Sealing an undesirable formation zone in the wall of a wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087708-B2
Application number	US-201715701158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An inflating container filled with formation plugging fluid is deployed at the target zone by a rigless apparatus. The inflating container can be in valved fluid communication with an explosive filled container, the explosive being ignited using a firing mechanism that is attached to the explosive filled container. The explosion expands gases in the explosive filled container which pass into the inflation container and displace the formation plugging fluid into the balloon sections and through the weakened portions of the central balloon to penetrate the walls of the target zone. The expanded central balloon is melted by the heat of the chemical reaction and a portion adheres to the formation wall thereby sealing the undesirable target zone; thereafter, the remaining balloon sections are deflated or ruptured to permit the apparatus to be withdrawn through the production tubing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
initiating an explosion in a first container carrying an explosive, the first container positioned inside a well formed in a formation, the explosion expanding gas in the first container, wherein the expanding gas flows toward a second container fluidically connected to the first container, the second container carrying formation plugging fluid configured to prevent fluid flow through the formation; and
using the expanding gas:
flowing the formation plugging fluid out of the second container into a balloon attached to an outer surface of the second container,
inflating the balloon, wherein at least a portion of the formation plugging fluid is entrapped between the inner wall of the portion of the well and the balloon, and
sealing the portion of the well by melting the inflated balloon.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the explosion comprises directing a spark toward the explosive.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the explosive is a solid explosive or a compressed flammable gas.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing the expanding gas from the first container into the second container in response to a pressure on the first container satisfying a threshold pressure on the first container.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, using the expanding gas, flowing the formation plugging fluid out of the second container into the balloon attached to the outer surface of the second container comprises:
applying a force on a piston in the second container, the piston causing the formation plugging fluid to flow through a port in the second container into the balloon.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, using the expanding gas, inflating the balloon, wherein at least a portion of the formation plugging fluid is entrapped between the inner wall of the portion of the well and the balloon comprises:
flowing the formation plugging fluid through an opening in the balloon toward the portion of the well, wherein a rate of inflation of the balloon is delayed until at least a portion of the formation plugging fluid has flowed through the opening in the balloon toward the portion of the well.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a first container carrying an explosive, the first container configured to be positioned in a well in a formation, wherein an ignition of the explosive causes expansion of hot gas in the first container;
a second container carrying formation plugging fluid, the second container attached to the first container, the second container configured to be positioned at a well portion in the well, the second container configured to receive the expanding gas from the first container and to flow the formation plugging fluid out of the second container using the expanding gas;
a balloon attached to an outer surface of the second container, the balloon configured to:
inflate in response to receiving the formation plugging fluid from the second container,
flow at least a portion of the formation plugging fluid to the well portion, and
seal at least the portion of the formation plugging fluid in the well portion to prevent fluid flow through the well portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a valve fluidically connecting the first container and the second container, wherein the valve is configured to open when a pressure of the expanding gas is greater than a threshold pressure on the first container.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a floating piston positioned in the second container, the floating piston configured to be pushed through the second container by the expanding gas from the first container.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second container comprises a plurality of ways grooved into an inner wall of the second container, wherein the floating piston comprises a plurality of guides positioned in the respective plurality of ways to guide the floating piston through the second container.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second container comprises a port through which the formation plugging fluid is flowed into the balloon.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the port is configured to transition from a closed position before the expanding gas is flowed into the second container to an open position after the expanding gas is flowed into the second container.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of shearing pins positioned in the second container, the plurality of shearing pins configured to support the floating piston before the expanding gas is flowed into the second container and to:
open the port after the expanding gas is flowed into the second container; and
permit the floating piston to be pushed through the second container.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of shearing pins is configured to be sheared under a force of the floating piston to permit the floating piston to be pushed through the second container.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the port is a central port, wherein the second container further comprises:
an uphole port uphole of the central port to flow the formation plugging fluid into the uphole balloon; and
a downhole port downhole of the central port to flow the formation plugging fluid into the downhole balloon.

16. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the balloon is a central balloon, wherein the second container comprises:
an uphole balloon attached to the outer surface of the second container uphole of the central balloon, wherein the uphole balloon is configured to inflate in response to receiving the formation plugging fluid from the second container and seal against an uphole well portion uphole of the well portion; and
a downhole balloon attached to the outer surface of the second container downhole of the central balloon, wherein the downhole balloon the balloon is configured to inflate in response to receiving the formation plugging fluid from the second container and seal against a downhole well portion uphole of the well portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a rate of inflation of each of the uphole balloon and the downhole balloon is greater than a rate of inflation of the central balloon.

18. An wellbore sealing system comprising:
an uphole inflatable packer secured and positioned uphole of a wellbore sealing tool, the uphole packer configured to at least partially fluidically isolate the wellbore sealing tool;
a downhole inflatable packer secured and positioned downhole of the wellbore sealing tool, the downhole packer configured to at least partially fluidically isolate the wellbore sealing tool;
a wellbore sealing tool comprising:
a first container carrying an explosive, the first container configured to be positioned in a well in a formation, wherein an ignition of the explosive causes expansion of hot gas in the first container;
a second container carrying formation plugging fluid, the second container attached to the first container, the second container configured to be positioned at a well portion in the well, the second container configured to receive the expanding gas from the first container and to flow the formation plugging fluid out of the second container using the expanding gas;
a balloon attached to an outer surface of the second container, the balloon configured to:
inflate in response to receiving the formation plugging fluid from the second container,
flow at least a portion of the formation plugging fluid to the well portion, and
seal at least the portion of the formation plugging fluid i

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Gouhi Alwaleed Abdullah
• Alkhanaifer Nabil S

Classifications

• E21B33/127

  with inflatable sleeve (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B23/065

  setting tool actuated by explosion or gas generating means · CPC title

• E21B33/138 Primary

  Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation · CPC title

• E21B34/10

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B33/1272 Primary

  inflated by down-hole pumping means operated by a pipe string · CPC title