Method of remediating leaks in a cement sheath surrounding a wellbore tubular
AssigneeShell USA, Inc.
InventorFrank Ruckert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An energetics device is employed to create an outwardly directed pressure wave at a selected depth within a wellbore tubular cemented into a wellbore. The pressure wave causes the wellbore tubular to plastically deform at the selected depth. This locally expands the wellbore tubular at the selected depth, whereby a circumferential recess is created into an inner surface of the wellbore tubular and whereby the outer surface of the wellbore tubular is forced into the surrounding cement sheath at the selected depth. Microcavities and/or micro annuli in the impacted zone may be sealed as a result.
Claims10
A method of remediating leaks in a cement sheath of cured cement surrounding a wellbore tubular in an underground wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an energetics device comprising at least one charge;
- moving the energetics device to a selected depth in the wellbore tubular;
- and
- detonating the at least one charge to create an outwardly directed pressure wave over a full 360 radiation angle in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the wellbore tubular at the location of the energetics device;
- plastically deforming the wellbore tubular with the pressure wave at the selected depth thereby forming a circumferential recess into an inner surface of the wellbore tubular whereby forcing the outer surface of the wellbore tubular at the selected depth into the surrounding cement sheath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.