The Application of High-Power Sound Waves for Wellbore Cleaning

Champion, Brian Phillip; Bas, Fred van der; Nitters, Gerrit

doi:10.2118/82197-pa

Cited by 16 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…Use of vibrations was thus aimed at stimulating the entire borehole wall, including clogged zones. The main difference with previous studies (Champion et al 2004 ; Wong et al 2004 ) is that we used frequencies in the acoustic (200 Hz) instead of ultrasonic range (10,000 Hz) to increase the penetration depth. Tests performed in a formation with similar diameter grainsize had demonstrated that penetration depth increases from several centimeters for ultrasonic stimulation (Bunnik 2004 ) to 10 m for acoustic stimulation (van der Schans et al 2014 ), thus more than enough to reach the borehole wall with a downhole apparatus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Field Testing of a Novel Drilling Technique to Expand Well Diameters at Depth in Unconsolidated Formations

Schans

Bloemendal

Robat³

et al. 2022

Groundwater

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Larger well diameters allow higher groundwater abstraction rates. But particularly for the construction of wells at greater depth, it may be more cost-efficient to only expand the borehole in the target aquifer. However, current drilling techniques for unconsolidated formations are limited by their expansion factors (<2) and diameters (<1000 mm). Therefore, we developed a new technique aiming to expand borehole diameters at depth in a controlled manner using a low-pressure water jet perpendicular to the drilling direction and extendable by means of a pivoting arm. During a first field test, the borehole diameter was expanded 2.6-fold from 600 to 1570 mm at a depth of 53.5 to 68 m and equipped with a well screen to create an expanded diameter gravel well (EDGW). In keeping with the larger diameter, the volume flux per m screen length was two times higher than conventional 860 mm diameter wells at the site in the subsequent 3 year production period. Although borehole clogging was slower on a volumetric basis and similar when normalized to borehole wall area, rehabilitation of particle clogging at the borehole wall was more challenging due to the thickness of the gravel pack. While jetting the entire borehole wall before backfilling holds promise to remove filter cake and thus limit particle clogging, we found that a second borehole (expanded 4.1-fold to 2460 mm) collapsed during jetting. Overall, the EDGW technique has potential to make the use of deeper unconsolidated aquifers economically (more) feasible, although further understanding of the borehole stability and rehabilitation is required to assess its wider applicability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Field Testing of a Novel Drilling Technique to Expand Well Diameters at Depth in Unconsolidated Formations

Schans

Bloemendal

Robat³

et al. 2022

Groundwater

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Analysis of capillary interaction and oil recovery under ultrasonic waves

Hamida

Babadagli

2007

Transp Porous Med

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Although, the effects of ultrasonic irradiation on multiphase flow through porous media have been studied in the past few decades, the physics of the acoustic interaction between fluid and rock is not yet well understood. Various mechanisms may be responsible for enhancing the flow of oil through porous media in the presence of an acoustic field. Capillary related mechanisms are peristaltic transport due to mechanical deformation of the pore walls, reduction of capillary forces due to the destruction of surface films generated across pore boundaries, coalescence of oil drops due to Bjerknes forces, oscillation and excitation of capillary trapped oil drops, forces generated by cavitating bubbles, and sonocapillary effects. Insight into the physical principles governing the mobilization of oil by ultrasonic waves is vital for developing and implementing novel techniques of oil extraction. This paper aims at identifying and analyzing the influence of high-frequency, high-intensity ultrasonic radiation on capillary imbibition. Laboratory experiments were performed using cylindrical Berea sandstone and Indiana limestone samples with all sides (quasi-co-current imbibition), and only one side (counter-current imbibition) contacting with the aqueous phase. The oil saturated cores were placed in an ultrasonic bath, and brought into contact with the aqueous phase. The recovery rate due to capillary imbibition was monitored against time. Air-water, mineral oil-brine, mineral oil-surfactant solution and mineral oil-polymer solution experiments were run each exploring a separate physical process governing acoustic stimulation. Water-air imbibition tests isolate the effect of ultrasound on wettability, capillarity and density, while oil-brine imbibition experiments help outline the ultrasonic effect on viscosity and interfacial interaction between oil, rock and aqueous phase. We find that ultrasonic irradiation enhances capillary imbibition recovery of oil for various fluid pairs, and that such process is dependent on the interfacial tension and density of the fluids. Although more evidence is needed, some runs hint that wettability was not altered substantially under ultrasound. Preliminary analysis of the imbibition recoveries also suggests that ultrasound enhances surfactant solubility and reduce surfactant adsorption onto the rock matrix. Additionally, counter-current experiments involving kerosene and brine in epoxy coated Berea sandstone showed a dramatic decline in recovery. Therefore, the effectiveness of any ultrasonic application may strongly depend on the nature of interaction type, i.e., co-or counter-current flow. A modified form of an exponential model was employed to fit the recovery curves in an attempt to quantify the factors causing the incremental recovery by ultrasonic waves for different fluid pairs and rock types.

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Displacement of oil by different interfacial tension fluids under ultrasonic waves

Hamida

Babadagli

2008

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspect

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The Application of High-Power Sound Waves for Wellbore Cleaning

Cited by 16 publications

References 7 publications

Field Testing of a Novel Drilling Technique to Expand Well Diameters at Depth in Unconsolidated Formations

Field Testing of a Novel Drilling Technique to Expand Well Diameters at Depth in Unconsolidated Formations

Analysis of capillary interaction and oil recovery under ultrasonic waves

Displacement of oil by different interfacial tension fluids under ultrasonic waves

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