Sealing an undesirable formation zone in the wall of a wellbore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494894-B2
Application number	US-201916286908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2019
Priority date	Mar 20, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

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target zone; thereafter, the remaining balloon sections are deflated or ruptured to permit the apparatus to be withdrawn through the production tubing.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 wellbore sealing system comprising:
an uphole inflatable packer secured and positioned uphole of a wellbore sealing tool, the uphole inflatable packer positioned to at least partially fluidically isolate the wellbore sealing tool when in an inflated state;
a downhole inflatable packer secured and positioned downhole of the wellbore sealing tool, the downhole inflatable packer positioned to at least partially fluidically isolate the wellbore sealing tool when in an inflated stated; and
a wellbore sealing tool comprising:
a first container carrying an explosive, wherein an ignition of the explosive causes an 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 fluidically connected to the first container to receive the expansion of hot gas from the first container and to flow the formation plugging fluid out of the second container using the expansion of hot gas; and
a balloon attached to an outer surface of the second container.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein both the uphole inflatable packer and the downhole inflatable packer each comprises an electric pump in fluid communication with fluid in the wellbore.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second container comprises a port through which the formation plugging fluid is flowed into the balloon.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Gouhi Alwaleed Abdullah
• Alkhanaifer Nabil S

Classifications

• E21B33/138

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

• E21B23/065

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

• E21B34/10

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

• E21B33/12 Primary

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

• E21B33/127

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