Method of Placing Ball Sealers For Fluid Diversion

• US 20100122813A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Lopez de Cardenas, Jorge E., Clum, Eric, Trummer, Sascha, Swaren, Jason, Baser, Belgin, Boney, Curtis L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,561,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/255.100
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/02 Surface sealing or packing
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/138 Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes

Abstract

A method for placing ball sealers within a well formed within a subterranean formation for sealing holes in a casing of the well is carried out by performing at least one of two operations. The first operation involves providing a tag with at least one ball sealer or a carrier fluid containing the at least one ball sealer to facilitate monitoring of the location of the ball sealer. A tag monitoring device is provided within the well for monitoring the location of the tag. The ball sealer and carrier fluid with the tag are introduced downhole into the well. Information from the monitor device regarding the location of the tag is communicated to a remote monitoring location to the thereby provide an indication of the location of the tag within the well to a surface location. In the second operation a container is provided within the well at a known location downhole within the well. The container contains at least one ball sealer. The ball sealer or sealers are released from the container within the well at the known location in response to an instruction initiated from a surface location.

Claims

1. A method for placing ball sealers within a well formed within a subterranean formation for sealing holes in a casing of the well, the method comprising:

performing at least one of Operations (1) and (2), wherein

Operation (1) comprises;

providing a tag with at least one ball sealer or a carrier fluid containing the at least one ball sealer to facilitate monitoring of the location of the at least one ball sealer;

providing a tag monitoring device within the well for monitoring the location of the tag;

introducing the at least one ball sealer and carrier fluid downhole with the tag into the well; and

communicating information from the monitor device regarding the location of the tag to a remote monitoring location to the thereby provide an indication of the location of the tag within the well to a surface location; and

wherein

Operation (2) comprises;

providing a container within the well at a known location downhole within the well, the container containing at least one ball sealer; and

releasing the at least one ball sealer from the container within the well at the known location in response to an instruction initiated from a surface location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tag comprises at least one of an RFID tag, transponder tag, a metal tag, a magnetic tag, a chemical tag, an optically readable tag, a ionizing radiation emitting tag, and a non-ionizing radiation emitting tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tag is provided on a plurality of ball sealers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tag is provided in the carrier fluid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

only Operation (1) is performed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

only Operation (2) is performed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

information from the monitoring device is communicated to the surface location through at least one of an electrical signal, a hydraulic line, a sonic pulse, a pressure pulse, and an electromagnetic signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring device is provided at a known position with the well.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring device is provided in the well through a wireline cable or is coupled to the casing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in Operation (2) the container is located at a position below the holes in the casing, and wherein the at least one ball sealer is released in a fluid having a higher density than the at least one ball sealer so that the at least one ball sealer is buoyed upward by the fluid toward the holes in the casing.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in Operation (2) at least two containers are provided that are spaced apart from each other, each container containing at least one ball sealer; and

wherein

the at least one ball sealer of each container is released from the container in response to an instruction initiated from a surface location.

12. A method for placing ball sealers within a well formed within a subterranean formation for sealing holes in a casing of the well, the method comprising:

providing a tag with at least one ball sealer or a carrier fluid containing the at least one ball sealer to facilitate monitoring of the location of the at least one ball sealer;

providing a tag monitoring device within the well for monitoring the location of the tag;

introducing the at least one ball sealer and carrier fluid downhole with the tag into the well; and

communicating information from the monitor device regarding the location of the tag to a remote monitoring location to thereby provide an indication of the location of the tag within the well to a surface location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the tag comprises at least one of an RFID tag, transponder tag, a metal tag, a magnetic tag, a chemical tag, an optically readable tag, a ionizing radiation emitting tag, and a non-ionizing radiation emitting tag.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the tag is provided on a plurality of ball sealers.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the tag is provided in the carrier fluid.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

information from the monitoring device is communicated to the surface location through at least one of an electrical signal, a hydraulic line, a sonic pulse, a pressure pulse and an electromagnetic signal.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the monitoring device is provided at a known position with the well.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the monitoring device is provided in the well through a wireline cable or is coupled to the casing.

19. A method for placing ball sealers within a well formed within a subterranean formation for sealing holes in a casing of the well, the method comprising:

providing a container within the well at a known location downhole within the well, the container containing at least one ball sealer; and

releasing the at least one ball sealer from the container within the well at the known location in response to an instruction initiated from a surface location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the container is located at a position below the holes in the casing, and wherein the at least one ball sealer is released in a fluid having a higher density than the at least one ball sealer so that the at least one ball sealer is buoyed upward by the fluid toward the holes in the casing.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

at least two containers are provided that are spaced apart from each other, each container containing at least one ball sealer; and

wherein

the at least one ball sealer of each container is released from the container in response to an instruction initiated from a surface location.