Plugging a mined-through well
View Patent ↗A system and method of plugging a well bore includes intersecting a portion of a well with a subterranean cavern. A portion of the well may be isolated to prevent accumulation of reservoir fluids in the subterranean cavern by, for example, inserting a packer in the well to form a seal. A sealing material may be pumped into and allowed of solidify in the portion of the well to form a partition between the subterranean cavern and the remainder of the well. The formed partition permits continued production from the well and continued mining in the subterranean cavern.
1. A method comprising:
forming a vacuum in a well;
depositing a seal through an intersection of the well and a subterranean mine to isolate a portion of the well from the subterranean mine;
producing a fluid from the well;
wherein depositing the seal through an intersection of the well and subterranean mine to isolate a portion of the well from the subterranean mine comprises:
inserting a packer from the subterranean mine into a lateral well bore of the well proximate a kickoff point;
securing the packer within the lateral well bore; and
injecting a sealing material through the subterranean mine into the lateral well bore.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the sealing material through the subterranean mine into the lateral well bore comprises:
injecting the sealing material into the lateral well bore through a tubing string extending from the subterranean mine; and
filling an annulus formed between the lateral well bore an the tubing string with the sealing material.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a pressure to the injected sealing material for a selected period of time.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein securing the packer within the lateral well bore comprises inflating the packer to form a seal.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising expanding the subterranean mine concurrent with producing the fluid from the well.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming a vacuum in the well comprises:
generating a low pressure within the well bore near the surface, wherein the generated low pressure induces a flow from the subterranean mine to the portion of the well.
7. A method comprising:
forming a vacuum in a well;
depositing a seal through an intersection of the well and a subterranean mine to isolate a portion of the well from the subterranean mine;
producing a fluid from the well; and
wherein depositing the seal through the intersection of the well and the subterranean mine to isolate the portion of the well from the subterranean mine comprises securing a packer within a lateral well bore of the well and inflating the packer to form a seal.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising expanding a portion of a perimeter of the lateral well bore of the well wherein expanding the portion of the perimeter of the lateral well bore of the well comprises:
inserting a plug into the lateral well bore from the subterranean mine;
enlarging the perimeter of the portion of the lateral well bore; and
removing the plug from the lateral well bore through the subterranean mine.