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US 11,885,191 B2Granted
Patch for joining downhole ends of pipes
OwnerDaniel T. Craiginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downhole tool for joining a string of pipe to a tubular already downhole with a seal element made of metal or metal alloy with a melting point lower than the melting point of the tool and tubular but higher than the temperature of expected downhole operating conditions.
Claims25
A downhole tool for joining a string of pipe to which the downhole tool is attached to a downhole tubular in a wellbore, the downhole tool comprising:
- a connector disposed on an upper end of the downhole tool capable of joining the upper end of the downhole tool to the string of pipe;
- a catch adapted to join a lower end of the downhole tool to an upper end of the downhole tubular by lowering the downhole tool to overlap the lower end of the downhole tool with the upper end of the downhole tubular;
- and
- at least one seal capable of creating a seal between the lower end of the downhole tool and the downhole tubular where they overlap;
- wherein the downhole tool defines a hollow passageway capable of communicating fluid between the string of pipe and the downhole tubular once the downhole tool is joined to the string of pipe and the downhole tubular;
- and
- wherein the seal comprises:
- a housing;
- and
- a plurality of sealing elements, the plurality of sealing elements comprising:
- one or more melting metal sealing elements made of a eutectic metal alloy with a melting point lower than an annealing temperature of the tubular;
- and
- one or more sealing elements made of rubber, non-rubber elastomer, or a non-eutectic metal or metal alloy configured to act as barrier to impede migration of a flow of the eutectic metal or metal alloy when melted by a heater within the vicinity of the one or more melting metal sealing elements.
10 more elements
A method of connecting a string of pipe to an end of a downhole tubular in a wellbore, the method comprising:
- lowering a downhole tool into the wellbore on the end of the string of pipe, the downhole tool comprising a catch and a seal, the seal comprising a housing and a plurality of sealing elements;
- overlapping a lower end of the downhole tool and an upper end of the downhole tubular and setting the catch to form a connection between the lower end of the downhole tool and the upper end of the downhole tubular where they overlap;
- melting the melting metal sealing elements by heating the melting metal sealing elements;
- stopping heating of the metal sealing elements after they melt to allow the melting metal to solidify to form at least a partial seal between the downhole tool and the end of the downhole tubular;
- wherein the plurality of sealing elements comprises:
- one or more melting metal sealing elements made of a eutectic metal alloy with a melting point lower than an annealing temperature of the tubular, and
- one or more sealing elements made at least in part from of rubber, non-rubber elastomer, or non-eutectic metal or metal alloy, which are configured to act as barrier to impede migration of a flow along the casing patch of the eutectic metal or metal alloy when melted by a heater within the vicinity of the one or more melting metal sealing elements.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.