Hybrid composite and dissolvable downhole tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12180802-B2
Application number	US-202217827073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2022
Priority date	Feb 14, 2022
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A downhole tool includes a cone, a slips assembly positioned at least partially around the cone, and a shoe configured to press against the slips assembly. The shoe is configured to engage a setting assembly, so as to apply an axial force to the slips assembly that moves the slips assembly relative to the cone and drives the slips assembly radially outwards. The shoe is made at least partially from a dissolvable material configured to dissolve in a fluid in a well, and the cone, the slips assembly, or both are at least partially made from a second material that is configured not to dissolve in the fluid in the well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
connecting a setting assembly to a downhole tool comprising a slips assembly, a cone positioned at least partially in the slips assembly, and a shoe;
deploying the downhole tool and the setting assembly into a well;
attempting to set the downhole tool in the well using the setting assembly;
determining that attempting to set the downhole tool is unsuccessful;
withdrawing the setting assembly from the well while leaving the downhole tool in the well, wherein the shoe dissolves in a fluid in the well in response to determining that attempting to set the downhole tool is unsuccessful; and
drilling out the slips assembly, the cone, or both after dissolving the at least a portion of the shoe.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein dissolving the shoe occurs prior to withdrawing the setting assembly so as to permit the setting assembly to be released from the shoe.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deploying a first impediment to a first seat of the cone of the downhole tool; and
increasing a pressure of the well uphole of the downhole tool, wherein the pressure generates an axial force on the cone at least partially via the first impediment, and wherein the first impediment prevents at least a portion of the cone from deforming radially inward.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
deploying a second impediment to a second seat of the cone of the downhole tool, such that the second impediment is held by engagement with the second seat at a position that is at least partially outside of the cone.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
increasing a pressure of the well uphole of the downhole tool, wherein the pressure generates an axial force on the cone at least partially via the second impediment, wherein the axial force drives the cone axially into the slips assembly which causes the cone to deform radially inwards such that the downhole tool is at least partially unset; and
displacing the downhole tool in the well after the downhole tool is at least partially unset.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second seat is positioned such that the second impediment permits radial-inward deflection of the cone when the second impediment engages the second seat, and wherein the first seat is positioned such that the first impediment resists radial-inward deflection of the cone when the first impediment engages the first seat.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the slips assembly, the cone, or both is made of a composite material that does not dissolve in the fluid.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein connecting the setting assembly to the downhole tool comprises receiving a rod through the cone and into connection with the shoe, wherein a sleeve of the setting tool is configured to press against the cone, such that attempting to set the downhole tool comprises adducing the cone and the shoe axially together.

9. A method, comprising:
running a downhole tool into a well, wherein the downhole tool comprises a cone;
setting the downhole tool in the well; and
introducing an impediment into the well, wherein the impediment is received into a seat formed on an inner surface of the cone, which causes the cone to deflect radially inwards and to yield or collapse, thereby unsetting the downhole tool in the well.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a majority of the impediment is positioned outside of the cone when the impediment is received into the seat.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the downhole tool further comprises a slips assembly, and wherein a radially outward force exerted by the cone on the slips assembly decreases in response to the cone deflecting radially inwards, yielding, or collapsing, thereby unsetting the downhole tool.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising pulling the downhole tool out of the well once the downhole tool is unset.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the downhole tool drops to a bottom of the well, without dissolving or being milled-out, in response to the tool being unset.

14. A method, comprising:
deploying a downhole tool into a well, wherein the downhole tool comprises a slips assembly and a cone positioned at least partially in the slips assembly;
deploying a first impediment into a first seat of the cone of the downhole tool;
increasing a pressure in the well uphole of the downhole tool, wherein the pressure generates an axial force on the cone at least partially via the first impediment, and wherein the first impediment prevents at least a portion of the cone from deforming radially inward;
deploying a second impediment to a second seat of the cone of the downhole tool, such that the second impediment is held by engagement with the second seat, wherein the second seat is uphole of the first seat; and
increasing a pressure in the well uphole of the downhole tool, wherein the pressure generates an axial force on the cone at least partially via the second impediment, and wherein the axial force drives the cone axially into the slips assembly which causes the cone to deform radially inwards such that the downhole tool is at least partially unset.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the axial force drives the cone axially into the slips assembly which causes the cone to yield or collapse such that the downhole tool is unset.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising pulling the downhole tool out of the well once the downhole tool is at least partially unset.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the downhole tool drops to a bottom of the well without being milled-out in response to the tool being at least partially unset.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first seat is positioned such that the first impediment resists radial-inward deflection of the cone when the first impediment engages the first seat, and wherein the second seat is positioned such that the second impediment permits radial-inward deflection of the cone when the second impediment engages the second seat.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising connecting a setting assembly to the downhole tool, wherein the setting assembly is deployed into the well with the downhole tool.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second impediment is held by engagement with the second seat at a position that is at least partially outside of the cone.

Assignees

• Innovex Downhole Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Eaton Jeremy
• Goodman Brandon

Classifications

• E21B33/134 Primary

  Bridging plugs · CPC title

• E21B23/00

  Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells (setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10) · CPC title

• E21B2200/08

  Down-hole devices using materials which decompose under well-bore conditions · CPC title

• E21B33/129 Primary

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