation comprising: (a) transporting the number of turbulators having the designated mechanical properties to a wellsite having the wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; (b) installing the casing in the wellbore, wherein: an outer surface of the casing forms the annulus, the number of turbulators are coupled to the outer surface of the casing, and the number of turbulators are disposed and spaced within the annulus of the section of the casing of the wellbore in accordance with the turbulator spacing of the finalized turbulator parts list; and (c) pumping, in accordance with a pumping schedule, the cement into the annulus, wherein the cement contacts the number of turbulators during the pumping, and the number of turbulators are configured to induce turbulence within the cement to at least reduce channeling of the cement within the annulus.
  2. 2. The wellbore servicing method of claim I, wherein at least one of the initial CFD-based simulation or the additional CFD-based simulation further comprises performing additional operations including: receiving, from the user, the wellbore geometry, the pump schedule, the turbulator spacing, and a turbulator geometry to be tested; storing, within the non-transitory memory, the wellbore geometry, the pump schedule, the turbulator spacing, and the turbulator geometry; estimating, using the turbulator geometry and the turbulator spacing, a swirl number, a swirl length and a corresponding boundary condition (BC) to be applied in a momentum solution, the BC represented as an equivalent casing rotation for the section of a casing where the turbulator is placed; solving prime velocities using previously generated turbulator effects; using the prime velocities, solving a pressure correction equation to obtain a pressure field; using the pressure field, correct the prime velocities; solving a fluid concentration equation representing different wellbore fluids to determine different wellbore fluid positions in a simulated annulus at a given moment in time as the simulation proceeds; updating a plurality of fluid properties to create a plurality of updated fluid properties, the plurality of updated fluid properties being based at least in part on changes in the different wellbore fluid positions indicated by the pressure field; repeating, for the duration of a time loop having a plurality of iterations, the additional operations from solving the prime velocities to updating the plurality of fluid properties, each of the iterations of the time loop being configured to generate simulation results for a portion of the wellbore cementing operation, and the time loop being configured to simulate an entire duration of the wellbore cementing operation by combining the simulation results for all of the iterations of the time loop into the CFD result, the CFD result being based on the different wellbore fluid positions at a final iteration of the plurality of iterations of the time loop and comprising: the simulated annular placement of the cement within the annulus of the wellbore, and the DE; and storing the CFD result.
  3. 3. The wellbore servicing method of claim 2, wherein the pump schedule is iteratively adjusted by the user to enhance the DE.
  4. 4. The wellbore servicing method of claim f, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is not an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was not greater than the determined change in the DE, further comprising: further adjusting the adjusted turbulator spacing by doubling the number of turbulators per each section of the casing of the wellbore; repeating the operations from performing the additional CFD-based simulation with the adjusted turbulator spacing to, based on the additional CFD-based simulation, determining the change in the DE; and repeating the further simulation loop.
  5. 5. The wellbore servicing method of claim 1, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is not an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was greater than the determined change in the DE, further comprising halting the further simulation loop.
  6. 6. The wellbore servicing method of claim 1, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was not greater than the determined change in the DE, further comprising halting the further simulation loop.
  7. 7. The wellbore servicing method of claim 1, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was greater than the determined change in the DE, further comprising: further adjusting the adjusted turbulator spacing by halving a number of turbulators per joint; repeating the operations from performing the additional CFD-based simulation with the adjusted turbulator spacing to, based on the additional CFD-based simulation, determining the change in the DE; and repeating the further simulation loop.
  8. 8. The wellbore servicing method of claim 1, wherein the turbulator geometry of the turbulator is configured for a type of the wellbore cementing operation selected from the group consisting of a reverse cementing operation or a forward cementing operation.
  9. 9. The wellbore servicing method of claim 1, wherein the turbulator is selected from the group consisting of a rigid vane turbulator, a strap-on turbulator, and combinations thereof.
  10. 10. A system for performing a wellbore cementing operation on a wellbore at a wellsite, comprising: a data acquisition subsystem communicatively coupled to a data storage subsystem, a user interface subsystem, and a turbulator parts list generator, the turbulator parts list generator having a processor communicatively coupled to a non-transitory memory; a finalized turbulator parts list for a designed cementing operation generated by the turbulator parts list generator and stored in the non-transitory memory, wherein the turbulator parts list generator is configured to generate the finalized turbulator parts list based on preparing a turbulator parts list associated with the wellbore cementing operation in a planning phase by executing operations comprising: (a) collecting by the data acquisition subsystem via the user interface subsystem an input from a user and storing the input in the data storage subsystem; (b) based on the input of the user, running an initial computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based simulation of the cementing operation, the initial CFD-based simulation outputting a CFD result comprising a simulated annular placement of a cement within an annulus of a wellbore, the wellbore having a wellbore geometry and a displacement efficiency (DE); (c) based on the input of the user, determining that the simulated annular placement of the cement from the initial CFD-based simulation exhibits an insufficient DE within the annulus of the wellbore; (d) based on the input of the user, choosing the section of the casing of the wellbore, the section comprising a length of the casing from a first point to a second point; (e) simulating mechanically coupling a turbulator to the section of the casing of the wellbore prior to the installation of the casing within the wellbore, the turbulator configured to adjust the DE of the cement within the annulus and proximate to the section of the casing during the wellbore cementing operation; (f) based on the input of the user, adjusting mechanical properties of the turbulator to maximize the DE of the cement within the section during the wellbore cementing operation, the mechanical properties including at least the size of the turbulator and the specifications of the turbulator; (g) creating the turbulator parts list for a designed cementing operation that comprises adjusting a turbulator spacing along the casing of the wellbore to create an adjusted turbulator spacing, the adjusted turbulator spacing being one turbulator per joint; (h) performing an additional CFD-based simulation of the cementing operation with the adjusted turbulator spacing, the additional CFD-based displacement simulation updating and outputting the simulated annular placement of the cement within the annulus of the wellbore and the DE; (i) based on the additional CFD-based simulation, determining a change in the DE; (j) based on the determined change in the DE, adjusting the turbulator parts list based on a further simulation loop; and (k) after the further simulation loop ends, finalizing the turbulator parts list for the designed cementing operation to yield the finalized turbulator parts list comprising: the designated mechanical properties of each turbulator, the number of turbulators associated with the section of the casing of the wellbore, and the turbulator spacing associated with the section of the casing of the wellbore.
  11. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a transport system configured to transport a number of turbulators identified in the finalized turbulator parts list to the wellsite having the wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; a casing installation subsystem configured to install the casing in the wellbore, wherein: an outer surface of the casing forms the annulus, the number of turbulators are coupled to the outer surface of the casing, and the number of turbulators are disposed and spaced within the annulus of a section of the casing of the wellbore in accordance with the turbulator spacing of the finalized turbulator parts list; and a pumping subsystem configured to pump, in accordance with a pumping schedule associated with the finalized turbulator parts list, cement into the annulus, wherein the cement contacts the number of turbulators during the pumping, and the number of turbulators are configured to induce turbulence within the cement to at least reduce channeling of the cement within the annulus.
  12. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the initial CFD-based simulation or the additional CFD-based simulation further comprises performing additional operations including: receiving, from the user, the wellbore geometry, the pump schedule, the turbulator spacing, and a turbulator geometry to be tested; storing, within the non-transitory memory, the wellbore geometry, the pump schedule, the turbulator spacing, and the turbulator geometry; estimating, using the turbulator geometry and the turbulator spacing, a swirl number, a swirl length and a corresponding boundary condition (BC) to be applied in a momentum solution, the BC represented as an equivalent casing rotation for the section of the casing where the turbulator is placed; solving prime velocities using previously generated turbulator effects; using the prime velocities, solving a pressure correction equation to obtain a pressure field; using the pressure field, correcting the prime velocities; solving a fluid concentration equation representing different wellbore fluids to determine different wellbore fluid positions in a simulated annulus at a given moment in time as the simulation proceeds; updating a plurality of fluid properties to create a plurality of updated fluid properties, the plurality of updated fluid properties being based at least in part on changes in the different wellbore fluid positions indicated by the pressure field; repeating, for the duration of a time loop having a plurality of iterations, the additional operations from solving the prime velocities to updating the plurality of fluid properties, each of the iterations of the time loop being configured to generate simulation results for a portion of the wellbore cementing operation, and the time loop being configured to simulate an entire duration of the wellbore cementing operation by combining the simulation results for all of the iterations of the time loop into the CFD result, the CFD result being based on the different wellbore fluid positions at a final iteration of the plurality of iterations of the time loop and comprising: the simulated annular placement of the cement within the annulus of the wellbore, and the DE; and storing the CFD result.
  13. 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is not an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was not greater than the determined change in the DE, operations performed by the turbulator parts list generator further comprise: further adjusting the adjusted turbulator spacing by doubling the number of turbulators per each section of the casing of the wellbore; repeating the operations from performing the additional CFD-based simulation with the adjusted turbulator spacing to, based on the additional CFD-based simulation, determining the change in the DE; and repeating the further simulation loop.
  14. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is not an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was greater than the determined change in the DE, operations performed by the turbulator parts list generator further comprise halting the further simulation loop.
  15. 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was not greater than the determined change in the DE, operations performed by the turbulator parts list generator further comprise halting the further simulation loop.
  16. 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the further simulation loop comprises a determination that (1) the determined change in the DE resulting from the additional CFD-based simulation is an improvement over the insufficient DE from the initial CFD-based simulation, and that (2) an immediately preceding DE from an immediately preceding CFD-based simulation was greater than the determined change in the DE, operations performed by the turbulator parts list generator further comprise: further adjusting the adjusted turbulator spacing by halving a number of turbulators per joint; repeating the operations from performing the additional CFD-based simulation with the adjusted turbulator spacing to, based on the additional CFD-based simulation, determining the change in the DE; and repeating the further simulation loop.
  17. 17. The system of claim 10, wherein the turbulator geometry of the turbulator is configured for a type of the wellbore cementing operation selected from the group consisting of a reverse cementing operation or a forward cementing operation.
  18. 18. The system of claim 10, wherein the turbulator is selected from the group consisting of a rigid vane turbulator, a strap-on turbulator, and combinations thereof.
  19. 19. A system for using a three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based model to prepare a finalized work order associated with a wellbore cementing operation in a planning phase and to schedule the wellbore cementing operation based on the finalized work order, the system comprising: a data acquisition subsystem communicatively coupled to a data storage subsystem, a user interface subsystem, a work order generator, and a wellbore cementing operation scheduler, the work order generator being further communicatively coupled to the wellbore cementing operation scheduler; the work order generator comprising a first processor and a first non-transitory memory and configured to perform a first set of operations comprising: (a) collecting by the data acquisition subsystem via the user interface subsystem an input from a user and storing the input in the data storage subsystem; (b) based on the input of the user, running an initial three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based simulation of the cementing operation, the initial 3D CFD-based simulation outputting a 3D CFD result comprising a simulated annular placement of a cement within an annulus of a wellbore, the wellbore having a wellbore geometry, and a displacement efficiency (DE); (c) based on the input of the user, determining that the simulated annular placement of the cement from the initial 3D CFD-based simulation exhibits an insufficient DE within the annulus of the wellbore; (d) based on the input of the user, choosing a section of a casing of the wellbore, the section comprising a length of the casing from a first point to a second point; (e) simulating mechanically coupling a turbulator to the section of the casing of the wellbore prior to the installation of the casing within the wellbore, the turbulator configured to adjust the DE of the cement within the annulus and proximate to the section of the casing during the wellbore cementing operation; (f) based on the input of the user, adjusting mechanical properties of the turbulator to maximize the DE of the cement within the section during the wellbore cementing operation, the mechanical properties including at least the size of the turbulator and the specifications of the turbulator; (g) creating the work order for a designed cementing operation that comprises adjusting a turbulator spacing along the casing of the wellbore to create an adjusted turbulator spacing, the adjusted turbulator spacing being one turbulator per joint; (h) performing an additional 3D CFD-based simulation of the cementing operation with the adjusted turbulator spacing, the additional 3D CFD-based displacement simulation updating and outputting the simulated annular placement of the cement within the annulus of the wellbore and the DE; (i) based on the additional 3D CFD-based simulation, determining a change in the DE; (j) based on the determined change in the DE, adjusting the work order based on a further simulation loop; and (k) after the further simulation loop ends, finalizing the work order for the designed cementing operation to yield the finalized work order comprising: the designated mechanical properties of each turbulator, a number of turbulators associated with the section of casing of the wellbore, a turbulator spacing associated with the section of the casing of the wellbore, and a pump schedule comprising a composition of the cement, a volume of the cement, a pumping rate, a pumping sequence, and an expected fluid profile, the expected fluid profile comprising expected fluid positions of the different wellbore fluids at an end of the wellbore cementing operation; the cementing operation scheduler comprising a second processor and a second non-transitory memory and configured to perform a second set of operations comprising: receiving the finalized work order from the work order generator; and generating a cementing operation schedule based on the finalized work order, the cementing operation schedule configured to at least reduce channeling of the cement within the annulus during the wellbore cementing operation.
  20. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the initial 3D CFD-based simulation or the additional 3D CFD-based simulation further comprises performing additional operations including: receiving, from the user, the wellbore geometry, the pump schedule, the turbulator spacing, and a turbulator geometry to be tested; storing, within the first non-transitory memory, the wellbore geometry, the pump schedule, the turbulator spacing, and the turbulator geometry; estimating, using the turbulator geometry and the turbulator spacing, a swirl number, a swirl length and a corresponding boundary condition (BC) to be applied in a momentum solution, the BC represented as an equivalent casing rotation for the section of a casing where the turbulator is placed; solving prime velocities using previously generated turbulator effects; using the prime velocities, solving a pressure correction equation to obtain a pressure field; using the pressure field, correcting the prime velocities; solving a fluid concentration equation representing different wellbore fluids to determine different wellbore fluid positions in a simulated annulus at a given moment in time as the simulation proceeds; updating a plurality of fluid properties to create a plurality of updated fluid properties, the plurality of updated fluid properties being based at least in part on changes in the different wellbore fluid positions indicated by the pressure field; repeating, for the duration of a time loop having a plurality of iterations, the additional operations from solving the prime velocities to updating the plurality of fluid properties, each of the iterations of the time loop being configured to generate simulation results for a portion of the wellbore cementing operation, and the time loop being configured to simulate an entire duration of the wellbore cementing operation by combining the simulation results for all of the iterations of the time loop into the 3D CFD result, the 3D CFD result being based on the different wellbore fluid positions at a final iteration of the plurality of iterations of the time loop and comprising: the simulated annular placement of the cement within the annulus of the wellbore, and the DE; and storing the 3D CFD result.

Description

METHOD TO SIMULATE EFFECT OF TURBULATOR-CENTRALIZER ON DISPLACEMENT OF WELLBORE FLUIDS WHILE CEMENTING BACKGROUND [0001] In the construction of oil and gas wells, a wellbore is drilled into one or more subterranean formations or zones containing oil and/or gas to be produced. In most instances, after the wellbore is drilled, the drill string is removed and a casing string including at least one joint of casing is run into the wellbore. The annular space between the wellbore wall (and thus the subterranean formation) and a casing string, generally referred to as an annulus, is fillable with cement to isolate pressure within the wellbore from pressure within the formation. This also seals the annulus to the casing, seals the formation, and prevents a wellbore cave-in. The process of filling the annulus with cement can be referred to as “cementing” the wellbore. [0002] In many such wellbores, centralizers are installed on at least one of the joints to keep the casing string centered within the wellbore. An uncentered casing string risks introducing effects harmful to the operation of the wellbore. These include but are not limited to drag (e.g., the casing contacting the wellbore), differential sticking (e.g., the casing string contacting a portion of the permeable formation where the pressure in the wellbore is greater than the pressure in the formation and the higher pressure holds the casing string in contact with lower pressure area). More generally, uncentered casing string causes detrimental channeling during the cementing process, wherein the cement fails to flow (and thus, fails to set or fails to cure cure) uniformly between the casing string and the borehole wall, leaving portions of the annulus devoid of cement. Channeling results from differential flow, wherein the cement flows in a narrow path instead of covering an entire annulus. Centralizers ensure that cement surrounds the outside of the casing, ameliorating these effects. One type of centralizer, a turbulator, is usable both for forward cementing operations and reverse cementing operations. [0003] However, a variety of turbulators of varying shapes and sizes and having differing mechanical properties and other performance characteristics exist. Turbulators are mechanically coupled to at least one joint of the casing string that is inserted into the wellbore before the annulus is filled with cement and that cement is allowed to cure. Non-destructively correcting errors in either the selection of the variety, or varieties of turbulator used or the number of turbulators used per each joint of the casing string, during the cementing operation is often not commercially practicable. Further, at least in part because the characteristics of each wellbore and the associated formation(s) vary widely, historical guidance is either not available or not practicably usable to reliably model, at the pre- construction stage, the impact on cement placement of (1) the geometry of a specific turbulator and (2) the spacing of each turbulator within each joint of a wellbore for either forward cementing or reverse cementing operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts. [0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a cementing operational environment according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0006] FIG. 2A is an elevational view of a casing string of a wellbore that is mechanically coupled to a plurality of turbulator-centralizers according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0007] FIG. 2B is a cutaway perspective view of a third casing string of a wellbore that is mechanically coupled to a first type of turbulator according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0008] FIG. 2C is a cutaway perspective view of a third casing string of a wellbore that is mechanically coupled to a second type of turbulator according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0009] FIG. 2D illustrates a side elevational view of the first type of turbulator according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0010] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an exemplary turbulator specification sheet according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0011] FIGs. 4A-4B illustrate a comparative wellbore of a well cemented without turbulators. [0012] FIGs. 5A-5B illustrate an alternate comparative wellbore of a well cemented without turbulators. [0013] FIGS. 6A-6D are an illustration of experimental results of a simulation of wellbore cementing operation displacement efficiency incorporating at least one turbulator according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0014] FIG. 7 is a process flow illustrating a three-dimensional (3D) turbulator simulation model according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [0015] FIG. 8 is a process flow illustrating an alternative