Convertiball

Abstract

Provided is a plug apparatus, the apparatus including a cone shaped wedge having a first end and a second end and having an inside surface and an outside surface, the cone shaped wedge having, at least in some part, a decreasing diameter on the outside surface and a constant diameter on the inside surface from the first end to the second end, a slip, comprising a tapered inner surface, configured to encircle the second end of the cone shaped wedge, a sealing ring, having an annular body, encircled around the cone shaped wedge and near the first end of the cone shaped wedge, and a mandrel positioned inside the cone shaped wedge, the mandrel having an open cylindrical shape and having a first end and a second end.

Description

BACKGROUND1. Field[0001]The present disclosure relates generally to plugs that may be used to isolate a portion of a well, and more particularly, to plugs that may be used in fracturing or other processes for stimulating oil and gas wells.2. Description of the Related Art[0002]Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, may be recovered from various types of subsurface geological formations. The formations typically consist of a porous layer, such as limestone and sands, overlaid by a nonporous layer. Hydrocarbons cannot rise through the nonporous layer. Thus, the porous layer forms a reservoir, that is, a volume in which hydrocarbons accumulate. A well is drilled through the earth until the hydrocarbon bearing formation is reached. Hydrocarbons then are able to flow from the porous formation into the well.[0003]In the most basic form of rotary drilling methods, a drill bit is attached to a series of pipe sections or “joints” referred to as a drill string. The drill string is suspended from ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present patent is about a plug apparatus that includes a cone shaped wedge, a slip, a sealing ring and a mandrel. The cone shaped wedge has a decreasing diameter on the outside surface and a constant diameter on the inside surface from the first end to the second end. The slip has a tapered inner surface that encircles the second end of the cone shaped wedge. The sealing ring is positioned around the cone shaped wedge and near the first end of the cone shaped wedge. The mandrel is positioned inside the cone shaped wedge and has an open cylindrical shape with a first end and a second end. The technical effect of this plug apparatus is to provide an improved seal and a secure fit between two parts, which ensures durability and reliability.

Problems solved by technology

Hydrocarbons, however, are not always able to flow easily from a formation to a well.

Other formations, however, such as shale rock, limestone, and coal beds, are only minimally porous.

The formation may contain large quantities of hydrocarbons, but production through a conventional well may not be commercially practical because hydrocarbons flow though the formation and collect in the well at very low rates.

Pressure builds rapidly to the point where the formation fails and begins to fracture.

Continued pumping of fluid into the formation will tend to cause the initial fractures to widen and extend further away from the wellbore, creating flow paths to the well.

In many wells, however, the production liner does not incorporate valves.

After the well has been fractured, however, plugs may interfere with installation of production equipment in the liner.

They also may restrict the flow of production fluids upward through the liner.

When a ball is deployed onto the ball seat, however, the ball will restrict fluid from flowing downward through the plug.

Ball drop plugs, however, do not allow an operator to easily pressure test a plug to ensure that it has been installed properly—the liner typically will have been perforated by the time a ball is deployed.

Moreover, a significant amount of fluid must be pumped into a well to deploy balls into the valves, and especially into valves installed in horizontal portions of a well.

Water may be hard to come by and costly.

Disposal or recycling of frac fluids also may be difficult or expensive.

While caged ball plugs represent a viable option if operations proceed according to plan, they can create significant issues, especially when installed in horizontal portions of a well.

That is, if a perf gun fails to fire for whatever reason, another perf gun cannot be pumped into the liner.

The second perf gun will have to deployed into horizontal sections of the well via a tractor tool, which adds the cost of the tractor run and attendant delay to the operation.

While a tractor run will not be necessary, ball-on-seat plugs still add significant delay costs if perf guns fail to fire.

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