Wellbore plug and abandonment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018066489-A1
Application number	US-201615563711-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Mar 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A downhole tool for conveyance within a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation. The downhole tool includes a sealing material and a laser apparatus, and is operable to create and fill a void with the sealing material to form a plug during a plug and abandonment operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
conveying a downhole tool within a wellbore, wherein the downhole tool comprises a laser cutting apparatus and a sealing material; operating the laser cutting apparatus to remove material from at least one of:
a subterranean formation penetrated by the wellbore;
a casing secured within the wellbore; and/or
a cement sheath securing the casing within the wellbore; and
placing the sealing material in a void created by the material removal.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein operating the laser cutting apparatus to remove the material comprises removing portions of each of the subterranean formation, a member of the casing, and the cement sheath, such that the void completely severs the casing member into two discrete portions.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the method is a plug and abandonment operation, and wherein placing the sealing material in the void creates a plug fluidly isolating first and second sections of the wellbore on opposing sides of the plug.

4 . The method of claim 3 not comprising utilizing a drilling rig.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein conveying the downhole tool is via a through-tubing conveyance.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein conveying the downhole tool is via coiled tubing.

7 . The method of claim 4 wherein conveying the downhole tool is via wireline.

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the material removal but before the sealing material placement, inducing relative movement of the laser cutting apparatus and the sealing material.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein placing the sealing material in the void comprises operating the downhole tool to melt the sealing material and directing the melted sealing material into the void.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is carried with the downhole tool in particulate form, and wherein placing the sealing material in the void comprises:
directing the sealing material into the slot; and
melting the sealing material within the slot.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the laser cutting apparatus comprises a laser beam deflector, and operating the laser cutting apparatus for the material removal comprises operating the laser cutting apparatus to rotate the laser beam deflector and thereby rotate a laser beam through 360 degrees to create the void as an annular space surrounding the wellbore.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein placing the sealing material in the void comprises operating the laser cutting apparatus to direct the laser beam onto the sealing material and rotate the laser beam through 360 degrees to melt an annular portion of the sealing material.

14 . (canceled)

15 . (canceled)

16 . The method of claim 1 wherein the wellbore extends from a wellsite surface, and wherein the method further comprises:
communicating a fluid from the wellsite surface to the downhole tool via the coiled tubing; and
cleaning the void with the fluid before placing the sealing material in the void.

17 . An apparatus comprising:
a downhole tool for conveyance within a wellbore, wherein the downhole tool comprises:
a laser cutting apparatus operable to remove material from at least one of:
a subterranean formation penetrated by the wellbore;
a casing secured within the wellbore; and/or
a cement sheath securing the casing within the wellbore;

a sealing material; and
a heating device operable to melt the sealing material.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the downhole tool is operable to form a plug comprising the sealing material in a void created by a material removal operation of the laser cutting apparatus, and wherein the plug fluidly isolates first and second sections of the wellbore on opposing sides of the plug.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the downhole tool is operable to form the plug in the void without removing the downhole tool from the wellbore.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the downhole tool is operable to form the plug in the void without utilizing a drilling rig.

21 . The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the sealing material is a eutectic material having a eutectic temperature at which the eutectic material melts.

22 . The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the sealing material comprises a metallic composition meltable downhole via operation of the heating device.

23 . The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the conveyance is via through-tubing conveyance, coiled tubing, or wireline.

24 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Pipchuk Douglas
• Cooper Iain Michael

Classifications

• E21B36/04

  using electrical heaters · CPC title

• E21B33/12

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

• E21B7/14

  Drilling by use of heat, e.g. flame drilling · CPC title

• E21B36/008

  using chemical heat generating means · CPC title

• E21B29/02 Primary

  by explosives or by thermal or chemical means {(freeing stuck objects by explosives E21B31/002)} · CPC title