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BR-112023008072-B1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SHUTDOWN OF FLUID-ACTIVATED METAL ALLOY

BR112023008072B1BR 112023008072 B1BR112023008072 B1BR 112023008072B1BR-112023008072-B1

Abstract

FLUID-ACTIVATED METALLIC LOOP SHUTDOWN DEVICE. A variety of methods, systems, and devices are disclosed. In one example, a well tool is deployed downhole in a transport (e.g., tubing string) with the well tool in an open condition, wherein a flow path from the tool is in fluid communication with the tubing string. An intumescible metallic material is disposed along the flow path. A service operation can be performed while the tool is in the open condition, including flowing a well fluid down the tubing string and through the tool's flow path. After performing the service operation, an activating fluid can be dispensed downhole to the well tool to activate the intumescible metallic material to close the tool's flow path.

Inventors

  • DANIEL CRAIG NEWTON

Assignees

  • HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20201228
Priority Date
20201217

Claims (15)

  1. 1. Method, characterized in that it comprises: deploying a well tool (60) at the bottom of a well in a tubing string (104) with the well tool (60) in an open condition, wherein a flow path (12) of the well tool (60) is in fluid communication with the tubing string (104), the well tool (60) including a central hole (14) along the flow path (12) aligned with the tubing string (104), and with an intumescible metallic material (40) disposed along the flow path (12) including an inner diameter of the central hole (14); performing a service operation including flowing a well fluid down the tubing string (104) and through the central hole (14) of the well tool (60) and out of a lower end (17) of the central hole (14); after performing the service operation, distribute an activation fluid at the bottom of the well to the well tool (60) to activate the intumescible metallic material (40), wherein the intumescible metallic material (40) expands to close the central hole (14) of the well tool (60).
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the activation of the intumescible metallic material (40) comprises undergoing metal hydration reactions in the presence of brines to form metallic hydroxides.
  3. 3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: controlling the flow of a formation fluid through the well tool (60) using one or both of a float valve (35) and a float shoe (33) along the center bore (14) of the well tool (60) before activating the intumescible metallic material (40).
  4. 4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: flowing well fluid down the pipe string (104) and out through one or more side ports (19) of a sub with orifice (22) during service operation; and wherein intumescible metallic material (40) is disposed in one or more side ports (19) and expands to close the side ports (19) upon activation.
  5. 5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: flowing well fluid down the pipe string (104) and out through one or more ports (18) of a bullnose or orifice shoe (16) during service operation; and wherein the intumescible metallic material (40) is arranged to close one or more ports (18) of the bullnose or orifice shoe (16) upon activation.
  6. 6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the service operation comprises a stimulation treatment, a drilling operation or a cementing operation.
  7. 7. Well system, characterized in that it comprises a well tool (60) implantable in a pipe string (104) in an open condition with a flow path (12) of the well tool (60) in fluid communication with the pipe string (104), the well tool (60) including a central hole (14) along the flow path (12) and aligned with the pipe string (104); an intumescible metallic material (40) disposed along the flow path (12), wherein the flow path (12) is initially open to flow a well fluid over the intumescible metallic material (40), wherein the intumescible metallic material (40) is disposed in an inner diameter of the central hole (14); and an activation fluid source to distribute an activation fluid at the bottom of the well to the well tool (60) to activate the intumescible metallic material (40), wherein the intumescible metallic material (40) expands to close the central hole (14) of the well tool (60) upon activation.
  8. 8. Well system according to claim 7, characterized in that the intumescible metallic material is configured to intumesce by undergoing metal hydration reactions in the presence of brines to form metallic hydroxides.
  9. 9. Well system according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: one or more valves along the center bore (14) and configured to control the flow of a formation fluid through the well tool (60) before activating the intumescible metallic material (40); wherein one or more valves comprise at least one float valve (35), wherein the intumescible metallic material (40) is above the float valve (35) or between the float valve (35) and a float shoe (33) spaced from the float valve (35) along the center bore (14).
  10. 10. Well system, according to claim 7, characterized in that the intumescible metallic material (40) is disposed in the central hole (14) to close the central hole (14) by activation by the activating fluid without any valve in the tool body (10).
  11. 11. Well system, according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: a sub with orifice (22) having one or more side ports (19) along the flow path (12); and wherein intumescible metallic material (40) is disposed in one or more side ports (19) to close the side ports (19) upon activation.
  12. 12. Well system according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: a bullnose or shoe with orifice (16) having one or more ports (18) along the flow path at a lower end (17) of the well tool (60); and wherein the intumescible metallic material (40) is arranged to close one or more ports (18) of the bullnose or shoe with orifice (16) upon activation.
  13. 13. Well system according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: a casing (122) disposed in a wellbore (116); wherein the well tool (60) is tightly engaged with the casing (122) with the flow path (12) open to a formation below the well tool (60) to distribute a well fluid to the formation to stimulate the production of a formation fluid before activating the intumescible metallic material (40); and wherein the activation of the flow path (12) closes the flow of the formation fluid through the well tool (60).
  14. 14. Well system according to claim 13, characterized in that the well tool (60) comprises a bridge plug or compression packer (124), and wherein the well tool (60) is tightly engaged with the casing (122) by the bridge plug or packer (124).
  15. 15. Well system according to claim 13, characterized in that the intumescible metallic material (40) is configured to intumesce by undergoing metal hydration reactions in the presence of brines to form metallic hydroxides.

Description

FUNDAMENTALS [0001]Well tools are typically included within a tubing string or carriage and maneuvered downhole for later use. Examples of such tools include liner and casing shoes, circulation sleeves, compression packers, and bridge plugs. Such well tools are typically driven downhole by transferring mechanical motion from the surface at the bottomhole to the tool, such as by applying rotation, tension, or compression through the tubing string in which the tool is deployed to generate the actuating force. For various reasons, such as due to rig time, inability to adequately transfer to the depth of the tool, mechanical motion of the string is not always technically or financially feasible for a given job. [0002]Other wellbore tools are designed to be run into the open borehole and then closed. Closing methods for such wellbore tools include dropping a ball, dart, or radio frequency (RFID) identification tag from the surface to the downhole tool and/or using an electronic module that is activated based on environmental variables such as pressure, temperature, and time. Still other wellbore tools rely on differential pressure to actuate an associated piston. These may also require dropping a ball or dart to generate a closed system necessary to generate differential pressure. All of these methods have impacts based on complexity, cost, and time. Implantable plugging devices, in particular, have the risk of not reaching the required depth, becoming damaged, or requiring a long rigging time to deploy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0003]These figures illustrate certain aspects of some of the modalities of the present disclosure and should not be used to limit or define the method. [0004]FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation view of a well site for hydrocarbon recovery from an underground formation, using a well tool in accordance with aspects of this disclosure. [0005]FIG. 2 is a side view of a tool body configuration that defines an example flow path. [0006]FIG. 3 is a side view of another configuration of the tool body that defines another flow path. [0007]FIG. 4 is a side view of another configuration of the tool body that defines another flow path. [0008]FIG. 5 is an example of a well tool configuration that incorporates the general tool body configuration of FIG. 2. [0009]FIG. 6 shows the well tool of FIG. 5 after the intumescible metallic material has been activated by exposing the intumescible metallic material to the flow of activating fluid through the tool. [0010]FIG. 7 is another example of a well tool configuration combining aspects of the tool body configurations from FIGS. 2 and 3. [0011]FIG. 8 shows the well tool of FIG. 7 after the intumescible metallic material has been activated by exposing the intumescible metallic material to the flow of activating fluid through the tool. [0012]FIG. 9 is another example of a well tool configuration using a bullnose or shoe with holes provided at the lower end of the tool body with a plurality of flow ports. [0013]FIG. 10 shows the well tool of FIG. 9 after the intumescible metallic material has been activated by exposing the intumescible metallic material to the flow of activating fluid through the tool. [0014]FIG. 11 is another example of a well tool configuration that incorporates the float shoe at the lower end of the tool body and the axially spaced float valve above the float shoe. [0015]FIG. 12 shows an example of the wellbore tool of FIG. 11, in which the float valve is first connected with a plug (e.g., a dart) loose in the tool before the intumescible metal material has been activated by exposure of the intumescible metal material to the activating fluid. [0016]FIG. 13 is another side view of the well tool of FIG. 11, in which the intumescible metallic material has been activated as a backup, to provide insulation after a plug failure. [0017]FIG. 14 is another example of a well tool configuration that incorporates aspects of the tool body configuration of FIG. 3. [0018]FIG. 15 shows the well tool of FIG. 14 after the intumescible metallic material has been activated by exposing the intumescible metallic material to the flow of activating fluid through the tool. [0019]FIG. 16 is a side view of another example well tool including a bridge plug or compression packer deployable in a carrier for a casing disposed in the wellbore. [0020]FIG. 17 shows the wellbore tool of FIG. 16 after a wellbore fluid has been distributed through the tool at the bottom of the well through the flow path and over the intumescible metallic material to close the flow through the tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0021]Apparatus and methods are disclosed for deploying a wellbore tool in an open condition and closing the wellbore tool using an intumescible metallic material that swells in response to contact with a certain activating fluid. The activating fluid can be released on command, such as circulating the activating fluid to the wellbore tool from the surface, and directed to t