Degradable Metal Composite for Wellbore Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wellbore components and tools have limited service lives and require removal or disposal, with current methods like milling or drilling being inefficient, and there is a need for materials that can be machined for design-friendly geometries and have controlled mechanical properties for dissolution in wellbore fluids.
Innovation Solution
A metal composite comprising a magnesium or aluminum matrix with a corrosion reinforcement material and a boundary layer, allowing for controlled toughness, fragility, and dissolution in wellbore fluids, enabling selective and controllable removal without mechanical or hydraulic forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional milling or drilling is used to remove wellbore components, then the component can be removed from the wellbore, but the removal process is inefficient and requires complex mechanical operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical removal methods (milling or drilling) with a chemical dissolution approach. The biodegradable polymer matrix is designed to dissolve in wellbore fluids through chemical reactions, eliminating the need for complex mechanical removal operations and significantly improving removal efficiency while reducing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the wellbore component by using a biodegradable polymer matrix with specific functional groups that react with wellbore fluids. This parameter change enables the component to transition from a stable state to a dissolving state, allowing efficient removal without mechanical intervention
2Device complexity
If degradable materials are used to eliminate milling or drilling operations, then removal becomes simpler, but the mechanical properties necessary to perform the intended function may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of a biodegradable polymer matrix reinforced with metallic particles (such as magnesium, aluminum, or their alloys). This composite structure provides the necessary mechanical strength and stiffness for wellbore component function while maintaining the biodegradability needed for simplified removal operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different regions of the composite. The polymer matrix provides biodegradability and flexibility, while the dispersed metallic particles provide localized strength and stiffness enhancements. This local quality differentiation allows the material to simultaneously achieve both mechanical performance and ease of removal
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the service life of wellbore components is extended, then fewer removal operations are needed, but the fluid pathway size cannot be recovered for continued use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs wellbore components with limited service lives using biodegradable materials that can be easily dissolved and removed. This disposable approach allows the fluid pathway to be recovered and reused for continued hydrocarbon production or CO2 sequestration, making the component replacement economically viable despite the need for periodic removal
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The metal composite provides enhanced mechanical properties, including increased modulus and elastic energy storage, allowing for controlled breakdown and complete dissolution in wellbore fluids, facilitating efficient and controlled removal of wellbore tools and components.
Implementation Method 1
a boundary layer disposed between the first matrix and the second matrix; wherein the boundary layer has a thickness of 10 nm to 200 μm
Implementation Method 2
applying a predetermined temperature to the combination thereby forming the metal composite
Implementation Method 3
a corrosion reinforcement material
Implementation Method 4
a first matrix comprising magnesium, a magnesium alloy, or a combination thereof; a second matrix comprising aluminum, an aluminum alloy, steel, a zinc alloy, a tin alloy, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing
Data Source
AI summary
A metal composite comprises: a first matrix comprising magnesium, a magnesium alloy, or a combination thereof; a second matrix comprising aluminum, an aluminum alloy, steel, a zinc alloy, a tin alloy, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; a corrosion reinforcement material; and a boundary layer disposed between the first matrix and the second matrix; wherein the boundary layer has a thickness of 10 nm to 200 μm.