US-12624611-B2 - Expanding metal for plug and abandonment

Abstract

Provided is an expandable metal plug for use in a wellbore tubular. The expandable metal plug, in one aspect, includes a downhole member positionable proximate a plug and abandonment section in a wellbore tubular, wherein at least a portion of the downhole member comprises a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis to seal the wellbore tubular.

Inventors

• Michael Linley Fripp
• Kenneth Craig Kaser

Assignees

• HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20201208

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An expandable metal plug, comprising: a downhole member positionable proximate a plug and abandonment section in a wellbore tubular, wherein at least a portion of the downhole member comprises a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis to seal the wellbore tubular, wherein an amount of the metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis is sufficient to expand to a volume of at least 3500 cm 3 , further wherein during the expansion the metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis is configured to go from metal to micron-scale particles that are larger and lock together.
2. 2 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 1 , wherein the downhole member is a single plug of the metal configured to expand in response to the hydrolysis, the downhole member having a length (L) and a width (W), the length (L) greater than the width (W).
3. 3 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 1 , wherein the downhole member is a single plug including a mixture of the metal configured to expand in response to the hydrolysis and a fusible alloy.
4. 4 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 3 , wherein the fusible alloy is an alloy containing bismuth, antimony, gallium, tin, zinc, lead, indium, or cadmium.
5. 5 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 1 , further including a coating surrounding the downhole member, the coating configured to delay the expansion of the metal in response to hydrolysis.
6. 6 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 1 , further including two or more expandable centralizers coupled to the downhole member.
7. 7 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 6 , wherein the two or more expandable centralizers are two or more spring loaded centralizers.
8. 8 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 1 , further including a radially deployable chute coupled to the downhole member, the radially deployable chute configured to catch fluid travelling through the wellbore tubular and move the expandable metal plug downhole proximate the plug and abandonment section.
9. 9 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 1 , wherein the downhole member is a collection of individual separate chunks of the metal held together with a binding agent.
10. 10 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 9 , wherein the binding agent is a salt.
11. 11 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 9 , wherein the collection of individual separate chunks of the metal are a collection of individual separate different sized chunks of the metal.
12. 12 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 11 , wherein a volume of the largest most individual chunk of the metal is at least 5 times a volume of the smallest most individual chunk of the metal.
13. 13 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 11 , wherein a volume of the largest most individual chunk of the metal is at least 50 times a volume of the smallest most individual chunk of the metal.
14. 14 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the largest most individual chunk of the metal is at least 2 times a diameter of the smallest most individual chunk of the metal.
15. 15 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the largest most individual chunk of the metal is at least 10 times a diameter of the smallest most individual chunk of the metal.
16. 16 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 9 , further including a coating surrounding each of the individual chunks of metal, the coating configured to delay the expansion of the metal in response to hydrolysis.
17. 17 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 9 , further including a radially deployable chute coupled to the collection of individual separate chunks of the metal held together with the binding agent, the radially deployable chute configured to catch the individual separate chunks of the metal when the binding agent dissolves.
18. 18 . The expandable metal plug as recited in claim 17 , wherein the radially deployable chute includes a collection of link arms that move relative to each other to radially deploy one or more petals.
19. 19 . A well system, comprising: a wellbore tubular positioned within a wellbore in a subterranean formation; an expanded metal plug positioned proximate a plug and abandonment section in the wellbore tubular, the expanded metal plug including a downhole member comprising a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis, the downhole member having expanded radially into contact with the wellbore tubular to plug the wellbore tubular, wherein a volume of the expanded downhole member is at least 3500 cm 3 , further wherein during the expansion the metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis is configured to go from metal to micron-scale particles that are larger and lock together.
20. 20 . The well system as recited in claim 19 , wherein a portion of the wellbore tubular has been removed proximate the plug and abandonment section thereby exposing an annulus surrounding the wellbore tubular, and further wherein the downhole member has expanded radially into the annulus.

Description

BACKGROUND Statutory regulations require pressure isolation, among other things, across reservoir zones in a subterranean well during plug and abandonment of the well. In this context, tubulars through such permeable zones may be required to be pressure-isolated at both the outside and the inside of the particular tubular in the well. Traditionally, such plugging and abandonment is carried out by means of so-called milling technology. In this context, a mechanical milling tool is routed to a desired location in the particular tubular in the well. Then, a longitudinal section of the tubular is milled into pieces, after which ground up metal shavings, cement pieces, and/or heaving drilling mud or brine (e.g., that has set for a long time) are circulated out of the well. Subsequently, a so-called underreamer is routed into the tubular to drill a larger wellbore along said longitudinal section, and in such a way that the wellbore is enlarged diametrically by drilling into new formation along the longitudinal section. Next, a plugging material, typically cement slurry, is pumped down through the tubular string and out into the enlarged wellbore, and possibly into the annulus above and below the enlarged wellbore, thereby forming the plug. BRIEF DESCRIPTION Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 depicts a well system including an exemplary operating environment that the apparatuses, systems and methods disclosed herein may be employed; FIG. 2 depicts an alternative embodiment of a well system including an exemplary operating environment that the apparatuses, systems and methods disclosed herein may be employed; FIGS. 3 through 8 illustrate different embodiments of expandable metal plugs designed, manufactured and deployed according to the disclosure; FIGS. 9 through 13 illustrate one embodiment of a method for plugging and abandoning a well system in accordance with the disclosure; and FIGS. 14 through 18 illustrate another embodiment of a method for plugging and abandoning a well system in accordance with the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the drawings and descriptions that follow, like parts are typically marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawn figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features of the disclosure may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of certain elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The present disclosure may be implemented in embodiments of different forms. Specific embodiments are described in detail and are shown in the drawings, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure to that illustrated and described herein. It is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed herein may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results. Unless otherwise specified, use of the terms “connect,” “engage,” “couple,” “attach,” or any other like term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the elements and may also include indirect interaction between the elements described. Unless otherwise specified, use of the terms “up,” “upper,” “upward,” “uphole,” “upstream,” or other like terms shall be construed as generally toward the surface of the ground; likewise, use of the terms “down,” “lower,” “downward,” “downhole,” or other like terms shall be construed as generally toward the bottom, terminal end of a well, regardless of the wellbore orientation. Use of any one or more of the foregoing terms shall not be construed as denoting positions along a perfectly vertical axis. Unless otherwise specified, use of the term “subterranean formation” shall be construed as encompassing both areas below exposed earth and areas below earth covered by water such as ocean or fresh water. Referring to FIG. 1, depicted is a well system 100 including an exemplary operating environment that the apparatuses, systems and methods disclosed herein may be employed. For example, the well system 100 could include an expanded metal plug 180 (e.g., permanent, temporary, etc.) according to any of the embodiments, aspects, applications, variations, designs, etc. disclosed in the following paragraphs. As depicted, the well system 100 includes a workover and/or drilling rig 110 that is positioned above the earth's surface 115 and extends over and around a wellbore 120 that penetrates a subterranean formation 130 for the purpose of recovering hydrocarbons. The subterranean formation 130 may be located below exposed earth, as shown, as well as areas below earth covered by water, such as ocean or fresh water. As those skilled in the art appreciate, the wellbor