Wellbore Tubulars Including Selective Stimulation Ports Sealed with Sealing Devices and Methods of Operating the Same

• US 20180135394A1
• Filed: 10/17/2017
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Randy C. Tolman
• Original Assignee: Randy C. Tolman
• Inventors: Tolman, Randy C.
• Application Number:
  US15/786,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20180135394A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/10 in the borehole sealing the junction between main bore and laterals E21B41/0042
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/12 Packers; Plugs used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/134 Bridging plugs
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/138 Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/063 Valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc E21B34/103 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/10 operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/11 Perforators; Permeators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/116 Gun or shaped-charge perforators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/117 Shaped-charge perforators E21B43/118 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/119 Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/25 Methods for stimulating production by vibrating earth formations E21B43/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/26 by forming crevices or fractures
• 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

Wellbore tubulars including selective stimulation ports (SSPs) sealed with sealing devices and methods of operating the same are disclosed herein. The wellbore tubulars include a tubular body that defines a tubular conduit and a plurality of selective stimulation ports. Each selective stimulation port includes an SSP conduit and a sealing device seat. The wellbore tubulars further include a plurality of sealing devices. Each sealing device includes a primary sealing portion that is seated on a corresponding sealing device seat and forms a primary seal with the corresponding sealing device seat. Each sealing device also includes a secondary sealing portion that extends from the primary sealing portion and forms a secondary seal between the primary sealing portion and the corresponding sealing device seat. The methods include methods of stimulating a subterranean formation utilizing the wellbore tubulars.

Claims

1. A wellbore tubular configured to extend within a subterranean formation, the wellbore tubular comprising:

a tubular body including an external surface and an internal surface, wherein the internal surface defines a tubular conduit;

a plurality of selective stimulation ports (SSPs), wherein each SSP of the plurality of SSPs includes;

(i) an SSP conduit extending between the internal surface of the tubular body and the external surface of the tubular body; and

(ii) a sealing device seat shaped to form a fluid seal with a sealing device that selectively flows into engagement with the sealing device seat; and

a plurality of sealing devices, wherein each of the plurality of sealing devices is associated with a corresponding sealing device seat of a corresponding SSP of the plurality of SSPs and includes;

(i) a primary sealing portion, which is seated on the corresponding sealing device seat and forms a primary seal with the corresponding sealing device seat to at least partially restrict fluid flow through the SSP conduit; and

(ii) at least one secondary sealing portion, which extends from the primary sealing portion and forms a secondary seal between the primary sealing portion and the corresponding sealing device seat to at least partially restrict fluid flow through a leakage pathway between the primary sealing portion and the corresponding sealing device seat.

2. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the primary sealing portion is at least one of:

(i) bulbous;

(ii) at least partially spherical; and

(iii) egg-shaped.

3. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the primary sealing portion is formed from at least one of:

(i) an acid-soluble material;

(ii) a water-soluble material;

(iii) a hydrocarbon-soluble material;

(iv) a nylon;

(v) a polyglycolic acid (PGA);

(vi) a polylactic acid (PLA); and

(vii) a frangible material.

4. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary sealing portion is at least one of:

(i) elongate;

(ii) tentacular;

(iii) fibrous;

(iv) dendritic;

(v) branched; and

(vi) tendrilous.

5. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary sealing portion includes a plurality of secondary sealing portions.

6. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the secondary sealing portion is formed from at least one of:

(i) an acid-soluble material;

(ii) a water-soluble material;

(iii) a hydrocarbon-soluble material;

(iv) a nylon;

(v) a polyglycolic acid (PGA);

(vi) a polylactic acid (PLA); and

(vii) a frangible material.

7. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein a surface area to volume ratio of the at least one secondary sealing portion is at least 4 times larger than a surface area to volume ratio of the primary sealing portion.

8. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

(i) the primary sealing portion and the at least one secondary sealing portion are defined by a single, unitary sealing body;

(ii) the at least one secondary sealing portion is operatively attached to the primary sealing portion to form the sealing device; and

(iii) an elongate body at least partially defines at least a portion of both the primary sealing portion and the at least one secondary sealing portion, wherein a portion of the elongate body is knotted to form the primary sealing portion.

9. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the sealing device seat has a preconfigured geometry established prior to the tubular conduit being installed within the subterranean formation.

10. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein at least one SSP in the plurality of SSPs further includes:

an isolation device extending within the SSP conduit and configured to selectively transition from a closed state, in which the isolation device restricts fluid flow through the SSP conduit, and an open state, in which the isolation device permits fluid flow through the SSP conduit, responsive to a shockwave, within a wellbore fluid extending within the tubular conduit, that has greater than a threshold shockwave intensity; and

a retention device coupling the isolation device to an SSP body to retain the isolation device in the closed state prior to receipt of the shockwave that has greater than the threshold shockwave intensity.

11. The wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the wellbore tubular further includes at least one shell defining an enclosed volume and at least one additional sealing device positioned within the enclosed volume to define a sealing assembly positioned within the tubular conduit, wherein the shell is configured to release the at least one additional sealing device from the enclosed volume responsive to receipt of a release stimulus.

12. The wellbore tubular of claim 11, wherein the shell is formed from at least one of:

(i) an acid-soluble material;

(ii) a water-soluble material;

(iii) a hydrocarbon-soluble material;

(iv) a nylon;

(v) a polyglycolic acid (PGA);

(vi) a polylactic acid (PLA); and

(vii) a frangible material.

13. The wellbore tubular of claim 11, wherein the shell is at least one of:

(i) rigid;

(ii) flexible;

(iii) compliant;

(iv) resilient; and

(v) frangible.

14. A hydrocarbon well, comprising:

a wellbore extending within a subterranean formation that includes a hydrocarbon fluid; and

the wellbore tubular of claim 1, wherein the wellbore tubular extends within the wellbore.

15. A method of stimulating a subterranean formation via a tubular conduit, the method comprising:

pressurizing the tubular conduit to a pressure of at least 30 megapascals with a stimulant fluid;

wherein the tubular conduit is defined by a wellbore tubular that extends within the subterranean formation and includes a selective stimulation port (SSP);

wherein the SSP includes;

(i) an SSP body having a conduit-facing region and a formation-facing region;

(ii) an SSP conduit that is defined by the SSP body and extends between the conduit-facing region and the formation-facing region;

(iii) an isolation device extending within the SSP conduit and configured to selectively transition from a closed state, in which the isolation device restricts fluid flow through the SSP conduit, and an open state, in which the isolation device permits fluid flow through the SSP conduit;

(iv) a retention device coupling the isolation device to the SSP body to retain the isolation device in the closed state prior to receipt of a shockwave that has greater than a threshold shockwave intensity; and

(v) a sealing device seat defined by the conduit-facing region of the SSP body;

during the pressurizing, retaining the isolation device in the closed state;

generating a shockwave within a wellbore fluid that extends within the tubular conduit, wherein the generating includes generating within a region of the tubular conduit that is proximal the SSP such that a magnitude of the shockwave, as received by the SSP, is greater than a threshold shockwave intensity;

responsive to receipt of the shockwave that has greater than the threshold shockwave intensity, transitioning the isolation device from the closed state to the open state to permit fluid communication, via the SSP conduit, between the tubular conduit and the subterranean formation;

responsive to the transitioning, flowing the stimulant fluid into the subterranean formation to stimulate the subterranean formation;

subsequent to flowing the stimulant fluid for at least a threshold stimulation time, flowing a sealing device into contact with the sealing device seat;

wherein the sealing device includes a primary sealing portion configured to seat upon the sealing device seat and at least one secondary sealing portion that extends from the primary sealing portion;

at least partially restricting fluid flow through the SSP conduit with the primary sealing portion of the sealing device; and

at least partially restricting fluid flow through a leakage pathway, which extends between the primary sealing portion and the sealing device seat, with at least one secondary sealing portion of the sealing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, prior to the flowing the sealing device, the method further includes providing the sealing device to the tubular conduit, wherein the providing includes at least one of:

(i) providing from a surface region; and

(ii) providing from a sealing device compartment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the sealing device includes providing a sealing assembly, wherein the sealing assembly includes a shell defining an enclosed volume, wherein the sealing device is positioned within the enclosed volume, and further wherein the method includes applying a release stimulus to the shell to release the sealing device from the shell, wherein the applying the release stimulus includes at least one of:

(i) applying a shear force to the shell;

(ii) fluidly contacting the shell with an acidic solution;

(iii) fluidly contacting the shell with water;

(iv) fluidly contacting the shell with a hydrocarbon fluid;

(v) fluidly contacting the shell with the wellbore fluid;

(vi) fluidly contacting the shell with the stimulant fluid;

(vii) applying the shockwave to the shell;

(viii) applying a mechanical force to the shell; and

(ix) applying a pressure force to the shell.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least partially restricting fluid flow through the SSP conduit includes at least one of:

(i) seating the primary sealing portion on the sealing device seat;

(ii) mechanically contacting the primary sealing portion with the sealing device seat; and

(iii) deforming the primary sealing portion via physical contact with the sealing device seat.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least partially restricting fluid flow through the leakage pathway includes at least one of:

(i) flowing the secondary sealing portion into a gap between the primary sealing portion and the sealing device seat;

(ii) compressing the secondary sealing portion between the primary sealing portion and the sealing device seat; and

(iii) mechanically contacting at least a first region of the secondary sealing portion with the sealing device seat and mechanically contacting at least a second region of the secondary sealing portion with the primary sealing portion.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating includes detonating an explosive charge within the tubular conduit.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the transitioning includes at least one of:

(i) shattering a frangible disk that defines at least a portion of the isolation device; and

(ii) displacing an isolation disk, which defines at least a portion of the isolation device, from the SSP conduit.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the SSP is a first SSP, wherein the wellbore tubular includes a plurality of spaced-apart SSPs, and further wherein the method includes repeating at least the pressurizing, the retaining, the generating, the transitioning, the flowing the stimulant fluid, the flowing the sealing device, the at least partially restricting fluid flow through the SSP conduit, and the at least partially restricting fluid flow through the leakage pathway to stimulate a portion of the subterranean formation that is proximal a second SSP of the plurality of spaced-apart SSPs.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the repeating includes repeating without stimulating a portion of the subterranean formation that is proximal a third SSP of the plurality of spaced-apart SSPs.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein, prior to the pressurizing, the method further includes extending the wellbore tubular within a casing conduit defined by a casing string of a hydrocarbon well that extends within the subterranean formation, wherein the pressurizing includes pressurizing with a stimulant fluid that includes an abrasive material, wherein the flowing the stimulant fluid includes flowing such that the stimulant fluid impinges upon an inner casing surface of the casing string, and further wherein the method includes:

abrading the casing string, with the abrasive material of the stimulant fluid, to form a hole in the casing string; and

responsive to formation of the hole, flowing the stimulant fluid into the subterranean formation, via the hole, to stimulate the subterranean formation.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein, the at least partially restricting fluid flow through the SSP conduit and the at least partially restricting fluid flow through the leakage pathway include seating the primary sealing portion on the sealing device seat via application of a seating pressure differential between the tubular conduit and the subterranean formation such that a pressure within the tubular conduit is greater than a pressure within the subterranean formation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, subsequent to the seating the primary sealing portion, the method further includes unseating the primary sealing portion via application of an unseating pressure differential between the tubular conduit and the subterranean formation such that the pressure within the tubular conduit is less than the pressure within the subterranean formation, wherein a magnitude of the unseating pressure differential is at least 5% and at most 20% of a magnitude of the seating pressure differential.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the primary sealing portion resists being unseated from the sealing device seat when an unseating pressure differential between the tubular conduit and the subterranean formation is less than 5% of the seating pressure differential.