This disclosure relates to crossflow containment well tools, such as well bridge plugs.
In hydrocarbon production, a wellbore is drilled into a hydrocarbon-rich geological formation. After the wellbore is partially or completely drilled, a completion system is installed to secure the wellbore in preparation for production or injection. During production, hydrocarbons are extracted from the geological formation and flow uphole through the wellbore. Sometimes, water or other unwanted geological fluid also flows into the wellbore, called crossflow. Bridge plugs are often used to control fluid crossflow in a wellbore, for example, by isolating a section of the wellbore from fluid flow.
This disclosure describes bridge plug assemblies, for example, that are disposed in a wellbore experiencing crossflow to seal and isolate a section of the wellbore.
In some aspects, a well bridge plug assembly includes a sub body configured to be positioned in a well, the sub body including an internal fluid pathway extending from a downhole end of the sub body to an uphole end of the sub body, and the sub body configured to flow well fluid through the internal fluid pathway in an uphole direction from the downhole end toward the uphole end. The assembly includes a plug nose positioned at the downhole end of the sub body, where the plug nose includes an aperture fluidly connected to the internal fluid pathway of the sub body. A flapper element disposed within the internal fluid pathway of the sub body is configured to move between an open position and a closed position to selectively seal the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow. A sealing element, circumscribing a portion of the sub body between the downhole end and the uphole end, is configured to selectively seal against a wall of a wellbore.
This, and other aspects, can include one or more of the following features. The sub body can include a shoulder extending into the internal fluid pathway, the shoulder configured to engage the flapper element in the closed position of the flapper element. The well bridge plug assembly can include a plurality of flapper elements including the first-mentioned flapper element and disposed within the internal fluid pathway, the plurality of flapper elements configured to move between the open position and the closed position to selectively seal the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow. The flapper element can pivotally connect to an inner wall of the sub body, the flapper element configured to pivot between the open position and the closed position. The well bridge plug assembly can include a plurality of apertures through the plug nose and including the first-mentioned aperture, the plurality of apertures fluidly connected to the internal fluid pathway of the sub body. The plurality of apertures can be disposed symmetrically about a front end of the plug nose. The plug nose can include a bull nose shape. The well bridge plug assembly can include an outlet aperture in the sub body at the uphole end of the sub body, the outlet aperture configured to direct the fluid flow in the internal fluid pathway to the wellbore uphole of the sealing element. The well bridge plug assembly can include a setting rod extending within the internal fluid pathway of the sub body and being selectively removable from the sub body, the setting rod configured to hold the flapper element in the open position to open the internal fluid pathway to fluid flow. The setting rod can connect to a well string disposed within the wellbore. The sealing element can include a sealing elastomer. The sealing element can include a packer element.
Certain aspects of the disclosure encompass a method for sealing a wellbore under crossflow. In a wellbore in which a well bridge plug assembly is disposed, the well bridge plug includes a sub body including an internal fluid pathway extending from a downhole end of the sub body to an uphole end of the sub body, a plug nose positioned at a downhole end of the sub body, a flapper element disposed within the internal fluid pathway of the sub body, and a sealing element. The plug nose includes an aperture fluidly connected to the internal fluid pathway of the sub body, the flapper element is configured to move between an open position and a closed position to selectively seal the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow, and the sealing element circumscribes a portion of the sub body between the downhole end and the uphole end. The method includes directing fluid flow through the aperture of the plug nose and through the internal fluid pathway of the sub body, engaging the sealing element with a wall of the wellbore, and sealing, with the sealing element, an annulus of the wellbore between the well bridge plug assembly and a wall of the wellbore from fluid flow.
This, and other aspects, can include one or more of the following features. The method can include directing the fluid flow in the internal fluid pathway through an outlet aperture in the sub body to the wellbore uphole of the sealing element, the outlet aperture positioned at the uphole end of the sub body. The method can include, in response to sealing the annulus of the wellbore with the sealing element, moving the flapper element to the closed position to seal the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow. Moving the flapper element to the closed position to seal the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow can include engaging the flapper element with a shoulder extending into the internal fluid pathway of the sub body. The well bridge plug assembly can include a removable setting rod extending within the internal fluid pathway of the sub body, and directing fluid flow into the aperture of the plug nose and through the internal fluid pathway of the sub body can include holding, with the removable setting rod, the flapper element in the open position to open the internal fluid pathway to fluid flow. The method can include, in response to sealing the annulus of the wellbore with the sealing element, removing the removable setting rod from the internal fluid pathway and moving the flapper element to the closed position to seal the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow.
Certain aspects of the disclosure include a crossflow well tool. The crossflow well tool includes a sub body configured to be positioned in a well, the sub body including an internal fluid pathway extending from an inlet aperture at a downhole end of the sub body to an outlet aperture at an uphole end of the sub body, where the sub body is configured to flow well fluid through the internal fluid pathway in an uphole direction from the inlet aperture toward the outlet aperture. The crossflow well tool further includes a flapper element disposed within the internal fluid pathway of the sub body, the flapper element configured to move between an open position and a closed position to selectively seal the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow, and a sealing element circumscribing a portion of the sub body between the downhole end and the uphole end, where the sealing element is configured to selectively seal against a wellbore wall.
This, and other aspects, can include one or more of the following features. The sub body can include a shoulder extending into the internal fluid pathway, and the flapper element can pivotally connect to an inner wall of the sub body. The flapper element can be configured to pivot between the open position and the closed position, and configured to engage the shoulder and seal the internal fluid pathway in the closed position of the flapper element.
The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
This disclosure describes bridge plug assemblies for well systems, for example, to isolate a portion of a wellbore from fluid crossflow. In some wells, during well production operations, well fluid flow through the wellbore includes hydrocarbon flow and unwanted fluid flow, such as water. A bridge plug assembly can be run downhole and positioned in the wellbore at a location corresponding to high crossflow rates, such as over 10,000 barrels per day (bbl./day). The bridge plug assembly plugs the wellbore to restrict, prevent, or otherwise control fluid flow through the wellbore from downhole of the bridge plug assembly to uphole of the bridge plug assembly. In some implementations, water or other fluid infiltration exists in a wellbore further downhole in the wellbore than hydrocarbon flow, such that blocking the water or other fluid infiltration in the wellbore with a bridge plug reduces crossflow uphole of the bridge plug. A well bridge plug assembly installed in the wellbore can restrict water or other fluid crossflow from flowing uphole past the bridge plug assembly.
Some well bridge plug assemblies include a close-ended nose to prevent fluid flow through the bridge plug assembly, or include an internal flow pathway equipped with a back pressure valve (BPV) that allows certain well fluid flow through the bridge plug assembly. The back pressure valve can include flapper type valves, typically installed at the bottom of bridge plug system, and is utilized to seal off pressure. In wellbores with high fluid crossflow rates, for example, between 10,000 and 30,000 bbl./day, some well bridge plugs cannot perfect a sufficient seal to a wall of the wellbore (for example, an inner wall of a wellbore casing or inner wall of the wellbore) to plug the wellbore. For example, crossflow rates can be substantially high enough such that the volume and pressure of the fluid flowing across a packer sealing element of the bridge plug assembly prevents or reduces a sufficient seal between the packer sealing element and the wall of the wellbore. The well bridge plug assemblies described in this disclosure include a selectively sealable internal fluid pathway through a sub body of the well bridge plug, such that well fluid flowing through the internal fluid pathway provides an alternative pathway for well fluid to flow other than between the sealing element and the wall of the wellbore. This alternative pathway reduces a pressure of the well fluid acting on the sealing element during an expansion or sealing operation of the sealing element in order to perfect a sufficient seal between the sealing element and the wall of the wellbore. Also, the internal fluid pathway can be selectively closed following the engagement and sealing of the sealing element with the wall of the wellbore to close the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow, thereby isolating (substantially or completely) fluid downhole of the well bridge plug assembly from flowing uphole beyond the bridge plug assembly. The selectively sealable internal fluid pathway allows fluid flow through the well bridge plug to reduce a fluid pressure on the sealing element during a sealing operation while also being operable to close the internal fluid pathway from fluid flow, for example, after the sealing operation of the sealing element is complete.
The example bridge plug assembly 200 also includes a plug nose 208 positioned at the downhole end 204 of the sub body 202, and a sealing element 210 circumscribing a portion of the sub body 202 between the downhole end 204 and the uphole end 206. The plug nose 208 is attached (for example, by any means including fastened, threaded, or otherwise coupled) to the sub body 202, or the plug nose 208 can be integral to the sub body 202. In the example bridge plug assembly 200, the plug nose 208 is directly located beneath (for example, directly downhole of) the dual back pressure valve (DBPV) 218. The plug nose 208 includes an aperture 212 fluidly connected to the internal fluid pathway of the sub body 202, for example, to allow fluid flow from the wellbore 102 downhole of the bridge plug assembly 200 into the internal fluid pathway. The dual back pressure valve (DBPV) 218 is depicted as a dual flapper check valve including two flapper elements 306, and is designed to minimize flow restriction in the intended flow direction and to prevent reverse flow and seal off pressure.
The sealing element 210 selectively seals against a wall of the wellbore 102, such as an open hole section of the wellbore wall or a wall of a casing. For example, the sealing element 210 extends or expands radially outward to engage and seal against the wall of the wellbore 102. In some implementations, the sealing element 210 is activated by dropping a setting ball and pumping it down to a ball seat formed in part of the hydraulic running tool above the plug. The sealing element 210 acts to plug the wellbore annulus, which is the space between an outer surface 216 of the sub body 202 and the wall of the wellbore 102, from fluid flow. The sealing element 210 can include a sealing elastomer, and can take a variety of forms. For example, the sealing element 210 can include a packer element, such as an inflatable packer, swellable packer, elastomeric packer, a combination of these, or other packer elements. In certain implementations, the bridge plug assembly 200 includes slips 214 configured to radially expand toward the wall of the wellbore 102. The slips 214 can include movable arm elements that radially expand toward the wall of the wellbore 102 and engage (for example, contact) the wall of the wellbore 102. Well fluid, mechanical activation, or other aspects of the well bridge plug 200 can activate the slips 214 to move from a radially inward position where the slips 214 substantially align with the outer surface 216 of the sub body 202 to the radially outward position where the slips 214 can engage the wall of the wellbore 102. The slips 214 centrally position the bridge plug assembly 200 within the wellbore 102 along (substantially or exactly) a central longitudinal axis of the wellbore 102, for example, to position the sub body 202 during the sealing operation of the sealing element 210. The slips 214 are shown in
Referring to
In some implementations, the sub body 202 includes a shoulder 308 corresponding to each flapper element 306. In the example bridge plug assembly of
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
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