# US 12,215,568 B2 · Removal and collection of wellbore scale and debris > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,568 B2 - Document ID: US12215568B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/077,920 - Filed: 2022-12-08 - Published: 2024-06-13 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-08 - Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Inventors: Bandar S. Malki; Juan Manuel Polo Terán; Mohammad Abdullah Alkhateeb - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215568B2 ## CPC - E21B 37/02: Scrapers specially adapted therefor - E21B 27/00: Containers for collecting or depositing substances in boreholes or wells, e.g. bailers, {baskets or buckets} for collecting mud or sand; Drill bits with means for collecting substances, e.g. valve drill bits - 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 An apparatus includes a scale removal head, a scale collector, a circulating plate assembly, and a guide. The scale removal head includes a plurality of blades that scrape against a wall of a wellbore to remove scale from the wall of the wellbore in response to rotation of the apparatus. The scale collector defines a first inner region within a surrounding slotted chamber. The circulating plate assembly defines a second inner region within a pipe. The first inner region and the second inner region together define a collection volume for accumulating and storing scale that has been removed from the wall of the wellbore. The guide includes a plurality of blades that scrape against the wall of the wellbore to remove scale from the wall of the wellbore as the apparatus rotates. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a scale removal head configured to couple to a drill pipe and to cause the apparatus to rotate with the drill pipe, the scale removal head comprising a first plurality of blades distributed around and extending radially outward from a surface of the scale removal head, each blade of the first plurality of blades comprising a plurality of first inserts disposed on a surface of the respective blade, wherein the first plurality of blades and their respective pluralities of first inserts are cooperatively configured to scrape against a wall of a wellbore to remove scale from the wall of the wellbore in response to rotation of the apparatus; a scale collector configured to couple to the scale removal head and rotate with the scale removal head, the scale collector comprising a surrounding slotted chamber, the scale collector defining a first inner region within the surrounding slotted chamber; a circulating plate assembly configured to couple to the scale collector and rotate with the scale collector, the circulating plate assembly comprising a pipe comprising an open end and a perforated end opposite the open end, the circulating plate assembly defining a second inner region within the pipe, wherein the first inner region and the second inner region together define a collection volume for accumulating and storing scale that has been removed from the wall of the wellbore, the perforated end defines a plurality of perforations through which fluid can pass through the pipe as the apparatus rotates and removes scale from the wall of the wellbore; and a guide configured to couple to the circulating plate assembly and rotate with the circulating plate assembly, the guide comprising a second plurality of blades distributed around and extending radially outward from a surface of the guide, each blade of the second plurality of blades comprising a plurality of second inserts disposed on a surface of the respective blade, wherein the second plurality of blades and their respective pluralities of second inserts are cooperatively configured to scrape against the wall of the wellbore to remove scale from the wall of the wellbore as the apparatus rotates. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide comprises a jet nozzle configured to circulate fluid through the wellbore, thereby facilitating travel of the apparatus through the wellbore and removal of scale from the wall of the wellbore. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the scale removal head is coupled to the drill pipe; the scale collector is coupled to the scale removal head opposite of the drill pipe; the circulating plate assembly is coupled to the scale collector opposite of the scale removal head; and the guide is coupled to the circulating plate assembly opposite of the scale collector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the guide comprises a body around which the second plurality of blades are distributed and from which the second plurality of blades extend radially outward, wherein the blades of the second plurality of blades of the guide are smaller in comparison to the blades of the first plurality of blades of the scale removal head, and the guide is configured to, in response to the jet nozzle circulating fluid through the wellbore and the apparatus rotating, centralize the apparatus with respect to the wall of the wellbore. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the surrounding slotted chamber of the scale collector is coupled to the pipe of the circulating plate assembly, such that the surrounding slotted chamber and the pipe form an enclosure having the collection volume for accumulating and storing scale that has been removed from the wall of the wellbore. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein: the scale removal head is coupled to the drill pipe by a first threaded connection; the scale collector is coupled to the scale removal head by a second threaded connection; the circulating plate assembly is coupled to the scale collector by a third threaded connection; and the guide is coupled to the circulating plate assembly by a fourth threaded connection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the surrounding slotted chamber defines a plurality of slots, and each slot of the plurality of slots has a width in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the perforated end of the pipe of the circulating plate assembly defines a plurality of perforations, and each perforation of the plurality of perforations has a diameter in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. ### Claim 9 A method comprising: rotating an apparatus disposed within a tubular installed in a wellbore, wherein the apparatus comprises a scale removal head, a scale collector, a circulating plate assembly, and a guide, wherein the scale collector comprises a surrounding slotted chamber and defines a first inner region, wherein the circulating plate assembly comprises a pipe comprising an open end and a perforated end opposite the open end, wherein the circulating plate assembly defines a second inner region, wherein the first inner region and the second inner region together define a collection volume, wherein the perforated end defines a plurality of perforations; circulating fluid, by a jet nozzle of the guide, through the wellbore, thereby facilitating travel of the apparatus through the tubular; allowing, by the perforations of the circulating plate assembly, the fluid to flow through pipe of the circulating plate assembly as the apparatus is rotated; in response to rotating the apparatus and circulating fluid, centralizing the apparatus within the tubular; in response to rotating the apparatus, scraping against a wall of the tubular with a first plurality of blades of the scale removal head to remove scale from the wall of the tubular, wherein the first plurality of blades are distributed around and extend radially outward from a surface of the scale removal head; in response to rotating the apparatus, scraping against the wall of the tubular with a second plurality of blades of the guide to remove scale from the wall of the tubular, wherein the second plurality of blades are distributed around and extend radially outward from a surface of the guide; and collecting within the collection volume of the apparatus the scale that has been removed from the wall of the tubular. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein: the scale removal head and the guide are located at opposite ends of the apparatus; each blade of the first plurality of blades comprises a plurality of first inserts disposed on a surface of the respective blade, and the first plurality of blades and their respective pluralities of first inserts scrape, in response to rotating the apparatus, against the wall of the tubular to remove scale from the wall of the tubular; and each blade of the second plurality of blades comprises a plurality of second inserts disposed on a surface of the respective blade, and the second plurality of blades and their respective pluralities of second inserts scrape, in response to rotating the apparatus, against the wall of the tubular to remove scale from the wall of the tubular. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the scale collector comprises a surrounding slotted chamber; the surrounding slotted chamber of the scale collector is coupled to the pipe of the circulating plate assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is coupled to and rotated by a thru-tubing motor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is coupled to and rotated by a drill pipe. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein: the scale removal head is coupled to the drill pipe by a first threaded connection; the scale collector is coupled to the scale removal head opposite of the drill pipe by a second threaded connection; the circulating plate assembly is coupled to the scale collector opposite of the scale removal head by a third threaded connection; and the guide is coupled to the circulating plate assembly opposite of the scale collector by a fourth threaded connection. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the surrounding slotted chamber defines a plurality of slots, and each slot of the plurality of slots has a width in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the perforated end of the pipe of the circulating plate assembly defines a plurality of perforations, and each perforation of the plurality of perforations has a diameter in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a coiled tubing; a thru-tubing motor coupled to the coiled tubing; and an apparatus coupled to the thru-tubing motor and disposed within a wellbore, the apparatus comprising: a scale removal head coupled to the thru-tubing motor, wherein the thru-tubing motor is configured to rotate the apparatus, the scale removal head comprising a first plurality of blades distributed around and extending radially outward from a surface of the scale removal head, each blade of the first plurality of blades comprising a plurality of first inserts disposed on a surface of the respective blade, wherein the first plurality of blades and their respective pluralities of first inserts are cooperatively configured to scrape against a wall of the wellbore to remove scale from the wall of the wellbore as the apparatus rotates; a scale collector coupled to the scale removal head opposite of the thru-tubing motor and configured to rotate with the scale removal head, the scale collector comprising a surrounding slotted chamber, the scale collector defining a first inner region within the surrounding slotted chamber; a circulating plate assembly coupled to the scale collector opposite of the scale removal head and configured to rotate with the scale collector, the circulating plate assembly comprising a pipe comprising an open end and a perforated end opposite the open end, the circulating plate assembly defining a second inner region within the pipe, wherein the first inner region and the second inner region together define a collection volume for accumulating and storing scale that has been removed from the wall of the wellbore, the perforated end defining a plurality of perforations through which fluid can pass through the pipe as the apparatus rotates and removes scale from the wall of the wellbore; and a guide coupled to the circulating plate assembly opposite of the scale collector and configured to rotate with the circulating plate assembly, the guide comprising a second plurality of blades distributed around and extending radially outward from a surface of the guide, each blade of the second plurality of blades comprising a plurality of second inserts disposed on a surface of the respective blade, wherein the second plurality of blades and their respective pluralities of second inserts are cooperatively configured to scrape against the wall of the wellbore to remove scale from the wall of the wellbore as the apparatus rotates. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the guide comprises a jet nozzle configured to circulate fluid through the wellbore, thereby facilitating travel of the apparatus through the wellbore and removal of scale from the wall of the wellbore. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the surrounding slotted chamber of the scale collector is coupled to the pipe of the circulating plate assembly, such that the surrounding slotted chamber and the pipe form an enclosure having the collection volume for accumulating and storing scale that has been removed from the wall of the wellbore. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein: the surrounding slotted chamber defines a plurality of slots, and each slot of the plurality of slots has a width in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters; and the perforated end of the pipe of the circulating plate assembly defines a plurality of perforations, and each perforation of the plurality of perforations has a diameter in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters.