Internally trussed high-expansion support for refracturing operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9982507-B2
Application number	US-201414783217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A downhole system and method is disclosed for sealing a previously perforated section of casing and refracturing the subterranean formation in a region of the subterranean formation remote from those regions previously fractured. The system includes a truss structure radially expandable between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration and a sealing structure disposed radially external to the truss structure. The truss structure and the sealing structure are set in their expanded configurations so that the sealing structure is put into engagement with the perforated section of casing so as to restrict the flow of fluids from the perforated section of production tubing into the subterranean formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of refracturing a subterranean formation having casing installed therein, said method comprising:
(a) conveying a truss structure and sealing structure disposed thereon into the casing adjacent a perforated section of the casing, wherein the perforated section of the casing comprises a plurality of perforations formed through the casing, said truss and sealing structures being radially expandable between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration;
(b) expanding the truss and sealing structures from their contracted configurations to an expanded configuration whereby the sealing structure directly contacts and seals against the plurality of perforations and thereby reduces or restricts fluid flow between the subterranean formation and the inside of the casing; and
(c) treating the subterranean formation through open perforations at a location that is axially removed from a location previously fractured.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising perforating the casing at the location that is axially removed from the location previously fractured.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conveying the sealing and truss structures into the casing simultaneously, the truss structure being nested inside the sealing structure when the sealing structure is in its contracted configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein radially expanding the truss structure into its expanded configuration further comprises expanding a plurality of expandable cells defined on the truss structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the axial length of the truss structure in the contracted and expanded configurations is substantially the same.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the truss structure is expanded by more than 50% when the truss structure is expanded from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conveying the truss structure and the sealing structure into the casing until the truss structure and the sealing structure are disposed adjacent the perforated section of the casing based on sensor feedback, and radially expanding the truss and sealing structures from their contracted configurations to the expanded configuration when the truss and sealing structures are disposed adjacent the perforated section of the casing.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
conveying a second truss structure having a second sealing structure disposed thereon into the casing with the second truss structure and the second sealing structure being in a contracted configuration;
lowering the second truss structure and the second sealing structure in the contracted configuration through a bore of the expanded truss structure; and
expanding the second truss structure and the second sealing structure from their contracted configurations to as expanded configuration whereby the second sealing structure directly contacts and seals against a different plurality of perforations in the casing downhole of the perforated section.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conveying a perforating device into the casing and through the expanded truss structure, and perforating the subterranean formation via the perforating device at the location that is axially removed from the location previously fractured.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising holding the sealing structure against the plurality of perforations via force exerted by the expanded truss structure while treating the subterranean formation, wherein treating the subterranean formation comprises sending pressurized fracturing fluids through the casing to refracture a wellbore zone at the location that is axially removed from the location previously fractured.

11. A downhole completion system, comprising:
(a) a truss structure, the truss structure radially expandable between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration; and
(b) a sealing structure disposed about the truss structure, the sealing structure being radially expandable between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration, and said sealing structure being operable to directly contact and seal against one or more perforations in a perforated section of casing when in the expanded configuration so as to restrict the flow of fluids through the perforations into a subterranean formation.

12. The downhole completion system according to claim 11 , further comprising a conveyance device to transport the sealing and truss structures in their respective contracted configurations through the casing to the perforated section of casing.

13. The downhole completion system according to claim 12 , wherein the conveyance device is selected from the group consisting of wireline, slickline, coiled tubing and jointed tubing.

14. The downhole completion system according to claim 11 , further comprising a deployment device to radially expand the sealing and truss structures from their respective contracted configurations to their respective expanded configurations.

15. The downhole completion system according to claim 14 , wherein the deployment device is selected from the group consisting of a hydraulic inflation tool and an inflatable packer.

16. The downhole completion system according to claim 11 , wherein when in the expanded configuration the truss structure exerts a radially outward force that holds the sealing structure against the plurality of perforations.

17. The downhole completion system according to claim 11 , wherein the truss structure includes a plurality of expandable cells.

18. The downhole completion system according to claim 11 , wherein the truss structure has a diameter which expands by more than 50% when the truss structure is expanded from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration.

19. The downhole completion system according to claim 11 , further comprising a second truss structure having a second sealing structure disposed thereon, wherein an inner diameter of the truss structure in the expanded position is greater than an outer diameter of the second sealing structure in the contracted position such that the second truss structure and the second sealing structure can be lowered downhole through a bore of the expanded truss structure.

20. The downhole completion system according to claim 11 , further comprising a swellable material that is disposed on at least a portion of the sealing structure, wherein the swellable material comprises a swellable elastomer that swells in the presence of at least one of water and oil.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Murphree Zachary Ryan
• Fripp Michael Linley
• Adkins Darrell
• Gano John

Classifications

• E21B43/11

  Perforators; Permeators · CPC title

• E21B33/127 Primary

  with inflatable sleeve (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B29/10 Primary

  Reconditioning of well casings, e.g. straightening · CPC title

• E21B43/26 Primary

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/247

  in association with fracturing processes {or crevice forming processes} · CPC title