Frac system without intervention
View Patent ↗A system allows for sequential treatment of sections of a zone. Access to each portion can be with a sliding sleeve that has a specific internal profile. Pump down plugs can be used that have a specific profile that will make a plug latch to a specific sleeve. Pressure on the plug when latched allows a sequential opening of sleeves while zones already affected that are below are isolated. The pump down plugs have a passage that is initially obstructed by a material that eventually disappears under anticipated well conditions. As a result, when all portions of a zone are handled a flow path is reestablished through the various latched plugs. The plugs can also be blown clear of a sliding sleeve after operating it and can feature a key that subsequently prevents rotation of the plug on its axis in the event is later needs milling out.
1. A completion method, comprising:
providing a plurality of landing locations within a tubular string each of which has a first half of a unique configuration unrelated to opening size therethrough;
locating the tubular string in the wellbore;
providing a plurality of plugs having a second half of a unique configuration unrelated to diameter to match one of said first half unique configuration;
landing said plugs in a specific ordered sequence based on matching unique configurations between each plug and a counterpart configuration in the tubular;
temporarily blocking said tubular upon landing of a plug;
using a disappearing material in a passage in said plug to temporarily block said tubular.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
applying pressure to said plug when landed to perform a downhole operation.
3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
using wellbore conditions to make the disappearing material disappear after performance of said downhole operation.
4. The method of claim 3 , comprising:
performing a downhole operation above a landed plug while isolating the tubular below said plug from said operation and repeating the process until all plugs have landed.
5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
taking production through passages in all the plugs that no longer have the disappearing material in them.
6. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
putting the first halves of the unique configuration on a plurality of sliding sleeves.
7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
operating said sliding sleeves in a predetermined order by landing plugs having a predetermined order of second halves of unique configurations.
8. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
engaging said sleeves with said plugs;
shifting said sleeves by pressurizing said plugs engaged to their respective sleeve;
putting the first halves of the unique configuration additionally in the tubular wall;
configuring said first half of said unique configuration in said sleeve to release said plug after shifting its sleeve;
engaging said plug to the unique configuration in said tubular wall after shifting said sleeve.
9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
rotationally locking said plug separately from a supported position in the unique configuration of said tubular wall.
10. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
putting the first halves of the unique configuration in the tubular wall;
landing a plug with a mating second half configuration in the tubular so that is sealingly contacts with a sleeve;
making the sleeve responsive to applied pressure due to landing said sealingly contacting plug.
11. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
forming a passage obstruction in said plug made at least in part from a biopolymer as said disappearing material.
12. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
isolating at least one water soluble metal disc between biopolymer ends;
compressing said ends toward each other.
13. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
isolating a granular material between biopolymer ends;
radially distributing stress from pressure on one of said biopolymer ends to minimize stress transmission to the opposite biopolymer end.
14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
initially compressing said ends together;
dissolving said ends with fluids in the well;
removing the granular material by flowing production fluid through said plug passage now open due to said dissolving.
15. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
using at least one of sand, frac proppant and glass micro spheres as said granular material.