Removable Setting Tool for Well Plug Reducing Installation Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current frac and bridge plugs used in hydrocarbon extraction are inefficient to install and remove, leading to increased time and costs due to their complex designs and the need for substantial mandrels that can collapse under hydraulic pressure.
Innovation Solution
A bottom hole assembly with a plug having a packing element, a lower cone, and a lower slip, along with a removable setting tool, where components traditionally part of the plug are moved to the setting tool, reducing the number of components left in the well and allowing for quicker and less expensive operations by using a shear mechanism to separate the tool from the plug.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional frac and bridge plugs are used with substantial mandrels, then the plug can withstand hydraulic pressure, but the installation and removal time increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plug system is divided into two separate components: a reusable setting tool containing the mandrel and a disposable plug body. The mandrel remains in the setting tool while only the plug body is deployed into the wellbore. This segmentation allows the time-consuming mandrel to be removed and reused, significantly reducing installation and removal time while maintaining the strength required to withstand hydraulic pressure during the setting operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mandrel is extracted from the plug body and placed in the setting tool. This extraction allows the mandrel to be separated from the components that remain in the wellbore, enabling its removal and reuse. The plug body is deployed without the mandrel, reducing the time and cost associated with installing and removing substantial mandrels while the mandrel provides the necessary strength during the setting operation.
2Reliability
If traditional plugs with multiple components are used, then the plug can function reliably, but the number of components left in the well increases operational complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The mandrel is extracted from the plug body and retained in the setting tool. This reduces the number of components left in the wellbore to only the essential plug body components needed for sealing and isolation functions. The extracted mandrel can be reused, simplifying operational complexity while maintaining reliable plug functionality through the preserved sealing elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug body is designed with localized sealing elements and structural features concentrated where needed for reliable sealing, rather than distributing all components throughout the assembly. This allows the plug to maintain its sealing function with fewer overall components in the wellbore, reducing operational complexity while ensuring reliability at critical locations.
3Strength
If traditional plugs require substantial mandrels for structural support, then the plug can maintain integrity, but the cost of materials and operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a reusable setting tool containing the expensive mandrel and a simpler disposable plug body. The mandrel's structural strength is preserved in the reusable tool, while the plug body uses less material. This segmentation reduces manufacturing costs for each plug deployment while maintaining the structural integrity needed during the setting operation through the reusable mandrel.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug body is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after use, while the mandrel is recovered and reused in subsequent operations. This reduces the manufacturing cost per operation since the expensive mandrel is not discarded with each plug, but rather recovered and reused, maintaining structural integrity while lowering overall costs.
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
This design decreases the cost and time associated with well treatment operations by reducing the number of components in the well, enabling faster and more efficient drill-out operations while maintaining the integrity of the plug, and allowing for effective sealing of well sections using a ball and packing element.
Implementation Method 1
locking the lower slip against the inner diameter of the well
Implementation Method 2
contacting the ball with the packing element, and separating the well into at least two sections
Implementation Method 3
shearing the shear mechanism, disconnecting the removable setting tool from the plug
Data Source
AI summary
A bottom hole assembly having a packing element, a lower cone disposed below the packing element, and a lower slip disposed below the packing element. The bottom hole assembly also includes a setting tool removably attached to the plug, the setting tool having a mandrel and a setting sleeve connected to the mandrel. Also, a method for sealing a well including disposing a bottom hole assembly having a plug and a removable setting tool in a well. The method further includes applying pressure to a setting sleeve, contacting an inner diameter of the well with a lower slip, locking the lower slip against an inner diameter of the well, shearing a shear mechanism, disconnecting the removable setting tool from the well, dropping a ball into the well, contacting the ball with the packing element, and separating the well into at least two sections.