IMPROVING THE OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY OF OIL WELLS IN THE FAR NORTH

Abstract

To date, the development of oil fields on the territory of Russia is concentrated in the regions of the Far North. A significant part of these areas is composed of permafrost rocks (MMP). Previously, it was believed that the depth of MMP propagation does not exceed 700 m, however, a geoinformation study of the Markhinskaya well established the spread of MMP to a depth of 1400 m at an average rock temperature of minus 3 C. Thus, the operation of wells in cryolithzones during the thawing of MMP causes serious complications, up to the crumpling of casing strings and tubing. Technical solutions aimed at improving the operational reliability of oil wells in the conditions of the Far North are determined by the use of specialized equipment. The choice of the type of equipment for the specified operating conditions is due to the calculation of the thermal and mechanical interaction of the well with the MMP, as well as parametric control of the most dangerous zones. This article suggests an approach to improve the operational reliability of a well in a cryolytic zone by creating a multilayer structure of a protective casing of a thermally insulated pipe with ultrasonic monitoring of the warming zones of the MMP. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the thermal insulation of the protective casing is calculated depending on the insulation thickness and the life of the well. A comparative assessment of the radius of thawing of the MMP in the borehole space of the well was performed.