Open Hole Fracing System

Abstract

A method of producing petroleum from at least one open hole in at least one petroleum production zone of a hydrocarbon well comprising the steps of locating a plurality of sliding valves along at least one production tubing; inserting the plurality of sliding valves and the production tubing into the at least one open hole; cementing the plurality of sliding valves in the at least one open hole; opening at least one of the cemented sliding valves; removing at least some of the cement adjacent the opened sliding valves without using jetting tools or cutting tools to establish at least one communication path between the interior of the production tubing and the at least one petroleum production zone; directing a fracing material radially through the at least one sliding valve radially toward the at least one production zone; producing hydrocarbons from the at least one petroleum production zone through the plurality of the sliding valves the cement adjacent to which has been removed.

1 . A method of producing petroleum from at least one open hole in at least one petroleum production zone of a hydrocarbon well, the method comprising the steps of:
 locating a plurality of sliding valves along at least one production tubing;   inserting said plurality of sliding valves and said production tubing into said at least one open hole;   cementing said plurality of sliding valves in said at least one open hole;   opening at least one of said cemented sliding valves;   removing at least some of said cement adjacent said opened sliding valves without using jetting tools or cutting tools to establish at least one communication path between the interior of said production tubing and said at least one petroleum production zone;   directing a fracing material radially through said at least one sliding valve radially toward said at least one production zone;   producing hydrocarbons from said at least one petroleum production zone through said plurality of said sliding valves the cement adjacent to which has been removed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said sliding valves is a ball-and-seat valve. 
     
     
         3 . The method of petroleum production as recited in  claim 1  wherein said hydrocarbon well has a plurality of petroleum production zones and wherein the steps of  claim 1  are repeated for each of said plurality of petroleum production zones. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said removing step and said fracturing step are at least substantially contemporaneous. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said removing step comprises the step of dissolving at least some of said cement adjacent said opened sliding valves using a fluid. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said fluid is a solvent and said cement is soluable. 
     
     
         7 . A system for producing petroleum from at least one open hole in at least one petroleum production zone of a hydrocarbon well, the system comprising:
 at least one production tubing inserted into said at least one open hole;   a plurality of sliding valves located along said at least one production tubing and in said at least one petroleum production zone, each of said sliding valves having radially-orientated openings therethrough;   cement adjacent to said plurality of sliding valves;   a fluid flowable radially through said openings of said at least one sliding valve to remove at least some of the adjacent cement without using jetting tools or cutting tools;   a fracing material flowable radially through said plurality of sliding valves to cause fracturing of said at least one production zone.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein at least one of said sliding valves is a ball-and-seat valve. 
     
     
         9 . The system  claim 7  wherein said fluid is a solvent and said cement is soluable. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7  wherein said fracing material is a solvent. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7  wherein said fluid and said fracing material are the same. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7  further comprising a radially orientated communication path from the interior of said at least one sliding valve through said cement to said at least one product zone.