FIBROUS BARRIERS AND DEPLOYMENT IN SUBTERRANEAN WELLS

• US 20160319630A1
• Filed: 04/26/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: THRU Tubing Solutions Incorporated (Estate of R Randall Rollins)
• Original Assignee: THRU Tubing Solutions Incorporated (Estate of R Randall Rollins)
• Inventors: FUNKHOUSER, Gary P., WATSON, Brock W., SCHULTZ, Roger L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,567,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/08 Fiber-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/516 characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/11 Perforators; Permeators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/26 by forming crevices or fractures

Abstract

A fibrous plugging device for use in a subterranean well can include a body having fibers and a retainer material. The retainer material retains a shape of the body. A system for use with a well can include a fibrous plugging device conveyed by fluid flow in the well. The fibrous plugging device includes a body comprising multiple fibers. The fibrous plugging device engages an opening in the well, and thereby seals off the opening. A method for use with a well can include flowing a fluid through the well, thereby conveying at least one fibrous plugging device including a body having multiple fibers, and the fibrous plugging device sealingly engaging an opening in the well, thereby substantially preventing flow through the opening.

Claims

1. A fibrous plugging device for use in a subterranean well, the device comprising:

a body including fibers and a retainer material, wherein the retainer material retains a shape of the body.

2. The fibrous plugging device of claim 1, wherein the fibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of metal wool, wire, nylon 6 and nylon 66.

3. The fibrous plugging device of claim 1, wherein a melting point of a poly-lactic acid resin in each of the fibers decreases in an outward direction.

4. The fibrous plugging device of claim 1, wherein the fibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of poly-lactic acid and poly-glycolic acid, and wherein the fibers are in a form selected from the group consisting of a) a yarn, b) monofilament, c) multifilament and d) fabric.

5. The fibrous plugging device of claim 1, wherein the fibers are treated with a release agent that repels the retainer material.

6. The fibrous plugging device of claim 5, wherein the release agent comprises a water-wetting surfactant.

7. The fibrous plugging device of claim 6, wherein the water-wetting surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkyl ether sulfate, relatively high hydrophilic-lipophilic balance nonionic surfactant, betaine, alkylarylsulfonate, alkyl-diphenyl ether sulfonate and alkyl sulfate.

8. The fibrous plugging device of claim 1, wherein the fibers extend outwardly from the body.

9. A system for use with a well, the system comprising:

a fibrous plugging device conveyed by fluid flow in the well, the fibrous plugging device includes a body comprising multiple fibers; and

the fibrous plugging device engages an opening in the well, and thereby seals off the opening.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the opening is formed in a well tool.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the opening is circumscribed by a seat that is sealingly engaged by the fibrous plugging device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the well tool comprises a valve.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the fibers extend outwardly from the body.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein a shape of the body is retained by a retainer material.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the fibers are treated with a release agent that repels the retainer material.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the fibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of metal wool, wire, nylon 6 and nylon 66.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein a melting point of a poly-lactic acid resin in each of the fibers decreases in an outward direction.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the fibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of poly-lactic acid and poly-glycolic acid, and wherein the fibers are in a form selected from the group consisting of a) a yarn, b) monofilament, c) multifilament and d) fabric.

19. A method for use with a subterranean well, the method comprising:

flowing a fluid through the well, thereby conveying at least one fibrous plugging device including a body comprising multiple fibers; and

the at least one fibrous plugging device sealingly engaging at least one opening in the well, thereby substantially preventing flow through the opening.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one opening comprises multiple openings distributed between a heel and a toe of a wellbore, wherein the at least one fibrous plugging device comprises multiple fibrous plugging devices, and wherein the sealing engaging further comprises the fibrous plugging devices sealingly engaging the openings progressively from the heel to the toe of the wellbore.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one fibrous plugging device comprises multiple fibrous plugging devices, and wherein the fibrous plugging devices have different drag coefficients.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the bodies of the fibrous plugging devices have different sizes.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the fibers of the fibrous plugging devices extend different lengths outwardly from the bodies of the fibrous plugging devices.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein a shape of the body is retained by a retainer material.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the fibers are treated with a release agent that repels the retainer material.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the fibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of metal wool, wire, nylon 6 and nylon 66.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein a melting point of a poly-lactic acid resin in each of the fibers decreases in an outward direction.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the fibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of poly-lactic acid and poly-glycolic acid, and wherein the fibers are in a form selected from the group consisting of a) a yarn, b) monofilament, c) multifilament and d) fabric.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the fibrous plugging device degrades in the well.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising mechanically removing the fibrous plugging device from the opening.