WellSET™ Lost Circulation Treatment
Prevention of lost circulation by improving the wellbore strength is accomplished by designing and applying WellSET™ treatments that increase the hoop stress around the wellbore.
The goal of WellSET treatments is to increase the hoop stress (and thus the wellbore pressure containment ability) in the near wellbore region. This is accomplished by placing a plugging material in an induced fracture that prevents further pressure and fluid transmission to the fracture tip, while at the same time widening and propping the fracture.
Chemical lost circulation treatments that form a deformable, viscous and cohesive material (e.g., FlexPlug® sealant) also may have the ability to improve the wellbore pressure containment as long as they can increase compressive stress at the fracture face.
