Tubular wire mesh for loss circulation and wellbore stability

A method for sealing a problem zone of a subterranean well, the method including:

• delivering a wire mesh member into a wellbore of the subterranean well, where the wire mesh member has a tubular shape and a plurality of openings, where delivering the wire mesh member into the wellbore of the subterranean well includes delivering wire mesh member through a drill string, and where the wire mesh member has:
• an initial orientation where the wire mesh member has an initial outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of the wellbore;
• a reduced orientation where the wire mesh member has a reduced outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the wellbore and where the wire mesh member has an induced bending stress;
• and
• an installed orientation where the wire mesh member has an installed outer diameter that is generally equal to the inner diameter of the wellbore and where the wire mesh member has a residual bending stress;
• positioning the wire mesh member within the problem zone of the subterranean well;
• moving the wire mesh member from the reduced orientation to the installed orientation so that an outer surface of the wire mesh member engages an inner surface of the wellbore;
• and
• plugging the plurality of openings to prevent a flow of fluid radially through the wire mesh member.

A method for sealing a problem zone of a subterranean well, the method including:

• rolling a wire mesh sheet into a tubular shape to form a wire mesh member having an initial orientation, where in the initial orientation the wire mesh member has an initial outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of a wellbore of the subterranean well and where the wire mesh member is free of bending stresses;
• moving the wire mesh sheet from the initial orientation to a reduced orientation, where in the reduced orientation the wire mesh member has a reduced outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the wellbore and where the wire mesh member has an induced bending stress, where an end of the wire mesh member has reduced orientation overlap that is greater than a circumference of the wire mesh member, such that the wire mesh member has at least two layers of the wire mesh member over the entire circumference of the wire mesh member;
• maintaining the wire mesh member in the reduced orientation with a removable fastener;
• delivering the wire mesh member into the wellbore of the subterranean well and positioning the wire mesh member within the problem zone of the subterranean well;
• dissolving the removable fastener so that the wire mesh member moves from the reduced orientation to an installed orientation and an outer surface of the where mesh member engages an inner surface of the wellbore, where in the installed orientation the wire mesh member has an installed outer diameter that is generally equal to the inner diameter of the wellbore, where the end of the wire mesh member has an installed overlap that is less than the circumference of the wire mesh member, such that the wire mesh member has two layers of the wire mesh member over a length of the circumference of the installed overlap and a single layer of the wire mesh member over a remaining circumference, and where the wire mesh member has a residual bending stress;
• and
• plugging a plurality of openings of the wire mesh member to prevent a flow of fluid radially through the wire mesh member between the problem zone of the subterranean well and a wire inner bore of the wire mesh member;
• where
• moving the wire mesh member from the reduced orientation to the installed orientation causes the end of the wire mesh member to move a distance that is longer than the circumference of the wire mesh member from the reduced orientation overlap to the installed overlap.

A system for sealing a problem zone of a subterranean well, the system including:

• a wire mesh member formed of a rolled wire mesh sheet and having a tubular shape and a plurality of openings and positioned within the problem zone of the subterranean well, where the wire mesh member has:
• an initial orientation where the wire mesh member has an initial outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of the wellbore;
• a reduced orientation where the wire mesh member has a reduced outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the wellbore and where the wire mesh member has an induced bending stress, where an end of the wire mesh member has reduced orientation overlap that is greater than a circumference of the wire mesh member, such that the wire mesh member has at least two layers of the wire mesh member over the entire circumference of the wire mesh member;
• and
• an installed orientation where the wire mesh member has an installed outer diameter that is generally equal to the inner diameter of the wellbore, where the end of the wire mesh member has an installed overlap that is less than the circumference of the wire mesh member, such that the wire mesh member has two layers of the wire mesh member over a length of the circumference of the installed overlap and a single layer of the wire mesh member over a remaining circumference, and where the wire mesh member has a residual bending stress;
• where
• the wire mesh member is moveable from the reduced orientation to the installed orientation with an outer surface of the wire mesh member engaging an inner surface of the wellbore, the end of the wire mesh member moving a distance that is longer than the circumference of the wire mesh member from the reduced orientation overlap to the installed overlap;
• and
• the system further includes a plugging material positioned to plug the plurality of openings and operable to prevent a flow of fluid radially through the wire mesh member.

A system for sealing a problem zone of a subterranean well, the system including:

• a wire mesh member having a tubular shape and a plurality of openings and positioned within the problem zone of the subterranean well, where the wire mesh member has:
• an initial orientation where the wire mesh member has an initial outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of the wellbore;
• a reduced orientation where the wire mesh member has a reduced outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the wellbore and where the wire mesh member has an induced bending stress;
• and
• an installed orientation where the wire mesh member has an installed outer diameter that is generally equal to the inner diameter of the wellbore and where the wire mesh member has a residual bending stress;
• where
• the wire mesh member is moveable from the reduced orientation to the installed orientation with an outer surface of the wire mesh member engaging an inner surface of the wellbore;
• where in the reduced orientation the wire mesh member is sized to move through a drill string;
• and
• the system further includes a plugging material positioned to plug the plurality of openings and operable to prevent a flow of fluid radially through the wire mesh member.