Well abandonment system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016230490-A1
Application number	US-201615018915-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Feb 9, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for well abandonment, comprising installing a first steel plate comprising a hole having a pipe section attached above the hole, wherein a coupler may be installed to house a stopper which is then positioned below the surface casing having a second steel plate, the capping plate, affixed to the top of the surface casing. The stopper system then acts to prevent the exchange of wellbore fluid into the environment while allowing for proper venting of casing strings by pressure actuating the stopper system against the cap. The coupler further provides for attachment of various gas sampling or other monitoring equipment in for purposes of detection of leaks or other analytical objectives.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of capping a hydrocarbon well comprising:
(a) cutting a well casing string, wherein an internal production casing of the well casing string is cut lower than the external surface casing of the well casing string; (b) inserting a first plate having a hole formed in said first plate; (c) welding a threaded pipe section over said hole; (d) installing a coupler section onto said pipe section; (e) inserting a stopper into said coupler; (f) welding said first plate to the surface casing to cap the surface casing, wherein the top of the stopper rests below the top surface of the capped surface casing; and (g) welding a cap to the top of the surface casing to provide a vented seal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hole in the first plate has a diameter between 10 and 25 mm.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threaded pipe is between 20 and 50 mm pipe in length.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threaded pipe is 25 mm diameter pipe.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stopper comprises a rubber stopper.

6 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the rubber stopper is #6.5 rubber stopper.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plate is located at a depth to allow the stopper to eject partially from the coupler in response to gas pressure, wherein the stopper rests against the plate of the cap of the surface casing.

8 . A well abandonment system, comprising:
(a) a first plate having a hole formed, wherein a threaded pipe section is attached on the top portion of the first plate; (b) a coupler attached to the threaded portion of the pipe section; (c) a stopper placed within said coupler, said stopper positioned to be actuated to allow the escape of gases from beneath the first plate through the hole; and (d) a second plate comprising a cap welded to the top of the surface casing of an abandoned well, wherein the stopper positioned onto the coupler attached to the first plate is actuated against the lower surface of the section plate when actuated fully to allow the escape of gases from the well.

9 . The well abandonment system of claim 9 , wherein the hole in the first plate has a diameter between 10 and 25 mm.

10 . The well abandonment system of claim 9 , wherein the threaded pipe is between 20 and 50 mm in length.

11 . The well abandonment system of claim 9 , wherein the threaded pipe is 25 mm in length.

12 . The well abandonment system of claim 9 , wherein the stopper comprises a rubber stopper.

13 . The well abandonment system of claim 14 , wherein the rubber stopper is #6.5 rubber stopper.

14 . The well abandonment system of claim 9 , wherein the first plate is located at a depth operable to allow the stopper to eject partially from the coupler in response to gas pressure, wherein the stopper rests against the plate of the cap of the surface casing.

Assignees

• Conocophillips Co

Inventors

• Samuelson David John

Classifications

• E21B33/13 Primary

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• E21B33/02

  Surface sealing or packing · CPC title

• E21B33/00 Primary

  Sealing or packing boreholes or wells · CPC title

• E21B2033/005

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic