Method for cutting steam heat losses during cyclic steam injection of wells. Sixth quarterly report
Slot-cutting tests were made in a 3.5 in. OD steel pipe representative of the proposed liner of the twin gravel-packed horizontal drainholes used in this Method, for the following purposes: (1)To determine the force required to punch through the liner wall in order to achieve its full penetration with a cutting wheel, (2)To select the most effective profile for the cutting wheel. The results of these tests, made at UC-Berkeley indicated that, with four cutting wheels, as included in the tool design presented in the Fourth Quarterly Report, the total force required was nearly 60,000 lb. In view of the limited tool diameter, the creation of such a large force with a single piston required a hydraulic pressure which would exceed the capability of the Triplex pump, most commonly available in the oil fields. A re-design of the 4-wheel slot-cutting tool with two tandem pistons was done, but revealed a high degree of complexity, related to the difficulty of providing a high-pressure fluid path in the thin housing wall from the hydraulic cylinder above the first pair of arms to a cylinder for the tandem piston located below the first pair of cutter arms and operating the second pair of arms. By reducing the number of cutting wheels from 4 to 3 a single piston driver was sufficient and could result in a tool much simpler to build and to maintain in the Field.The re-designed 3-wheel slot-cutting tool is presented here. It is currently under construction at UC-Berkeley. A second test program will follow, when this simplified modular tool has been assembled. The objective of this second series of tests is to determine the required characteristics of the opposing spring, or Belleville rings stack which, in the new design, is used for retraction of the cutters, rather than for their extension.
- Research Organization:
- S-Cal Research Corp., San Rafael, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG49-93CE15600
- OSTI ID:
- 110250
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/CE/15600-T6; ON: DE95016286
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1995]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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