Methods of removing a wellbore isolation device using a eutectic composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145194-B2
Application number	US-201213523095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2012
Priority date	Jun 14, 2012
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A wellbore isolation device comprises: a first composition, wherein the first composition comprises: (A) a first substance; and (B) a second substance, wherein the first composition has a solid-liquid phase transformation temperature less than the solid-liquid phase transformation temperatures of at least the first substance or the second substance at a specific pressure. A method of removing a wellbore isolation device comprises: increasing the temperature surrounding the wellbore isolation device; and allowing at least a portion of the first composition to undergo a phase transformation from a solid to a liquid. A method of inhibiting or preventing fluid flow in a wellbore comprises: decreasing the temperature of at least a portion of the wellbore; positioning the wellbore isolation device in the at least a portion of the wellbore; and increasing the temperature of the at least a portion of the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of removing a wellbore isolation device comprising:
introducing a solid wellbore isolation device comprising one of a ball, a plug, a bridge plug, a wiper plug, and a packer into a wellbore, wherein the same solid wellbore isolation device while maintaining its solidity creates a seal that seals a zone preventing fluid communication into zones downstream of the solid wellbore isolation device;
increasing the temperature surrounding the wellbore isolation device, wherein the step of increasing comprises injecting a fluid from the earth's surface into a bottomhole portion of a wellbore, wherein the step of increasing the temperature includes introducing a heated fluid from the earth's surface, and wherein the wellbore isolation device comprises:
a first composition, wherein the first composition comprises:
(A) a first substance comprising a metal or metal alloy; and
(B) a second substance comprising a metal or metal alloy,

wherein the first composition has a solid-liquid phase transformation temperature less than the solid-liquid phase transformation temperatures of at least the first substance or the second substance at a specific pressure; and
allowing at least a portion of the first composition to undergo a phase transformation from a solid to a liquid due to the increasing of the temperature surrounding the wellbore isolation device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation device is a ball.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first composition is a eutectic composition, a hypo-eutectic composition, or a hyper-eutectic composition.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first composition is a solid at a temperature of 71° F. (21.7° C.) and a pressure of 101 kilopascals.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first substance and the second substance are an element or a compound.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the first substance or the second substance comprises (i) the metal and a plastic, (ii) the metal alloy and a plastic, or (iii) the metal, the metal alloy and a plastic.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the metal or metal alloy can be selected from the group consisting of beryllium, tin, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation device further comprises a second composition, wherein the second composition comprises two or more substances and wherein the second composition has a solid-liquid phase transformation temperature less than the solid-liquid phase transformation temperatures of at least one of the two or more substances at a specific pressure.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the solid-liquid phase transformation temperature of the second composition is different from the solid-liquid phase transformation temperature of the first composition.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the second composition is a eutectic composition, a hypo-eutectic composition, or a hyper-eutectic composition.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the two or more substances making up the second composition is different from the first substance and the second substance.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation device comprises an outer layer of the first composition.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least the first composition is capable of withstanding a specific pressure differential.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the pressure differential is in the range from about 100 to about 25,000 pounds force per square inch (about 0.7 to about 172.4 megapascals).

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least the first composition comprises one or more tracers.

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of positioning the isolation device into a portion of the wellbore, wherein the step of positioning is performed prior to the step of causing or allowing an increase in the temperature surrounding the wellbore isolation device.

17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing all or a portion of the liquid first composition, wherein the step of removing is performed after the step of allowing at least a portion of the first composition to undergo a phase transformation from a solid to a liquid.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of allowing allows at least a portion of the first composition to undergo a phase transformation from a solid to a liquid to flow the isolation device from the wellbore without use of a retrieval apparatus to remove the isolation device.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of increasing the temperature, the injected fluid has a temperature greater than or equal to the solid-liquid phase transformation temperature of at least the first composition and the second composition.

20. A solid wellbore isolation device for introduction into a wellbore comprising:
a first composition, wherein the first composition comprises:
(A) a first substance; and
(B) a second substance,

wherein the first composition has a solid-liquid phase transformation temperature less than the solid-liquid phase transformation temperatures of at least the first substance or the second substance at a specific pressure, wherein the solid isolation device maintains its solidity from introduction into the wellbore to creation of a seal that seals a zone and the solid isolation device is thereafter meltable by increasing the temperature surrounding the solid wellbore isolation device by injecting a fluid from the earth's surface to flow the isolation device from the wellbore without use of a retrieval apparatus to remove the isolation device, wherein the solid wellbore isolation device introduced into the wellbore comprises one of a ball, a plug, a bridge plug, a wiper plug, and a packer and is capable of sealing a zone preventing fluid communication into zones downstream of the solid wellbore isolation device without undergoing a solid-liquid phase transformation, wherein the first substance comprises a first metal or metal alloy, and the second substance comprises a metal or metal alloy and the first composition melts at a desired range of temperatures using a gas introduced from the earth's surface.

21. The solid wellbore isolation device according to claim 20 , wherein the first substance or the second substance comprises a metal or a metal alloy and is removable by undergoing a phase transformation from a solid to a liquid and remains a liquid during removal of the isolation device.

22. A method of inhibiting or preventing fluid flow in a wellbore comprising:
decreasing the temperature of at least a portion of the wellbore;
positioning a solid wellbore isolation device comprising one of a ball, a plug, a bridge plug, a wiper plug, and a packer in the at least a portion of the wellbore maintaining solidity of the solid wellbore from introduction into the wellbore until the solid wellbore isolation device creates a seal that seals a zone, wherein the step of positioning is performed during and/or after the step of decreasing, and wherein the solid wellbore isolation device comprises a first composition, wherein the first composition comprises:
(A) a first substance; and
(B) a second substance,
wherein the first composition has a solid-liquid phase transformation temperature less than the solid-liquid phase transformation tem

Assignees

• Dagenais Pete
• Fripp Michael
• Hamid Syed
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Dagenais Pete
• Fripp Michael
• Hamid Syed

Classifications

• E21B33/134

  Bridging plugs · CPC title

• E21B29/00 Primary

  Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground · CPC title

• E21B29/02

  by explosives or by thermal or chemical means {(freeing stuck objects by explosives E21B31/002)} · CPC title

• E21B33/1208 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence) · CPC title