MX2014007335A

MX2014007335A - Plug and abandonment system.

Info

Publication number: MX2014007335A
Application number: MX2014007335A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Abrahamsen Terje; Hobberstad Rune
Original assignee: Halliburton Energy Serv Inc
Priority date: 2011-12-19
Filing date: 2012-12-14
Publication date: 2014-09-01
Also published as: NO20140756A1; NO345309B1; BR112014014744A8; CA2859375A1; US20130153219A1; BR112014014744A2; WO2013096127A2; AU2012355515A1; WO2013096127A3

Abstract

A system to set a plug in a wellbore includes a tubular member (105) and a plug (115) coupled to the tubular member (105). The plug is configured to seal a wellbore based, at least in part, on a shape change of the plug.

Description

SYSTEM. OF CAP AND ABANDONMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure generally relates to wellbore operations and, more particularly, to a stop and drop system.

The plug for open drilling and cement plugs for abandonment require a reliable foundation to achieve successful fluid separation. Conventional products can only separate fluids and can not maintain any differential pressure that can occur due to losses and changes in weight. For horizontal wells, the convenience of conventional products is particularly questionable.

The integrity of the wells has been increasingly emphasized in the industry, and a reliable solution is needed to overcome the above problem. There is a need to have a reliable base for plugging and abandonment in open boreholes and perforations with casing that could maintain a differential pressure and avoid losses to the formation, besides being able to separate fluids. And, in cases of nearby wells, there is a need to ensure the isolation of water penetration due to nearby production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Some specific exemplary embodiments of the disclosure can be understood by reference, in part, to the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a plug and drop system, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 2? and 2B respectively illustrate a plug of the stopper system and abandonment in disabled and activated states, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 3 illustrates the plug and drop system in an activated state, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 4 illustrates the plug and abandon system in the cementing stage, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figures 5A and 5B illustrate an exemplary disconnection tool, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Although the embodiments of this disclosure have been shown and described and are defined by reference to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and such a limitation will not be inferred. Subject matter disclosed has the capacity for modification, alteration and considerable equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those experts in the art and who enjoy the benefit of this disclosure. The modalities shown and described in this disclosure are examples only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure generally relates to wellbore operations and, more particularly, to a stop and drop system.

Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described here in detail. In the interest of clarity, not all the characteristics of a real implementation can be described in this specification. Of course it will be appreciated that, in the development of any modality of this type, numerous specific decisions of the implementation must be taken to achieve the specific objectives of the implementation, which will vary from one implementation to another. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that said development effort could be complex and time-consuming, however it would be a routine carried out by those skilled in the art who enjoy the benefit of the present disclosure.

To facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, the following examples of some modalities are provided. In no way should the following examples be read to limit, or define, the scope of the disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure may apply to horizontal, vertical, deviated or otherwise non-linear sounding wells in any type of underground formation. The modalities can be applied to injection wells as well as to production wells, including hydrocarbon wells.

Some embodiments according to the present disclosure can provide a stopper and dropout system that can allow the placement, activation and release of plugs. The plug-and-leave system can allow the derivation and circulation of fluids in a deactivated state, and can be used to create a false bottom in an activated state. In addition, the plug-and-leave system can help to fix balanced and competent cement plugs during primary cementing and remediation operations and can allow successful plug fixation at the first attempt.

Figure 1 illustrates a plug and abandon system 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the non-limiting example shown, the system Stopper and Dropout 100 includes a tubular element 105, which may include or be attached to a work string. The work string may include a series of coupled tubular elements (not shown) that are coupled in any conventional manner. By way of example without limitation, adjacent tubular elements may be threadably connected in corresponding end portions. A continuous perforation can be defined by the tubular elements and the tubular element 105, and can be extended by the length of the working string. As shown, the plug and drop system 100 can be lowered into a bore 120, which can be an open bore or a coated bore. The tubular element 105 can be coupled to a disconnection and activation tool 110. In some embodiments, the tubular element 105 can comprise a drill pipe.

A cap 115 can be coupled to the tubular member 105 through the disengagement and activation tool 110. The cap 115 can be lowered to any desired position within the sounding 120, including a position away from the bottom. The sounding 120 may contain fluid placed around the stopper system and dropout 100. As shown in Fig. 1, with the plug 115 in a deactivated state and not sealing the sounding 120, a ring 121 may be defined between the plug 115 and a probing surface 120. In this deactivated state, the plug-and-leave system 100 can allow the derivation and circulation of fluid.

The plug 115 can be formed to have any convenient dimensions in the deactivated state to fit within several probes, depending on the implementation. However, once activated, the plug 115 can expand radially to fill the ring 121. In particular, the plug 115 can have the ability to be longitudinally compressed (i.e., generally along a plug axis 115). ) to change shape and expand radially until its outer surface substantially sealingly contacts the surface of the bore 120. It should be recognized that the plug 115 may be made of different materials, shapes and sizes.

Figures 2A and 2B respectively show an exemplary plug 115 of the stopper and abandonment system 100 in a deactivated state and in an activated state, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The plug 115 may include a tubular element 106, which may be a base pipe in some embodiments. The plug 115 may include one or more layers 116. For example, without limitation, an inner layer 116A may surround or partially surround the tubular element 106. A sleeve 116B may surround or partially surround the inner layer 116A. Once the plug 115 has been activated, the sleeve 116B can facilitate the maintenance of one or more layers 116 in the compressed condition. An outer layer 116C may surround or partially surround the sleeve 116B. The inner layer 116A and the outer layer 116C may include an elastomer material in some embodiments. Sleeve 116B may include steel in some embodiments. In various other embodiments, one or more of the inner layer 116A, the sleeve 116B, and the outer layer 116C may include any other suitable material that allows a shape change of the plug 115 as disclosed herein. And in alternative embodiments, alternatives to sleeve 116B (eg, a squirrel cage structure, or any other convenient structure) can be used to facilitate shape change of plug 115.

The plug 115 may include a ring 119A placed around the tubular element 106. A base 119B may generally be placed opposite the ring 119A, relative to one or more layers 116, at a distal portion of the plug 115. The ring 119A may be coupled with Sliding way the tubular element 106 so that, with a convenient force applied to the ring 119A, the ring 119A can slide along the tubular element 106 and compress one or more layers 116 against the base 119B so that one or more layers 116 expand radially, as illustrated in Figure 2B. The ring 119A and the base 119B can include any convenient material and can have any convenient shape that facilitates the compression of one or more layers 116 when a suitable force is applied to the ring 119A.

Figure 3 illustrates the plug and abandon system 100 in the activated state, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the change in shape of the plug 115 can therefore provide a hydraulic seal against the inner diameter of the bore 120. In this way, the plug 115 can be fixed on demand.

The plug 115 can be manufactured in any convenient manner so that it can be coupled to the disarming and activating tool 110. The disarming and activating tool 110 can include an activation feature 111. The activation feature 111 can include any means convenient to transmit a convenient force in order to compress the plug 115. In some embodiments, the activation feature 111 may allow a pressure to be transferred within the tubular 105, directly or indirectly to compress the plug 115. In some embodiments, the pressure can be transferred, directly or indirectly, to the ring 119A of the cap 115 in the non-limiting example illustrated in FIGS.

Figures 2? and 2B. In some embodiments, the activation feature 111 may include an activation ball or dart that can be dropped into the tubular element 105 in the activation tool 110. Because of this, the activation feature 111 may be a released activation tool. on the surface, operated by ball or operated by dart. When the activation ball or dart lands on the disengagement and activation tool 110, a pressure within the tubular 105 can be transferred, directly or indirectly, to the compression plug 115.

With the plug 115 in the activated state as shown in Fig. 3, the cap 115 can be disconnected from the tubular element 105. Fig. 4 illustrates the plug-and-abandon system 100 in a carburizing step with the plug 115 disconnected from the plug. tubular element 105, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. With the plug 115 in the activated state, the tubular element 105 can be carried by a convenient distance away from the plug 115. Cement 130 can be passed through the tubular element 105 to a portion of the borehole above the plug 115 after which separation of the tubular element 105 from the plug 115 has occurred. Centralizers (not shown) may be necessary to help maintain the tubing of the tubular element 105 in place at this stage.

In various embodiments, the disarming and activating tool 110 can be one of many types; the particular type may depend on the trajectory, temperature, size, price, etc. of the well. You can use any convenient drop tool. The disconnect and activation tool 110 may be a mechanically operated release device made of steel or composite material, for example. By way of non-limiting example, the disconnection and activation tool 110 can be operated by ball or operated by dart. A ball or a dart can be dropped into the work string and moved to the disengagement and activation tool 110. With a convenient pressure applied from the back to move the ball or dart, the disengagement and activation tool 110 can be activated to disconnect the plug of the tubular 105. In some embodiments, the disengagement and activation tool 110 can be connected to the plug 115 with a mechanical locking mechanism. In various embodiments, the disconnection and activation tool 110 may be adapted to either be recovered towards the surface with the tubular element 105 or to remain with the plug 115 at the bottom of the well. Some non-limiting details of the structure and operation of the exemplary tool are provided in the U.S. Patent Number 6, 772, 835, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

By way of example without limitation, Figures 5A and 5B illustrate a disconnection and activation tool 110, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5A shows the disarming and activation tool 110 in the connected state; and Figure 5B shows the disarming and activating tool 110 in the disconnected state. The disconnection and activation tool 110 comprises an upper body member 124 which can be coupled to the tubular element 105 and a lower body member 126 which can be coupled to the cap 115. The two body elements are coupled in a quick release manner , and the upper element 124 defines a seat for receiving a flow prevention tool. The flow prevention tool can be a release dart or a ball. The flow prevention tool may be a ball valve as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,472,752, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The seat has a larger diameter than the ball valve to allow the latter ball valve to pass through the disconnect 110.

In some embodiments, the cap 115 may include a inflatable material. The inflatable material can close spaces that tend to form. For example, spaces can form over time due to changes in formation that can occur due to faults, shrinkage by emptying, or stresses. In some embodiments, the inflatable material can be expanded to increase the sealing contact between the cap 115 and the bore 120. In general, the cap 115 should generally remain dormant until the activating agent is introduced to the inflatable material. The term "inflatable" is used herein to indicate an increase in volume of a material. Typically, this increase in volume is due to the incorporation of molecular components of a fluid within the inflatable material itself, but if desired, other swelling techniques or techniques may be used. The inflatable material can swell when contacted by an activating agent, such as an inorganic or organic fluid. In one embodiment, an inflatable material can be a material that swells upon contact with and / or absorption of a hydrocarbon, such as oil. In another embodiment, an inflatable material may be a material that swells upon contact with and / or absorption of an aqueous fluid.

Suitable inflatable materials include, but are not limited to, those disclosed in the United States Patent.

United numbers 3,385,367; 7,059,415; and 7,143,832; All of the disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. Some exemplary inflatable materials may include, but are not limited to, elastic polymers, such as EPDM rubber, styrene butadiene, natural rubber, ethylene-propylene monomer rubber, ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber, ethylene-propylene monomer rubber -diene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate rubber, hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, butyl rubber, alloyed butyl rubber, brominated butyl rubber, rubber chlorinated butyl, chlorinated polyethylene, chloroprene rubber and polynorbornene. In one embodiment, the rubber of the inflatable material may also have other materials dissolved in or mechanically mixed therewith, such as cellulose fibers. Additional options may be rubber in mechanical mixing with polyvinyl chloride, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, ethyl acetate or other polymers that expand in contact with petroleum. Other inflatable materials that behave in a similar manner with respect to hydrocarbon fluids or aqueous fluids may also be convenient. Those skilled in the art, who enjoy the benefit of this disclosure, may select an inflatable material suitable for use in the present invention based on a variety of factors, including the desired inflatable characteristics of the inflatable material and the environmental conditions in which it will be deployed.

Delaying systems can be used to delay the activation of swelling in some modalities. For example, the elements of the inflatable material can be encapsulated so that they do not usually swell until after a period of delay subsequent to exposure to the hydrocarbon and / or water. The hydrocarbon is absorbed into the inflatable material so that the volume of the inflatable material increases creating an expansion of the inflatable material.

Accordingly, some embodiments according to the present disclosure may allow for the placement of a competent stopper at the bottom of the well. Therefore, some modalities can ensure well integrity and can provide reliable plugging and abandonment in open drilling and coated drilling implementations. Some modalities can provide zone isolation on demand, being able to maintain a differential pressure and avoid losses to the formation. Some modalities can ensure the isolation of the water passage due to the production of nearby wells. Some modalities they can also have the inflatable characteristic of closing spaces that may tend to form over time due to changes in the formation. Some modalities can avoid the problems of conventional plugging approaches that are vulnerable to contamination and disturbance during initial fixation. With some embodiments, there is no need for a separate physical barrier between a cement plug and the fluid below the plug, as is needed in conventional operations to prevent the introduction of cement mud into the fluid.

Although the figures show embodiments of the present disclosure in a particular orientation, those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present disclosure are well suited for use in a variety of orientations. Accordingly, those skilled in the art should understand that the use of address terms such as up, down, top, bottom, bottom, top and bottom are used in relation to the illustrative modes as shown in the figures, the address ascending is towards the upper part of the corresponding figure and the descending direction is towards the lower part of the corresponding figure.

Therefore, the present disclosure is well adapted to achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent in it. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, since the present disclosure can be modified and practiced in different ways but apparent equivalents to those skilled in the art who enjoy the benefit of the present teachings. Furthermore, it is not intended that there be limitations to the details of construction or design shown here, other than those described in the following claims. Therefore, it is evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above can be altered or modified and that all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Also, the terms in the claims have their ordinary flat meaning unless explicitly and clearly the patents define otherwise. The indefinite articles "a" or "an", as used in the claims, are each defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that the article introduces.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following is claimed as property: CLAIMS

1. - A system for fixing a plug in a borehole, the system comprises: a tubular element; Y a plug coupled to the tubular element, wherein the plug is configured to seal a borehole based, at least in part, on a change in shape of the plug.

2. - The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug can be selectively uncoupled from the tubular element.

3. - The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the plug can be selectively uncoupled from the tubular element with base, at least in part, at a pressure applied through the tubular element.

4. - The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the change of shape of the plug is based, at least in part, on a pressure applied through the tubular element.

5. - The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug comprises an axis and is compressible along the axis.

6. - The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the change in shape of the cap comprises a radial expansion.

7. - The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the plug comprises a plurality of layers.

8. - The system according to claim 7, characterized in that one or more of the plurality of layers is configured to maintain the plug in an activated state.

9. - The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap comprises an inflatable material.

10. - The plug fixing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the tubular element is part of a working string that allows the placement of the plug inside the borehole before sealing the borehole.

11. - A method to fix a plug inside a borehole, the method comprises: providing a plug coupled to a tubular element, wherein the plug is configured to seal a borehole with base, at least in part, in a change in shape of the plug; place the plug inside the borehole; and induce the shape change to seal the borehole.

12. - The method for fixing the plug inside the borehole according to claim 11, further comprising: uncouple the tubular element from the plug.

13. - The method for fixing the plug inside the borehole according to claim 11, characterized in that the step of uncoupling the tubular element from the plug is based, at least in part, on a pressure applied through the tubular element.

14. - The method for fixing the plug inside the borehole according to claim 11, characterized in that the step of inducing the change of shape to seal the borehole comprises: compress the plug along a plug shaft.

15. - The method for fixing the plug inside the borehole according to claim 11, characterized in that the change in shape of the plug comprises a radial expansion.

16. - A plug to seal a borehole, the plug comprises: a tubular element; a layer of compressible material placed around a portion of the tubular member; Y a mobile element adjacent to the layer of compressible material for axially compressing the layer of compressible material; wherein the layer of compressible material radially expands when compressed axially.

17. - The plug for sealing the borehole according to claim 16, characterized in that the mobile element compresses the layer of the compressible material with base, at least in part, at a pressure applied through the tubular element.

18. - The plug for sealing the borehole according to claim 16, further comprising: a base positioned at a distal end of the layer of compressible material.

19. - The cap for sealing the borehole according to claim 16, characterized in that the layer of compressible material can be selectively uncoupled from a working string.

20. - The cap for sealing the borehole according to claim 16, further comprising: a sleeve configured to maintain the layer of compressible material in a compressed state.