IP Library Granted Patent US 10,227,841
Granted Patent B2
US 10,227,841 · App. 14/784,829 · Granted Mar 12, 2019

Degradable wellbore isolation devices with degradable sealing balls

Inventors: Michael Linley Fripp (Carrollton, TX); Zachary William Walton (Carrollton, TX)
Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
E21B33/1293C09K8/426C09K8/428C22C21/00C22C23/02C22C23/04E21B33/12E21B33/1294E21B33/13E21B33/134E21B43/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,227,841
App. No.
14/784,829
Granted
Mar 12, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Downhole tools including a wellbore isolation device that provides a plurality of components including a mandrel, a packer element, and a sealing ball, wherein the mandrel defines a central flow passage that allows fluid flow in at least one direction through the wellbore isolation device, wherein at least a portion of the mandrel is composed of a degradable metal material, at least a portion of the packer element is composed of an elastomer, and at least a portion of the sealing ball is composed of a degradable substance, and wherein the degradable metal material and the degradable substance degrades upon exposure to a wellbore environment.

Claims (59)

1. A downhole tool comprising:

a wellbore isolation device that provides a plurality of components including a mandrel, a packer element, and a sealing ball,

wherein the mandrel defines a central flow passage that allows fluid flow in at least one direction through the wellbore isolation device,

wherein at least a portion of the mandrel is composed of a slowly degradable metal material having a period for degradation in the range of from about 5 days to about 40 days, at least a portion of the packer element is composed of an elastomer, and at least a portion of the sealing ball is composed of a degradable substance,

wherein the slowly degradable metal material and the degradable substance degrades upon exposure to a wellbore environment; and

wherein the wellbore isolation device provides an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and wherein a minimum production flow area across the wellbore isolation device is selected from the group consisting of:

a first flow area across the wellbore isolation device of at least 1/25 a total flow area of a casing at a location of the wellbore isolation device within a wellbore,

a second flow area resulting from the inner diameter being at least 17% of the outer diameter, and

any combination thereof.

2. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore isolation device is selected from the group consisting of a frac plug, a wellbore packer, a deployable baffle, and any combination thereof.

3. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore isolation device is a frac plug and the sealing ball is a frac ball.

4. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the slowly degradable metal material is selected from the group consisting of gold, a gold-platinum alloy, silver, nickel, a nickel-copper alloy, a nickel-chromium alloy, copper, a copper alloy, chromium, tin, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, iron, zinc, magnesium, a magnesium alloy, beryllium, any alloy thereof, and any combination thereof.

5. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer is minimally degradable such that no more than about 50% by volume of the elastomer degrades in the wellbore environment.

6. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer is a degradable elastomer that degrades in the presence of the wellbore environment.

7. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer is a degradable elastomer that degrades in the presence of the wellbore environment, and the wellbore environment is selected from the group consisting of an aqueous fluid, a hydrocarbon fluid, and any combination thereof.

8. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer is a degradable elastomer that degrades in the presence of the wellbore environment, the degradable elastomer selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane rubber; a polyester-based polyurethane rubber; a polyether-based polyurethane rubber; a thiol-based polymer; a thiol-epoxy polymer; a hyaluronic acid rubber; a polyhydroxobutyrate rubber; a polyester elastomer; a polyester amide elastomer; a starch-based resin; a polyethylene terephthalate polymer; a polyester thermoplastic; a polylactic acid polymer; a polybutylene succinate polymer; a polyhydroxy alkanoic acid polymer; a polybutylene terephthalate polymer; a polysaccharide; chitin; chitosan; a protein; an aliphatic polyester; poly(ε-caprolactone); a poly(hydroxybutyrate); poly(ethyleneoxide); poly(phenyllactide); a poly(amino acid); a poly(orthoester); polyphosphazene; a polylactide; a polyglycolide; a poly(anhydride); a polyepichlorohydrin; a copolymer of ethylene oxide/polyepichlorohydrin; a terpolymer of epichlorohydrin/ethylene oxide/allyl glycidyl ether; any copolymer thereof; any terpolymer thereof; and any combination thereof.

9. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is selected from the group consisting of a degradable metal material, a degradable elastomer, a degradable glass material, and any combination thereof.

10. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is a degradable metal material selected from the group consisting of gold, a gold-platinum alloy, silver, nickel, a nickel-copper alloy, a nickel-chromium alloy, copper, a copper alloy, chromium, tin, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, iron, zinc, magnesium, a magnesium alloy, beryllium, any alloy thereof, and any combination thereof.

11. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is a slowly degradable metal material, rates of degradation of the slowly degradable metal materials of the mandrel and the sealing ball being in the range of from about 0.01 mg/cm 2 to about 10 mg/cm 2 per hour at 200° F. in 15% KCl brine.

12. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is a degradable metal, rates of degradation of the degradable metal materials of the mandrel and the sealing ball being greater than about 10 mg/cm 2 per hour at 200° F. in 15% KCl brine.

13. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is a slowly degradable metal material, rates of degradation of the slowly degradable metal materials of the mandrel and the sealing ball being in the range of from about 0.1% to about 10% loss of total mass per day at 200° F. in 15% KCl brine.

14. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is a degradable metal material, rates of degradation of the degradable metal materials of the mandrel and the sealing ball being greater than about 10% loss of total mass per day at 200° F. in 15% KCl brine.

15. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is a degradable elastomer selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane rubber; a polyester-based polyurethane rubber; a polyether-based polyurethane rubber; a thiol-based polymer; a thiol-epoxy polymer; a hyaluronic acid rubber; a polyhydroxobutyrate rubber; a polyester elastomer; a polyester amide elastomer; a starch-based resin; a polyethylene terephthalate polymer; a polyester thermoplastic; a polylactic acid polymer; a polybutylene succinate polymer; a polyhydroxy alkanoic acid polymer; a polybutylene terephthalate polymer; a polysaccharide; chitin; chitosan; a protein; an aliphatic polyester; poly(ε-caprolactone); a poly(hydroxybutyrate); poly(ethyleneoxide); poly(phenyllactide); a poly(amino acid); a poly(orthoester); polyphosphazene; a polylactide; a polyglycolide; a poly(anhydride); a polyepichlorohydrin; a copolymer of ethylene oxide/polyepichlorohydrin; a terpolymer of epichlorohydrin/ethylene oxide/allyl glycidyl ether; any copolymer thereof; any terpolymer thereof; and any combination thereof.

16. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the degradable substance is a degradable glass material selected from the group consisting of a glass polyalkenoate, borate glass polyalkenoate, calcium phosphate glass, polylactic acid/calcium phosphate glass, phosphate glass, silica glass, and any combination thereof.

17. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the minimum production flow area across the wellbore isolation device includes any fluid flow area through the central flow passage and through any other flow paths through or around the wellbore isolation device.

18. The downhole tool of claim 17 , wherein the other flow paths comprise at least one flow channel defined longitudinally through the mandrel through which fluids may flow.

19. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter comprises a diameter of the central flow passage, and the outer diameter comprises a diameter of the wellbore isolation device in an unexpanded configuration.

20. The downhole tool of claim 1 , wherein the first flow area across the wellbore isolation device is at least 1/9 of a total flow area of the casing at the location of the wellbore isolation device within the wellbore and the second flow area results from the inner diameter being at least 33% of the outer diameter.

21. A method comprising:

introducing a downhole tool into a wellbore, wherein the downhole tool is a wellbore isolation device that provides a plurality of components including a mandrel, a packer element, and a sealing ball,

wherein the mandrel defines a central flow passage that allows fluid flow in at least one direction through the wellbore isolation device,

wherein at least a portion of the mandrel is composed of a slowly degradable metal material having a period for degradation in the range of from about 5 days to about 40 days, at least a portion of the packer element is composed of an elastomer, and at least a portion of the sealing ball is composed of a degradable substance; and

wherein the wellbore isolation device provides an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and wherein a minimum production flow area across the wellbore isolation device is selected from the group consisting of:

a first flow area across the wellbore isolation device of at least 1/25 a total flow area of a casing at a location of the wellbore isolation device within a wellbore,

a second flow area resulting from the inner diameter being at least 17% of the outer diameter, and

any combination thereof;

anchoring the downhole tool within the wellbore at a target location;

performing at least one downhole operation; and

degrading the slowly degradable metal material and the degradable substance upon exposure to a wellbore environment.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the wellbore isolation device is selected from the group consisting of a frac plug, a wellbore packer, a deployable baffle, and any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the wellbore isolation device is a frac plug and the sealing ball is a frac ball, and wherein the degradable substance is a slowly degradable metal material, rates of degradation of the slowly degradable metal materials of the mandrel and the sealing ball being in the range of from about 0.1% to about 10% loss of total mass per day at 200° F. in 15% KCl brine.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the elastomer is minimally degradable such that no more than about 50% by volume of the elastomer degrades in the wellbore environment.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the elastomer is a degradable elastomer that degrades in the presence of the wellbore environment.

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the degradable substance is selected from the group consisting of a degradable metal material, a degradable elastomer, a degradable glass material, and any combination thereof.

27. A system comprising:

a conveyance connected to a service rig and extending through a surface into a wellbore in a subterranean formation; and

a downhole tool connected to the conveyance and placed in the wellbore, wherein the downhole tool is a wellbore isolation device that provides a plurality of components including a mandrel, a packer element, and a sealing ball,

wherein the mandrel defines a central flow passage that allows fluid flow in at least one direction through the wellbore isolation device,

wherein at least a portion of the mandrel is composed of a slowly degradable metal material having a period for degradation in the range of from about 5 days to about 40 days, at least a portion of the packer element is composed of an elastomer, and at least a portion of the sealing ball is composed of a degradable substance,

wherein the slowly degradable metal material and the degradable substance degrades upon exposure to a wellbore environment, and

wherein the wellbore isolation device provides an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and wherein a minimum production flow area across the wellbore isolation device is selected from the group consisting of:

a first flow area across the wellbore isolation device of at least 1/25 a total flow area of a casing at a location of the wellbore isolation device within a wellbore,

a second flow area resulting from the inner diameter being at least 17% of the outer diameter, and

any combination thereof.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the wellbore isolation device is selected from the group consisting of a frac plug, a wellbore packer, a deployable baffle, and any combination thereof.

29. The system of claim 27 , wherein the wellbore isolation device is a frac plug and the sealing ball is a frac ball, and wherein the degradable substance is a slowly degradable metal material, rates of degradation of the slowly degradable metal materials of the mandrel and the sealing ball being in the range of from about 0.1% to about 10% loss of total mass per day at 200° F. in 15% KCl brine.

30. The system of claim 27 , wherein the elastomer is minimally degradable such that no more than about 50% by volume of the elastomer degrades in the wellbore environment.

31. The system of claim 27 , wherein the elastomer is a degradable elastomer that degrades in the presence of the wellbore environment.

32. The system of claim 27 , wherein the degradable substance is selected from the group consisting of a degradable metal material, a degradable elastomer, a degradable glass material, and any combination thereof.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2015
From: FRIPP, MICHAEL LINLEY; WALTON, ZACHARY WILLIAM
To: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 036802/0989 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTUS2014053212 · Aug 28, 2014
Related Publication 20160298412A1 · Oct 13, 2016
Cited By (2)
US 12,383,246 US 12,492,609