Wiper plug with dissolvable core
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wellbore plugs, and specifically to pump down wiper plug assemblies used for conducting casing integrity pressure tests and completing wellbores. A plug assembly comprises one or more of a mandrel, a wiper, a dissolvable member, a rupture disk, and a movable sleeve. The dissolvable member and the rupture disk are configured to temporarily close fluid flow through an inner bore of the mandrel. The entire or only a portion of the outer surface of the dissolvable member comprises a protective coating.
1 . A plug assembly, comprising:
a mandrel having an inner bore;
a wiper coupled to an outer surface of the mandrel;
a dissolvable member disposed through a sidewall of the mandrel and configured to temporarily close fluid flow through the inner bore of the mandrel; and
a sleeve coupled to the mandrel, wherein the sleeve is moveable from a first position, where a non-coated portion of the dissolvable member is not exposed to fluids that dissolve the dissolvable member, to a second position, where the non-coated portion of the dissolvable member is exposed to fluid able to dissolve the dissolvable member.
2 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is coupled to the mandrel by one or more releasable members when in the first position, and wherein the one or more releasable members are sheared when the sleeve is in the second position.
3 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises a port disposed through the sleeve, wherein when in the first position, the port is not aligned with the dissolvable member, and wherein when in the second position, the port is aligned with the dissolvable member.
4 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the dissolvable member extends from the sidewall of the mandrel, wherein when in the first position, the sleeve abuts the portion of the dissolvable member that extends from the sidewall of the mandrel, and wherein when in the second position, the sleeve shears off the portion of the dissolvable member that extends from the sidewall of the mandrel.
5 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is movable along an outer surface of the mandrel.
6 . The plug assembly of claim 5 , wherein an entire outer surface of the dissolvable member is coated.
7 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is movable along an inner surface of the mandrel.
8 . The plug assembly of claim 7 , wherein only a portion of an outer surface of the dissolvable member is coated.
9 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable member comprises at least one of magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, water soluble composites, water soluble plastics, and combinations thereof.
10 . The plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the wiper comprises one or more fins in the form of cup-shaped seals, wherein the mandrel comprises an upper mandrel and a lower mandrel coupled at opposite ends to a middle mandrel, and wherein one or more gripping members and one or more sealing member are coupled to an outer surface of the lower mandrel.
11 . A plug assembly, comprising:
a mandrel having an inner bore;
a dissolvable member disposed in a port through a sidewall of the mandrel; and
a sleeve coupled to the mandrel, the sleeve comprising a port disposed through the sleeve, wherein the sleeve is movable from a first position to a second position, and wherein:
in the first position, fluid flow is prevented through the port and into the inner bore by the dissolvable member; and
in the second position, the port of the sleeve exposes a portion of the dissolvable member to a dissolving fluid able to dissolve the dissolvable member to allow fluid flow through the port of the mandrel.
12 . The plug assembly of claim 11 , wherein the portion of the dissolvable member is an uncoated portion of the dissolvable member.
13 . The plug assembly of claim 11 , wherein:
the sleeve is secured in the first position by one or more releasable members; and
the one or more releasable members are sheared when the sleeve is in the second position.
14 . The plug assembly of claim 11 , wherein a second portion of the dissolvable member extends from the sidewall of the mandrel, and wherein in the second position the sleeve shears the second portion of the dissolvable member to expose the portion of the dissolvable member to the dissolving fluid.
15 . The plug assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sleeve is disposed about and movable along an outer surface of the mandrel.
16 . The plug assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sleeve is disposed within and movable along the inner bore of the mandrel.
17 . A method for conducting a wellbore completion integrity test, comprising:
positioning a plug into engagement with a seat in a casing shoe, wherein the casing shoe is coupled to a lower end of a casing string disposed in a wellbore, and wherein the plug comprises:
a mandrel including an inner bore, wherein a dissolvable member is disposed through a port in a sidewall of the mandrel; and
a sleeve coupled to the mandrel;
pressurizing the casing string to move the sleeve; and
moving the sleeve from a first position to a second position, wherein:
in the first position, fluid flow through the port in the sidewall and into the inner bore is prevented by the dissolvable member; and
in the second position, a non-coated portion of the dissolvable member is exposed to a dissolving fluid to dissolve the dissolvable member and allow fluid flow through the sidewall and into the inner bore.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the sleeve is secured in the first position by one or more releasable members; and
moving the sleeve from the first position to the second position comprises shearing the one or more releasable members.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the sleeve comprises a port disposed through the sleeve, and wherein in the second position, the port exposes the non-coated portion of the dissolvable member to the dissolving fluid.
20 . A plug assembly, comprising:
a mandrel having an inner bore;
a dissolvable member disposed in a port through a sidewall of the mandrel; and
a sleeve coupled to the mandrel, wherein the sleeve is disposed about an outer surface of the mandrel and movable from a first position to a second position along the outer surface of the mandrel, and wherein:
in the first position, fluid flow is prevented through the port and into the inner bore by the dissolvable member; and
in the second position, a portion of the dissolvable member is exposed to a dissolving fluid able to dissolve the dissolvable member to allow fluid flow through the port.