DISINTEGRATING BALL FOR SEALING FRAC PLUG SEAT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A fracturing system for a wellbore, said system comprising:
- a tube having a wall comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface;
a ball seat carried by the tube, the ball seat comprising an opening of a first diameter; and
a ball having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, the ball comprising a first material, wherein the first material is disintegrated by hydrocarbons.
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Abstract
A composition for a ball that disintegrates, dissolves, delaminates or otherwise experiences a significant degradation of its physical properties over time in the presence of hydrocarbons and formation heat. The ball may be used in methods and apparatus for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean zone in a wellbore.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A fracturing system for a wellbore, said system comprising:
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a tube having a wall comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface; a ball seat carried by the tube, the ball seat comprising an opening of a first diameter; and a ball having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, the ball comprising a first material, wherein the first material is disintegrated by hydrocarbons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A fracturing system for a wellbore, said system comprising:
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a tube having a wall comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface; a ball seat carried by the tube, the ball seat comprising an opening of a first diameter; and a ball having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, the ball comprising a first material, wherein the first material degrades at a temperature greater than 150°
F. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for fracturing the formation around a wellbore, the method comprising:
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deploying a pipe string into a wellbore, the pipe string having perforations disposed in a wall of the pipe string and a ball seat positioned in the interior of the pipe string; setting packers above and below the perforations to seal the annulus formed between the pipe string and the formation; introducing a disintegratable ball comprised of a first material into the pipe string; seating the ball on the ball seat by applying a fluid pressure to the ball, which fluid pressure is greater than the pressure of the wellbore, wherein the ball when seated, has an upstream portion and a downstream portion; introducing fracturing fluids into the wellbore to initiate fracturing of the formation adjacent the perforations; cooling the upstream portion of the disintegratable ball during fracturing of the formation to inhibit disintegration of the ball; upon completion of the fracturing, introducing a hydrocarbon pad into the pipe string; contacting the upstream portion of the ball with the hydrocarbon pad to promote disintegration of the ball by the hydrocarbon pad; and allowing disintegration of the ball to continue until the ball unseats from the ball seat. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification