Systems and method for reverse cementing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344558-B2
Application number	US-201515751931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A material detection and sealing device includes a body comprising a bottom end and a top end, and configured to fit within a casing string. The device includes a valve located within the body configured to open and close an orifice formed through the body. The device also includes a density meter located on or within the body configured to continuously sense the density of a neighboring fluid. The valve is configured to close upon the density meter sensing a certain density condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A material detection and sealing device for a casing string in a well, the material detecting and sealing device comprising:
a body configured to fit within the casing string;
a valve located within the body and configured to open and close an orifice through the body;
a density meter coupled to the body and configured to sense the density of a fluid flowed through the orifice;
a microcontroller coupled to the body and in electronic communication with the valve and the density meter, the microcontroller configured to receive density data from the density meter and send an electrical signal to close the valve upon the density data meeting the density condition;
wherein the valve is configured to close upon the density meter sensing a certain density condition of the fluid; and
wherein the valve, the density meter, and the microcontroller are only in electronic communication with each other.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a flapper valve, a ball valve, a check valve, a controlled valve, or any combination thereof.

3. The device of claim 1 , comprising a unidirectional valve located within the body and configured to permit flow of fluid through the body only in one direction.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the density condition comprises a change in the sensed density of the fluid or the sensed density being within a value range or past a threshold value.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is located within the orifice.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the density meter configured to continuously sense the density of the fluid.

7. A cementing system for cementing casing in a wellbore, comprising:
a casing string located in the wellbore, an annulus being formed between the casing string and the wellbore;
a pump configured to pump a cementing material into the annulus space; and
a sealing device located within the casing string, the sealing device comprising:
a body positioned within the casing string;
a valve located within the both and configured to permit flow into the casing string from the annulus in an open state and block flow into the casing string in a closed state;
a density meter coupled to the body and configured to sense the density of a fluid;
a microcontroller coupled to the body and in electronic communication with the valve and the density meter, the microcontroller configured to receive density data from the density meter and send an electrical signal to close the valve upon the density data meeting the density condition;
wherein the valve is configured to close upon the density meter sensing a certain density condition of the fluid; and
wherein the sealing device is not in communication with the surface.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the fluid is located in the inside of the casing string or in the annulus.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sealing device comprises a body configured to seal against the inside of the casing string, wherein the body comprises an orifice formed therein which permits flow into the casing string, and wherein opening and closing of the orifice is controlled by the valve.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the pump is configured to stop pumping the cementing material upon detecting a rise in back pressure.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the valve comprises one or more of a flapper valve, a ball valve, a check valve, a controlled valve, or any combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the density condition comprises a change in the sensed density of the fluid or the sensed density of the fluid being within a value range or pass a threshold valve.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sealing device is located at a distal end of the casing string.

14. A method of cementing a wellbore, comprising:
pumping a cementing material into an annular space between a casing string and the wellbore;
detecting the presence of the cementing material at a location along the casing string with a material detection and sealing device, wherein the material detection and sealing device is not in communication with the surface;
closing a valve of the material detection and sealing device within the casing string upon the detection of the cementing material; and
stopping pumping of the cementing material after closing the valve.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising detecting a rise in back pressure at the pump upon closing the valve, and stopping pumping of the cementing material upon detecting the rise in back pressure.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein detecting the presence of the cementing material comprises detecting a certain density condition in a fluid, wherein the fluid is located in the annular space, inside the casing string, or at well bottom.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein closing the valve further comprises preventing the cementing material from flowing further into the inside of the casing.

18. The method of claim 14 , comprising allowing the cementing material to harden.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Gao Bo
• Hu Yuzhu
• Singh John P
• Jimenez Walmy Cuello

Classifications

• E21B47/005

  Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level · CPC title

• E21B34/08

  responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/14 Primary

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• E21B2034/002

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic