In the drilling and completion industry, cementing is an important step in the process. Oftentimes in wells being completed at the time of this filing other actions are contemplated such as fracturing, and or setting other tools using ball seats. These are generally of decreasing diameter with increasing depth in the borehole. Cementing operations generally employ what is vernacularly known as darts that follow the cement and land in a valve at the end of a cementing operation. The dart in the valve is configured to hold pressure for subsequent operations. The systems so constructed work well for their purpose but with ever increasing demands on efficiency and numbers of stages uphole of a wellbore isolation valve, the industry is always seeking alternatives.
An actuation configuration including a baffle having an opening, a plug comprising a plug material extrudable into the opening and compactable therein to hold a differential across the baffle.
A borehole system including a housing, a seat in the housing presenting an opening, a plug comprising a plug material extrudable into the opening and compactable therein to hold a differential across seat.
A method for treating a borehole including running a plug onto a baffle, extruding plug material into an opening of the baffle, compacting the plug material in the opening to support a target differential pressure across the baffle, and actuating a borehole tool.
A method for treating a borehole including running a deformable plug through a restriction, landing the plug on a seat having an opening, compacting material of the deformable plug into the opening to support a differential pressure thereacross, actuating a borehole tool.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
Referring to
The system 16, in one embodiment (see
In some embodiments, friction in the openings 22 may be increased through one or more of wall surface features (roughness 40, ridges 42, threadforms 43, teeth 44, etc. see
Referring back to
In operation, release of the release member 30 allows the seat 18 to shift relative to housing 20 causing the alignment or misalignment discussed above or allowing any other type of actuation by shifting, bursting, pressure sensing, etc. to occur. It will be appreciated that this is but one actuation possible with the concept described herein of producing a plug 12 of a plug material 10, that heretofore would not have been selected and causing that material to have pressure differential capability due to the baffle 14 and openings 22.
A benefit of the arrangement as disclosed is due to the fact that the plug 12 is far more deformable than conventional plugs and hence can move in a substantially unfettered manner through restrictions in a string that would be an obstacle to conventional plugs. The result is that many more stages (up to about 20) may be employed than heretofore possible.
Referring to
Referring to
Further disclosed is a method for treating a borehole including running a plug onto a baffle and extruding plug material into openings of the baffle, compacting the plug material to support a target differential pressure and actuating a borehole tool. Further disclosed is a method for treating a borehole including running a deformable ball through a restriction and then landing the ball on a seat that allows for shifting of the seat and thereby closing the wellbore isolation valve or shifting or actuating another borehole tool.
Also disclosed is a borehole system having a greater number of fracture stages uphole of a wellbore isolation valve than were heretofore possible due to limitations of the size of wiper plugs.
Further disclosure is embodied in the pages following.
Embodiment 1: An actuation configuration including a baffle having an opening, a plug comprising a plug material extrudable into the opening and compactable therein to hold a differential across the baffle.
Embodiment 2: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the plug material is an open cell material.
Embodiment 3: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the plug material is a closed cell material.
Embodiment 4: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the baffle includes a plurality of openings therein.
Embodiment 5: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the opening is cylindrical.
Embodiment 6: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the opening is elliptical.
Embodiment 7: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the opening is arc shaped.
Embodiment 8: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the opening includes a wall surface that is roughened.
Embodiment 9: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the opening includes wall surface that has ridges thereon.
Embodiment 10: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the opening includes wall surface that has a threadform thereon.
Embodiment 11: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the opening includes wall surface that has teeth thereon.
Embodiment 12: A borehole system including a housing, a seat in the housing presenting an opening, a plug comprising a plug material extrudable into the opening and compactable therein to hold a differential across seat.
Embodiment 13: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the seat further includes a baffle therein.
Embodiment 14: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the plug material is an open cell material.
Embodiment 15: The system as in any prior embodiment wherein the plug material is a closed cell material.
Embodiment 16: A method for treating a borehole including running a plug onto a baffle, extruding plug material into an opening of the baffle, compacting the plug material in the opening to support a target differential pressure across the baffle, and actuating a borehole tool.
Embodiment 17: A method for treating a borehole including running a deformable plug through a restriction, landing the plug on a seat having an opening, compacting material of the deformable plug into the opening to support a differential pressure thereacross and actuating a borehole tool.
Embodiment 18: The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the actuating comprises shifting of the seat.
Embodiment 19: The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the shifting comprises aligning or misaligning flow structures depending upon whether the flow structures were immediately previous to shifting aligned or misaligned.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should further be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity).
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
This application claims the benefit of an earlier filing date from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/310,624 filed Jan. Mar. 18, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference
Number | Date | Country | |
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62310624 | Mar 2016 | US |