Patent Application
20250012156
In the resource recovery and fluid sequestration industries anchoring systems are prevalent. Removing anchoring systems is also prevalent and generally requires a mechanical tensile load applied to the system to overcome engagement of the system with a tubular structure. Significant tensile load is generally required and damage is not unusual. The art would well receive alternate technologies that support reliable anchoring while simultaneously enable easier withdrawal with comparatively less damage.
An embodiment of an anchor system including a slip, and a cone supportive of the slip in a set position, the cone being configured to reduce structural integrity thereof upon receipt of a signal.
An embodiment of a method for operating an anchor including sending a signal to an anchor, and reducing the structural integrity of the cone.
An embodiment of a borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, and an anchor, disposed within or as a part of the string.
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 material 16 may be disposed about a periphery of the cone 14 in longitudinally oriented portions 16a (see
For all slips 12 that are subjacently unsupported by the degradation of material 16, the slip 12 may move radially inwardly, thereby disengaging wickers 18 of the slip 12 with the tubular structure 20 in which they are set. By disengaging the wickers 18, the required tensile load to retrieve the system 10 is far less than it would be if the wickers 18 remained engaged with the structure 20 when retrieval operations begin.
Material 16 is configured to receive a signal that may for example come from surface or may come from a controller in the downhole environment, the signal configured to create the desired response in the material 16. In an embodiment, the signal is received by a trigger 19 that ignites the material 16, while in another embodiment, the signal causes a mechanical load to be applied to a susceptible area of the stressed glass material, such as a tail of a prince Rupert's drop, also schematically identified with numeral 19. In either case, the material 16 loses structural integrity at least and disappears altogether through ignition or flowing away in some embodiments. Regardless of which thing occurs, it will be appreciated that the slip 12 being supported thereby will lose radial support at that time and tend to move radially inwardly of the system 10.
Referring now to
Referring to
Any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be disposed upon a mandrel 30, which itself may be a part of a string 46.
Referring to
Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1: An anchor system including a slip, and a cone supportive of the slip in a set position, the cone being configured to reduce structural integrity thereof upon receipt of a signal.
Embodiment 2: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the cone comprises a degrade on demand material.
Embodiment 3: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the degrade on demand material is located at one or more intervals in a circumferential direction about the cone.
Embodiment 4: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the degrade on demand material at intervals when degraded provides a fluid pathway past the cone.
Embodiment 5: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the cone consists of a degrade on demand material.
Embodiment 6: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the cone comprises a stressed glass material.
Embodiment 7: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the cone includes a slip support surface.
Embodiment 8: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein a volume of the cone subjacent the slip support surface is where the cone is subject to reduced structural integrity upon receipt of the signal.
Embodiment 9: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the volume is a degrade on demand material.
Embodiment 10: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the volume is a stressed glass material.
Embodiment 11: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the volume is a cavity of the cone fillable with a fluid to provide support to the slip support surface, the cone including an openable valve therein to release fluid from the volume upon receipt of the signal.
Embodiment 12: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the valve is a dissolvable plug.
Embodiment 13: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the fluid is a liquid.
Embodiment 14: The system as in any prior embodiment, wherein the fluid is a particulate solid.
Embodiment 15: A method for operating an anchor including sending a signal to an anchor as in any prior embodiment, and reducing the structural integrity of the cone.
Embodiment 16: The method as in any prior embodiment, further including unsupporting the slip.
Embodiment 17: The method as in any prior embodiment, further including withdrawing the anchor.
Embodiment 18: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the reducing is degrading.
Embodiment 19: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the reducing is flowing a fluid out of the cone.
Embodiment 20: A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, and an anchor as in any prior embodiment, disposed within or as a part of the string.
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 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 terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” can include a range of +8% a given value.
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 borehole, and/or equipment in the borehole, 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.
