Apparatus and method for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole

Abstract

The apparatus for removing the production pipe (10) in the borehole is mechanically connected by means of BHA to an electrical power supply (12), coolant supply (13), data cable (14) and control unit (15). The equipment (X) is placed in a contactless manner inside the production pipe (10) and comprises a liquid precursor supply (11) which enters the generator (5) of the plasma-forming medium connected to the nozzle system inlet (6) connected to the nozzle system (7). The nozzle system (7) is placed in the space between two cylindrical mechanically movable electrodes, the upper electrode (1) and the lower electrode (2), and the upper electrode (1) and the lower electrode (2) are placed axially with respect to each other around the circumference of the equipment (X) and coaxially placed towards the production pipe (10), while in the axis of the upper electrode (1) and the lower electrode (2) there is around the nozzle system inlet (6) at least one magnet (4) placed above the nozzle system (7) and/or under the nozzle system (7). The method of removing the production pipe in the borehole by means of the equipment) (X) is carried out in such a way that the equipment (X) is inserted into the production pipe (10) in the borehole, and into the equipment (X) liquid precursor (Y) is supplied through the liquid precursor inlet (11) which enters the plasma-forming medium generator (5), which changes it to the plasma-forming medium (Z), which passes through the nozzle system inlet (6) into the nozzle system (7) and is injected from the nozzle system (7) into the space between two cylindrical mechanically movable electrodes, the upper electrode (1) and the lower electrode (2) where under the effect of the pressure in a range of 0.1-70 MPa and temperature of the plasma-forming medium (Z) in a range of 1-1000° C. the electric arc (3) is ignited in a liquid environment between the upper electrode (1) and the lower electrode (2).

1 . An apparatus for disintegrating a production pipe ( 10 ) in a borehole, the apparatus mechanically connected by means of a Bottom Hole Assembly to an electrical power supply ( 12 ), coolant supply ( 13 ), data cable ( 14 ) and control unit ( 15 ),
 wherein the apparatus contains equipment (X) which is placed inside the production pipe ( 10 ) without any contact to the production pipe ( 10 ), while the equipment (X) is connected to a liquid precursor supply ( 11 ),   wherein the liquid precursor supply ( 11 ) enters a generator ( 5 ) of plasma-forming media connected to a nozzle system inlet ( 6 ),   wherein the nozzle system inlet ( 6 ) is connected to a nozzle system ( 7 ) which is placed in a space between two cylindrical mechanically movable electrodes comprising an upper electrode ( 1 ) and a lower electrode ( 2 ),   wherein the upper electrode ( 1 ) and the lower electrode ( 2 ) are placed axially with respect to each other around the circumference of the equipment (X) and coaxially placed towards the production pipe ( 10 ),   wherein, while in the axis of the upper electrode ( 1 ) and the lower electrode ( 2 ), at least one magnet ( 4 ) is placed around the nozzle system inlet ( 6 ),   wherein the magnet ( 4 ) is positioned above the nozzle system ( 7 ) and/or under the nozzle system ( 7 ).   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein one or more centralizers (C) are placed on the outside of the equipment (X), which are in a mechanical contact with the production pipe ( 10 ). 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein the generator ( 5 ) of the plasma-forming media consists of one or several interconnected chambers ( 18 ), each chamber ( 18 ) having at least one inlet and one outlet, and at least one chamber ( 18 ) contains at least one pair of electrodes, a first electrode ( 16 ) of the generator being at a negative electrical potential and a second electrode ( 17 ) of the generator being at a positive electrical potential. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein the magnet ( 4 ) is a permanent magnet or electromagnet. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle system ( 7 ) is composed of 3-150 channels placed radially towards the production pipe ( 10 ) or at an angle of 1-90° from the radial direction. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein the equipment (X) and all parts of the equipment (X) are adapted to the effect of pressure in a range of 0.1-70 MPa. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein an upper dynamic flow restrictor ( 8 ) is placed on the outside of the equipment (X), between the equipment (X) and the production pipe ( 10 ), and at least 10 mm above the level of the nozzle system ( 7 ). 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein a lower dynamic flow restrictor ( 9 ) is placed on the outside of the equipment (X), between the equipment (X) and the production pipe ( 10 ), and at least 10 mm under the level of the nozzle system ( 7 ). 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein an electromagnet (M) is placed at the bottom of the equipment (X). 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for disintegrating the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 1  wherein the equipment (X) is placed in the production pipe ( 10 ) eccentrically. 
     
     
         11 . A method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole by means of the apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the equipment (X) is inserted into the production pipe ( 10 ) in the borehole and a liquid precursor (Y) is supplied through the liquid precursor inlet ( 11 ) to the generator ( 5 ) of plasma-forming media, which changes the liquid precursor (Y) to the plasma-forming medium (Z),
 wherein the plasma-forming medium (Z) passes through the nozzle system inlet ( 6 ) into the nozzle system ( 7 ) and is injected from the nozzle system ( 7 ) into the space between the two cylindrical mechanically movable electrodes, the upper electrode ( 1 ) and the lower electrode ( 2 ), 
 wherein a liquid environment is provided between the upper electrode ( 1 ) and the lower electrode ( 2 ) that comprises a pressure in a range of 0.1-70 MPa and the temperature of the plasma-forming media (Z) maintained at a range of 1-1000° C., 
 wherein an electric arc ( 3 ) is created in the space between the two cylindrical mechanically movable electrodes with an input power in a range of 10-10000 kW, and the electric arc ( 3 ) is ignited either by contact ignition or by voltage ignition, 
 wherein the electric arc ( 3 ) is evenly rotated on a circle by the magnetic field of the magnet ( 4 ) and/or by interaction of the electric arc ( 3 ) with the flow of the plasma-forming media (Z), an axis of the rotational movement of the electric arc ( 3 ) being identical to an axis of symmetry of the upper electrode ( 1 ) and the lower electrode ( 2 ), and 
 wherein the production pipe ( 10 ) is degraded by heat flow produced by rotating the electric arc ( 3 ) and the plasma-forming media (Z), subsequently broken material is separated from the production pipe ( 10 ) and is removed from a breakdown point, and then the electric arc ( 3 ) is extinguished and the equipment (X) is pulled out from the production pipe ( 10 ) to the outside of the borehole. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 11  wherein the generator ( 5 ) of the plasma-forming media changes the liquid precursor (Y) to the plasma-forming medium (Z) by thermal decomposition, electrochemical decomposition, chemical decomposition, or a combination of at least two of these decompositions. 
     
     
         13 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 11  wherein for pressures from 22.06 to 70 MPa and temperatures 374-1000° C., the plasma-forming medium (Z) has properties of a mixture of supercritical water and supercritical oxygen. 
     
     
         14 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 11  wherein for pressures from 5.04 to 22.05 MPa, the plasma-forming medium (Z) has properties of a mixture of water and supercritical oxygen, or a mixture of water vapour and supercritical oxygen. 
     
     
         15 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 11  wherein for pressures from 0.1 to 5.03 MPa, the plasma-forming medium (Z) has properties of water enriched by oxygen, or a mixture of water vapour and oxygen. 
     
     
         16 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 11  wherein liquid precursor (Y) is water, a mixture of ethanol and water in any ratio, or a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide in any ratio, or an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution with a concentration of 0.01-5% by weight. 
     
     
         17 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 11  wherein after ignition the electric arc ( 3 ) by deflecting the electrodes ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) in the axial direction, an arc channel is elongated to the length of 0.1 to 20 mm, whereby an inter-electrode distance between the upper electrode ( 1 ) and the lower electrode ( 2 ) is maintained at a constant value selected from an interval of 0.1-20 mm after the electric arc ( 3 ) has been stabilized. 
     
     
         18 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 11  wherein the particles of the broken material of the production pipe ( 10 ) are trapped by electromagnet (M) at the bottom of the equipment (X). 
     
     
         19 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 18  wherein after the end of the production pipe ( 10 ) breakdown process, the electromagnet (M) is switched off and trapped particles of desintegrated material of the production pipe ( 10 ) fall into the bottom of the borehole. 
     
     
         20 . The method for disintegration of the production pipe in the borehole of  claim 19  wherein the disintegrated material of the production pipe ( 10 ) is removed from the breakdown point by hydrodynamic forces generated by the flow of the plasma-forming media (Z), coolant ( 13 ), a mud, or gravitational force.