Plugging assemblies for plugging cased wellbores

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11708731-B2
Application number	US-202217687389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2022
Priority date	Mar 4, 2021
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

A plugging assembly includes a plug and a setting tool attached directly to the plug, wherein the plug includes an elongate core with an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, and a sealing element disposed fully around the core to seal against the casing. The plug additionally includes an anchoring system for anchoring the plug to the casing in a fixed position, a compression fitting disposed around the core at or near the uphole end of the core, and a nose at the downhole end of the core. The setting tool includes an elongate housing extending between an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, an open passageway extending from the uphole end to the downhole end of the housing, and the downhole end of the housing is aligned to directly engage the compression fitting of the plug.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plugging assembly for hydraulically separating a wellbore into separate uphole and downhole zones where the wellbore includes casing, the plugging assembly comprising:
a plug and a setting tool attached directly to the plug, wherein:
the plug comprises an elongate core with an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, a sealing element disposed fully around the core to seal against the casing, an anchoring system for anchoring the plug to the casing in a fixed position, a compression fitting disposed around the core at or near the uphole end of the core, a nose at the downhole end of the core, wherein the sealing element and the anchoring system have an initial configuration having an outer maximum run-in diameter, and an expanded configuration having an outer maximum expanded diameter that is greater than the maximum run-in diameter;
the setting tool comprises an elongate housing extending between an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, an open passageway extending from the uphole end to the downhole end of the housing, and wherein the setting tool further includes an elongate mandrel positioned in the open passageway and having an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, and a combustion chamber located within the elongate housing for receiving an energetic charge; and
the downhole end of the housing is aligned to directly engage the compression fitting of the plug whereby no intervening component is positioned between the downhole end of the housing of the setting tool and the compression fitting of the plug.

2. The plugging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the setting tool has a minimum outer diameter and a maximum outer diameter that is less than 5% larger than the minimum outer diameter.

3. The plugging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the setting tool extends monolithically from the uphole end to the downhole end thereof.

4. The plugging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the setting tool has a minimum outer diameter and a maximum outer diameter that is less than half an inch larger than the minimum outer diameter.

5. The plugging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the setting tool has a minimum outer diameter and a maximum outer diameter that is less than three eights of an inch larger than the minimum outer diameter.

6. The plugging assembly of claim 5 , wherein the minimum outer diameter of the housing is substantially equal to the maximum outer diameter.

7. The plugging assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the nose defines a downhole end of the plug and the downhole end is located opposite from the setting tool; and
the plugging assembly further comprises a shear member connected between the mandrel of the setting tool and the nose of the plug, and wherein the shear member has an unsevered configuration corresponding to a run-in configuration of the plug attached to the setting tool, and a severed configuration corresponding to a set configuration of the plug where the sealing element and the anchoring system of the plug are deployed toward an inner surface of the casing and the shear member has severed to separate the setting tool from the plug.

8. The plugging assembly of claim 7 , wherein the uphole end of the core of the plug is connected to the nose, and the shear member connects directly between the uphole end of the core of the plug and the mandrel of the setting tool.

9. The plugging assembly of claim 7 , wherein the mandrel of the setting tool further includes an extension which extends through the core of the plug, the shear member connects directly between the nose of the plug and the extension of the mandrel to thereby connect the setting tool to the plug, and the extension of the mandrel of the setting tool remains connected to the setting tool when the plug is in the set configuration.

10. The plugging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the core of the plug has a run-in position corresponding to a run-in configuration of the plug attached to the setting tool, and a set position axially shifted from the run-in position of the core relative to the setting tool of the housing and corresponding to a set configuration of the plug where the sealing element and the anchoring system of the plug are deployed toward an inner surface of the casing and the shear member has sheared to separate the setting tool from the plug, and wherein the uphole end of the core of the plug is disposed at least partly within the open passageway of the housing of the setting tool as the core moves from the run-in position to the set position.

11. A plugging assembly for hydraulically separating a wellbore into separate uphole and downhole zones where the wellbore includes casing, the plugging assembly comprising:
a plug and a setting tool attached directly to the plug, wherein:
the plug comprises an elongate core with an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, a sealing element disposed fully around the core to seal against the casing, an anchoring system for anchoring the plug to the casing in a fixed position, a compression fitting disposed around the core at or near the uphole end of the core, a nose at the downhole end of the core, wherein the sealing element and the anchoring system have a run-in configuration having an outer maximum run-in diameter, and an expanded configuration having an outer maximum expanded diameter that is greater than the maximum run-in diameter;
the setting tool comprises an elongate housing which extends between an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, an open passageway extending from the uphole end to the downhole end of the housing, and wherein the setting tool further includes an elongate mandrel positioned in the open passageway and having an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end, a combustion chamber located within the elongate housing for receiving an energetic charge, and an annular expansion chamber located within the housing in an annulus formed between an outer surface of the mandrel an inner surface of the housing wherein the annular expansion chamber is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber to receive combustion gases from the combustion chamber and wherein the expansion chamber is configured to assume different volumes depending on at least an axial position of the mandrel within the housing;
the mandrel of the setting tool has an unstroked position in the housing which leads to the expansion chamber having a first volume, and a stroked position which leads to the expansion chamber having a second volume, wherein the second volume is greater than the first volume, and wherein the first volume corresponds to a run-in configuration of the plug attached to the setting tool and the second volume corresponds to a set configuration of the plug where the sealing element and the anchoring system of the plug are deployed toward an inner surface of the casing and the shear member has sheared to separate the setting tool from the plug;
the downhole end of the housing is aligned to directly engage the plug whereby the plugging assembly is free of intervening components that adapt the housing of the setting tool to the plug.

12. The plugging assembly of claim 11 , wherein the expansion chamber has a first longitudinal length corresponding to the first volume of the expansion chamber, and a second longitudinal length, greater than the first longitudinal length, corresponding to the second volume of the expansion chamber.

13. The plugging assembly of claim 11 , wherein the housing of the setting tool has a minimum outer diameter and a maximum outer diameter that is less than 5%

Assignees

• G&H Diversified Mfg Lp

Inventors

• Zakharia Steven
• Magill Joshua

Classifications

• E21B21/003 Primary

  Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid (plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138) · CPC title

• E21B33/127

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

• E21B33/1294

  characterised by a valve, e.g. a by-pass valve · CPC title

• E21B33/134

  Bridging plugs · CPC title

• E21B23/065

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