Downhole processing and disposal of produced solids from a well

Abstract

A well system comprises a subsea system to be positioned on a floor of a subsea at or near a current well that is formed in a subsurface formation below the floor of the subsea. The subsea system comprises at least one solids reduction device to receive solids that were part of the subsurface formation from downhole at a surface of the current well, wherein the at least one solids reduction device is configured to reduce a size of at least a portion of the solids.

1 . A well system comprising:
 a subsea system to be positioned on a floor of a subsea at or near a current well that is formed in a subsurface formation below the floor of the subsea, the subsea system comprising:
 at least one solids reduction device to receive solids that were part of the subsurface formation from downhole at a surface of the current well, wherein the at least one solids reduction device is configured to reduce a size of at least a portion of the solids. 
   
     
     
         2 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one solids reduction device comprises a primary solids crusher and a secondary solids crusher. 
     
     
         3 . The well system of  claim 2 , further comprising a screener to be positioned to screen the solids from an output from the primary solids crusher and the secondary solids crusher, such that solids greater than a size threshold are returned to the secondary solids crusher to be reduced in size. 
     
     
         4 . The well system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first transport device configured to transport a first subset of the solids downhole in the current well or a different well that is formed in the subsurface formation below the floor of the subsea, wherein the first subset of solids comprise the solids having a size that is within a size range defined by a minimum size threshold and a maximum size threshold.   
     
     
         5 . The well system of  claim 4 , wherein the current well is a multi-lateral well, wherein the solids received by the at least one solids reduction device are from a formation surrounding a first bore of the multi-lateral well and the solids transported back downhole in the current well are returned to a second bore of the multi-lateral well. 
     
     
         6 . The well system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a second transport device configured to transport a second subset of the solids that are outside the size range, to at least one of
 a location on the floor of the subsea, or 
 a location above a surface of the subsea. 
   
     
     
         7 . The well system of  claim 4 , wherein the minimum size threshold is approximately 0.001 millimeters and the maximum size threshold is approximately 6 millimeters. 
     
     
         8 . The well system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a magnetic separation device to be positioned to remove at least a portion of magnetic material from the solids prior to the at least one solids reduction device receiving the solids.   
     
     
         9 . The well system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one solids reduction device is enclosed such that the at least one solids reduction device is isolated from exposure to water of the subsea. 
     
     
         10 . A well system comprising:
 a downhole system to be positioned downhole in a well that is formed in a subsurface formation below a floor of a subsea, the downhole system comprising,
 a solid separator configured to receive formation fluid that comprises solids, wherein the solid separator is configured to separate out at least a portion of the solids from the formation fluid, prior to transporting at least a portion of the formation fluid to a surface of the well; and 
   a subsea system to be positioned on the floor of the subsea at or near the well, the subsea system comprising:
 at least one solids reduction device to receive the solids from downhole at a surface of the well, wherein the at least one solids reduction device is configured to reduce a size of at least a portion of the solids. 
   
     
     
         11 . The well system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the at least one solids reduction device comprises a primary solids crusher and a secondary solids crusher,   wherein the well system further comprises a screener to be positioned to screen the solids from an output from the primary solids crusher and the secondary solids crusher, such that solids greater than a size threshold are returned to the secondary solids crusher to be reduced in size.   
     
     
         12 . The well system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first transport device configured to transport a first subset of the solids downhole in the well or a different well that is formed in the subsurface formation below the floor of the subsea, wherein the first subset of solids comprise the solids having a size that is within a size range defined by a minimum size threshold and a maximum size threshold.   
     
     
         13 . The well system of  claim 12 , wherein the well is a multi-lateral well, wherein the solids received by the at least one solids reduction device are from a formation surrounding a first bore of the multi-lateral well and the solids transported back downhole in the well are returned to a second bore of the multi-lateral well. 
     
     
         14 . The well system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a second transport device configured to transport a second subset of solids, that comprise solids separated out and the solids that are reduced in size and that are outside the size range, to at least one of
 a location on the floor of the subsea, or 
 a location above a surface of the subsea. 
   
     
     
         15 . The well system of  claim 12 , wherein the minimum size threshold is approximately 0.001 millimeters and the maximum size threshold is approximately 6 millimeters. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a subsea system positioned on a floor of a subsea at or near a current well that is formed in a subsurface formation below the floor of the subsea, solids from downhole of the current well; and   reducing, by at least one solids reduction device that is part of the subsea system, a size of at least a portion of the solids.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the reducing comprises:
 reducing, by a primary crusher of the at least one solids reduction device, the size of the at least the portion of the solids; and   reducing, by a secondary crusher of the at least one solids reduction device, the size of the at least the portion of the solids reduced by the primary crusher.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the reducing comprises:
 screening output from the primary crusher and the secondary crusher, such that solids greater than a size threshold are returned to the secondary crusher to be reduced in size.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 transporting a first subset of the solids downhole in the current well or a different well that is formed in the subsurface formation below the floor of the subsea, wherein the first subset of the solids comprise the solids having a size that is within a size range defined by a minimum size threshold and a maximum size threshold.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the current well is a multi-lateral well, wherein the solids received by the at least one solids reduction device are from a formation surrounding a first bore of the multi-lateral well and the solids transported back downhole in the current well are returned to a second bore of the multi-lateral well.