Coatings for a degradable wellbore isolation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10316601-B2
Application number	US-201415500473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A wellbore isolation device comprising: one or more materials, wherein the one or more materials degrade after contact with a fluid; and a non-metallic coating, wherein the coating covers the one or more materials of the wellbore isolation device, and wherein the coating partially or wholly degrades after contact with a wellbore fluid. A method of removing the wellbore isolation device comprising: degrading the coating via contact with a wellbore fluid; and contacting the portion of the wellbore isolation device with a fluid, wherein the portion of the wellbore isolation device comprises one or more materials that degrade after contact with the fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of removing a wellbore isolation device comprising:
degrading at least a portion of a non-metallic coating via contact with a wellbore fluid, wherein the coating covers at least a portion of the wellbore isolation device prior to contact with the wellbore fluid, and the portion of the wellbore isolation device is exposed to the wellbore fluid after degradation of the coating; and
contacting the portion of the wellbore isolation device with a fluid, wherein at least the portion of the wellbore isolation device comprises a one or more materials that degrade after contact with the fluid, wherein the one or more materials comprise a degradable metal alloy, wherein the one or more materials comprises at least one degradable metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, and any combination thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation device is capable of restricting or preventing fluid flow between a first wellbore interval and a second wellbore interval.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation device is a ball and baffle, a bridge plug, or a frac plug.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the portion of the isolation device that comprises the one or more materials is the baffle, a core or mandrel, a spacer ring, a slip, a wedge, a retainer ring, an extrusion limiter or backup shoe, a mule shoe, or a sleeve of the bridge plug or frac plug.

5. The method according to claim 1 , any preceding claim, wherein the coating is made from a plastic, a thermoplastic, a rubber, a glass, an epoxy, or a ceramic.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is made from a substance that has a melting point less than or equal to the bottomhole temperature of the wellbore.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is made from ethylene propylene diene (M-class) rubber.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the wellbore fluid is an oil-based reservoir fluid, and wherein the rubber dissolves during production of the reservoir fluid.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating does not degrade sufficiently to expose the at least a portion of the isolation device until after a desired amount of time has elapsed since coming in contact with the wellbore fluid.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more materials degrade via corrosion, galvanic corrosion, dissolution, softening, or melting.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising placing the isolation device into a portion of the wellbore, wherein the step of placing is performed prior to the step of degrading at least the portion of the coating via contact with the wellbore fluid.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing all or a portion of the degraded portion of the isolation device by flowing the degraded portion towards a wellhead.

13. A wellbore isolation device comprising:
a one or more materials that degrade after contact with a fluid, wherein the one or more materials comprises a degradable metal alloy, wherein the one or more materials comprises at least one degradable metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, and any combination thereof; and
a non-metallic coating that covers the one or more materials of the wellbore isolation device, wherein the coating partially or wholly degrades after contact with a wellbore fluid.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the one or more materials is the baffle, a core or mandrel, a spacer ring, a slip, a wedge, a retainer ring, an extrusion limiter or backup shoe, a mule shoe, or a sleeve of the bridge plug or frac plug.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the coating is made from a film, a plastic, a thermoplastic, a rubber, a glass, an epoxy, or a ceramic.

16. A system for use in a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the system comprising:
a wellbore isolation device located within the wellbore and comprising at least a portion that comprises a one or more materials that degrade after contact with a fluid, wherein the one or more materials comprise a degradable metal alloy, wherein the one or more materials comprises at least one degradable metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, and any combination thereof; and
a non-metallic coating that covers the at least a portion of the wellbore isolation device, wherein the coating partially or wholly degrades after contact with a wellbore fluid.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the isolation device is a ball and baffle, a bridge plug, or a frac plug.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the at least a portion of the isolation device is the baffle, a core or mandrel, a spacer ring, a slip, a wedge, a retainer ring, an extrusion limiter or backup shoe, a mule shoe, or a sleeve of the bridge plug or frac plug.

19. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the coating is made from a film, a plastic, a thermoplastic, a rubber, a glass, an epoxy, or a ceramic.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Walton Zachary William
• Fripp Michael Linley
• Murphree Zachary Ryan
• Porter Jesse C

Classifications

• E21B33/1208 Primary

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

• C09D123/16

  Elastomeric} ethylene-propylene or ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers {, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers · CPC title

• E21B33/12 Primary

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B29/02 Primary

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

• E21B33/129

  with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title