# US 12,000,233 B2 · Single trip wellbore cleaning and sealing system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,233 B2 - Document ID: US12000233B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/073,336 - Filed: 2022-12-01 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-16 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Philippe Quero; Harley Jones, II - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000233B2 ## CPC - E21B 21/082: {Dual gradient systems, i.e. using two hydrostatic gradients or drilling fluid densities} - E21B 33/12: Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) - E21B 19/22: Handling reeled pipe or rod units, e.g. flexible drilling pipes {(lifting or hauling appliances using two or more cooperating endless chains B66D3/003)} - E21B 33/14: for cementing casings into boreholes - E21B 33/16: using plugs for isolating cement charge; Plugs therefor {(stage cementing E21B33/146; spacer compositions C09K8/424)} - E21B 33/165: {Cementing plugs specially adapted for being released down-hole (cementing heads E21B33/05)} - E21B 37/08: cleaning in situ of down-hole filters, screens, {e.g. casing perforations,} or gravel packs (E21B37/06 takes precedence) - E21B 43/11: Perforators; Permeators - E21B 43/114: Perforators using direct fluid action {on the wall to be perforated}, e.g. abrasive jets - E21B 33/1275: {inflated by down-hole pumping means operated by a down-hole drive} - E21B 34/063: {Valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc (E21B34/103 takes precedence)} - E21B 37/00: Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells (E21B21/00 takes precedence) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A downhole tool for cleaning and sealing a wellbore includes a wash tool configured at a downhole end of the downhole tool to generate pulses of a first fluid at a first frequency and a first pressure for washing a target interval of a wellbore. The downhole tool further includes a plugging tool configured uphole or downhole from the wash tool to generate pulses of a second fluid at a second frequency and a second pressure for depositing a sealing plug at the target interval of the wellbore. The second fluid has a higher viscosity than the first fluid, the second frequency is lower than the first frequency, and the second pressure is higher than the first pressure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A downhole tool, comprising: a wash tool configured to generate pulses of a first fluid at a first frequency and a first pressure for washing a target interval of a wellbore; and a plugging tool in fluid communication with the wash tool and configured for depositing a second fluid at the target interval of the wellbore to form a sealing plug, the plugging tool including an impeller driven by a flow of the second fluid and an obturation mechanism driven by the impeller to generate pulses of the second fluid at a second frequency and a second pressure by alternately interrupting and releasing the flow of the second fluid through a fluid passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the obturation mechanism comprises a plunger reciprocable to alternately block and unblock the fluid passage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising: a dynamic coupling mechanism coupled between an impeller shaft and the plunger to convert a rotation of the impeller shaft to a reciprocation of the plunger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The downhole tool of claim 3, wherein the dynamic coupling mechanism further comprises a reduction mechanism to reduce a frequency of the obturation mechanism with respect to a frequency of the impeller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising a fluid bypass arranged to pass a portion of flow around the obturation mechanism to the fluid passage when interrupted by the obturation mechanism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the obturation mechanism comprises a rotary plate with an aperture rotatable by the impeller into and out of fluid communication with the fluid passage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The downhole tool of claim 6, wherein the obturation mechanism further comprises a stationary plate with an aperture aligned with the fluid passage, wherein rotation of the first plate by the impeller moves the aperture on the rotary plate into and out of fluid communication with the aperture on the stationary plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the plugging tool further comprises a housing, with the impeller and the obturation mechanism arranged in the housing and with at least a portion of the fluid passage defined by a downstream end of the housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising a pressure activated sleeve configured to open at least one cement port for depositing the second fluid to the target interval when a pressure of the first fluid or the second fluid is increased in a chamber adjacent to the pressure activated sleeve beyond a threshold pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The downhole tool of claim 9, wherein the fluid passage of the plugging tool allows the second fluid to flow from the plugging tool into the chamber adjacent to the pressure activated sleeve, and wherein the pulses of the second fluid exit from the chamber through the at least one cement port. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising: a rupture disk configured uphole from the plugging tool to clear blockages in a work string coupled to the downhole tool as a result of an accumulation of at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid, wherein the rupture disk bursts when a pressure of a least one of the first fluid or the second fluid is increased against the rupture disk beyond a threshold pressure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is in a range of 10 to 400 Hz, the second frequency is in a range of 1 Hz to 20 Hz, and the second pressure is greater than 500 psi. ### Claim 13 A method for sealing a wellbore, comprising: driving a rotation of an impeller using a flow of a sealing fluid; using the rotation of the impeller to drive an obturation mechanism to alternately interrupt and release a flow of the sealing fluid through a fluid passage thereby generating pulses at a frequency and a pressure; and depositing the sealing fluid at a target interval, wherein the sealing fluid is solidifiable into a sealing plug at the target interval. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: before depositing the sealing fluid, washing the target interval of a wellbore with pulses of a washing fluid at a higher frequency and pressure than the pulses in the sealing fluid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: operating a pressure activated sleeve after washing the interval to open at least one cement port; and depositing the sealing fluid to the target interval through the at least one cement port. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein operating the pressure activated sleeve comprises increasing a pumping rate of the washing fluid or the sealing fluid to increase a pressure of the washing fluid beyond a threshold pressure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising flowing a wash fluid through one or more side ports to wash the target interval prior to depositing the sealing fluid, wherein operating the pressure activated sleeve further comprises closing the one or more side ports. ### Claim 18 A plugging tool for depositing a sealing plug at a target interval of a wellbore, comprising: a fluid pulse generator for generating pulses of a high viscosity sealing fluid, wherein the fluid pulse generator comprises: an impeller driven by a flow of the sealing fluid through a housing; and an obturation mechanism driven by the impeller to generate pulses of the sealing fluid having a frequency and a pressure by alternately interrupting and releasing the flow of the sealing fluid through a fluid passage. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The plugging tool of claim 18, further comprising: a pressure activated sleeve coupled to the fluid pulse generator adjacent to the fluid passage, wherein: the pressure activated sleeve receives flow of the high viscosity sealing fluid from the fluid pulse generator via the fluid passage into a chamber adjacent to the pressure activated sleeve; and the pressure activated sleeve is configured to open at least one cement port when a pressure of the high viscosity sealing fluid in the chamber is increased beyond a threshold pressure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The downhole tool of claim 18, wherein the fluid pulse generator is operable to pulse a wash fluid at a first frequency and to pulse the sealing fluid at a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is in a range of 10 to 400 Hz and the second frequency is in a range of 1 Hz to 20 Hz.