Corrodible downhole article and method of removing the article from downhole environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926763-B2
Application number	US-201514826710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A method of removing a corrodible downhole article having a surface coating includes eroding the surface coating by physical abrasion, chemical etching, or a combination of physical abrasion and chemical etching, the surface coating comprising a metallic layer of a metal resistant to corrosion by a corrosive material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article for forming a downhole seal, comprising a magnesium alloy core, and a metallic layer having a thickness of about 10 to about 1,000 micrometers and covering the magnesium alloy core, the metallic layer comprising tungsten, cobalt, copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, nickel alloy, aluminum alloy, or a combination comprising at least one of nickel, aluminum, nickel alloy, or aluminum alloy, and further the metallic layer being resistant to corrosion by a corrosive material, wherein the article is a ball seat; and a surface of the ball seat includes a concave region having a radius designed to accommodate a ball or plug.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the magnesium alloy core comprises an alloy of magnesium with one or more of the following elements:
aluminum; cadmium; calcium; cobalt; copper; iron; manganese; nickel; silicon; silver; strontium; thorium; tungsten; zinc; or zirconium.

3. The article of claim wherein the magnesium alloy article core comprises greater than zero but less than or equal to about 1 wt% of nickel.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the magnesium alloy article core comprises about 0.25 to about 1 wt% of nickel.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metallic layer comprises one or more of the following: nickel; aluminum; nickel alloy; or aluminum alloy.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metallic layer comprises a single layer.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metallic layer comprises more than one layers.

8. The article of claim 5 , wherein each of the metallic layer comprises different metals.

9. The article of claim 5 , wherein each of the metallic layer comprises same metals.

10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metallic layer has a thickness of about 100 to about 500 micrometers.

11. A method of making an article for forming a downhole seal, comprising
plating or depositing, in the absence of water,
a metallic layer having a thickness of about 10 to about 1,000 micrometers and resistant to corrosion by a corrosive material, on

a surface of a magnesium alloy core,
wherein the metallic layer covers magnesium ocore and comprises tungsten, cobalt, copper, ion, nickel, aluminum, nickel alloy, aluminum alloy, or a combination comprising at least one of nickel, aluminum, nickel alloy, or aluminum alloy, the article is a ball seat, and a surface of the ball seat includes a concave region having a radius designed to accomodate a ball or plug.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metallic layer is formed by an electroless plating process, or by an electrodeposition process in the presence of an anhydrous ionic solvent.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming the article core by forging, sintering, machining, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
coating a powder to provide a coated powder;
molding or compressing the coated powder to provide a molded or compressed article having a first shape; and
forming the article core by one or more of the following: forging, sintering, or machining the molded or compressed article having the first shape.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the powder has a particle size of from about 50 to about 150 micrometers.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the magnesium alloy article core comprises a powder having a particle size of from about 60 to about 140 micrometers.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metallic layer comprises one or more of the following: nickel; aluminum; nickel alloy; or aluminum alloy.

18. An article for forming a downhole seal, the article comprising:
a magnesium alloy article core, and
a metallic layer having a thickness of about 10 to about 1,000 micrometers and covering the magnesium alloy core, the metallic layer comprising tungsten, cobalt, copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, nickel alloy, aluminum alloy, or a combination comprising at least one of nickel, aluminum, nickel alloy, or aluminum alloy, and further the metallic layer being resistant to corrosion by a corrosive material,
wherein the article has a cylindrical shape that tapers in a truncated, conical cross- sectional shape.

19. The article of claim 18 , wherein the magnesium alloy article core comprises particles of magnesium alloyed with one or more of the following: Ni; W; Co; Cu; or Fe.

20. The article of claim 18 , wherein the magnesium alloy article core comprises magnesium alloyed with less than or equal to about 0.5 wt% of nickel.

Assignees

• Mazyar Oleg A
• Mccoy Matthew T
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Mazyar Oleg A
• Mccoy Matthew T

Classifications

• C25D5/48

  After-treatment of electroplated surfaces · CPC title

• E21B33/12 Primary

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

• C23C18/1637

  metallic substrate · CPC title

• C23C18/1689 Primary

  After-treatment · CPC title

• E21B23/0415

  using particular fluids, e.g. electro-active liquids · CPC title