Downhole assembly including degradable-on-demand material and method to degrade downhole tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10364632-B2
Application number	US-201715599081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A downhole assembly arranged within a borehole includes a downhole tool including a degradable-on-demand material, the degradable-on-demand material including: a matrix material; and, an energetic material configured to generate energy upon activation to facilitate the degradation of the downhole tool; and, a triggering system including: an electrical circuit; an igniter in the electrical circuit arranged to ignite the energetic material; a sensor configured to sense a target event or parameter within the borehole; and, a control unit arranged to receive sensed signals from the sensor and to deliver a start signal to the electrical circuit in response to the sensed signals indicating an occurrence of the target event or parameter; wherein, after the start signal is delivered from the control unit, the electrical circuit is closed and the igniter is initiated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole assembly arranged within a borehole, the downhole assembly comprising:
a downhole tool including a degradable-on-demand material, the degradable-on-demand material including:
a matrix material; and,
an energetic material configured to generate energy upon activation to facilitate the degradation of the downhole tool; and,
a triggering system including:
an electrical circuit;
an igniter in the electrical circuit arranged to ignite the energetic material;
a sensor configured to sense a target event or parameter within the borehole; and,
a control unit arranged to receive sensed signals from the sensor and to deliver a start signal to the electrical circuit in response to the sensed signals indicating an occurrence of the target event or parameter;
wherein, after the start signal is delivered from the control unit, the electrical circuit is closed and the igniter is initiated.

2. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit further includes a timer, the control unit arranged to deliver the start signal to the timer, wherein, when a predetermined time period set in the timer has elapsed, the electrical circuit is closed.

3. The downhole assembly of claim 2 , wherein in an open condition of the electrical circuit the igniter is inactive, and in a closed condition of the electrical circuit the igniter is activated, and the timer is operable to close the electrical circuit at an end of the predetermined time period.

4. The downhole assembly of claim 3 , wherein the electrical circuit further includes a battery, the battery arranged to provide electric current to set off the igniter in the closed condition of the circuit.

5. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a perforation gun, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a shock wave that results from firing the perforation gun.

6. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect a pressure differential between an uphole area and a downhole area with respect to the downhole tool, and the event is related to the threshold value of the pressure differential.

7. The downhole assembly of claim 6 , wherein the downhole tool includes a body having a piston chamber in fluidic communication with both the uphole area and the downhole area, and a piston configured to move in a downhole direction within the piston chamber when the threshold value of the pressure differential is reached.

8. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool further includes a vibratory element sensitive to a fluidic event, the sensor configured to detect vibrations of the vibratory element.

9. The downhole assembly of claim 8 , wherein the vibratory element includes at least one of a reed and a caged ball configured to vibrate within fluid flow within a flowbore of the downhole assembly.

10. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect a mud pulse.

11. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect an electromagnetic wave.

12. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one of a chemical element, an electrochemical element, and an electromagnetic tag.

13. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool is a frac plug configured to receive a frac ball.

14. The downhole assembly of claim 13 , wherein a first component of the frac plug is formed of the degradable-on-demand material, and a second component of the frac plug is formed of the matrix material, the second component not including the energetic material, and the second component in contact with the first component.

15. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool is a flapper.

16. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a plurality of sensors, and the degradable-on-demand material further includes the plurality of the sensors dispersed therein.

17. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the event or parameter within the borehole is a first event or first parameter, and the degradable material includes one or more second sensors within the degradable material configured to detect a second event or second parameter of the downhole tool, the downhole assembly, a well condition, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, and the second event or second parameter is different than the first event or first parameter.

18. The downhole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the energetic material comprises continuous fibers, wires, or foils, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, which form a three dimensional network; and the matrix material is distributed throughout the three dimensional network.

19. The downhole assembly of claim 18 , wherein the matrix material has a cellular nanomatrix, a plurality of dispersed particles dispersed in the cellular nanomatrix, and a solid-state bond layer extending through the cellular nanomatrix between the dispersed particles.

20. A method of controllably removing a downhole tool of a downhole assembly, the downhole tool including a degradable-on-demand material having a matrix material and an energetic material configured to generate energy upon activation to facilitate the degradation of the downhole tool; and, a triggering system including: an electrical circuit; an igniter in the electrical circuit arranged to ignite the energetic material; a sensor configured to sense a target event or parameter within the borehole; and, a control unit arranged to receive sensed signals from the sensor and to deliver a start signal to the electrical circuit in response to the sensed signals indicating an occurrence of the target event or parameter; the method comprising:
disposing the downhole assembly in a downhole environment;
sensing a downhole event or parameter with the sensor, the sensor sending sensed signals to the control unit;
comparing the sensed signals to a target value, and when the target value is reached, sending the start signal to the electrical circuit;
closing the electrical circuit after the start signal is sent;
initiating the igniter when the electrical circuit is closed;
activating the energetic material using the igniter; and
degrading the downhole tool.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the electrical circuit further includes a timer, the control unit arranged to deliver the start signal to the timer, and initiating the igniter when a predetermined time period set in the timer has elapsed.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the predetermined time period is zero, and the igniter is initiated substantially simultaneously when the start signal is delivered to the timer.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising sending a time-changing signal to be sensed by the sensor, and changing the predetermined time period in response to the time-changing signal.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising firing a perforating gun, wherein sensing the downhole event or parameter with the sensor includes sensing a shock wave that results from firing the perforating gun.

25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising increasing fluid pressure uphole of the downhole tool, wherein sensing the downhole event or parameter with the sensor includes at least one of sensing fluid pressure uphole of the downhole tool, sensing a pressure differential between an uphole area and a downh

Assignees

• Xu Zhiyue
• Doane James
• Xu Yingqing
• Zhang Zhihui
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Xu Zhiyue
• Doane James
• Xu Yingqing
• Zhang Zhihui

Classifications

• E21B47/26

  Storing data down-hole, e.g. in a memory or on a record carrier · CPC title

• E21B2200/05

  Flapper valves · CPC title

• E21B47/13

  by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency · CPC title

• E21B33/12 Primary

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

• E21B47/18

  through the well fluid {, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry} · CPC title