US20100059228A1 - Casing Wiping Dart With Filtering Layer - Google Patents
Casing Wiping Dart With Filtering Layer Download PDFInfo
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- US20100059228A1 US20100059228A1 US12/207,002 US20700208A US2010059228A1 US 20100059228 A1 US20100059228 A1 US 20100059228A1 US 20700208 A US20700208 A US 20700208A US 2010059228 A1 US2010059228 A1 US 2010059228A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- dart
- foam body
- mandrel
- restriction
- foam
- Prior art date
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Links
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 24
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 50
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 30
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 28
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 15
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910001369 Brass Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 244000043261 Hevea brasiliensis Species 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920000459 Nitrile rubber Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000010951 brass Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920003052 natural elastomer Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920001194 natural rubber Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920002635 polyurethane Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004814 polyurethane Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920001169 thermoplastic Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004416 thermosoftening plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- ISWSIDIOOBJBQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N phenol group Chemical group C1(=CC=CC=C1)O ISWSIDIOOBJBQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 1
- 229920003048 styrene butadiene rubber Polymers 0.000 claims 1
- 239000004568 cement Substances 0.000 description 13
- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 description 10
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 8
- 239000004620 low density foam Substances 0.000 description 6
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 4
- 229920001971 elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 3
- 125000006850 spacer group Chemical group 0.000 description 3
- PPBRXRYQALVLMV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Styrene Chemical compound C=CC1=CC=CC=C1 PPBRXRYQALVLMV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
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- 230000013011 mating Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008961 swelling Effects 0.000 description 2
- JOYRKODLDBILNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethyl urethane Chemical compound CCOC(N)=O JOYRKODLDBILNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920005830 Polyurethane Foam Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001247 Reticulated foam Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000806 elastomer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011152 fibreglass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002657 fibrous material Substances 0.000 description 1
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- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 210000001331 nose Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 235000013824 polyphenols Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000011496 polyurethane foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002028 premature Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 description 1
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- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
- E21B33/08—Wipers; Oil savers
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/13—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices, or the like
- E21B33/14—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices, or the like for cementing casings into boreholes
- E21B33/16—Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices, or the like for cementing casings into boreholes using plugs for isolating cement charge; Plugs therefor
Definitions
- the present disclosure generally relates to subterranean operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to improved darts for use in subterranean wells.
- casing strings are generally introduced into the well bore.
- a cement slurry is often pumped downwardly through the casing, and then upwardly into the annulus between the casing and the walls of the well bore.
- the casing generally contains a drilling fluid or some other servicing fluid that may contaminate the cement slurry.
- a plug often referred to as a cementing plug or a “bottom” plug, may be placed into the casing ahead of the cement slurry as a boundary between the two. The plug may perform other functions as well, such as wiping fluid from the inner surface of the casing as it travels through the casing, which may further reduce the risk of contamination.
- a displacement fluid is commonly used to force the cement into the desired location.
- a “top” cementing plug may be introduced at the interface between the cement slurry and the displacement fluid. This top plug also wipes cement slurry from the inner surfaces of the casing as the displacement fluid is pumped downwardly into the casing.
- a third plug may be used, to perform functions such as preliminarily calibrating the internal volume of the casing to determine the amount of displacement fluid required, for example, or to separate a second fluid ahead of the cement slurry (e.g., where a preceding plug may separate a drilling mud from a cement spacer fluid, the third plug may be used to separate the cement spacer fluid from the cement slurry), for instance.
- the casing string may be lowered into the hole by a work string, which is typically a length of drill pipe.
- a work string typically a length of drill pipe.
- SSR sub-surface release
- These plugs are often suspended at the interface of the drill pipe and the casing string, and are selectively released by a remote device when desired. Because SSR plugs are suspended at the interface between the work string and the casing, fluids must be able to pass through the plugs. However, when used to prevent contamination as described above, the channels through the plugs must be selectively sealed.
- a weighted ball may be dropped into the funnel in the plug to seal it.
- Another method involves a positive displacement plugging device, often referred to as a “dart.”
- Darts generally comprise two or more rubber “fins” that flare outwardly from a mandrel or stem. Such fins are generally sized to engage the inside wall of the pipe in which they are deployed. Because its fins prevent a dart from free falling to the plug, a pressure differential, or otherwise downward flow of fluid, usually is applied to force the dart to the plug.
- the fins of a dart When used to release plugs, the fins of a dart must collapse or compress sufficiently to allow the dart mandrel to advance through the work string and reach the intended plug. In some instances where there is a plurality of plugs, each succeeding plug may have a successively smaller minor diameter channel such that successively larger dart noses can be used to release the plugs in sequence. Thus, a particular dart must be capable of collapsing to a small enough diameter to reach an intended plug.
- a conventional dart has fins that are properly sized to engage the inside wall of the work string, such fins may approach an equivalent solid mass when compressed while passing through the minor diameter of successively smaller plugs; accordingly, excessive pressure may be required to push the dart (having fins in such compressed state) to the desired plug.
- excessive pressure is undesirable, because such excessive pressure may cause the cementing plug to be released prematurely and/or out of the desired sequence.
- excessive pressure may cause the premature activation of some hydraulically set liner hangers which can provoke catastrophic problems in the proper execution of the cementing job.
- a dart with easily compressible fins generally does not adequately engage the inner wall of the drill string and, therefore, does not act as an effective wiping device.
- Foam darts such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,966, can pass through more severe restrictions, but must re-hydrate or “swell” back into shape before being suited to sufficiently clean and displace.
- the particulated fluid in which the dart sits must be quickly absorbed into the voids of the foam.
- due to the particulated nature of the fluid it may start caking or bridging off or otherwise not readily entering the voids.
- the present disclosure generally relates to subterranean operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to improved darts for use in subterranean wells.
- the present disclosure provides a dart having a foam body, a filtering material at least partially covering the foam body, and a mandrel.
- the foam body may surround the mandrel.
- the present disclosure provides a method of cleaning a tubular string including introducing a dart having a foam body at least partially covered by a filtering material into the tubular string, moving the dart through the tubular string toward a restriction, allowing the dart to compress radially to move through the restriction, and allowing the dart to expand radially to maintain contact with the tubular string after passing through the restriction.
- the present disclosure provides a dart having a foam core, an outer portion surrounding the core, and a mandrel.
- the core may surround the mandrel.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foam dart in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a side view of a foam dart in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a side view of a foam dart in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a side view of a foam dart in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a schematic showing a foam dart as it passes through a work string in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- dart 10 may have foam body 20 surrounding mandrel 30 .
- Foam body 20 may include an open cell low density foam 70 and a filtering material 25 , such as reticulated open cell foam allowing a flexible composite dart that does not require clean water or air intake to achieve contact with an internal diameter of casing and/or tool after passing through a restriction. Rather, dart 10 may maintain contact after passing through a restriction by filtering and absorbing drilling mud or other fluids present in the environment.
- Composite or layered foam dart 10 may wipe and displace in large diameter work strings as it moves through the string. Dart 10 may then compress radially as it passes through one or more severe restrictions (such as internal upset tool joints), while continuing to wipe and displace. In the event a portion of the fluid is displaced from within dart 10 upon radial compression, filtering material 25 may clean at a least a portion of the solids out of the fluid, allowing dart 10 to swell and regain a suitable shape. Thus, when low density foam 70 is allowed to expand radially after passing through restriction 90 (shown in FIG. 5B ), it may fill with filtered fluid from the environment. Thus, the presence of particulated fluids is less likely to create undesirable bridging off or caking of solids. This may increase work string wiping efficiency by providing improved conformity to restrictions while allowing for swelling to inside diameter in a high-solids fluid in a downhole environment.
- Foam body 20 may be sized to properly engage the inner wall of the largest diameter through which dart 10 will pass.
- foam body 20 may wipe clean the inner wall of the drill pipe as dart 10 travels the length of the drill pipe, which length may extend the entire length of the well bore.
- Foam body 20 may also readily compress to pass through relatively small diameter restrictions without requiring excessive differential pressure to push dart 10 to the desired location.
- dart 10 may be used to wipe clean the inner wall of a drill pipe having an inner diameter that varies along its length.
- Foam body 20 may have a substantially cylindrical shape with a tapered leading edge and/or trailing edge, or it may have a constant cross section.
- foam body 20 may be reticulated, may have one or more ribs or fins or may have an otherwise varied cross section.
- gaps created in foam body 20 may be at least partially filled with a different material, such as a filtering material 25 or a foam with a different hardness.
- the outer diameter or other radial dimension of foam body 20 exceeds the corresponding dimension of nosepiece 40 (shown in FIG. 2 ) and mandrel 30 .
- Low density foam 70 may be molded around and bonded to mandrel 30 .
- Low density foam 70 of foam body 20 may be any foamable material such as a polymer including, but not limited to, open-cell foams having natural rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadine rubber, polyurethane, or any other foamable material. Any open-cell foam having a sufficient density, firmness, and resilience may be suitable for the desired application, depending on the compression and strength requirements of the given application.
- Filtering material 25 may be any material that is porous, having an air flow rate of at least 6 cfm when conducted on a standard 2 ⁇ 2 ⁇ 1 inch test sample, has good wear resistance comparable to typical cementing plugs and darts, is resistant to chemicals typically encountered in the well cementing process, has thermal resistant properties comparable to the elastomers used in typical cementing plugs, and is capable of bonding to low density foam 70 .
- filtering material 25 may be reticulated polyurethane foam having a cell density of approximately 10 to 40 cells per inch (cpi), fiberglass filtering media, metal mesh, or any other suitable porous or fibrous material. Filtering material 25 may bond to a trailing edge portion of low density foam 70 . In certain embodiments, filtering material 25 may cover approximately 70% of foam body 20 .
- Filtering material 25 may have several graduated layers, with an outermost layer having a composition which can filter larger solids and a subsequent inner layer having a composition which can filter successively smaller solids. Thus, the outermost layer may be more breathable relative to the remaining layers of filtering material 25 .
- This staged filtering process may allow for improved re-hydration or swelling of the body 20 of dart 10 by separating the concentration of solids.
- varying layers may provide the ability to stage the filtering process by removing larger solids on the outermost layer, with each subsequent inner layer capturing smaller solids, while re-hydration permits dart 10 to swell to a desired diameter. While two such layers are described, any number of layers may be used, depending on the particular characteristics of the environment.
- the various layers in filtering material 25 may have the ability to prevent caking of solids suspended within a fluid while maintaining the wiping efficiency of dart 10 .
- the use of varying layers may also allow dart 10 to be designed to match specific work string requirements, such as a higher abrasive surface, higher durability surface, or low compressive strength for exceeded restriction areas.
- Dart 10 may thus conform to varying inside diameters and restrictions, allowing the use of specific tools which require restrictive orifices. Additionally, dart 10 may adapt to more casing work string sizes, resulting in fewer specific assembly configurations.
- foam body 20 has at least two different compositions.
- foam body 20 may include a core of foam 50 attached to nosepiece 40 (shown in FIG. 2 ).
- Core 50 may be surrounded by outer portion 60 of foam body 20 .
- Core 50 may be formed such that portions of core 50 have a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of outer portion 60 , while other portions of core 50 have a smaller diameter than the diameter of outer portion 60 .
- core 50 may have a uniform diameter that is smaller than the diameter of outer portion 60 .
- foam body 20 may be sized to achieve adequate clean up and displacement in larger of casing and liner above a severe restriction and core 50 may be sized to achieve adequate clean up and displacement in casing and liner below restriction 90 (shown in FIG. 5B ).
- One embodied multi-layer dart may include a composite mandrel 30 with a threaded insert bonded into the lower portion of a urethane mandrel which runs the entire length of dart 10 , surrounded by an open cell foam core 50 having an air flow rating of 1 cfm or less, which is surrounded by a reticulated foam outer portion 60 having an air flow rating of 6 cfm or greater.
- core 50 may have a hardness of about 90 IFD and outer portion 60 may have a hardness of 50 IFD.
- Mandrel 30 may be generally cylindrical, or any of a number of other shapes. Additionally, mandrel 30 may have a substantially constant cross section, or variances may be allowed to allow for ribs or other variances along the outer surface, such that foam body 20 may engage mandrel 30 .
- Dart 10 may have nosepiece 40 to sealingly engage a plug.
- Mandrel 30 and nosepiece 40 may be integrally formed, or otherwise joined.
- Nosepiece 40 may have a diameter or other radial dimension that is smaller than the corresponding diameter or radial dimension of foam body 20 .
- Nosepiece 40 may be a separate component attached to a leading end of mandrel 30 .
- leading end of mandrel 30 and an inner bore of nosepiece 40 may both be threaded, allowing the use of other shaped nosepieces in accordance with the desired shape for the plug with which dart 10 will interact.
- nosepiece 40 may be tapered to facilitate entry of dart 10 into the plug.
- Dart 10 may have a major outer diameter length that is approximately 1.5 times the major outer diameter for reasons of stability.
- Mandrel 30 , nosepiece 40 , or both may be constructed from any material suitable for use in the subterranean environment in which dart 10 will be placed.
- mandrel 30 and/or nosepiece 40 may be constructed from a drillable material such as plastics, phenolics, composite materials, high strength thermoplastics, aluminum, glass, and/or brass.
- dart 10 may progress down a work string ( FIG. 5A ) while maintaining contact with the work string through various restrictions.
- dart 10 may be capable of cleaning and displacing in a large-size work string and/or liner, passing through one or more severe restrictions, and then cleaning and displacing in a smaller size pipe and/or tool before landing on a seat.
- Dart 10 may be introduced into a drill pipe, casing, or other tubular string within the well bore at the surface.
- Dart 10 may then be moved through the tubular string until it reaches restriction 90 . This movement may be caused via pumping down the tubular string and/or differential pressure.
- Dart 10 may be allowed to compress radially as it moves through restriction 90 , and allowed to expand to maintain contact with the tubular string after passing through restriction 90 .
- Filtering material 25 may clean at least a portion of solids out of a fluid as it enters and radially expands dart 10 .
- Dart 10 may continue through tubular string, causing it to travel through the drill pipe until it contacts the plug.
- a differential pressure may be applied across the sealing diameter of nosepiece 40 and its mating seat profile so as to “activate” the plug, or cause the plug to be deployed so as to carry out an intended function within the casing.
- a plug may be activated to cause it to detach from a work string and travel through the casing in order to serve as a spacer between different fluids that are desirably segregated.
Abstract
Description
- The present disclosure generally relates to subterranean operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to improved darts for use in subterranean wells.
- During the drilling and construction of subterranean wells, casing strings are generally introduced into the well bore. To stabilize the casing, a cement slurry is often pumped downwardly through the casing, and then upwardly into the annulus between the casing and the walls of the well bore. One concern in this process is that, prior to the introduction of the cement slurry into the casing, the casing generally contains a drilling fluid or some other servicing fluid that may contaminate the cement slurry. To prevent this contamination, a plug, often referred to as a cementing plug or a “bottom” plug, may be placed into the casing ahead of the cement slurry as a boundary between the two. The plug may perform other functions as well, such as wiping fluid from the inner surface of the casing as it travels through the casing, which may further reduce the risk of contamination.
- Similarly, after the desired quantity of cement slurry is placed into the well bore, a displacement fluid is commonly used to force the cement into the desired location. To prevent contamination of the cement slurry by the displacement fluid, a “top” cementing plug may be introduced at the interface between the cement slurry and the displacement fluid. This top plug also wipes cement slurry from the inner surfaces of the casing as the displacement fluid is pumped downwardly into the casing. Sometimes a third plug may be used, to perform functions such as preliminarily calibrating the internal volume of the casing to determine the amount of displacement fluid required, for example, or to separate a second fluid ahead of the cement slurry (e.g., where a preceding plug may separate a drilling mud from a cement spacer fluid, the third plug may be used to separate the cement spacer fluid from the cement slurry), for instance.
- In certain applications, for example, when drilling offshore, the casing string may be lowered into the hole by a work string, which is typically a length of drill pipe. Because most cementing plugs are too large to pass through the work string, sub-surface release (“SSR”) plugs are used. These plugs are often suspended at the interface of the drill pipe and the casing string, and are selectively released by a remote device when desired. Because SSR plugs are suspended at the interface between the work string and the casing, fluids must be able to pass through the plugs. However, when used to prevent contamination as described above, the channels through the plugs must be selectively sealed.
- Several methods are known in the art for sealing the channels through SSR plugs. For example, if the channel is funnel-shaped, then a weighted ball may be dropped into the funnel in the plug to seal it. Another method involves a positive displacement plugging device, often referred to as a “dart.” Darts generally comprise two or more rubber “fins” that flare outwardly from a mandrel or stem. Such fins are generally sized to engage the inside wall of the pipe in which they are deployed. Because its fins prevent a dart from free falling to the plug, a pressure differential, or otherwise downward flow of fluid, usually is applied to force the dart to the plug.
- When used to release plugs, the fins of a dart must collapse or compress sufficiently to allow the dart mandrel to advance through the work string and reach the intended plug. In some instances where there is a plurality of plugs, each succeeding plug may have a successively smaller minor diameter channel such that successively larger dart noses can be used to release the plugs in sequence. Thus, a particular dart must be capable of collapsing to a small enough diameter to reach an intended plug. Several problems, however, have been encountered with conventional darts in such applications. For instance, when a conventional dart has fins that are properly sized to engage the inside wall of the work string, such fins may approach an equivalent solid mass when compressed while passing through the minor diameter of successively smaller plugs; accordingly, excessive pressure may be required to push the dart (having fins in such compressed state) to the desired plug. Using excessive pressure is undesirable, because such excessive pressure may cause the cementing plug to be released prematurely and/or out of the desired sequence. Also, excessive pressure may cause the premature activation of some hydraulically set liner hangers which can provoke catastrophic problems in the proper execution of the cementing job. Moreover, a dart with easily compressible fins generally does not adequately engage the inner wall of the drill string and, therefore, does not act as an effective wiping device.
- Foam darts, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,966, can pass through more severe restrictions, but must re-hydrate or “swell” back into shape before being suited to sufficiently clean and displace. In order for a foam dart to swell completely within a reasonable time, the particulated fluid in which the dart sits must be quickly absorbed into the voids of the foam. However, due to the particulated nature of the fluid, it may start caking or bridging off or otherwise not readily entering the voids.
- The present disclosure generally relates to subterranean operations. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to improved darts for use in subterranean wells.
- In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a dart having a foam body, a filtering material at least partially covering the foam body, and a mandrel. The foam body may surround the mandrel.
- In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method of cleaning a tubular string including introducing a dart having a foam body at least partially covered by a filtering material into the tubular string, moving the dart through the tubular string toward a restriction, allowing the dart to compress radially to move through the restriction, and allowing the dart to expand radially to maintain contact with the tubular string after passing through the restriction.
- In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a dart having a foam core, an outer portion surrounding the core, and a mandrel. The core may surround the mandrel.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foam dart in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a side view of a foam dart in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 3 is a side view of a foam dart in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 is a side view of a foam dart in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 5 is a schematic showing a foam dart as it passes through a work string in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring now to
FIG. 1 ,dart 10 may havefoam body 20 surroundingmandrel 30.Foam body 20 may include an open celllow density foam 70 and a filteringmaterial 25, such as reticulated open cell foam allowing a flexible composite dart that does not require clean water or air intake to achieve contact with an internal diameter of casing and/or tool after passing through a restriction. Rather,dart 10 may maintain contact after passing through a restriction by filtering and absorbing drilling mud or other fluids present in the environment. - Composite or layered
foam dart 10 may wipe and displace in large diameter work strings as it moves through the string. Dart 10 may then compress radially as it passes through one or more severe restrictions (such as internal upset tool joints), while continuing to wipe and displace. In the event a portion of the fluid is displaced from withindart 10 upon radial compression, filteringmaterial 25 may clean at a least a portion of the solids out of the fluid, allowingdart 10 to swell and regain a suitable shape. Thus, whenlow density foam 70 is allowed to expand radially after passing through restriction 90 (shown inFIG. 5B ), it may fill with filtered fluid from the environment. Thus, the presence of particulated fluids is less likely to create undesirable bridging off or caking of solids. This may increase work string wiping efficiency by providing improved conformity to restrictions while allowing for swelling to inside diameter in a high-solids fluid in a downhole environment. -
Foam body 20 may be sized to properly engage the inner wall of the largest diameter through whichdart 10 will pass. For example,foam body 20 may wipe clean the inner wall of the drill pipe asdart 10 travels the length of the drill pipe, which length may extend the entire length of the well bore.Foam body 20 may also readily compress to pass through relatively small diameter restrictions without requiring excessive differential pressure to pushdart 10 to the desired location. For instance,dart 10 may be used to wipe clean the inner wall of a drill pipe having an inner diameter that varies along its length.Foam body 20 may have a substantially cylindrical shape with a tapered leading edge and/or trailing edge, or it may have a constant cross section. Alternatively,foam body 20 may be reticulated, may have one or more ribs or fins or may have an otherwise varied cross section. When ribs or fins are present, gaps created infoam body 20 may be at least partially filled with a different material, such as afiltering material 25 or a foam with a different hardness. Generally, the outer diameter or other radial dimension offoam body 20 exceeds the corresponding dimension of nosepiece 40 (shown inFIG. 2 ) andmandrel 30.Low density foam 70 may be molded around and bonded tomandrel 30. -
Low density foam 70 offoam body 20 may be any foamable material such as a polymer including, but not limited to, open-cell foams having natural rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadine rubber, polyurethane, or any other foamable material. Any open-cell foam having a sufficient density, firmness, and resilience may be suitable for the desired application, depending on the compression and strength requirements of the given application. -
Filtering material 25 may be any material that is porous, having an air flow rate of at least 6 cfm when conducted on a standard 2×2×1 inch test sample, has good wear resistance comparable to typical cementing plugs and darts, is resistant to chemicals typically encountered in the well cementing process, has thermal resistant properties comparable to the elastomers used in typical cementing plugs, and is capable of bonding tolow density foam 70. For example, filteringmaterial 25 may be reticulated polyurethane foam having a cell density of approximately 10 to 40 cells per inch (cpi), fiberglass filtering media, metal mesh, or any other suitable porous or fibrous material.Filtering material 25 may bond to a trailing edge portion oflow density foam 70. In certain embodiments, filteringmaterial 25 may cover approximately 70% offoam body 20. -
Filtering material 25 may have several graduated layers, with an outermost layer having a composition which can filter larger solids and a subsequent inner layer having a composition which can filter successively smaller solids. Thus, the outermost layer may be more breathable relative to the remaining layers of filteringmaterial 25. This staged filtering process may allow for improved re-hydration or swelling of thebody 20 ofdart 10 by separating the concentration of solids. Thus varying layers may provide the ability to stage the filtering process by removing larger solids on the outermost layer, with each subsequent inner layer capturing smaller solids, while re-hydration permits dart 10 to swell to a desired diameter. While two such layers are described, any number of layers may be used, depending on the particular characteristics of the environment. - The various layers in filtering
material 25 may have the ability to prevent caking of solids suspended within a fluid while maintaining the wiping efficiency ofdart 10. The use of varying layers may also allowdart 10 to be designed to match specific work string requirements, such as a higher abrasive surface, higher durability surface, or low compressive strength for exceeded restriction areas. -
Dart 10 may thus conform to varying inside diameters and restrictions, allowing the use of specific tools which require restrictive orifices. Additionally, dart 10 may adapt to more casing work string sizes, resulting in fewer specific assembly configurations. - In one embodiment,
foam body 20 has at least two different compositions. For example, as illustrated inFIGS. 2-4 ,foam body 20 may include a core offoam 50 attached to nosepiece 40 (shown inFIG. 2 ).Core 50 may be surrounded byouter portion 60 offoam body 20.Core 50 may be formed such that portions ofcore 50 have a diameter approximately equal to the diameter ofouter portion 60, while other portions ofcore 50 have a smaller diameter than the diameter ofouter portion 60. Alternatively,core 50 may have a uniform diameter that is smaller than the diameter ofouter portion 60. In this embodiment,foam body 20 may be sized to achieve adequate clean up and displacement in larger of casing and liner above a severe restriction andcore 50 may be sized to achieve adequate clean up and displacement in casing and liner below restriction 90 (shown inFIG. 5B ). - One embodied multi-layer dart may include a
composite mandrel 30 with a threaded insert bonded into the lower portion of a urethane mandrel which runs the entire length ofdart 10, surrounded by an opencell foam core 50 having an air flow rating of 1 cfm or less, which is surrounded by a reticulated foamouter portion 60 having an air flow rating of 6 cfm or greater. In another exemplary embodiment,core 50 may have a hardness of about 90 IFD andouter portion 60 may have a hardness of 50 IFD. -
Mandrel 30 may be generally cylindrical, or any of a number of other shapes. Additionally,mandrel 30 may have a substantially constant cross section, or variances may be allowed to allow for ribs or other variances along the outer surface, such thatfoam body 20 may engagemandrel 30.Dart 10 may havenosepiece 40 to sealingly engage a plug.Mandrel 30 andnosepiece 40 may be integrally formed, or otherwise joined.Nosepiece 40 may have a diameter or other radial dimension that is smaller than the corresponding diameter or radial dimension offoam body 20.Nosepiece 40 may be a separate component attached to a leading end ofmandrel 30. In certain embodiments, the leading end ofmandrel 30 and an inner bore ofnosepiece 40 may both be threaded, allowing the use of other shaped nosepieces in accordance with the desired shape for the plug with whichdart 10 will interact. For example,nosepiece 40 may be tapered to facilitate entry ofdart 10 into the plug. -
Dart 10 may have a major outer diameter length that is approximately 1.5 times the major outer diameter for reasons of stability.Mandrel 30,nosepiece 40, or both may be constructed from any material suitable for use in the subterranean environment in whichdart 10 will be placed. For example,mandrel 30 and/ornosepiece 40 may be constructed from a drillable material such as plastics, phenolics, composite materials, high strength thermoplastics, aluminum, glass, and/or brass. - Referring to
FIGS. 5A-5C , dart 10 may progress down a work string (FIG. 5A ) while maintaining contact with the work string through various restrictions. Asdart 10 is compressed radially (FIG. 5B ),particulate fluid 80 is squeezed from the foam matrix, as indicated by the material behinddart 10 inrestriction 90. Asdart 10 exits restriction 90 (FIG. 5C ),particulated fluid 80 is reabsorbed intofoam body 20. - Thus, dart 10 may be capable of cleaning and displacing in a large-size work string and/or liner, passing through one or more severe restrictions, and then cleaning and displacing in a smaller size pipe and/or tool before landing on a seat.
Dart 10 may be introduced into a drill pipe, casing, or other tubular string within the well bore at the surface.Dart 10 may then be moved through the tubular string until it reachesrestriction 90. This movement may be caused via pumping down the tubular string and/or differential pressure.Dart 10 may be allowed to compress radially as it moves throughrestriction 90, and allowed to expand to maintain contact with the tubular string after passing throughrestriction 90.Filtering material 25 may clean at least a portion of solids out of a fluid as it enters and radially expandsdart 10.Dart 10 may continue through tubular string, causing it to travel through the drill pipe until it contacts the plug. Oncenosepiece 40 has contacted its mating seat profile within the plug, a differential pressure may be applied across the sealing diameter ofnosepiece 40 and its mating seat profile so as to “activate” the plug, or cause the plug to be deployed so as to carry out an intended function within the casing. For example, a plug may be activated to cause it to detach from a work string and travel through the casing in order to serve as a spacer between different fluids that are desirably segregated. - Therefore, the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee.
Claims (15)
Priority Applications (2)
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US12/207,002 US7673688B1 (en) | 2008-09-09 | 2008-09-09 | Casing wiping dart with filtering layer |
PCT/GB2009/002093 WO2010029283A1 (en) | 2008-09-09 | 2009-08-28 | Casing wiping dart with filtering layer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
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US12/207,002 US7673688B1 (en) | 2008-09-09 | 2008-09-09 | Casing wiping dart with filtering layer |
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US7673688B1 US7673688B1 (en) | 2010-03-09 |
US20100059228A1 true US20100059228A1 (en) | 2010-03-11 |
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