Pump down wiper plug assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480377-B2
Application number	US-202519018868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2025
Priority date	Nov 16, 2023
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wellbore plugs, and specifically to pump down wiper plug assemblies used for conducting casing integrity pressure tests and completing wellbores. A plug assembly comprises one or more of a mandrel, a wiper, a plug member, a ring member, and dissolvable member. The dissolvable member, and the plug member and the ring member are configured to temporarily close fluid flow through an inner bore of the mandrel. The entire or only a portion of the outer surface of the dissolvable member comprises a protective coating.

First claim

I claim:

1 . A plug assembly, comprising:
a tubular member; a wiper coupled to an outer surface of the tubular member; a plug member releasably coupled to a ring member and configured to temporarily close fluid flow through an inner bore of the tubular member; and a dissolvable member positioned below the plug member and the ring member and configured to temporarily close fluid flow through the inner bore of the tubular member, wherein at least a portion of the dissolvable member comprises a protective coating, wherein an area between the plug member and the dissolvable member is filled with a non-reactive fluid, and wherein the non-reactive fluid comprises at least one of water, oil, hydrocarbons, low acidity fluids, and combinations thereof.

2 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plug member is releasably coupled to the ring member by one or more shear pins that extend into the plug member and the ring member.

3 . The plug assembly of claim 2 , wherein the shear pins are disposed within one or more openings formed in the ring member and extend into a groove formed in an outer surface of the plug member.

4 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the dissolvable member comprises the protective coating, and wherein a top surface of the dissolvable member does not comprise the protective coating.

5 . The plug assembly of claim 4 , wherein top surfaces of the plug member and the ring member comprise a protective coating.

6 . The plug assembly of claim 5 , wherein bottom surfaces of the plug member and the ring member do not comprise a protective coating.

7 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable member is movable relative to the tubular member.

8 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable member comprises at least one of magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, water soluble composites, water soluble plastics, and combinations thereof.

9 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wiper comprises one or more fins in the form of cup-shaped seals, wherein the tubular member comprises an upper mandrel and a lower mandrel coupled at opposite ends to a middle mandrel, and wherein one or more gripping members and one or more sealing member are coupled to an outer surface of the lower mandrel.

10 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein one or more sealing members form a seal between an outer surface of the plug member and an inner surface of the ring member.

11 . The plug assembly of claim 10 , wherein one or more additional sealing members form another seal between an outer surface of the ring member and an inner surface of the tubular member.

12 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein a predetermined pressure within the tubular member causes the plug member to release from the ring member, which opens fluid flow through a bore of the ring member.

13 . A method of conducting a wellbore operation, comprising:
pumping a plug assembly through a casing string that is located in a wellbore, wherein the plug assembly comprises:
a tubular member;
a wiper coupled to an outer surface of the tubular member;
a plug member releasably coupled to a ring member and configured to temporarily close fluid flow through an inner bore of the tubular member; and
a dissolvable member positioned below the plug member and the ring member and configured to temporarily close fluid flow through the inner bore of the tubular member, wherein at least a portion of the dissolvable member comprises a protective coating, and
wherein the plug assembly sealingly engages a plug seat of the casing string and closes fluid flow through a lower end of the casing string; increasing pressure within the casing until the plug member releases from the ring member, which allows fluid flow through the ring member and into contact with the dissolvable member, wherein the fluid begins to dissolve the dissolvable member; conducting a casing integrity pressure test, wherein the dissolvable member is moved into a position against a lower inner shoulder of the tubular member to conduct the casing integrity pressure test, and wherein the dissolvable member holds the pressure in the casing string at or greater than a casing integrity pressure; and flowing fluid through the lower end of the casing string when the dissolvable member dissolves.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the plug member and the ring member begin to dissolve when exposed to the fluids.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein an area between the plug member and the dissolvable member is filled with a non-reactive fluid, wherein the non-reactive fluid comprises at least one of water, oil, hydrocarbons, low acidity fluids, and combinations thereof.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the plug member is releasably coupled to the ring member by one or more shear pins that extend into the plug member and the ring member.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the shear pins are disposed within one or more openings formed in the ring member and extend into a groove formed in an outer surface of the plug member.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the dissolvable member comprises at least one of magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, water soluble composites, water soluble plastics, and combinations thereof.

19 . A method of conducting a wellbore operation, comprising:
pumping a plug assembly through a casing string that is located in a wellbore, wherein the plug assembly comprises:
a tubular member;
a wiper coupled to an outer surface of the tubular member;
a plug member releasably coupled to a ring member and configured to temporarily close fluid flow through an inner bore of the tubular member; and
a dissolvable member positioned below the plug member and the ring member and configured to temporarily close fluid flow through the inner bore of the tubular member, wherein at least a portion of the dissolvable member comprises a protective coating, wherein an area between the plug member and the dissolvable member is filled with a non-reactive fluid, and wherein the non-reactive fluid comprises at least one of water, oil, hydrocarbons, low acidity fluids, and combinations thereof, and
wherein the plug assembly sealingly engages a plug seat of the casing string and closes fluid flow through a lower end of the casing string; increasing pressure within the casing until the plug member releases from the ring member, which allows fluid flow through the ring member and into contact with the dissolvable member, wherein the fluid begins to dissolve the dissolvable member; conducting a casing integrity pressure test, wherein the dissolvable member holds the pressure in the casing string at or greater than a casing integrity pressure; and flowing fluid through the lower end of the casing string when the dissolvable member dissolves.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the dissolvable member is moved into a position against a lower inner shoulder of the tubular member to conduct the casing integrity pressure test.

Assignees

• Forum Us Inc

Inventors

• Morrison Jeffery

Classifications

• E21B47/117

  Detecting leaks, e.g. from tubing, by pressure testing · CPC title

• E21B33/12 Primary

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

• E21B33/165 Primary

  Cementing plugs specially adapted for being released down-hole (cementing heads E21B33/05) · CPC title