Mandrel assemblies for a plug and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12146380-B2
Application number	US-202017610008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A plug for sealing a wellbore includes a mandrel assembly including an inner rod and a filament wound outer rod that is separate and distinct from the inner rod and which is formed about the inner rod, and a packer disposed about the mandrel assembly, the packer configured to seal the wellbore in response to the plug being actuated from a first position to a second position, wherein the mandrel assembly is configured to apply a compressive force to the packer as the plug is actuated from the first position to the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bridge plug for sealing a wellbore, comprising:
a mandrel assembly comprising an inner rod that is solid across the entire outer diameter of the inner rod, and a filament wound outer rod that is distinct from the inner rod such that the outer rod overlies and extends around the inner rod, and further wherein the outer rod comprises a different material than the inner rod and the inner rod and the outer rod cooperate to restrict fluid communication across the mandrel assembly in both a first axial direction and an opposed second axial direction; and
a packer disposed about the mandrel assembly, the packer configured to seal the wellbore in response to the plug being actuated from a first position to a second position, wherein the mandrel assembly is configured to apply a compressive force to the packer as the plug is actuated from the first position to the second position and to maintain the compressive force until removed by an external tool.

2. The plug of claim 1 , wherein the inner rod comprises a pultruded rod.

3. The plug of claim 1 , wherein the inner rod comprises a composite material and the outer rod comprises a glass filament material.

4. The plug of claim 1 , wherein:
the outer rod of the mandrel assembly comprises an inner surface and an inner surface feature positioned on the inner surface; and
the inner rod of the mandrel assembly comprises an outer surface and an outer surface feature positioned on the outer surface that is in interlocking engagement with the inner surface feature of the outer rod.

5. The plug of claim 4 , wherein the outer surface feature of the inner rod comprises a protrusion received within the inner surface feature of the outer rod.

6. The plug of claim 1 , wherein an end of the outer rod is configured to couple to a setting tool for actuating the plug from the first position to the second position.

7. The plug of claim 1 , further comprising a slip assembly configured to affix the plug to a string disposed in the wellbore in response to the plug being actuated from the first position to the second position.

8. The plug of claim 1 , wherein:
the outer rod of the mandrel assembly comprises a first helical pattern formed on an inner surface of the outer rod and which comprises a first helical groove and a first helical ridge; and
the inner rod of the mandrel assembly comprises a second helical pattern formed on an outer surface of the inner rod and which comprises a second helical groove and a second helical ridge, wherein the second helical ridge is interlockingly received in the first helical groove.

9. The plug of claim 1 , wherein a material forming the inner rod has a greater tensile strength than a material forming the outer rod.

10. A plug for sealing a wellbore, comprising:
a mandrel assembly comprising an outer rod comprising an inner surface and an inner surface feature positioned on the inner surface, and an inner rod that is separate and distinct from the outer rod and which comprises an outer surface and an outer surface feature positioned on the outer surface that is in interlocking engagement with the inner surface feature of the outer rod, wherein the outer rod comprises a different material than the inner rod; and
a packer disposed about the mandrel assembly, the packer configured to seal the wellbore in response to the plug being actuated from a first position to a second position, wherein the mandrel assembly, including the inner rod, is configured to apply a compressive force to the packer as the plug is actuated from the first position to the second position and to maintain the compressive force until removed by an external tool.

11. The plug of claim 10 , wherein the outer surface feature of the inner rod comprises a protrusion received within the inner surface feature of the outer rod.

12. The plug of claim 10 , wherein the outer surface feature of the inner rod comprises a first helical pattern and the inner surface feature of the outer rod comprises a second helical pattern.

13. The plug of claim 12 , wherein the first helical pattern comprises a helical ridge that is interlockingly received in a helical groove of the second helical pattern.

14. The plug of claim 10 , wherein the outer surface feature of the inner rod is configured to increase a surface roughness of the outer surface of the inner rod.

15. The plug of claim 10 , wherein the inner rod comprises a pultruded rod and the outer rod comprises a filament wound rod.

16. The plug of claim 10 , wherein the inner rod comprises a central passage extending partially through the inner rod.

17. The plug of claim 10 , further comprising a slip assembly configured to affix the plug to a string disposed in the wellbore in response to the plug being actuated from the first position to the second position.

18. A method of assembling a bridge plug for sealing a wellbore, comprising:
(a) forming a first rod of a mandrel assembly of the plug, wherein the first rod is solid across the entire outer diameter of the first rod;
(b) forming a second rod of the mandrel assembly about the first rod using a filament winding process, wherein the second rod comprises a different material than the first rod and such that the first rod and the second rod cooperate to restrict fluid communication across the mandrel assembly in both a first axial direction and an opposed second axial direction; and
(c) positioning a packer about the second rod, the packer being configured to seal the wellbore in response to the plug being actuated from a first position to a second position, and wherein the mandrel assembly is configured to apply a compressive force to the packer as the plug is actuated from the first position to the second position.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein (a) comprises forming the first rod using a protrusion process.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
(a) comprises forming an outer surface feature on an outer surface of the first rod; and
(b) comprises receiving at least a portion of the outer surface feature of the first rod in an inner surface feature positioned on an inner surface of the second rod.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
(d) positioning a slip assembly about the second rod, the slip assembly configured to affix the plug to a string disposed in the wellbore in response to the plug being actuated from the first position to the second position.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein a material forming the first rod has a greater tensile strength than a material forming the second rod.

23. A method for fracturing an earthen subterranean formation, the method comprising:
(a) deploying a tool string into a wellbore extending through the subterranean formation, the tool string comprising a perforating gun and a bridge plug including a mandrel assembly that comprises an inner rod that is solid across the entire outer diameter of the inner rod, and a filament wound outer rod that is distinct from the inner rod such that the outer rod overlies and extends around the inner rod, and further wherein the outer rod comprises a different material than the inner rod and the inner rod and the outer rod cooperate to restrict fluid communication across the mandrel assembly in both a first axial direction and an opposed second axial direction;
(b) actuating the bridge plug from a first position to a second position whereby a packer of the bridge plug disposed about the mandrel assembly seals the wellbore, where

Assignees

• G&H Diversified Mfg Lp

Inventors

• Lee Timmothy Alain
• Magill Joshua

Classifications

• E21B33/12

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

• E21B23/06

  for setting packers · CPC title

• E21B33/129 Primary

  with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title