BR-112023012931-B1 - METHOD FOR FORMING A SEAL IN A WELLBORE, INTUMESCIBLE METAL ASSEMBLY FOR AN OIL FIELD TUBULAR AND INTUMESCIBLE METAL SYSTEM FOR USE IN A WELLBORE

BR112023012931B1BR 112023012931 B1BR112023012931 B1BR 112023012931B1BR-112023012931-B1

Abstract

Thermoplastic with intumescible metal for enhanced sealing. Intumescible metal assemblies that have a reactive metal and a polymer and are located around or inside an oilfield tubular. The oilfield tubular and the intumescible metal assembly can be supplied in a wellbore to form a seal therein.

Inventors

BRANDON T. LEAST
MICHAEL L. FRIPP
CHAD W. GLAESMAN

Assignees

HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260310
Application Date: 20210203
Priority Date: 20210129

Claims (14)

1. A method for forming a seal in a wellbore, characterized in that it comprises: providing an oilfield tubular and an intumescible metal assembly in the wellbore, wherein the intumescible metal assembly is located around or within at least a portion of the oilfield tubular, wherein the intumescible metal assembly comprises a reactive metal and a polymer, wherein the polymer is in contact with at least a portion of the reactive metal; stimulating, by the reactive metal, the polymer to come into contact with an inner wall of the wellbore or within the oilfield tubular in response to the reaction of the reactive metal with a wellbore fluid, wherein the reactive metal is configured to react with a wellbore fluid to form a metal hydroxide in situ of the wellbore, and wherein the polymer has a phase change temperature such that the polymer is configured to change phase after exposure to a heat of reaction of the reactive metal with the wellbore fluid, and wherein the phase change temperature of The time it takes for the polymer phase to change from a solid polymer to a softened polymer or a liquid polymer is greater than a bottom-well temperature.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reactive metal is configured to react with a wellbore fluid to form a metal hydroxide in situ from the wellbore, and wherein the polymer has a phase change temperature such that the polymer is configured to change phase after exposure to a heat of reaction of the reactive metal with the wellbore fluid.
3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reactive metal is selected from magnesium, a magnesium alloy, calcium, a calcium alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or a combination thereof.
4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the polymer comprises: a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic vulcanizate, or a combination thereof; acrylic, ABS, nylon, PLA, polybenzimidazole, polycarbonate, polyether sulfone, polyoxymethylene, polyether ether ketone, polyetherimide, polyethylene, polyphenylene oxide, poly(phenylene sulfide), polypropylene, polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vidnylidene fluoride), polytetrafluoroethylene, or a combination thereof; or an uncured elastomer.
5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reactive metal is an annular sleeve configured such that an inner surface of the reactive metal faces an outer surface of the oilfield tubular, and wherein the polymer i) is a polymer ring located in a groove of the annular sleeve, ii) is an end cap placed on one end of the annular sleeve, iii) is a polymer sleeve with holes formed therein, wherein the polymer sleeve is placed around the annular sleeve or iv) is a tape applied to the annular sleeve.
6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises bringing the reactive metal into contact with a wellbore fluid.
7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner wall of the wellbore is an inner surface of a casing or formation.
8. Intumescible metal assembly for an oilfield tubular, characterized in that it comprises: a reactive metal configured for placement around or within the oilfield tubular; and a polymer in contact with at least a portion of the reactive metal, wherein the polymer has a phase change temperature such that the polymer is configured to change phase upon exposure to a reaction heat of the reactive metal with a wellbore fluid; wherein the intumescible metal assembly comes into contact with an inner wall of a wellbore or within the oilfield tubular in response to the reaction of the reactive metal with the wellbore fluid.
9. Intumescible metal assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the reactive metal is configured to react with a wellbore fluid to form a metal hydroxide in situ from a wellbore.
10. Intumescible metal assembly, according to claim 9, characterized in that the phase change temperature of the polymer to change from a solid polymer to a softened polymer or a liquid polymer is higher than a bottom-well temperature.
11. Intumescible metal assembly, according to claim 8, characterized in that the reactive metal is selected from magnesium, a magnesium alloy, calcium, a calcium alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or a combination thereof.
12. Intumescible metal assembly, according to claim 10, characterized in that the polymer comprises: a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic vulcanizate, or a combination thereof; acrylic, ABS, nylon, PLA, polybenzimidazole, polycarbonate, polyether sulfone, polyoxymethylene, polyether ether ketone, polyetherimide, polyethylene, polyphenylene oxide, poly(phenylene sulfide), polypropylene, polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vidnylidene fluoride), polytetrafluoroethylene, or a combination thereof; or an uncured elastomer.
13. A non-tumescible metal assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the reactive metal is: an annular sleeve configured such that an inner surface of the reactive metal faces an outer surface of the oilfield tubular, and wherein the polymer i) is a polymer located in a groove of the annular sleeve, ii) is an end cap placed on one end of the annular sleeve, iii) is a polymer sleeve with holes formed therein, wherein the polymer sleeve is placed around the annular sleeve, or iv) is a tape applied to the annular sleeve; or a cylindrical or spherical solid body having an outer diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the oilfield tubular.
14. Intumescible metal system for use in a wellbore, characterized in that it comprises: an oilfield tubular; and an intumescible metal assembly placed around or inside the oilfield tubular in a first configuration, wherein the intumescible metal assembly is configured to contact an inner wall of a wellbore or inside the oilfield tubular in a second configuration; wherein the intumescible metal assembly comprises: a reactive metal, and a polymer in contact with at least a portion of the reactive metal; and wherein the reactive metal is configured to react with a wellbore fluid to form a metal hydroxide in situ of the wellbore, and wherein the polymer has a phase change temperature such that the polymer is configured to change phase after exposure to a heat of reaction of the reactive metal with the wellbore fluid.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This present disclosure refers generally to seals formed of a non-tumescible metal in a wellbore that is formed in an underground formation. FUNDAMENTALS [0002] During the drilling of a well hole in an underground formation for the purpose of recovering hydrocarbons or other fluids from an underground formation, seals may be provided in the annular space between an oilfield tubing and the well hole or multipurpose casing. Seals may also be provided within a multipurpose oilfield tubing. [0003] Corrosion in high salinity and/or high temperature environments is an ongoing challenge to seal integrity. Furthermore, wellbore operations can be affected until the seal is formed; thus, shorter sealing times can improve wellbore operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] For a fuller understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the brief description below, considered in relation to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description, where similar reference numbers represent similar parts. [0005] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wellbore in an onshore wellbore environment. [0006] FIGS. 2A to 2D illustrate cross-sectional views of intumescible metal assemblies in a first configuration. [0007] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate side views of intumescible metal assemblies in a first configuration. [0008] FIGS. 4A to 4C illustrate perspective views of intumescible metal assemblies in a first configuration. [0009] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate cross-sectional views of intumescible metal assemblies in a second configuration. [0010] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method according to the disclosure. [0011] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the intumescible metal assembly and system that was obtained in Example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0012] It should be understood at the outset that, although an illustrative implementation of one or more embodiments is provided below, the disclosed systems and/or methods may be implemented using any number of techniques, currently known or existing. The disclosure shall in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, designs and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary designs and implementations illustrated and described in this document, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, together with their full scope of equivalents. [0013] Methods, assemblies, and systems using reactive metal and polymer are disclosed in this document, where the reactive metal hydrates in wellbore fluids, i.e., in situ of a wellbore, to form a seal with the resulting reaction product and polymer. The methods, assemblies, and systems disclosed in this document are particularly useful for use in the annular space formed between an oilfield tubular and the inner wall of the wellbore or a casing, as well as within the oilfield tubular. It is believed that the intumescible metal assemblies and the systems and methods using a polymer in combination with the reactive metal, as disclosed in this document, can provide structural integrity to the seal that is formed in the wellbore, as well as to the reaction product during the formation of the seal in the wellbore. That is, the incorporation of a polymer in the configurations disclosed in this document results in a faster functional packer or plug than reactive metal assemblies that do not incorporate the disclosed polymer. [0014] In the presence of wellbore fluids containing water, atoms of the reactive metal react with water molecules to produce a product with a volume that is greater than the volume of the reactive metal itself. The overall reaction is: R + 2H2O -> R(OH)2 + H2 where R is the reactive metal atom, H2O is a water molecule, H2 is hydrogen, and R(OH)2 is a hydroxide compound containing the reactive metal R. The reaction, which can be referred to as a hydration reaction, produces metal hydroxide; and a particle of metal hydroxide has a larger volume than the reactive metal particle from which it is created. The reactive metals disclosed in this document can be used in intumescible metal assemblies that are placed around (for packer configurations) or inside (for buffer configurations) an oilfield tubular that is supplied in the wellbore. The reactive metal can be incorporated in any shape or form, such as an annular sleeve (for a packer), a solid cylindrical body (for a plug), or a solid spherical body (for a cap). The polymer can be used in intumescible metal assemblies in contact with at least a portion of the reactive metal. The polymer can be incorporated in any shape or form, such as a polymer ring, a polymer ribbon, a sleeve with holes formed therein, or end caps for the reactive metal component. In these contexts, the reactive metal can be used in the presence of a wellbore fluid containing water to create metal hydroxide particles that cause the reactive metal to convert into a reaction product that provides a seal i) in the annular space between the