Consumable downhole tools

• US 8,291,970 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company), MCR Oil Tools, LLC (MCR Oil Tools Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company), MCR Oil Tools, LLC (MCR Oil Tools Corp.)
• Inventors: Swor, Loren C., Wilkinson, Brian K., Robertson, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coy, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US13/293,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20120055666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 166/58, 166/59, 166/63, 166/228, 166/243, 166/376, 166/377
• US Class Current: 166/58
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/06 for setting packers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/02 by explosives or by thermal or chemical means freeing stuck objects by explosives E21B31/002
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 31/002 Destroying the objects to be fished, e.g. by explosive means
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/12 Packers; Plugs used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16

Abstract

A downhole tool having a body or structural component comprises a material that is at least partially consumed when exposed to heat and a source of oxygen. The material may comprise a metal, such as magnesium, which is converted to magnesium oxide when exposed to heat and a source of oxygen. The downhole tool may further comprise a torch with a fuel load that produces the heat and source of oxygen when burned. The fuel load may comprise a flammable, non-explosive solid, such as thermite.

Claims

1. A downhole tool, comprising:

a tubular body comprising a consumable material and configured to selectively engage a wellbore wall, a casing string disposed within a wellbore, or both;

a torch body having a plurality of apertures disposed along a length of the torch body and positioned within the tubular body to form an annular space within the downhole tool; and

a fuel load associated with the torch body, the fuel load being selectively convertible to heat and a source of oxygen for passage through at least one of the plurality of apertures to contact the tubular body and consume at least a portion thereof.

2. The downhole tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sleeve disposed within the annular space between the tubular body and the torch body;

wherein the sleeve prevents ingress of matter into the torch body through at least one of the plurality of apertures.

3. The downhole tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sleeve disposed within the annular space between the tubular body and the torch body, at least a portion of the sleeve being consumable through exposure to heat and a source of oxygen.

4. The downhole tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sleeve disposed within the annular space between the tubular body and the torch body, the sleeve comprising magnesium.

5. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of apertures is an elongated aperture being elongated along substantially the entire length of the torch body.

6. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures are disposed in a radial pattern about a central axis of the torch body.

7. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein the fuel load is convertible to plasma and wherein the plasma perforates the tubular body when passed through at least some of the plurality of apertures.

8. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein the torch body having a plurality of apertures further comprises:

a first set of radial patterns of apertures, adjacent radial patterns of the first set of radial patterns being substantially equally spaced from each other along the length of the torch body; and

a second set of radial patterns of apertures, adjacent radial patterns of the second set of radial patterns being substantially equally spaced from each other along the length of the torch body;

wherein the distance between the first set of radial patterns and the second set of radial patterns along the length of the torch body is larger than each of the distance between adjacent radial patterns of the first set of radial patterns and the distance between adjacent radial patterns of the second set of radial patterns.

9. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein substantially all of the plurality of apertures are disposed along a helical curve.

10. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein the downhole tool is disposed within and engaged to the casing string disposed within the wellbore, and wherein the fuel load is configured to cause the downhole tool to release from the casing string.

11. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein the fuel load does not contact the casing string.

12. The downhole tool according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing element and one or more slips disposed around the tubular body.

13. The downhole tool according to claim 12, wherein the tool is a frac plug, a bridge plug, a packer, or a well bore zonal isolation device.

14. The downhole tool according to claim 1, wherein the fuel load comprises thermite.

15. A downhole tool, comprising:

a tubular body configured to selectively engage a wellbore wall, a casing string disposed within a wellbore, or both;

a torch comprising a fuel load and a torch body, wherein the torch body has a plurality of apertures disposed along a length of the torch body, wherein the torch body is positioned at least partially within the tubular body, and wherein the fuel load comprises thermite; and

an igniter associated with the fuel load and configured to ignite the thermite, wherein the fuel load is associated with the torch body such that ignited thermite passes through at least one of the plurality of apertures to contact the tubular body and consume at least a portion thereof.

16. The downhole tool according to claim 15, further comprising a sealing element and one or more slips disposed around the tubular body.

17. The downhole tool according to claim 16, wherein the tool is a frac plug, a bridge plug, a packer, or a well bore zonal isolation device.

18. The downhole tool according to claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the tubular body comprises magnesium.

19. The downhole tool according to claim 18, wherein the ignited thermite converts at least a portion of the magnesium to magnesium oxide.

20. The downhole tool according to claim 15, wherein the igniter is configurable to allow the igniter to fire only upon occurrence of at least one pre-defined condition selected from the group consisting of elapsed time, temperature, pressure, volume, and any combination thereof.

21. A downhole tool comprising:

a tubular body having an axial bore disposed along at least a partial length of the tubular body and configured to selectively engage a wellbore wall, a casing string disposed within a wellbore, or both;

a sealing element and one or more slips disposed around the tubular body; and

a torch having a fuel load and a plurality of apertures distributed along its length, wherein one or more of the apertures are disposed within the axial bore of the tubular body, and

an igniter associated with the fuel load and configured to ignite the fuel load,

wherein at least a portion of the tubular body is consumed upon ignition of the fuel load.

22. The downhole tool of claim 21, wherein the fuel load comprises thermite, wherein at least a portion of the tubular body having the axial bore comprises magnesium, and wherein the fuel load is associated with the tubular body such that ignited thermite passes through at least one of the plurality of apertures to contact the tubular body and convert at least a portion of the magnesium to magnesium oxide.