A method for the extraction of hydrocarbon

Abstract

A method to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from a coal seam gas formation is described that includes. : (a) drilling a wellbore using a drill string to access the coal seam gas formation; (b) perforating a section of the drill string; (c) abandoning a section of the drill string in the wellbore; (d) setting a temporary plug to isolate the abandoned section of the drill string and the wellbore; (e) installing a production tubing string above the temporary plug to create a fluid passageway ; (f) displacing a fluid above the temporary plug ; (g) removing the temporary plug to create an initial stimulated reservoir volume and, resultantly, at least partially filling an annulus formed between the abandoned section of the drill string and the wellbore wall with coal fragments; and (h) extracting hydrocarbon from the coal seam gas formation via the fluid passageway to create an expanding stimulated reservoir volume.

1 . A method to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from a geological formation, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) drilling a wellbore below one or more casing string(s) using a drill string, to a depth to access at least a portion of the geological formation, wherein a lower portion of the drill string comprises a drilling assembly and one or more stabilising means;   (b) perforating a section of the drill string, with access to the portion of the geological formation, using coiled tubing, wherein the perforated section of the drill string comprises the lower portion of the drill string;   (c) severing and abandoning a section of the drill string in the wellbore, with access to the geological formation, so as to create an abandoned section of the drill string having an open-ended stub disposed within the one or more casing string(s);   (d) setting a temporary plug above the open-ended stub, so as to isolate the abandoned section of the drill string, the wellbore, and the geological formation below the temporary plug;   (e) installing a production tubing string within the one or more casing string(s), to a depth above the temporary plug and the open-ended stub, thereby creating a fluid passageway to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation through the abandoned section of the drill string;   (f) displacing a fluid above the temporary plug, so as to create a high pressure differential between the one or more casing string(s) above the temporary plug and the wellbore and the geological formation below the temporary plug;   (g) removing the temporary plug, allowing the wellbore to produce through the fluid passageway, thereby creating an initial stimulated reservoir volume to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation and, resultantly, at least partially filling an annulus formed between the abandoned section of the drill string and the wellbore wall with fragments of the geological formation; and   (h) continuing to extract hydrocarbon from the geological formation, at a high pressure drawdown, so as to create an expanding stimulated reservoir volume.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the geological formation, from which hydrocarbon is extracted, is a coal seam gas formation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wellbore produces through the fluid passageway, in response to a pressure differential between a flowline at a surface location of a drilling rig and the geological formation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expanding stimulated reservoir volume grows larger and more permeable over production time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the abandoned section of the drill string advantageously functions as a production conduit to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the production conduit provided by the abandoned section of the drill string is accessible from the fluid passageway created by the production tubing string, thereby facilitating the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fragments of the geological formation are coal fragments that bulk the annulus formed between the abandoned section of the drill string and the wellbore wall. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a drill pipe severing tool is used to abandon a section of the drill string in the wellbore, with access to the geological formation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more types of coiled tubing conveyed drill pipe severing tool(s) is be used to abandon a section of the drill string in the wellbore, with access to the geological formation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the abandoned section of the drill string is left in situ and unsecured with respect to the geological formation. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from a geological formation, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) drilling a wellbore below one or more casing string(s) using a drill string, to a depth to access at least a portion of the geological formation, wherein a lower portion of the drill string comprises a drilling assembly, one or more stabilising means, and one or more temporarily sealed, pre-perforated drill pipe segment(s);   (b) removing, opening or breaking one or more temporary seal(s) of the one or more temporarily sealed, pre-perforated drill pipe segment(s), thereby creating one or more open perforation(s) along the lower portion of the drill string, so as to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation;   (c) parting and abandoning a section of the drill string in the wellbore, with access to the geological formation, by “backing off” (unscrewing) at a “tensile free point” (or “free point”) in the drill string, so as to create an abandoned section of the drill string having an open-ended stub disposed within the one or more casing string(s);   (d) setting a temporary plug above the open-ended stub, so as to isolate the abandoned section of the drill string, the wellbore, and the geological formation below the temporary plug;   (e) installing a production tubing string within the one or more casing string(s), to a depth above the temporary plug and the open-ended stub, thereby creating a fluid passageway to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation through the abandoned section of the drill string;   (f) displacing a fluid above the temporary plug, so as to create a high pressure differential between the one or more casing string(s) above the temporary plug and the wellbore and the geological formation below the temporary plug;   (g) removing the temporary plug, allowing the wellbore to produce through the fluid passageway, thereby creating an initial stimulated reservoir volume to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation and, resultantly, at least partially filling an annulus formed between the abandoned section of the drill string and the wellbore wall with fragments of the geological formation; and   (h) continuing to extract hydrocarbon from the geological formation, at a high pressure drawdown, so as to create an expanding stimulated reservoir volume.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the geological formation, from which hydrocarbon is extracted, is a coal seam gas formation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the wellbore produces through the fluid passageway, in response to a pressure differential between a flowline at a surface location of a drilling rig and the geological formation. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the expanding stimulated reservoir volume grows larger and more permeable over production time. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the abandoned section of the drill string advantageously functions as a production conduit to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation, and wherein the abandoned section of the drill string is accessible from the fluid passageway created by the production tubing string, thereby facilitating the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the fragments of the geological formation are coal fragments that bulk the annulus formed between the abandoned section of the drill string and the wellbore wall. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more temporarily sealed, pre-perforated drill pipe segment(s) is/are temporarily sealed using one or more blanked-off shear-pin stub(s), one-way valve(s), one-way ball seal(s), or differential pressure-activated burst disk(s). 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein activation of one or more of the blanked-off shear-pin stub(s), the one-way valve(s), the one-way ball seal(s), or the differential pressure-activated burst disk(s) removes, opens or breaks one or more temporary seal(s) of the one or more temporarily sealed, pre-perforated drill pipe segment(s), thereby creating one or more open perforation(s) along the lower portion of the drill string, so as to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the geological formation. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the abandoned section of the drill string is left in situ and unsecured with respect to the geological formation. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from a coal seam gas formation, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) drilling a wellbore using a drill string, to a depth to access at least a portion of the coal seam gas formation;   (b) perforating a section of the drill string;   (c) severing and abandoning a section of the drill string in the wellbore comprising the perforated section;   (d) setting a temporary plug to isolate the severed and abandoned section of the drill string;   (e) installing a production tubing string above the temporary plug and the severed and abandoned section of the drill string, so as to create a fluid passageway to facilitate the extraction of hydrocarbon from the coal seam gas formation;   (f) displacing a fluid above the temporary plug, so as to create a high pressure differential;   (g) removing the temporary plug, thereby creating an initial stimulated reservoir volume to extract hydrocarbon from the coal seam gas formation and, resultantly, at least partially filling an annulus formed between the severed and abandoned section of the drill string and the wellbore wall with coal fragments of the coal seam gas formation; and   (h) continuing to extract hydrocarbon from the coal seam gas formation via the fluid passageway provided by the production tubing string, at a high pressure drawdown, so as to create an expanding stimulated reservoir volume.