# US 12,215,563 B2 · Liner top diagnostic tool

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- Number: US 12,215,563 B2
- Document ID: US12215563B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/986,593
- Filed: 2022-11-14
- Published: 2024-05-16
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-11-14
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Muhammad Ali Qureshi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215563B2

## CPC

- E21B 33/128: with a member expanded radially by axial pressure (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence)
- E21B 23/06: for setting packers
- E21B 47/117: Detecting leaks, e.g. from tubing, by pressure testing
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

Systems and methods include a method for testing in a well. Inflow packers are run into a hole in locked position downhole. A liner top diagnostic tool is run on a drill pipe to a desired depth. A lower-packer-sized ball is dropped into the well to activate a lower inflow packer assembly. A back side of the lower inflow packer assembly is pressure-tested to ensure seal integrity. The lower inflow packer is unset by withdrawing string weight while rotating the string. The drill string is displaced to test fluid to the end of the string, and weight and rotation are applied again to set the lower inflow packer. A Homer plot is established based on an inflow test. A deactivation-sized ball is dropped to deactivate the lower include packer assembly. An upper inflow packer assembly is activated using upper-packer-sized ball. A leak is identified based on testing both liner tops.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
running inflow packers in a locked position downhole into a well;
running a liner top diagnostic tool (LTDT) in a drill pipe to a desired depth in the well;
dropping, using a string, a lower-packer-sized ball to activate a lower inflow packer into a well assembly;
pressure-testing a back side of the lower inflow packer assembly to ensure a seal integrity;
unsetting the lower inflow packer by withdrawing a string weight while rotating the string;
displacing the string to test fluid to the end of the string, and applying weight and rotation to set the lower inflow packer;
establishing a Horner plot based, at least in part, on performing an inflow test;
dropping a deactivation-sized ball into the well to deactivate the lower inflow packer included in the well assembly;
activating an upper inflow packer assembly using upper-packer-sized balls; and
identifying a leak into the well based, at least in part, on testing liner tops.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
pulling the string out-of-hole after the liner tops are tested.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
dropping a lower-packer-sized ball to activate a lower inflow packer into the well assembly before activating the lower inflow packer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
increasing pressure to shear an activation plate and unlock a J-slot after the lower-packer-sized ball lands in a ball seat.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein dropping the lower-packer-sized ball to activate the lower inflow packer comprises rotating the string counter-clockwise and setting weight down to cause packer elements to be pushed outwards.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein rotating the string is done clockwise to re-engage the J-slot and to allow the packer elements to relax.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
picking up the string and rotating the string clockwise to retract the lower inflow packer.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:
running inflow packers in a locked position downhole into a well;
running a liner top diagnostic tool (LTDT) in a drill pipe to a desired depth in the well;
dropping, using a string, a lower-packer-sized ball to activate a lower inflow packer into a well assembly;
pressure-testing a back side of the lower inflow packer assembly to ensure a seal integrity;
unsetting the lower inflow packer by withdrawing a string weight while rotating the string;
displacing the string to test fluid to the end of the string, and applying weight and rotation to set the lower inflow packer;
establishing a Horner plot based, at least in part, on performing an inflow test;
dropping a deactivation-sized ball into the well to deactivate the lower inflow packer included in the well assembly;
activating an upper inflow packer assembly using upper-packer-sized balls; and
identifying a leak into the well based, at least in part, on testing liner tops.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:
pulling the string out-of-hole after the liner tops are tested.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:
dropping a lower-packer-sized ball to activate a lower inflow packer into the well assembly before activating the lower inflow packer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:
increasing pressure to shear an activation plate and unlock a J-slot after the lower-packer-sized ball lands in a ball seat.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein dropping the lower-packer-sized ball to activate the lower inflow packer comprises rotating the string counter-clockwise and setting weight down to cause packer elements to be pushed outwards.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein rotating the string is done clockwise to re-engage the J-slot and to allow the packer elements to relax.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:
picking up the string and rotating the string clockwise to retract the lower inflow packer.

### Claim 15

A computer-implemented system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing programming instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the programming instructions instructing the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
running inflow packers in a locked position downhole into a well;
running a liner top diagnostic tool (LTDT) in a drill pipe to a desired depth in the well;
dropping, using a string, a lower-packer-sized ball to activate a lower inflow packer into a well assembly;
pressure-testing a back side of the lower inflow packer assembly to ensure a seal integrity;
unsetting the lower inflow packer by withdrawing a string weight while rotating the string;
displacing the string to test fluid to the end of the string, and applying weight and rotation to set the lower inflow packer;
establishing a Horner plot based, at least in part, on performing an inflow test;
dropping a deactivation-sized ball into the well to deactivate the lower inflow packer included in the well assembly;
activating an upper inflow packer assembly using upper-packer-sized balls; and
identifying a leak into the well based, at least in part, on testing liner tops.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:
pulling the string out-of-hole after the liner tops are tested.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:
dropping a lower-packer-sized ball to activate a lower inflow packer into the well assembly before activating the lower inflow packer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:
increasing pressure to shear an activation plate and unlock a J-slot after the lower-packer-sized ball lands in a ball seat.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein dropping the lower-packer-sized ball to activate the lower inflow packer comprises rotating the string counter-clockwise and setting weight down to cause packer elements to be pushed outwards.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein rotating the string is done clockwise to re-engage the J-slot and to allow the packer elements to relax.