US-12618301-B2 - Joint assembly, production well manufacturing method, and gas production method

US12618301B2US 12618301 B2US12618301 B2US 12618301B2US-12618301-B2

Abstract

A joint assembly that selectively isolates an isolation target layer in an open hole drilled in the strata including a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and the isolation target layer, and is a production well manufacturing method and gas production method using the joint assembly. The joint assembly includes a tubular body to be inserted into the open hole to be positioned to penetrate the isolation target layer; and a light source disposed over entire circumference of an outer periphery of the body and configured to emit light to cure uncured photo-curable resin that is introduced between the body and a borehole wall of the open hole.

Inventors

JUN YONEDA
Yusuke Jin
Koji Yamada
Hideki Minagawa
Kazunori Shinjo

Assignees

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240827
Priority Date: 20220228

Claims (15)

1 . A joint assembly, used in an open hole drilled in strata including a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and an isolation target layer, and configured to selectively isolate the isolation target layer, the joint assembly comprising: a tubular body to be inserted into the open hole to be positioned to penetrate the isolation target layer; a light source disposed over an entire circumference of an outer periphery of the tubular body and configured to emit light to cure uncured photo-curable resin that is introduced between the tubular body and a borehole wall of the open hole; and an actuator configured to contract the outer periphery from a radially expanded position to a radially contracted position.
2 . A production well manufacturing method using the joint assembly according to claim 1 , comprising: drilling the open hole into the strata; locating the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and the isolation target layer in the strata; inserting the tubular body into the open hole to place the tubular body at a position penetrating the isolation target layer; introducing the uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and the borehole wall of the open hole; emitting the light from the light source to cure the uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and the borehole wall of the open hole over the entire circumference of the tubular body, thus forming a production well with the isolation target layer being selectively isolated by the cured photo-curable resin; and collecting the uncured photo-curable resin that remains in a portion of the open hole where the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir is exposed.
3 . The production well manufacturing method according to claim 2 , wherein the production well is formed while leaving the uncured photo-curable resin above the cured photo-curable resin.
4 . A joint assembly, used in an open hole drilled in strata including a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and an isolation target layer, and configured to selectively isolate the isolation target layer, the joint assembly comprising: a tubular body to be inserted into the open hole to be positioned to penetrate the isolation target layer; a light source disposed over an entire circumference of an outer periphery of the tubular body and configured to emit light to cure uncured photo-curable resin that is introduced between the tubular body and a borehole wall of the open hole; and an anti-adhesion layer on an outer surface of the tubular body, the anti-adhesion layer preventing adhesion of the cured photo-curable resin and the tubular body.
5 . The joint assembly according to claim 4 , further comprising an actuator configured to contract the outer periphery from a radially expanded position to a radially contracted position.
6 . A production well manufacturing method using the joint assembly according to claim 4 , comprising: drilling the open hole into the strata; locating the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and the isolation target layer in the strata; inserting the tubular body into the open hole to place the tubular body at a position penetrating the isolation target layer; introducing the uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and the borehole wall of the open hole; emitting the light from the light source to cure the uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and the borehole wall of the open hole over the entire circumference of the tubular body, thus forming a production well with the isolation target layer being selectively isolated by the cured photo-curable resin; and collecting the uncured photo-curable resin that remains in a portion of the open hole where the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir is exposed.
7 . The production well manufacturing method according to claim 6 , wherein the production well is formed while leaving the uncured photo-curable resin above the cured photo-curable resin.
8 . The production well manufacturing method according to claim 6 , wherein the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir includes a gas hydrate-bearing layer, and the isolation target layer includes a water-bearing layer.
9 . A gas production method, comprising: the production well manufacturing method according to claim 8 ; and following the collecting of the uncured photo-curable resin, reducing a pressure of the production well to collect gas released from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir to the production well.
10 . A production well manufacturing method using the joint assembly according to claim 5 , comprising: drilling the open hole into the strata; locating the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and the isolation target layer in the strata; inserting the tubular body into the open hole to place the tubular body at a position penetrating the isolation target layer; introducing the uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and the borehole wall of the open hole; emitting the light from the light source to cure the uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and the borehole wall of the open hole over the entire circumference of the tubular body, thus forming a production well with the isolation target layer being selectively isolated by the cured photo-curable resin; and collecting the uncured photo-curable resin that remains in a portion of the open hole where the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir is exposed.
11 . A production well manufacturing method, comprising: drilling an open hole into strata; locating a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir and an isolation target layer in the strata; inserting a tubular body into the open hole to place the tubular body at a position penetrating the isolation target layer; introducing an uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and a borehole wall of the open hole; emitting light from a light source to cure the uncured photo-curable resin between the tubular body and the borehole wall of the open hole over an entire circumference of the tubular body, thus forming a production well with the isolation target layer being selectively isolated by the cured photo-curable resin, the production well being formed while leaving the uncured photo-curable resin above the cured photo-curable resin; and collecting the uncured photo-curable resin that remains in a portion of the open hole where the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir is exposed.
12 . The production well manufacturing method according to claim 11 , wherein the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir includes a gas hydrate-bearing layer, and the isolation target layer includes a water-bearing layer.
13 . The production well manufacturing method according to claim 11 , further comprising contracting an outer periphery of the tubular body from a radially expanded position to a radially contracted position.
14 . The production well manufacturing method according to claim 11 , further comprising preventing adhesion of the cured photo-curable resin and the tubular body.
15 . A gas production method, comprising: the production well manufacturing method according to claim 12 ; and following the collecting of the uncured photo-curable resin, reducing a pressure of the production well to collect gas released from the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir to the production well.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation application of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP2023/006952 filed on Feb. 27, 2023, designating the United States of America, which is based on and claims priority to Japanese patent application JP 2022-030057, filed Feb. 28, 2022. The entire disclosures of the above-identified applications, including the specifications, the drawings, and the claims are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to joint assemblies, production well manufacturing methods, and gas production methods. BACKGROUND Conventional techniques to yield methane hydrate have problems including the production of sand and water. Non Patent Literature 1, for example, describes measures for counteracting these problems. To avoid the compaction of the reservoir and the production of sand during the production of methane hydrate, Patent Literature 1 describes a yielding method of methane hydrate from a sand reservoir, and the method includes injecting a grouting agent, which is capable of sufficiently fixing sand particles, into a gap (pore space) of unsolidified or weakly solidified sand reservoir to be developed. Patent Literature 2 describes a hydrocarbon collection method that is characterized by a composition used to prevent earth and sand contained in the seabed from flowing into a production well. Specifically, this hydrocarbon collection method uses a composition that is used by microorganisms that generate carbon dioxide or sulfate ions to promote deposition of calcium carbonate when they generate carbon dioxide or sulfate ions. Patent Literature 3 discloses a process for lining an open hole and a tool for producing a coating for open hole. This tool is attached to a drill bit at a tip of a drill string and has multiple injectors and emitters around a portion of a circumferential surface. A fluid composition is supplied from the injectors to an outer periphery of the tool and is cured by light emitted from the emitters to produce an open-hole coating. Patent Literature 4 discloses a method and system for sealing a casing to an open hole by photoactivation. This method is used for cementing a casing in an open hole, and includes inserting an optical fiber cable attached to the outside of the casing into the open hole, and activating a sealant via the optical fiber within the open hole, thus curing the sealant by the reaction. Patent Literature 5 discloses a method for sealing a lost circulation zone, such as cavities, which become obstacles when drilling a subterranean well. In this method, a drill string has an ultraviolet (UV) system, an actuator, and a fluid flow path, and the method includes delivering a UV curable material into the fluid flow path of the drill string during drilling of a subterranean well, and applying UV light to the fluid flow path of the drill string from the UV system. This feeds the activated UV curable material through the fluid flow path of the drill string into the lost circulation zone, where the UV curable material cures to fill the voids. PATENT LITERATURE Patent Literature 1: WO2020/003551Patent Literature 2: JP 2019-11612 APatent Literature 3: U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,091 B2Patent Literature 4: US 2021/0238953 A1Patent Literature 5: U.S. Pat. No. 10,865,620 B1 NON PATENT LITERATURE Non Patent Literature 1: Koji Yamamoto, “About the Second Offshore Production Test”, [online], Nov. 29, 2017, Methane Hydrate Forum 2017, [Retrieved Feb. 2, 2022] The methane hydrate production method of Patent Literature 1 installs a casing in a drilled hole and applies cementing to the gap between the borehole wall and the casing. In addition, through holes are formed between the casing and cementing by gun perforation, thus enabling a material exchange between the reservoir and the inside of the mine. Although this production method provides excellent mechanical stability for the production well, it not only increases the construction costs of the production well, but also reduces the gas production efficiency, compared to an open hole without a casing. The same applies to the methods of Patent Literatures 2 and 4 that use a casing. To cure the fluid composition over the entire circumference of the borehole wall of the open hole, the tool for producing a coating for open hole in Patent Literature 3 requires rotation of the tool having emitters on part of the circumferential surface in a circumferential direction. However, the rotation of the tool may be hindered by the partially cured fluid composition. It is also not practical to cure the fluid composition, which is supplied from the injectors to the outer periphery of the tool, by the light irradiated from the emitters from the borehole wall side without allowing it to settle in the open hole. The method of Patent Literature 5 includes irradiating the UV curable material in the fluid flow path of the drill string with UV light for