Solid-Expandable Liner System With Custom Composite Frac Plugs Enables Recovery of Lost Reserves in the Piceance Basin

Casing integrity failure, whether through parted casing, leaky collars or some other issue, may result in less effective stimulation work due to abandonment of the plug and perf method and/or having to complete through a frac liner. In more extreme cases it could result in lost reserves below the casing failure point. Modern technology has provided a cost effective solution to this problem. In this case, the operator confirmed parted 4-1/2 inch production casing at 9,761 feet (Fig. 1) in their northern Piceance Basin acreage. The operator would have to repair the parted casing in order to frac the lower six zones of the well. The plug & perf method for zonal isolation was required to effectively complete the 2,825 foot vertical pay interval. In order to complete the stimulation program, the goal was to repair the short section of damaged casing and restore pressure integrity to the well while maintaining a sufficient inner diameter (ID) to allow composite frac plugs to pass through the repair and set in the base casing's larger ID below the split. After a corrugated patch failed to provide casing integrity, the solution was a 3- 1/2 inch single-joint solid expandable system that was expanded downhole to cover and seal the parted 4-1/2 inch casing in conjunction with the use of custom made composite frac plugs. The 30-ft., 3-1/2 inch solid expandable high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) liner system was deployed and expanded in a single trip. This system provided the required pressure integrity to withstand the frac pressures needed in this area. The 3.261 inch drift ID of the expanded solid liner allowed the operator to run custom 3.06 inch outer diameter (OD) composite frac plugs below the repaired section and successfully complete the well. This installation was a success, as the operator had essentially written off 63% of the well's reserves due to the casing part occurring above a majority of the pay interval. The operator is now realizing full production from the entire well. Moreover, this single-joint solid expandable liner technology coupled with the special drillable composite frac plugs can be used in any HPHT formation to repair the common issue of damaged casing to allow plug and perf completions to continue.

We report a study of the magnetic switching behavior of nanoscale Co rings using off-axis electron holography. Arrays of 10nm thick polycrystalline Co rings with 400nm outer diameter (OD) and different inner diameter (ID) were fabricated by electron-beam lithography. The switching behavior of the rings was studied for different OD∕ID ratios, and two kinds of reversal mechanism were identified. For OD∕ID of 400nm∕250nm and 400nm∕50nm, the reversal started from the so-called onion (bidomain) state, proceeding to a stable vortex state, and finally to the reversed onion state. For intermediate OD∕ID of 400nm∕150nm, the reversal was instead accomplished via rotation of head-to-head domain walls around the rings to the reversed onion state without formation of a vortex state. The OD∕ID ratio of the rings thus played the most important role in determining the switching process. Irrespective of the reversal mechanism, the coercive field of the rings and the range of the field needed to reverse their magnetization, both increased as the inner ring diameter was increased (i.e., narrower ring). The significance of different contributions to the total energy in causing these differences in switching behavior is briefly discussed.

A new centreless grinding technique to grind simultaneously the inner diameter (ID) and outer diameter (OD) of ring-type workpieces such as inner and outer bearing races is proposed. This has been proposed in order to reduce process cost and improve machining accuracy. In this new method, the OD of a workpiece can be precisely ground under optimum grinding conditions for conventional centreless grinding proposed in previous works. However, it is not clear how to determine the geometrical arrangement of an ID grinding wheel for improving the ID roundness and the concentricity of the ID in relation to the OD. This paper develops a simulation method to investigate the rounding process of the ID and OD of a workpiece under various geometrical arrangements, especially regarding the setup angle of ID grinding wheel. A simulation analysis of the effect of the ID grinding wheel's setup angle on machining accuracy are carried out. Then grinding experiments are performed in order to confirm the simulation results. It is found that the ID grinding wheel should be set up at such a location that the ID grinding point is close to the regulating wheel support point in order to improve ID roundness. The ID grounding point should also be close to the blade support point in order to improve concentricity.

Background: Airway management in pediatric patients is challenged by anatomical and physiologic differences from the adult airway. Demography-based indices for choosing the endotracheal tube (ETT) are marred by poor consistency and reliability. Airway ultrasound offers potential as an objective means of choosing the correct-sized tube in children. Materials and Methods: Sixty children in the age group of 2–15 years undergoing elective surgical procedures under general anesthesia with ETT were enrolled in this prospective observational study. The aim of the study was to assess the agreement between the ETT size estimated by ultrasonography (USG) and the standard age-based formula with the clinically used size (best-fit) in the pediatric population. The average of three readings of the transverse air column diameter, representing the outer diameter(OD) of the subglottic trachea at the cricoid cartilage, was measured by USG as USG(OD) in mm. The clinically used size (best-fit) ETT corresponded to the inner diameter (ID) of the ETT as suggested by the USG-OD to the attending anesthesiologists for intubation. The recorded data included the outer diameter (OD) and ID of the selected and placed ETT, i.e., ID and OD (clinical), OD (USG), and ID (age-based). Results: The agreement between ID (clinical) and ID (USG), a value corresponding to OD (USG), was 75% (kappa: 0.953, intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.96, P < 0.001), whereas the agreement between ID (clinical) and ID (Motoyama) and ID (Penlington) was 38.3% and 15%, respectively. The mean sonographic OD (mm; USG) was 7.10 ± 0.9, and the mean “best-fit” OD (mm; clinical) was 7.01 ± 0.8. The mean age-based ETT ID (mm; using Motoyama formula) was 5.42 ± 1.09. The mean age-based ETT ID (mm; using Penlington formula) was 6.02 ± 1.46. Conclusion: The strong correlation with clinical best-fit ETT suggests a possible role of ultrasound in objectively predicting appropriate ETT size in children and avoiding repeated intubation attempts for adequate ventilation.

A weak bias-magnetized dynamic permeability testing method for detecting and distinguishing inner and outer diameter defects in gas pipelines

Age-Related Associations of Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness with Retinal Arterial Structure

Water Jet Peening (WJP) has been widely applied to nuclear power plants in Japan as one of mitigation techniques against Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) initiation [1]. WJP utilizes high pressure water flow including numerous cavitation bubbles and improves surface residual stress of susceptible materials used in reactor internals from tensile stress to compressive stress without significant plastic deformation, hardening, heating and furthermore retrieval of foreign materials. An inspection relief for the Primary Water SCC (PWSCC) concerned components, by means of peening technique application, has been discussed among PWR owners in the US for about last 10 years. The topical report on PWSCC mitigation by surface stress improvement (Material Reliability Program (MRP)-335, revision 3-A) was published through the above activities by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) MRP [2]. The target components, where PWSCC is concerned, are listed as Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Penetration Nozzles (RPVHPNs), such as Control Rod Drive Mechanism Nozzle (CRDMN), and dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) of Reactor Coolant System (RCS) nozzles, and performance criteria for peening are defined in the topical report. Moreover, the technical basis for PWSCC mitigation by surface stress improvement (MRP-267, revision 2) was published by EPRI MRP [3].The report details numerous data for each peening technique which show the effectiveness in mitigating the PWSCC initiation and its sustainability, i.e. state of stress. The report also includes the process control; covering nozzle diameter, water flow rate, application time, jet stand-off, impingement angle and stationary nozzle time for WJP [3]. RPVHPNs inner diameter (ID), such as CRDMN ID, is in narrower areas than the other target components of peening techniques. Hence the WJP nozzle should be set appropriate condition, e. g. sufficient stand-off distance or angle of the WJP nozzle, in line with the MRP-267 in order to ensure the stress improvement effect by WJP. Further, the reactor pressure vessel head, which has the RPVHPNs including the CRDMNs, is placed on the refueling floor and under atmosphere condition during outage, and therefore, the CRDMNs have to be filled with water by plugging etc. for WJP application on CRDMN ID. Thus the CRDMN ID becomes a closed narrow chamber. In such a closed narrow chamber, water flow might become complex and disturb the cavitation collapse on the target surface, resulting in decreased stress improvement. Additionally, WJP has been rarely applied in a narrow closed water chamber, and only a few residual stress measurement data are available for such a WJP treated specimen. For the above reason, we has conducted a WJP test utilizing the water chamber and measured the residual stress of the test coupon simulating the CRDMN ID before and after WJP application as our own research. As a result, an improvement in residual stress was ensured even in an application of WJP in a closed narrow water chamber, which assumes CRDMN ID configuration, and created a depth over the performance criteria (0.01” (0.25 mm) in depth) stated in MRP-335 [2]. As an another applicability study, we developed a WJP tool for Bottom Mounted Instrument (BMI) Nozzles and confirmed that the residual stress of BMI ID and Outer Diameter (OD) can be improved . The background of this study is that BMI nozzle is under discussion for inspection relief as one of the components which are concerned about PWSCC. Especially, BMI ID is narrow area for WJP application; on the other hand it does not need to become a closed chamber since the reactor pressure vessel, which has the BMI Nozzles on the bottom head, is filled with water during outage. As a result, it is ensured that the residual stress for BMI ID and OD is improved by WJP to a depth of at least 0.2mm which is deeper than the performance criteria for the depth of compressive residual stress of Austenitic Stainless Steel in Japan (3.9 × 10−3” (0.1mm) in depth).

The completion of most cased-hole horizontal shale wells requires multi-stage stimulations, which calls for some form of plug isolation between the stages. The plugs are normally composite flow-thru plugs that are pumped downhole on electric wire to the required measured depth. This case history describes a project where the industry's standard-sized composite plugs with a 3.85-3.92 in. outer diameter (OD) would not pass through the curved section of the horizontal wellbore with an internal diameter (ID) of 4.276 in. Small doglegs in the curved section of the wellbore presented geometrical and completion challenges. Three attempts to push the plugs through this section of the wellbore failed, resulting in the plugs getting stuck. The project faced a challenge: Could a plug be built in a timely manner that would pass through the curve restrictions, set in the production casing, withstand stimulation pressure, and still be drillable? The project challenge was successfully answered. A new composite plug was designed that met all of the wellbore requirements and allowed a successful completion of the wellbore. The 3.25 in. OD flow-thru composite plug was set in a 4.276 in. inner diameter (ID) production casing. Altogether, six plugs were pumped down and set in the wellbore of the West Texas, University Land 39 #29-1H well. The plug met all of the required performance expectations during all stages of the completion. This plug's application goes beyond the standard horizontal wellbore with multi-stage stimulation requirements. The uniqueness of this plug is its ability to be modified for a variety of applications where reduced internal diameters in production casing create completion challenges below the restriction. The details of the wellbore deviations and the final plug design solution are included in this paper.

A Novel Method for Determining the Inner Diameter of the Esophageal Body Using a Non-Compliant Balloon Catheter and Pressure/Volume Monitoring and Inflation System

Solid Expandable Tubular (SET) usage in drilling applications of oil and gas wells has traditionally spanned drilling challenges such as covering up unstable formations due to pressure variations, isolate sections with losses or wellbore intrusions, maximizing Inner Diameter (ID) of the liner at Total Depth (TD) to improve Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD) of the next cementing operation. A bigger ID also gives room for higher production rates due to lower pressure through prod tubing. As operators are looking to cut well costs, well designs are optimized with as few casing strings as possible to get to TD. Solid expandable liners have customarily been considered a contingency only to be installed in case problems arise. The operational envelope of expandable liners has broadened over the years with the introduction of high torque expandable connections and rotation-enabled expandable liners which has allowed the liners to be run in more complex scenarios and in increasingly challenging down hole applications. Operators have started becoming aware of the fact that expandable liners can play a bigger role as a planned-in and permanent tool in the operational tool box. One such area is multilateral wells where reservoir contact can be greatly increased by drilling multiple sections through the reservoir from one mother-bore. By using existing casing infrastructure operators can drill additional reservoir section(s) without drilling completely new wells, saving both time and money. One major North Sea operator recognized a potential to utilize an expandable liner in a multilateral application, and have completed the first two wells validating this solution for constructing multilateral junctions from an expandable liner run and expanded out of a milled window in 10 ¾ in. casing. The post-expanded drift of the expandable liner allowed for drilling of an 8 ½ in. mainbore out of the expanded liner shoe, and an 8 ½ in. lateral branch sidetrack with a pressure seal multilateral junction installed. Length requirement of the expandable liner was estimated to be from 500 to 1000m as the solid expandable liner would need to isolate the gas zone, although it was not required to act as a permanent barrier. During the pre-validation phase connection gas testing was performed, as well as post-expanded wear testing in order to simulate liner wear from drilling two 6000m long reservoir sections. The next test well was planned with two multilateral junctions allowing for a total of three reservoir sections. This paper details the innovative approach a major North Sea operator took to multilateral wellbore design utilizing the SET system in three distinct ways in the same installation; 1) as a means to temporarily isolating the gas zone in the reservoir in order to drill the oil zone, 2) utilize the SET system as host casing for a multilateral junctions and 3) to isolate existing perforations in the 10 ¾ in. casing.

Unanticipated difficult endotracheal intubation due to an undiagnosed pharyngeal web

This study deals with experimental work implementing to recover the benefit by changing the shape of the tube in heat exchanger (HE) and improving the heat transfer using water as the working fluid. The experimental tests were carried out in build and design a complete test system for counter flow heat exchanger. The tested system consisting of a copper tube with (1m) length (17.05) mm inner diameter (19.05) mm outer diameter, fixed concentric within the outer tube was made of a material PVC. With an “inner diameter (ID) (43 mm) and outer diameter (OD) (50 mm)” isolated from the outside by using insulating material to reduce heat loss. The modify tube was manufacture containing transverse grooves with the depth equivalent to the half thickness of the copper tube. The distance between the grooves on the outer surface of the copper tube is take as a ratio between (0.5, 1) from the outer tube diameter. The laboratory experiment use the hot water at a flow rate ranging between (1-5) LPM, passes in the inner copper tube. As well as the cooling water with the mass flow rate ranging between (3-7) LPM. Three temperatures were the hot fluid are the adoption of (40, 50 and 60) oC and (25) oC the cold fluid. The experiment result showed that the improvement for temperature difference ranging from (14.94 % to 43.2 %) for both corrugated tubes with respect to smooth tube.

One of the issues in VCM rotary actuation in hard disk drives (HDDs) is the excessive sensitivity of the system to the skew angle. The rotation of the VCM from the inner diameter (ID) to the outer diameter (OD) of the disk results in an angle of skew between the read/write head and the track. The difference in skew angle, between the ID to the OD can be as large as 25 to 30 degrees in conventional 3.5″ and 2.5″ HDDs. A large skew angle affects the slider’s flying performance and off-track capability, causing an increase in side reading and writing, and thus reduces the achievable recording density. Large skewed actuation also complicates the position error signal calibration process in the hard disk drive servo loop. This paper presents a 4 link mechanism which can be designed to achieve near zero skew actuation in hard disk drives. The profiles of the arm, suspension, and links can be designed and optimized such that the skew angle is close to zero while the VCM actuator rotates from the ID to the OD. Study shows that the 4-link mechanism does not degrade the resonance performance along the tracking direction compared to a conventional actuator.

This paper presents results from a programme of residual stress measurements and modelling carried out on a Pressurised Water Reactor Safe-end Nozzle component. The full-scale Safe-end Nozzle component was manufactured to the same specifications as those typically found on Japanese Pressurised Water Reactors. The basic component consisted of a ferritic steel nozzle with a tapered outer diameter (OD) ranging from 883mm to 1192mm, an inner diameter (ID) of 735mm and a length of roughly 1080mm. A stainless steel ring (i.e. the safe-end) of 883mm OD, 735mm ID and length 100mm was attached to the ferritic steel nozzle using a double-V nickel base alloy (i.e. alloy 132) weld with buttering. Later on in manufacturing a stainless steel, main coolant piping section (883mm OD, 735mm ID and 500mm length) was then attached to the safe-end using a single-V stainless steel weld. The residual stresses generated through the centre-line of the double-V weld connecting the stainless steel safe-end to the ferritic steel nozzle were measured using the Deep-Hole Drilling (DHD) and inherent strain techniques. The residual stresses generated by welding were modelled using ABAQUS. Presented here are the DHD measurements from six locations circumferentially around the weld made at three different stages during the manufacture and testing of the component. The DHD measurements are compared against those measured on a similar component using the totally destructive inherent strain technique and those modelled using finite element analysis. Details of the FE modelling carried out for this project are to be presented in another paper at this conference (PVP 2009-77269). The measured and modelled results are also compared against the UK based BS7910 and R6 standards. It is shown that there is excellent agreement between the DHD, inherent strain and modelling results in the as-welded state, showing peak tensile stresses at the inner and outer weld cap surfaces, reducing into compression in the centre at the meeting of the double-V grooves. It is also shown with the DHD measurements that after attaching the main coolant piping, the peak tensile residual stresses present at the inner surface in the hoop and axial directions changed to become compressive. Furthermore, following hydrostatic and operating condition tests, the DHD measured residual stresses at the inner surface were shown to move towards tension again, with the axial residual stresses remaining slightly compressive, but the hoop residual stresses becoming slightly tensile. The residual stresses generated at the outer surface were relatively unchanged by the manufacturing and operating processes carried out.

The available ASTM recommends grout-filled steel tube anchors (STAs) for the tensile testing of 6.4- to 32-mm-diameter glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and a 9.5-mm-diameter carbon FRP (CFRP) bar. The available ASTM provides minimum STA dimensions for tensile testing of the FRP bars. However, because of the large variations in the FRP bars, the exact STA dimensions for successfully testing the FRP bars in tension vary significantly and depend on the type and diameter of the FRP bar. In this experimental study, tensile testing of 9- and 15-mm-diameter CFRP bars and a 15.9-mm-diameter GFRP bar was successfully conducted using cement grout–filled STAs. For the 9-mm-diameter CFRP bar, a STA of 31.8-mm outer diameter (OD), 17.6-mm inner diameter (ID), and 460-mm anchorage length (La) was used. For the 15-mm-diameter CFRP bar, a STA of 46.3-mm OD, 27.1-mm ID, and 600 mm La was used. For the 15.9-mm-diameter GFRP bar, a STA of 46.3-mm OD, 27.1-mm ID, and 460-mm La was used. This study investigated the effect of anchorage length of STAs, number of sand coat layers, and grout age on the tensile stress–strain response of the FRP bars. The experimental results showed that increasing the anchorage length of STAs and the number of layers of sand coating improved the frictional resistance between the FRP bars and the surrounding cement grout, which resulted in rupturing of the FRP bars. The experimental results showed that FRP bars with grout-filled STAs tested at 3 days of casting failed by the rupturing of FRP bars, whereas FRP bars with grout filled STA tested at 28 days of casting slipped out from STAs during the tensile test.