US2011094732A1PendingUtilityA1

Vibrating system and method for use in sand control and formation stimulation in oil and gas recovery operations

31
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Aug 28, 2003Filed: Aug 28, 2003Published: Apr 28, 2011
Est. expiryAug 28, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Lyle LehmanJames R. BirchakJames J. VendittoDiederick Van BatenburgSau-Wai WongFerdinand Van Der BasJeroen GroenenboomPedro ZuiderwijkPeter Van Der SmanWei Han
E21B 43/04E21B 28/00
31
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Claims

Abstract

A system and method for stimulating a formation penetrated by a wellbore and vibrating a device for supporting a gravel pack in the wellbore, according to which the build up of scale on the device is sensed and a corresponding signal is output. A tool is lowered into the wellbore, and includes a driver for driving an acoustic transducer coupled to the device for vibrating the device and stimulating the formation.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A system for use in a wellbore, comprising:
 a device for supporting a gravel pack in the wellbore;   at least one acoustic transducer mounted in the wellbore and coupled to the device;   a tool adapted to be inserted in the wellbore in the vicinity of the acoustic transducer; and   an electrical driver mounted on the tool and adapted to drive the acoustic transducer to vibrate the device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a cable assembly connected to the electrical driver for supplying electrical power to the driver to enable the electrical driver to drive the acoustic transducer. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein vibration of the device breaks up any scale on the device and stimulates a formation penetrated by the wellbore. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one acoustic transducer comprises two acoustic transducers mounted in the wellbore and coupled to the device, wherein the acoustic transducers are axially-spaced in the wellbore and adapted to vibrate the device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the acoustic transducer comprises an electromechanical transducer that vibrates in response to an electrical signal. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the acoustic transducer is selected from the group consisting of a tuning fork, a cantilevers, an oval-mode tool, a magnetostrictive driver, and a piezoelectric transducer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the electrical driver is connected to a source of electric power and produces an electrical output that drives the acoustic transducer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a sensor for sensing the amount of scale accumulating on the device and outputting a signal when the accumulated scale exceeds a predetermined value; and 
 means responsive to the signal for actuating the electrical driver. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the sensor comprises pressure sensors disposed on opposite sides of the device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the sensor is a scale detector. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the means comprises:
 a microprocessor for receiving the signal from the sensor; and 
 a telemetry device for collecting data from the microprocessor and transmitting the data to the ground surface. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method of vibrating a device for supporting a gravel pack in a wellbore, comprising the steps of:
 sensing a condition of the device;   outputting a signal when the condition exceeds a predetermined value;   lowering a tool into the wellbore; and   actuating a driver on the tool in response to the signal for driving an acoustic transducer coupled to the device for vibrating the device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of supplying electrical power to the driver to enable the driver to drive the acoustic transducer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of providing an electrical cable to the driver to provide the electrical power to the driver. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the step of lowering the tool is after the step of outputting the signal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of coupling the device to two axially-spaced acoustic transducers disposed in the wellbore for vibrating the device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step of sensing comprises the step of sensing pressure on opposite sides of the device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step of sensing comprises the step of detecting the scale with a scale sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the step of outputting a signal when the accumulated scale exceeds a predetermined value further comprising the steps of:
 generating data corresponding to the amount of scale; and 
 transmitting the data to ground surface for processing. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of lowering the tool is in response to the step of transmitting the data to the ground surface. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12  wherein vibration of the device stimulates a formation penetrated by the wellbore. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12  wherein vibration of the device mobilize fines inside the gravel pack. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12  wherein vibration of the device breaks up any scale on the device. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of producing the scale recovered from the device out of the wellbore with production fluid. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of circulating the scale recovered from the device out of the wellbore with non-production fluid. 
     
     
         26 . A system for use in a wellbore, comprising:
 means for supporting a gravel pack in the wellbore;   means coupled to the supporting means for vibrating;   a tool adapted to be inserted in the wellbore in the vicinity of the supporting means; and   means mounted on the tool for driving the vibrating means to vibrate the supporting means and stimulate a formation penetrated by the wellbore.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the vibrating means is adapted to vibrate in response to receiving electrical power, and the driving means supplies the electrical power to the vibrating means. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the vibrating means is an acoustic transducer. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the driving means produces electrical power to drive the acoustic transducer.

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