Fluid plugs as downhole sealing devices and systems and methods including the same
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
E21B-033/128
E21B-043/25
E21B-033/124
E21B-033/138
E21B-033/134
E21B-043/11
E21B-033/12
E21B-043/119
E21B-043/14
출원번호
US-0437161
(2013-11-18)
등록번호
US-10024131
(2018-07-17)
국제출원번호
PCT/US2013/070606
(2013-11-18)
국제공개번호
WO2014/099207
(2014-06-26)
발명자
/ 주소
Tolman, Randy C.
Benish, Timothy G.
Steiner, Geoffrey
출원인 / 주소
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
대리인 / 주소
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company—Law Department
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
27
초록▼
Fluid plugs as downhole sealing devices and methods include providing a stimulating fluid to a casing conduit that is defined by the production casing to stimulate a portion of a subterranean formation within which the production casing extends. The methods further may include providing a sealing fl
Fluid plugs as downhole sealing devices and methods include providing a stimulating fluid to a casing conduit that is defined by the production casing to stimulate a portion of a subterranean formation within which the production casing extends. The methods further may include providing a sealing fluid to the casing conduit, providing a sealing device to the casing conduit, and flowing the sealing fluid and the sealing device to a perforated section of the production casing. The methods further may include locating the sealing device on a perforation, generating a fluid plug within the perforated section of the production casing by increasing a viscosity of the sealing fluid, and retaining the sealing device proximate the perforation with the fluid plug.
대표청구항▼
1. A method of stimulating a subterranean formation, the method comprising: providing a stimulating fluid to a casing conduit that is defined by a production casing that extends within the subterranean formation;stimulating a portion of the subterranean formation with the stimulating fluid;providing
1. A method of stimulating a subterranean formation, the method comprising: providing a stimulating fluid to a casing conduit that is defined by a production casing that extends within the subterranean formation;stimulating a portion of the subterranean formation with the stimulating fluid;providing a sealing fluid to the casing conduit, wherein a composition of the sealing fluid is different from a composition of the stimulating fluid;providing a sealing device to the casing conduit;flowing the sealing fluid and the sealing device to a perforated section of the production casing;locating the sealing device on a perforation that is present within the perforated section of the production casing to at least partially seal the perforation;generating a fluid plug within the perforated section of the production casing by increasing a viscosity of the sealing fluid sufficient to suspend the sealing device therein for a threshold sealing time;retaining the sealing device proximate the perforation with the fluid plug by suspending the sealing device within the fluid plug; anddegrading the fluid plug viscosity subsequent to expiration of the threshold sealing time and flowing the sealing device out of the perforated section of the production casing. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes creating the perforation in the perforated section of the production casing to provide fluid communication between the subterranean formation and the casing conduit. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein, prior to creating the perforation, the method includes locating a perforation device within the production casing, wherein the creating a perforation includes perforating the production casing with the perforation device. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method includes providing the stimulating fluid to the casing conduit prior to the creating a perforation, wherein the providing the stimulating fluid includes increasing a fluid pressure within the casing conduit, wherein the method further includes determining that the fluid pressure within the casing conduit is greater than a threshold fluid pressure, and further wherein the creating a perforation includes creating the perforation responsive to the fluid pressure being greater than the threshold fluid pressure. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the method includes repeating the method a plurality of times to: create a plurality of perforations in a plurality of perforated sections of the production casing;stimulate a plurality of portions of the subterranean formation;locate a respective sealing device of a plurality of sealing devices on each of the plurality of perforations; andretain the plurality of sealing devices on the plurality of perforations with a plurality of fluid plugs. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method includes continuously providing at least one of the stimulating fluid and the sealing fluid to the casing conduit during at least 75% of a time period during which the method is performed. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the sealing fluid includes providing the sealing fluid subsequent to the providing the stimulating fluid. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the sealing fluid includes providing the sealing fluid concurrently with the providing the sealing device. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the flowing includes flowing the sealing fluid at least partially concurrently with flowing the sealing device. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the fluid plug includes resisting fluid flow through the perforated section of the production casing with the fluid plug. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the sealing fluid includes providing a volume of the sealing fluid to the casing conduit, and wherein the method further includes timing the providing a sealing fluid and the providing a sealing device such that only less than 25% of the volume of the sealing fluid flows through the perforation prior to the generating. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the sealing fluid includes providing a volume of the sealing fluid to the casing conduit, and wherein the method further includes timing the providing a sealing fluid and the providing a sealing device such that at least 0.1%, but not all, of the volume of the sealing fluid flows through the perforation prior to the generating. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the retaining includes at least substantially immobilizing the sealing device within the fluid plug. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes removing a perforation device from the casing conduit, and further wherein the retaining includes retaining the sealing device proximate the perforation while the perforation device is removed from the casing conduit. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the retaining includes increasing the viscosity of the fluid plug sufficiently to retain the sealing device proximate the perforation against a pressure differential that would unseat the sealing device on the perforation if the fluid plug were not present. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the retaining includes retaining the sealing device proximate the perforation for at least 4 hours and less than 24 hours. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes breaking the fluid plug. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing fluid includes a crosslinking gel solution. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid plug defines a fluid plug length that is defined along a longitudinal axis of the fluid plug, wherein the fluid plug length is at least 20 m and less than 250 m. 20. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing hydrocarbons from the stimulated portion of the subterranean formation. 21. A method of responding to a malfunction of a stimulation assembly that is configured to stimulate a subterranean formation, the method comprising: determining that at least one component of the stimulation assembly has malfunctioned;providing a sealing fluid to a casing conduit of a production casing that extends within the subterranean formation responsive to the determining;providing a sealing device to the casing conduit responsive to the determining;flowing the sealing fluid to a perforated section of the production casing that includes a perforation;generating a fluid plug within the perforated section of the production casing by increasing a viscosity of the sealing fluid sufficient to retain the provided sealing device proximate the perforation with the generated fluid plug for a threshold sealing time; anddegrading the fluid plug viscosity subsequent to expiration of the threshold sealing time and flowing the sealing device out of the perforated section of the production casing. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the retaining includes retaining the sealing device proximate the perforation for a threshold sealing time of at least 2 hours and less than 24 hours. 23. A hydrocarbon well, comprising: a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation;a production casing that extends within the wellbore, wherein the production casing includes a perforated section that includes a perforation; a ball sealer that is located proximate the perforation to at least partially seal the perforation; anda fluid plug that is at least partially generated within the perforated section of the production casing, the fluid plug being generated by increasing a viscosity of a sealing fluid until the sealing fluid has a viscosity sufficient to suspend the provided ball sealer therein for a threshold sealing time, wherein the fluid plug is in contact with the ball sealer and the fluid plug viscosity retains the ball sealer proximate the perforation; andthe viscosity of the fluid plug is degraded subsequent to expiration of the threshold sealing time and the ball sealer is flowed out of the perforated section of the production casing. 24. The well of claim 23, further comprising hydrocarbons produced from the subterranean formation. 25. The well of claim 23, wherein the perforated section is a first perforated section, wherein the perforation is a first perforation, wherein the ball sealer is a first ball sealer, wherein the fluid plug is a first fluid plug, and further wherein the production casing includes a plurality of perforated sections, wherein each perforated section of the plurality of perforated sections includes a respective perforation of a plurality of perforations, wherein the well further includes a plurality of ball sealers, wherein a respective ball sealer of the plurality of ball sealers is located on each perforation of the plurality of perforations, and further wherein the well includes a plurality of fluid plugs, wherein a respective fluid plug of the plurality of fluid plugs is located within each perforated section of the plurality of perforated sections and retains the respective ball sealer on the respective perforation. 26. The well of claim 25, wherein each fluid plug of the plurality of fluid plugs is formed from a sealing fluid that includes a crosslinking gel solution.
Tolman, Randy C.; Carlson, Lawrence O.; Kinison, David A.; Nygaard, Kris J.; Goss, Glenn S.; Sorem, William A.; Shafer, Lee L., Method and apparatus for stimulation of multiple formation intervals.
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