Pneumatic transport system and method for wellbore operations
A method for transporting an untethered wellbore completion apparatus to an outlet of a transport system that is operably coupled to and in fluid communication with a wellhead, from a location remote from the wellhead is disclosed. In some embodiments, the transporting includes propelling the object through a conductor of the transport system by moving a gaseous fluid through the conductor. In some embodiments, the object is a dart for use in a wellbore completion operation.
1. A method of transporting a wellbore completion apparatus, via a transport system, from a remote location to a wellhead for deployment into a wellbore, wherein the transport system includes an intake, a staging chamber-communicating conductor, a staging chamber, and a wellhead-communicating conductor, wherein the method comprises:
under atmospheric conditions, loading the wellbore completion apparatus into the intake;
modulating pressure within the staging chamber;
after the modulating of the pressure within the staging chamber, propelling the wellbore communication apparatus, with flowing fluid, via the staging chamber-communicating conductor, to the staging chamber, such that the wellbore communication apparatus becomes emplaced within the staging chamber;
while the wellbore completion apparatus is emplaced within the staging chamber, reconfiguring the transport system such that the wellbore completion apparatus becomes contained within the staging chamber;
defeating the containing of the wellbore completion apparatus within the staging chamber;
after the defeating of the containing, motivating displacement of the wellbore completion apparatus, via the wellhead-communicating conductor, from the pressure-modified staging chamber to the wellhead.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 ;
wherein:
the staging chamber-communicating conductor defines a staging chamber-communicating passageway; and
the modulating of pressure, within the staging chamber, is based on a comparison between a pressure within the staging chamber-communicating passageway and a pressure within the staging chamber.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 ;
wherein:
the modulating of pressure, within the staging chamber, is with effect that any pressure gradient, from the staging chamber-communicating passageway to the staging chamber, is below a predetermined threshold pressure differential.
4. The method of as claimed in claim 1 ;
further comprising:
while the wellbore completion apparatus is contained within the staging chamber, reconfiguring the wellbore completion apparatus.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 ;
wherein:
the wellbore completion apparatus is a dart.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1 ;
wherein:
the wellbore completion apparatus is an untethered apparatus.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 ;
wherein:
the fluid, of the flowing fluid, is a gaseous fluid.
8. A method of transporting a wellbore completion apparatus, via a transport system, from a remote location to a wellhead for deployment into a wellbore, wherein the transport system includes an intake, a staging chamber-communicating conductor, a staging chamber, and a wellhead-communicating conductor, wherein the method comprises:
under atmospheric conditions, loading the wellbore completion apparatus into the intake;
propelling the wellbore communication apparatus, via the staging chamber-communicating conductor, from the intake to the staging chamber, with flowing fluid, such that the wellbore communication apparatus becomes emplaced within the staging chamber;
while the wellbore completion apparatus is emplaced within the staging chamber, reconfiguring the transport system such that the wellbore completion apparatus becomes contained within the staging chamber;
while the wellbore completion apparatus is contained within the staging chamber, modulating pressure within the staging chamber;
after the modulating of the pressure within the staging chamber, defeating the containing of the wellbore completion apparatus within the staging chamber; and
after the defeating of the containing, motivating displacement of the wellbore completion apparatus, via the wellhead-communicating conductor, from the pressure-modified staging chamber to the wellhead.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 ;
wherein:
the staging chamber-communicating conductor defines a staging chamber-communicating passageway; and
the modulating of pressure, within the staging chamber, is based on a comparison between a pressure within the staging chamber-communicating passageway and a pressure within the staging chamber.
10. The method as claimed in claim 8 ;
wherein:
the modulating of pressure, within the staging chamber, is with effect that any pressure gradient, from the staging chamber-communicating passageway to the staging chamber, is below a predetermined threshold pressure differential.
11. The method as claimed in claim 8 ;
further comprising:
while the wellbore completion apparatus is contained within the staging chamber, reconfiguring the wellbore completion apparatus;
wherein:
the defeating of the containing is effected after the reconfiguring of the wellbore completion apparatus.
12. The method as claimed in claim 8 ;
wherein:
the wellbore completion apparatus is a dart.
13. The method as claimed in claim 8 ;
wherein:
the wellbore completion apparatus is an untethered apparatus.
14. The method as claimed in claim 8 ;
wherein:
the fluid, of the flowing fluid, is a gaseous fluid.
15. A method of transporting a wellbore completion apparatus, via a transport system, from a remote location to a wellhead for deployment into a wellbore, wherein the transport system includes an intake, a staging chamber-communicating conductor, a staging chamber, and a wellhead-communicating conductor, wherein the method comprises:
under atmospheric conditions, loading the wellbore completion apparatus into the intake;
propelling the wellbore communication apparatus, via the staging chamber-communicating conductor, to a pressure-modified staging chamber, such that the wellbore communication apparatus becomes emplaced within the staging chamber;
while the wellbore completion apparatus is emplaced within the staging chamber, reconfiguring the transport system such that the wellbore completion apparatus becomes contained within the staging chamber;
while the wellbore completion apparatus is contained within the staging chamber, re-configuring the wellbore completion apparatus, with effect that a wellbore completion-ready apparatus is obtained;
after the re-configuring of the wellbore completion apparatus, defeating the containing of the wellbore completion apparatus within the staging chamber; and
after the defeating of the containing, motivating displacement of the wellbore completion-ready apparatus, via the wellhead-communicating conductor, from the staging chamber to the wellhead.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15 ;
wherein:
the wellbore completion apparatus is a dart.
17. The method as claimed in claim 15 ;
wherein:
the wellbore completion apparatus is an untethered apparatus.
18. The method as claimed in claim 15 ;
wherein:
the propelling is effected by flowing fluid.
19. The method as claimed in claim 18 ;
wherein:
the fluid, of the flowing fluid, is a gaseous fluid.