A New FTWD Method for Pipeline Sand Blockage Clearing

In Bohai Sea Oilfield, the application of the formation tester while drilling (FTWD) has encountered many problems, the most prominent of which is sand production in shallow loose formations. Sand can easily clog the internal pipelines of the FTWD tool, causing operational failures. Conventional solutions such as filtering and controlling the drop down rate cannot completely solve the problem. This chapter proposes a new method to the issue of IFPT pipeline blockage caused by sand production. The method clears the pipeline blockage by repeatedly pumping in and discharging annular mud. The basic information of IFPT is introduced firstly. Then the source and harms of pipeline blockages are analyzed. And after pointing out that probe filters are insufficient to clear sand blockage, mechanical improvements are made on the basic IFPT tool, and a control program is developed. Finally, two cases prove the feasibility of this method. It has been well applied in Bohai Sea Oilfield and the IFPT tool is constantly being improved.