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US 12,716,323 B2Granted
Sub-surface release plug with pressure bypass
AssigneeWeatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
InventorsMarcel Budde, Mark Baas, Carlo Mak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wiper plug assembly has a bypass passageway to allow pressure equalization between the wellbore below the plug and the annulus above the plug. The passageway has a unidirectional valve positioned to prevent fluid flow downhole while allowing fluid flow uphole.
Claims20
A subsurface plug assembly for use in a wellbore extending through a subterranean formation, the subsurface releasable plug assembly comprising:
- a bottom wiper plug assembly having:
- a bottom wiper plug body defining a longitudinal throughbore,
- a first seat defined in the throughbore for cooperating with a first obturating object, and
- a plurality of bottom wiper fins extending radially from the bottom wiper plug body;
- a top wiper plug assembly releasably connected to the bottom wiper plug assembly, the top wiper plug assembly having:
- a top wiper plug body defining a longitudinal throughbore;
- a second seat defined in the throughbore of the top wiper plug body for cooperating with a second obturating object,
- a plurality of top wiper fins extending radially from the top wiper plug body,
- an upper wellbore annulus defined between the wellbore and an exterior of the top wiper plug assembly, the upper wellbore annulus uphole from the plurality of top wiper fins, and
- a longitudinal bypass passageway having a unidirectional valve assembly positioned therein, the bypass passageway having an outlet formed in an upper end of the top wiper plug assembly, the outlet in fluid communication with the upper wellbore annulus;
- and
- an annular chamber defined between the top wiper plug assembly and the bottom wiper plug assembly, the annular chamber in fluid communication with the throughbore of the bottom wiper plug body and in fluid communication with an inlet of the bypass passageway;
- and
- a flow path defined for flowing fluid from the throughbore of the bottom wiper plug body through the annular chamber, then through the inlet of the bypass passageway, then through the unidirectional valve assembly, then through the outlet of the bypass passageway, and then to the upper wellbore annulus, thereby allowing fluid pressure to bypass the top wiper plug assembly from below the bottom wiper plug assembly.
11 more elements
A method of wiping a tubular positioned in a wellbore extending through a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
- running in a workstring having a liner, a top wiper plug assembly and a bottom wiper plug assembly positioned on the liner, the top wiper plug assembly and the bottom wiper plug assembly each having a least one radially extending fin for wiping a tubular positioned in the wellbore;
- in response to hydraulic pressure below the workstring:
- flowing wellbore fluid from a throughbore defined in the bottom wiper plug assembly into an annular chamber defined between the top wiper plug assembly and the bottom wiper plug assembly;
- flowing fluid from the annular chamber through a bypass passageway defined longitudinally through the top wiper plug assembly;
- opening, with the fluid flow, a unidirectional valve assembly positioned in the bypass passageway;
- and
- flowing fluid from the bypass passageway through an outlet positioned at an upper end of the top wiper plug assembly uphole from the at least one radial fin of the top wiper plug assembly and into an upper wellbore annulus defined between the exterior of the workstring and the tubular positioned in the wellbore, the upper wellbore annulus uphole from the top wiper plug assembly.
4 more elements
A system for use in a wellbore extending through a subterranean formation, the system comprising:
- a workstring having a liner, a liner hanger, and a wiper plug assembly;
- the wiper plug assembly having a top wiper plug assembly and a bottom wiper plug assembly;
- the bottom wiper plug assembly having:
- a bottom wiper plug body defining a longitudinal throughbore, a first seat defined in the throughbore for cooperating with a first obturating object, a plurality of bottom wiper fins extending radially from the bottom wiper plug body;
- the top wiper plug assembly having:
- a top wiper plug body defining a longitudinal throughbore, a second seat defined in the throughbore for cooperating with a second obturating object, a plurality of top wiper fins extending radially from the top wiper plug body, and a longitudinal bypass passageway having a unidirectional valve assembly positioned therein;
- and
- the bottom wiper plug assembly releasably connected to the top wiper plug assembly, an annular chamber formed between the top wiper plug assembly and the bottom wiper plug assembly, a flow path defined for flowing fluid from the throughbore of the bottom wiper plug assembly to the annular chamber, then from the annular chamber to the bypass passageway, then through the bypass passageway to an outlet positioned at an upper end of the top wiper plug assembly uphole from the plurality of top wiper fins, then through the outlet to an upper wellbore annulus, the upper wellbore annulus defined between an exterior of the top wiper plug assembly and the wellbore and uphole from the plurality of top wiper fins.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.