Disintegrating Fracturing Plug with Granular Sealing Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing fracture plugs in well operations are time-consuming and costly, as they require drilling out the plugs to create an open passage for production or injection, and existing solutions either require drilling remnants or use materials that break down under heat or chemical decomposition, which are not efficient for maximizing flow.
Innovation Solution
A fully disintegrating plug with a sealing element made of plastic nuggets, sand, and a grease binder is used, where the seal material is initially protected by a sleeve and pushed against the borehole wall using a wireline setting tool, allowing the plug components to disintegrate for removal without drilling, utilizing a disintegrating material that breaks down upon exposure to fluids or pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fracture plugs are made from materials that are strong enough to handle pressure differential but require drilling for removal, then plug strength and reliability are improved, but removal time and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plug body material changes its mechanical properties from strong and rigid during installation to weak and disintegrating upon contact with formation fluids or chemical agents, enabling automatic removal without drilling operations
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is designed as a disposable component that serves its isolation function temporarily and then disintegrates completely, eliminating the need for expensive drilling equipment and operations for removal
2Loss of time
If plugs are designed to be removed without drilling by using heat-decomposing or chemically-attacked materials, then removal cost and time are reduced, but the materials may not provide sufficient strength to handle pressure differential
Solution Approach 1:
The plug body is pre-engineered with disintegrating properties that are activated only after the plug has successfully performed its isolation function, ensuring both strength during operation and easy removal afterward
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is extracted from the plug body material and assigned to a separate reusable seal element, while the plug body uses disposable disintegrating material, combining the benefits of both approaches
3Ease of operation
If the sealing element is exposed during running in, then installation is simpler, but the seal material may be damaged or contaminated before reaching the target location
Solution Approach 1:
The seal element is nested inside a protective sleeve during transportation and installation, which shields it from damage and contamination while allowing the assembly to be run through the wellbore intact
Solution Approach 2:
The protective sleeve transitions from a closed state during running to an opened state at the target location, allowing the seal element to be deployed while maintaining protection during transit
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
Enables the removal of plugs and their ball seats without drilling, maximizing flow by allowing the plug components to disintegrate and be circulated or fall to the bottom, thereby eliminating the need for costly drilling operations and ensuring effective sealing and gripping during fracturing operations.
Implementation Method 1
The seal material that comprises plastic nuggets, sand and a grease binder... pushes the seal material so as to displace the closure at the sleeve outlet with the seal material that is forced up the mandrel ramp surface and against the surrounding tubular
Implementation Method 2
A wireline setting tool creates relative movement between a plunger and a mandrel body that has a ramp surface adjacent the outlet of the protective sleeve... pushes the seal material so as to displace the closure
Implementation Method 3
the plug components are caused to disintegrate or otherwise fail for complete removal... utilizing a disintegrating material that breaks down upon exposure to fluids or pressure
Implementation Method 4
After an object is landed on the mandrel seat and the treating is concluded, the plug components are caused to disintegrate or otherwise fail for complete removal
Data Source
AI summary
A fully disintegrating plug has a passage therethrough and a ball seat at an upper end. The seal material that comprises plastic nuggets, sand and a grease binder is initially disposed behind a protective sleeve. A wireline setting tool creates relative movement between a plunger and a mandrel body that has a ramp surface adjacent the outlet of the protective sleeve. The sleeve outlet is closed for running in but plunger movement pushes the seal material so as to displace the closure at the sleeve outlet with the seal material that is forced up the mandrel ramp surface and against the surrounding tubular. After an object is landed on the mandrel seat and the treating is concluded, the plug components are caused to disintegrate or otherwise fail for complete removal. Multiple plugs are contemplated for fracturing or other treating applications.