Wellbore plungers with non-metallic tubing-contacting surfaces and wells including the wellbore plungers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753185-B2
Application number	US-201816031615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 4, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Wellbore plungers with non-metallic tubing-contacting surfaces and wells including the wellbore plungers. The wellbore plungers are configured to be utilized within a tubing conduit of the downhole tubing. The downhole tubing includes a non-metallic tubing material that defines a non-metallic tubing surface. The non-metallic tubing surface at least partially defines the tubing conduit. The wellbore plungers include an uphole region, which defines an uphole bumper-contacting surface, a downhole region, which defines a downhole bumper-contacting surface, and a plunger body. The plunger body extends between the uphole region and the downhole region and defines a downhole tubing-contacting surface. The downhole tubing-contacting surface is configured for sliding contact with the non-metallic tubing surface, defines a sealing structure configured to form an at least partial fluid seal with the downhole tubing, and is at least partially defined by a non-metallic tubing-contacting material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wellbore plunger configured to be utilized within a tubing conduit of downhole tubing, the tubing conduit including a non-metallic tubing material defining a non-metallic tubing surface that at least partially defines an interior surface within the tubing conduit, the wellbore plunger comprising:
an uphole region defining an uphole bumper-contacting surface;
a downhole region defining a downhole bumper-contacting surface configured to engage with a bottom bumper of a well; and
a plunger body extending between the uphole region and the downhole region and defining a downhole tubing-contacting surface, wherein:
(i) the downhole tubing-contacting surface is configured for sliding contact with the non-metallic tubing surface when the wellbore plunger is utilized within the tubing conduit;
(ii) the downhole tubing-contacting surface defines a sealing structure configured to form an at least partial fluid seal with the downhole tubing during sliding contact between the wellbore plunger and the non-metallic tubing surface; and
(iii) the downhole tubing-contacting surface is at least substantially defined by a non-metallic tubing-contacting material;
wherein the wellbore plunger is a composite wellbore plunger including at least a core, which is defined by a core material, and a downhole tubing-contacting shell, which is defined by the non-metallic tubing material.

2. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore plunger defines an exposed surface, and further wherein the non-metallic tubing material defines an entirety of the exposed surface.

3. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore plunger defines an exposed surface, and further wherein the non-metallic tubing material defines less than an entirety of the exposed surface.

4. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
(i) the uphole bumper-contacting surface is defined by an uphole bumper-contacting surface material that differs from the non-metallic tubing-contacting material; and
(ii) the downhole bumper-contacting surface is defined by a downhole bumper-contacting surface material that differs from the non-metallic tubing-contacting material.

5. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the core material at least one of:
(i) is metallic;
(ii) has a greater density than the non-metallic tubing-contacting material; and
(iii) has a greater hardness than the non-metallic tubing-contacting material.

6. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the core material defines at least one of:
(i) the uphole bumper-contacting surface; and
(ii) the downhole bumper-contacting surface.

7. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein an average thickness of the non-metallic tubing-contacting material, as measured along a shortest distance between the core and the downhole tubing-contacting surface, is at least 0.05 millimeters (mm) and at most 5.0 mm.

8. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the core includes an adhesion-enhancing region configured to resist separation of the non-metallic tubing-contacting material from the core.

9. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore plunger further includes a retention structure configured to be selectively actuated between a retaining orientation, in which the retention structure operatively attaches the downhole tubing-contacting shell to the core, and a released orientation, in which the retention structure permits separation of the downhole tubing-contacting shell from the core.

10. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the wellbore plunger is defined by the non-metallic tubing-contacting material.

11. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the non-metallic tubing-contacting material includes at least one of:
(i) a polymer;
(ii) a phenolic resin;
(iii) an epoxy;
(iv) a polyether ether ketone; and
(v) a polyphenylene sulfide.

12. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the non-metallic tubing-contacting material is at least one of:
(i) at least substantially continuous across the downhole tubing-contacting surface; and
(ii) at least substantially continuous between the uphole region and the downhole region.

13. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the non-metallic tubing-contacting material is selected to wear at least 5 times more quickly than the non-metallic tubing material during sliding contact between the downhole tubing-contacting surface and the non-metallic tubing surface.

14. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the non-metallic tubing material defines a non-metallic tubing material hardness that is at least two times a non-metallic tubing-contacting material hardness of the non-metallic tubing-contacting material.

15. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein, during sliding contact between the wellbore plunger and the non-metallic tubing surface, the non-metallic tubing-contacting material is configured to be deposited on the non-metallic tubing surface to reinforce the non-metallic tubing surface.

16. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore plunger further includes a detection structure configured to detect at least one property of the downhole tubing during sliding contact between the wellbore plunger and the non-metallic tubing surface.

17. The wellbore plunger of claim 16 , wherein the detection structure includes a casing collar locator configured to detect casing collars of the downhole tubing.

18. The wellbore plunger of claim 16 , wherein the detection structure includes a thickness detector configured to detect at least one of:
(i) a thickness of the downhole tubing; and
(ii) a thickness of a non-metallic tubing coating that defines the non-metallic tubing surface.

19. The wellbore plunger of claim 16 , wherein the detection structure includes a residue detector configured to detect buildup of residue on the non-metallic tubing surface.

20. The wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore plunger further includes a stored fluid reservoir configured to store, and to selectively release, a stored fluid.

21. The wellbore plunger of claim 20 , wherein the stored fluid includes a patching agent configured to reinforce the non-metallic tubing material.

22. The wellbore plunger of claim 20 , wherein the stored fluid includes at least one of:
(i) a residue-removing material configured to remove residue from the non-metallic tubing surface;
(ii) a scale inhibitor configured to inhibit scale formation on the non-metallic tubing surface;
(iii) a corrosion inhibitor configured to inhibit corrosion of a metallic tubular that supports the non-metallic tubing surface;
(iv) an asphaltenes inhibitor configured to inhibit asphaltenes deposition on the non-metallic tubing surface; and
(v) a paraffin inhibitor configured to inhibit paraffin deposition on the non-metallic tubing surface.

23. A well, comprising:
a wellbore extending within a subterranean formation;
downhole tubing extending within the wellbore, wherein the downhole tubing includes a non-metallic tubing material that defines a non-metallic tubing surface that at least partially defines a tubing conduit;
a bottom bumper positioned proximate a downhole end of the tubing conduit; and
the wellbore plunger of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore plunger is positioned within the tubing conduit.

Assignees

• Flowers Daniel R
• Bermea Anthony J
• Romer Michael C
• Exxonmobil Upstream Res Co

Inventors

• Flowers Daniel R
• Bermea Anthony J
• Romer Michael C

Classifications

• E21B47/006

  Detection of corrosion or deposition of substances · CPC title

• E21B41/02

  in situ inhibition of corrosion in boreholes or wells · CPC title

• E21B17/00

  Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; {Cables;} Casings; Tubings · CPC title

• E21B43/121 Primary

  Lifting well fluids (monitoring of down-hole pump systems E21B47/008) · CPC title

• F04B47/12

  having free plunger lifting the fluid to the surface · CPC title