Method and apparatus for plugging wells

• US 6,454,001 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Ballew, Horton C., Thompson, Tommy D., Thorp, David L., Heathman, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US09/569,652
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 166/135, 166/177.4, 166/193, 166/202, 166/250.01, 166/250.14, 166/285, 166/286, 166/290, 166/297, 166/387
• US Class Current: 166/250.14
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/136 Baskets, e.g. of umbrella type

Abstract

A method and apparatus for plugging a well. The apparatus includes a well barrier which may be connected to a pipe string and lowered into a well to a selected plug location. The barrier is held in place by the pipe string at the selected plug location. The well barrier will engage the well at the selected plug location. A plugging fluid is displaced through the pipe string and is communicated into the well above the barrier. The well barrier will catch the plugging fluid. After the plugging fluid gels sufficiently to support itself in the well, the pipe string which was utilized to lower the well barrier can be disconnected from the well barrier and removed from the well after the plugging fluid has been allowed to set to a sufficient gel strength. The well barrier consists of a support pipe connected to the pipe string, and a fluid barrier connected thereto. The fluid barrier comprises a webbing disposed about the support pipe and a plurality of support members hingedly connected to the support pipe which allows the support members to rotate outwardly to engage the well at the selected plug location.

Claims

1. Apparatus for plugging an uncased portion of a well comprising:

a pipe string lowered through a casing in said well, the pipe string having a length sufficient to extend to said uncased portion of said well below said casing, said pipe string defining a central flow passage therethrough;

a support pipe connected to said pipe string, said support pipe defining a central flow passage and defining a plurality of openings therethrough intersecting said central flow passage of said support pipe;

a fluid barrier for permanent placement in said well, said fluid barrier being disposed about said support pipe below said plurality of openings for catching a plugging fluid displaced through said central flow passages of said pipe string and said support pipe and communicated through said openings in said support pipe, said pipe string comprising a removable pipe string adapted to be removed from said well after a sufficient amount of plugging fluid has been communicated through said openings to completely plug said well and after said plugging fluid has sufficiently hardened to support itself in said well.

2. The plugging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluid barrier comprises a canvas material.

3. The plugging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of support members for supporting said canvas material connected to said support pipe.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said support members are hingedly connected to said support pipe.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said fluid barrier comprising an upwardly opening barrier extending radially outwardly from said support pipe around the circumference thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluid barrier is movable in said well from a closed position to an open position.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, said fluid barrier comprising a canvas-like material and a plurality of support members for supporting said canvas-like material, said support members extending, radially outwardly from said support pipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said support members are hingedly connected to said support pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an arresting means for preventing said support members from over-rotating past said open position of said fluid barrier.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, said arresting means comprising a plurality of cables attached at one end to said support pipe and at a second end to said support members.

11. It The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said support members are substantially rigid support members.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, said support pipe being adapted at an upper end thereof to be connected to a pipe string and lowered into said wellbore thereon.

13. Apparatus for plugging a well in an uncased portion thereof, comprising:

a pipe string disposed in said well;

a support pipe connected to a lower end of said pipe string, said pipe string and said support pipe defining a longitudinal flow passage, wherein a plurality of flow ports intersect said flow passage and communicate said flow passage with said well, said pipe string and said well defining an annulus therebetween in said cased and said uncased portion of said well; and

a fluid barrier disposed about said support pipe below said flow ports for catching a plugging fluid communicated through said flow ports into said well, wherein said pipe string is adapted to be removed from said well after a desired amount of said plugging fluid is communicated through said flow ports.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, said fluid barrier comprising a canvas-like material disposed about said support pipe and a plurality of support members extending radially from said support pipe for supporting said canvas-like material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said fluid barrier engages said wellbore when said fluid barrier is positioned at a selected plug location.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said support members are hingedly connected to said support pipe at radially inner ends thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a ball seat disposed in said support pipe for receiving a ball displaced into said support pipe and to direct fluid through said flow ports.

18. A method of plugging a well comprising:

connecting a well barrier to a pipe string;

lowering said well barrier in said well to a selected plug location with said pipe string;

placing said well barrier into engagement with said well at said selected plug location;

displacing a plugging fluid downwardly in said pipe string;

communicating said plugging fluid into said well above said well barrier, while said well barrier is connected to said pipe string; and

removing said pipe string from said wellbore after a desired amount of plugging fluid has been disposed into said well.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising allowing said plugging fluid to harden sufficiently to support its own weight in said well prior to removing said pipe string.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining dimensional characteristics of said well at said selected plug location prior to lowering said barrier into said well; and

sizing said barrier such that said well barrier will engage said well at said selected plug location.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

catching said plugging fluid with said well barrier;

allowing said plugging fluid to harden; and

removing said pipe string from said wellbore.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said removing step comprises:

cutting said pipe string above said well plug; and

withdrawing said well barrier.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

securing said fluid barrier in a closed position prior to lowering said barrier to said selected location, said placing step comprising moving said barrier from said closed to an open position wherein said fluid barrier engages said wellbore.

24. Apparatus for plugging a well comprising:

a support pipe defining a central flow passage and defining a plurality of openings therethrough intersecting said central flow passage;

a fluid barrier disposed about said support pipe below said plurality of openings for catching a plugging fluid displaced through said flow passage and communicated through said openings in said support pipe;

a plurality of support members hingedly connected to said support pipe for supporting said fluid barrier;

said fluid barrier being movable from a closed to an open position; and

a deployment weight connected to said support members, wherein said weight causes said support members to rotate outwardly from said closed to said open position so that said fluid barrier engages said wellbore at a selected plug location.

25. Apparatus for plugging a well comprising:

a pipe string disposed in said well;

a support pipe connected to a lower end of said pipe string, said pipe string and said support pipe defining a longitudinal flow passage, wherein a plurality of flow ports intersect said flow passage and communicate said flow passage with said well;

a fluid barrier disposed about said support pipe below said flow ports for catching a plugging fluid communicated through said flow ports into said well; and

a deployment weight attached to said fluid barrier, wherein said weight causes said barrier to move from a closed to an open position in said well.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising arresting means for preventing said barrier from opening beyond a predetermined fully open position.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, said weight being disposed about said support pipe and slidable relative thereto.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, said weight being connected to at least a portion of said support members.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, said weight comprising a housing having an open upper end and a closed lower end, said support pipe being received in the upper end of said housing.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a ball seat sleeve disposed in said housing and adapted to receive a ball displaced into said support pipe, wherein said sleeve extends upwxardly into said support pipe so that an upper end of said sleeve is positioned below said flow ports when said fluid barrier is positioned in said well at a selected plug location.

31. Apparatus for plugging a well comprising:

a pipe string disposed in said well;

a support pipe connected to a lower end of said pipe string, said pipe string and said support pipe defining a longitudinal flow passage, wherein a plurality of flow ports intersect said longitudinal flow passage and communicate said longitudinal flow passage with said well;

a fluid barrier disposed about said support pipe below said flow ports for catching a plugging fluid communicated through said flow ports into said wells; and

said fluid barrier comprising a canvas-like material disposed about said support pipe and a plurality of support members extending radially from said support pipe for supporting said canvas-like material wherein said support members are hingedly connected to said support pipe at radially inner ends thereof.

32. A method of plugging an uncased portion of a well comprising:

connecting a fluid barrier to a pipe string, the fluid barrier comprising a foldable material having a plurality of support members attached thereto, the support members being pivotably connected at a first end to a support pipe, wherein said support members pivot independently of one another, said support members having second ends for engaging said uncased portion of said well;

lowering said fluid barrier on said pipe string to a desired plug location in said uncased portion of said well, wherein second ends of said support members engage said uncased portion of said well at said plug location;

displacing a plugging fluid through said pipe string; and

communicating said plugging fluid into said well above said fluid barrier while said barrier is connected to said pipe string.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising supporting the weight of said fluid barrier and said plugging fluid in said well with said pipe string without a packer in said well.

35. A method of plugging a well comprising:

connecting a well barrier to a pipe string;

lowering said well barrier with said pipe string to a selected plug location in said well;

engaging said well with said well barrier at said selected plug location;

displacing a plugging fluid through said pipe string;

communicating said plugging fluid into said well;

catching said plugging fluid with said well barrier;

supporting said plugging fluid with said pipe string without a packer in said well; and

removing said pipe string from said well after a desired amount of plugging fluid has been displaced therethrough.

34. The method of claim 36 further comprising removing said pipe string after said plugging fluid has hardened such that it will support its own weight in said well.

36. The method of claim 35, removing step comprising removing said pipe string after said plugging fluid has hardened sufficiently to support its own weight in said well.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said lowering step comprises lowering said fluid barrier into an uncased portion of said well.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said uncased portion of said well is located below a cased portion of said well.

39. Apparatus for plugging a well at a selected plug location, the apparatus comprising:

a pipe string lowered into said well, said pipe string defining a central flow passage;

a support pipe connected to said pipe string, said support pipe defining a central flow passage communicated with said central flow passage of said pipe string and defining a plurality of openings therethrough intersecting said central flow passage of said support pipe;

a fluid barrier disposed about said support pipe below said plurality of openings;

a plurality of fluid barrier supports pivotably connected to said support pipe and attached to said fluid barrier; and

a deployment weight for exerting a downward force on at least a portion of said fluid barrier supports so that said supports will rotate outwardly from said support pipe to cause said fluid barrier to engage said well.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said fluid barrier supports pivot independently of one another.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said deployment weight is attached to all of said fluid barrier supports to apply a downward pulling force thereto.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein each fluid barrier support is adapted to engage said well at said plug location when said plug location is an uncased, irregular shaped portion of said well.

43. Apparatus for plugging an uncased portion of a well, the apparatus comprising:

a pipe string, lowered into said well;

a support pipe connected to said pipe string;

a fluid barrier disposed about said support pipe, wherein a plugging fluid may be displaced through said pipe string and communicated into said well above said fluid barrier so that said fluid barrier will catch said plugging fluid; and

a plurality of rigid or semi-rigid fluid barrier supports attached to said fluid barrier, wherein said supports have first and second ends and are movable independently of one another, so that the second ends of each said support will engage said uncased portion of said well at a desired plug location.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said first end of said fluid barrier supports is pivotally connected to said support pipe.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising a deployment weight connected to said fluid barrier supports for moving said fluid barrier to an open position in said well.

46. A method of plugging an uncased portion of a well comprising:

connecting a fluid barrier to a pipe string;

lowering said fluid barrier into said well on said pipe string to a selected plug location;

applying a downward pulling force to said fluid barrier to hold said fluid barrier in an open position wherein said fluid barrier engages said well at said selected plug location;

displacing a plugging fluid through said pipe string;

communicating said plugging fluid from said pipe string into said well above said fluid barrier; and

increasing the downward pulling force on said fluid barrier after said fluid barrier reaches said selected plug location.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said applying step comprises attaching a deployment weight to said fluid barrier.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said increasing step comprises pushing said deployment weight downwardly with plugging fluid displaced through said pipe string.

49. Apparatus for plugging a well comprising:

a support pipe lowered into said well;

a fluid barrier connected to said support pipe for catching a plugging fluid communicated into said well; and

a deployment weight connected to said fluid barrier for moving said fluid barrier to an open position in said well.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein said deployment weight is slidably disposed about said support pipe.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, said deployment weight being disposed about the lower end of said support pipe, the apparatus further comprising:

a sleeve mounted in said deployment weight, said sleeve having a seat for receiving a ball displaced into said support pipe, wherein said sleeve extends upwardly into said support pipe.