Nano-thermite well plug
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsDavid D. Hearn, Casey Hirschmann, Randall S. Shafer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composition and methods for setting a plug for well bores undergoing plugging and abandonment operations. Methods include placing a blocking device below the plug location and creating a void space above the blocking device; placing a heat resistant base plate above the blocking device and introducing nano-thermite clusters and expandable bismuth alloy pellets into the void space; igniting the thermite and cooling the melted alloy to form a permanent plug in the void space.
Claims21
A method for plugging a well comprising:
- a) placing a heat resistant blocking device below and adjacent to a predetermined location for a permanent plug in a wellbore;
- b) creating a void space above said blocking device;
- c) introducing nano-thermite clusters of <500 nm average diameter into said void space in said wellbore;
- d) igniting a thermite reaction in said nano-thermite using an ignition bailer in contact with at least one nano-thermite clusters, wherein said reaction is self-propagating from cluster to cluster;
- e) removing said ignition bailer;
- f) allowing well metal and metal from said nano-thermite to liquefy;
- and
- g) forming a permanent plug in said void space, wherein said permanent plug comprises admixed and cooled well metal and metal from said nano-thermite.
A method for plugging a well comprising:
- a) placing a blocking device immediately below a predetermined location for a permanent plug in a wellbore;
- b) creating a void space above said blocking device using a rupture and expansion tool to rupture and expand casing and production tubing;
- c) placing a heat resistant base plate directly above and in contact with said blocking device and reaching reservoir walls;
- d) introducing nano-thermite clusters of <500 nm average diameter into said void space in said wellbore and optionally metal pellets;
- e) igniting a thermite reaction in said nano-thermite using an ignition bailer in contact with at least one nano-thermite cluster, wherein said reaction is self-propagating from cluster to cluster;
- f) removing said ignition bailer;
- g) melting said ruptured and expanded casing and production tubing and melting said optional metal pellets in said nano-thermite;
- and,
- h) forming a permanent plug in said void space, wherein said permanent plug comprises admixed and cooled molten casing and production tubing and molten metal from said nano-thermite and said optional metal pellets.
A method for plugging a well comprising:
- a) placing a blocking device immediately below a predetermined location for a permanent plug in a wellbore;
- b) creating a void space above said blocking device using a rupture and expansion tool to rupture and expand casing and production tubing;
- c) placing a heat resistant base plate directly above and in contact with said blocking device and reaching reservoir walls;
- d) introducing nano-thermite clusters of <500 nm average diameter into said void space;
- e) introducing expandable bismuth alloy pellets into said void space;
- f) igniting a thermite reaction in said nano-thermite, wherein said reaction is self-propagating from cluster to cluster;
- g) melting said expandable bismuth alloy pellets;
- and,
- h) cooling said melted expandable bismuth alloy pellets to form a permanent plug in said void space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.