Wellbore isolation barrier including negative thermal expansion material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10975658-B2
Application number	US-201916415650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 17, 2019
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A downhole tool for forming a seal in a wellbore includes a housing configured for attachment to a string usable to transport the tool in the wellbore to a target depth; a holding chamber disposed within the housing, the holding chamber configured to receive a combination of a metal, a metal oxide, and a negative thermal expansion material in the holding chamber; an initiator operable to initiate a chemical reaction; a pressure applicator configured to apply pressure to seal material in the holding chamber; and an opening in a surface of the housing through which the seal material is expellable from the holding chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole tool for forming a seal in a wellbore comprising:
a housing configured for attachment to a string usable to transport the tool in the wellbore to a target depth;
a holding chamber disposed within the housing, the holding chamber configured to receive a seal material which comprises a combination of a metal, a metal oxide, and a negative thermal expansion material in the holding chamber;
an initiator operable to initiate a chemical reaction;
a pressure applicator configured to apply pressure to the seal material in the holding chamber; and
an opening in a surface of the housing through which the seal material is expellable from the holding chamber,
wherein the tool further comprises a seal block configured to direct flow of the seal material expelled from the holding chamber, the seal block comprising an angled surface extending from the surface of the housing comprising the opening.

2. The tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the negative thermal expansion material comprises:
A 1 M 1 2 O 8 , wherein A 1 is Zr or Hf and M 1 is Mo or W;
A 2 P 2 O 7 , wherein A 2 is Zr, Hf, Ti, U, Th, Pu, Np, Mo, W, Ce, Pb, Sn, Ge or Si;
A 3 V 2 O 7 , wherein A 3 is Zr or Hf;
A 4 As 2 O 7 , wherein A 4 is Zr or Hf;
A 5 2 M 2 3 O 12 , wherein A 5 is Al, Sb, Bi, Co, Ga, Au, Fe, Sc, Ti, Y, Ho, or Yb and M 2 is Mo or W;
PbTiO 3 , (Bi,La)NiO 3 , LaCu 3 Fe 4 O 12 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Fe(Co(CN) 6 ), Zn 3 (Fe(CN) 6 ) 2 , Ag 3 (Co(CN) 6 ), Cd(CN) 2 , Co 3 (Co(CN) 6 ) 2 , Mn 3 (Co(CN) 6 ) 2 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
LiAlSiO 4 , Mg 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Fe 3 Pt;
Mn 3 ZnN, Mn 3 GaN, Mn 3 Cu 0.53 Ge 0.47 N, Mn 3 Zn 0.5 Sn 0.5 N 0.85 C 0.1 B 0.05 , Mn 3 Zn 0.4 Sn 0.6 N 0.85 C 0.15 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Tm 2 Fe 16 Cr;
a Ni—Ti alloy, a Ni—Ti—Pd alloy, a Co—Ni—Ga alloy, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing; or
a combination including at least one of the foregoing.

3. The tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure applicator is further configured to expel the seal material from the holding chamber.

4. The tool as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a pressure chamber configured to actuate the pressure applicator.

5. The tool as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the pressure applicator is configured to be actuated by gas generated in the pressure chamber.

6. The tool as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the pressure applicator is configured to expel the seal material at a temperature between a solidus temperature and a liquidus temperature of the seal material.

7. The tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the seal block is releasable from a remainder of the tool.

8. The tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first end of the angled surface extends from the housing and a second end of the angled surface contacts a surface in the wellbore.

9. The tool as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a perforator configured to form openings in the surface in the wellbore contacting the second end of the angled surface.

10. A method of forming a seal material in a wellbore using the tool as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising:
initiating the chemical reaction; and
forming the seal material by the chemical reaction,
wherein
the tool further comprises a pressure chamber configured to actuate the pressure applicator; and
the method further comprises actuating the pressure applicator comprises generating gas in the pressure chamber.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the negative thermal expansion material comprises:
A 1 M 1 2 O 8 , wherein A 1 is Zr or Hf and M 1 is Mo or W;
A 2 P 2 O 7 , wherein A 2 is Zr, Hf, Ti, U, Th, Pu, Np, Mo, W, Ce, Pb, Sn, Ge or Si;
A 3 V 2 O 7 , wherein A 3 is Zr or Hf;
A 4 As 2 O 7 , wherein A 4 is Zr or Hf;
A 5 2 M 2 3 O 12 , wherein A 5 is Al, Sb, Bi, Co, Ga, Au, Fe, Sc, Ti, Y, Ho, or Yb and M 2 is Mo or W;
PbTiO 3 , (Bi,La)NiO 3 , LaCu 3 Fe 4 O 12 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Fe(Co(CN) 6 ), Zn 3 (Fe(CN) 6 ) 2 , Ag 3 (Co(CN) 6 ), Cd(CN) 2 , Co 3 (Co(CN) 6 ) 2 , Mn 3 (Co(CN) 6 ) 2 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
LiAlSiO 4 , Mg 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Fe 3 Pt;
Mn 3 ZnN, Mn 3 GaN, Mn 3 Cu 0.53 Ge 0.47 N, Mn 3 Zn 0.5 Sn 0.5 N 0.85 C 0.1 B 0.05 , Mn 3 Zn 0.4 Sn 0.6 N 0.85 C 0.15 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Tm 2 Fe 16 Cr;
a Ni—Ti alloy, a Ni—Ti—Pd alloy, a Co—Ni—Ga alloy, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing; or
a combination including at least one of the foregoing.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein actuating the pressure applicator expels the seal material at a temperature between a solidus temperature and a liquidus temperature of the seal material from the holding chamber.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein actuating the pressure applicator expels the seal material at a temperature less than a solidus temperature of the seal material or greater than a liquidus temperature of the seal material from the holding chamber.

14. A method of forming a seal in a wellbore, the method comprising:
forming a seal material by the method as claimed in claim 10 ; and
expelling at least a portion of the seal material from the holding chamber to form the seal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the negative thermal expansion material comprises:
A 1 M 1 2 O 8 , wherein A 1 is Zr or Hf and M 1 is Mo or W;
A 2 P 2 O 7 , wherein A 2 is Zr, Hf, Ti, U, Th, Pu, Np, Mo, W, Ce, Pb, Sn, Ge or Si;
A 3 V 2 O 7 , wherein A 3 is Zr or Hf;
A 4 As 2 O 7 , wherein A 4 is Zr or Hf;
A 5 2 M 2 3 O 12 , wherein A 5 is Al, Sb, Bi, Co, Ga, Au, Fe, Sc, Ti, Y, Ho, or Yb and M 2 is Mo or W;
PbTiO 3 , (Bi,La)NiO 3 , LaCu 3 Fe 4 O 12 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Fe(Co(CN) 6 ), Zn 3 (Fe(CN) 6 ) 2 , Ag 3 (Co(CN) 6 ), Cd(CN) 2 , Co 3 (Co(CN) 6 ) 2 , Mn 3 (Co(CN) 6 ) 2 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
LiAlSiO 4 , Mg 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Fe 3 Pt;
Mn 3 ZnN, Mn 3 GaN, Mn 3 Cu 0.53 Ge 0.47 N, Mn 3 Zn 0.5 Sn 0.5 N 0.85 C 0.1 B 0.05 , Mn 3 Zn 0.4 Sn 0.6 N 0.85 C 0.15 , or a combination including at least one of the foregoing;
Tm 2 Fe 16 Cr;
a Ni—Ti alloy, a Ni—Ti—Pd alloy, a Co—Ni—Ga alloy, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing; or
a combination including at least one of the foregoing.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein expelling at least a portion of the seal material from the holding chamber comprises expelling at least a portion of the seal material from the holding chamber in a substantially horizontal direction.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein:
the tool further comprises a seal block configured to direct flow of the seal material from the holding chamber into an annulus between tubing in the wellbore and casing in the wellbore;
the pressure applicator is further configured to expel the seal material from the holding chamber; and
pressure between the pressure applicator and the seal block releases the seal block from a remainder of the tool.

18. A downhole tool for forming a seal in a wellbore comprising:
a housing configured for attachment to a string usable to transport the tool in the wellbore to a target dept

Assignees

• Zhang Zhihui
• Xu Yingqing
• Xu Zhiyue
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Zhang Zhihui
• Xu Yingqing
• Xu Zhiyue

Classifications

• C04B22/04

  Metals, e.g. aluminium used as blowing agent · CPC title

• C04B22/06

  Oxides, Hydroxides (C04B22/0013 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/134 Primary

  Bridging plugs · CPC title

• C04B28/02

  containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates · CPC title

• E21B33/1208

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