Downhole tool including a resettable plug with a flow-through valve
Systems and methods are disclosed that enable flushing the wellbore before, during and after a fracturing or treatment operation, such that a resettable plug is not trapped or buried by fluids and particulates in the hole and the sealing element of the resettable plug is not damaged. Systems and methods which mitigate and prevent accumulation of fluids and particulates above a resettable plug are also provided. A system and method for delivering pressurized fluid to a subterranean formation is also disclosed.
1. A bottom hole assembly for use within a borehole that extends from surface into a subterranean formation, comprising:
a resettable plug that may be activated and deactivated at one or more locations within the borehole without removal from the borehole, including a central body, a selectively deployable sealing element about a periphery of the central body, and a fluid passageway that extends through the central body from at least one first opening in the central body on a first side of the deployable sealing element to at least one second opening in the central body on a second side of the deployable sealing element;
a valve disposed to only control fluid flow through the fluid passageway;
a pressure sensor secured to sense fluid pressure within the borehole on the first side of the deployable sealing element;
a valve actuator coupled to the valve for controlling operation of the valve;
the at least one first opening in fluid communication with the surface via only the borehole on the first side of the deployable sealing element and via the fluid passageway, the at least one second opening on the second side of the deployable sealing element; and
the at least one second opening in fluid communication with the borehole on the second side of the deployable sealing element, the borehole below the bottom hole assembly and via the fluid passageway, the at least one first opening on the first side of the deployable sealing element.
2. The bottom hole assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller in electronic communication with the pressure sensor for receiving a pressure signal from the pressure sensor and is in electronic communication with the valve actuator for sending a control signal to the valve actuator.
3. The bottom hole assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a rotary brush secured to the central body on the first side of the sealing element;
a motor mechanically coupled to the rotary brush to controllably rotate the brush; and
an electrical current sensor for measuring an amount of electrical current drawn by the electric motor, wherein the electrical current sensor is in electronic communication with the controller for signaling the amount of electrical current to the controller, and wherein the controller further controls operation of the valve in response to the amount of electrical current drawn by the motor exceeding an electrical current setpoint indicating an accumulation of fluids or particulates in the wellbore around the rotary brush.
4. The bottom hole assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a rotary impeller axially disposed within a portion of the fluid passageway; and
an electric motor mechanically coupled to the rotary impeller to spin the impeller in a direction that aids fluid flow through the fluid passageway.
5. The bottom hole assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
an electrical current sensor for measuring an amount of electrical current drawn by the electric motor, wherein the electrical current sensor is in electronic communication with the controller for sending an electrical current signal to the controller.
6. The bottom hole assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller in communication with a distributed measurement cable for receiving measurements selected from cable temperature, temperature increase or decrease rate, vibration, strain, pressure or combinations thereof, and wherein the controller is in electronic communication with the valve actuator for sending a control signal to the valve actuator.
7. The bottom hole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve actuator is a hydraulic valve actuator, the assembly further comprising:
a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with the hydraulic valve actuator;
an electric motor mechanically coupled to operate the hydraulic pump.
8. The bottom hole assembly of claim 7 , wherein the electric motor receives electrical power through a wireline cable.
9. The bottom hole assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a battery coupled to the electric motor for supplying electrical power to the electric motor.
10. The bottom hole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve actuator is an electromechanical valve actuator, the assembly further comprising:
a rotary screw disposed to be driven by an electrical motor.
11. The bottom hole assembly of claim 10 , wherein the electric motor receives electrical power through a wireline cable.
12. The bottom hole assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a battery coupled to the electric motor for supplying electrical power to the electric motor.
13. The bottom hole assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotary impeller axially disposed within a portion of the fluid passageway; and
an electrical generator mechanically coupled to the rotary impeller to generate electrical current as the impeller spins under fluid flow through the fluid passageway.
14. A bottom hole assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tension sensor coupled to a wireline cable secured to the resettable plug, wherein the tension sensor measures an amount of tension in the wireline cable; and
a controller in electronic communication with the tension sensor for receiving a tension signal from the tension sensor, wherein the controller is in electronic communication with the valve actuator for sending a control signal to the valve actuator, and wherein the controller adjusts operation of the valve in response to the measured amount of tension in the wireline cable.
15. A method of controlling fluid flow through a resettable plug, comprising:
pumping a fluid into a borehole that extends from surface into a subterranean formation;
monitoring pressure of the fluid above a deployed selectively deployable sealing element mounted about a periphery of a central body of a resettable plug;
upon the pressure reaching a setpoint pressure, controlling operation of a valve to prevent the fluid pressure from exceeding the setpoint pressure, wherein the valve only controls fluid flow through a passageway in the resettable plug that extends through the central body from at least one first opening in the central body on a first side of the deployable sealing element to at least one second opening in the central body on a second side of the deployable sealing element;
the at least one first opening in fluid communication with the surface via only the borehole on the first side of the deployable sealing element and via the fluid passageway, the at least one second opening on the second side of the deployable sealing element; and
the at least one second opening in fluid communication with the borehole on the second side of the deployable sealing element, the borehole below a bottom hole assembly comprising the resettable plug and via the fluid passageway, the at least one first opening on the first side of the deployable sealing element.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
running the resettable plug into the borehole on a wireline, wherein the operation of the valve is controlled while running the resettable plug into the borehole.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
deploying the selectively deployable sealing element within the borehole to isolate an uphole portion of the borehole from a downhole portion of the borehole; and
wherein the pumping step further comprises pressurizing the fluid into the isolated uphole portion of the borehole to hydraulically fracture or treat the subterranean formation above the resettable plug, wherein operation of the valve is controlled during the hydraulic fracturing or treatment of the subterranean formation.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
positioning a rotary brush coupled to the central body to align the rotary brush with a target area of casing in the borehole;
driving the rotary brush to clean the target area of casing; and
positioning the resettable plug to align with the cleaned target area of the casing prior to deploying the selectively deployable sealing element within the borehole, wherein deploying the selectively deployable sealing element seals the resettable plug against the cleaned target area of the casing and isolates the uphole portion of the borehole from the downhole portion of the borehole.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein a motor is mechanically coupled to the rotary brush to controllably rotate the brush, further comprising:
measuring an amount of electrical current draw by the motor to rotate the rotary brush in the target area of the casing at a predetermined rotational speed; and
continuing to drive the rotary brush in the target area of the casing until the measured amount of electrical current draw by the motor is less than a predetermined current setpoint indicating the target area of the casing is clean, and wherein the resettable plug is positioned to align with the cleaned target area of the casing only after the measured amount of electrical current draw by the motor is less than the predetermined current setpoint.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein operation of the valve is further controlled to reduce an amount of fluid or particulate accumulation on top of the resettable plug as a result of the hydraulic fracturing or treatment operation of the subterranean formation.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the fluid or particulate is selected from benzoic acid, naphthalene, rock salt, resins, waxes, polymers, sand, proppant, ceramic materials, debris, or combinations thereof.
22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
retracting the selectively deployable sealing element in response to determining that the measured amount of electrical current draw by the motor is less than the electrical current setpoint.
23. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
deactivating the selectively deployable sealing element;
repositioning the resettable plug within the borehole without removing the resettable plug from the borehole;
redeploying the selectively deployable sealing element within the borehole to isolate a second uphole portion of the borehole from a second downhole portion of the borehole;
pumping a fluid into the borehole that extends into the subterranean formation;
pressurizing the fluid into the isolated second uphole portion of the borehole to hydraulically fracture or treat the subterranean formation above the resettable plug.
24. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
driving an impeller that is disposed in the passageway to assist fluid flow through the passageway, wherein a motor is mechanically coupled to the impeller to controllably spin the impeller.
25. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
generating electrical current with a generator mechanically coupled to an impeller disposed in the passageway, wherein the impeller drives the generator during fluid flow through the passageway.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
measuring an amount of electrical current generated by the generator;
determining an amount of particulate present in the fluid flow through the passageway as a function of the amount of electrical current generated; and
controlling operation of the valve to maintain fluid flow through the passageway until the amount of particulate determined to be present in the fluid flow through the passageway drops below a setpoint amount of particulate.
27. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
measuring an amount of tension in a wireline cable coupled to the central body of the resettable plug; and
controlling operation of the valve to allow fluid flow through the passageway in response to the measured amount of tension in the wireline cable exceeding a tension setpoint.