Swelling Debris Barrier and Methods
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorJoseph DeWitt Parlin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for protecting the lower main wellbore of whipstocks and completion deflectors from debris accumulation. A well system subassembly includes a deflector tool arranged within a casing string and defining a deflector surface and an inner bore extending longitudinally from the deflector surface and one or more seal stacks disposed about the inner bore of the deflector tool. A wellbore barrier device is disposed about the inner bore uphole from the one or more seal stacks and is expandable from an unswelled configuration to a swelled configuration. When the wellbore barrier device is in the swelled configuration, it protects the one or more seal stacks from debris generated from milling and/or drilling operations.
Claims20
A well system subassembly, comprising:
- a deflector tool arranged within a casing string and defining a deflector surface and an inner bore extending longitudinally from the deflector surface;
- one or more seal stacks disposed about the inner bore of the deflector tool;
- and
- a wellbore barrier device disposed about the inner bore and arranged uphole from the one or more seal stacks and being expandable from an unswelled configuration to a swelled configuration, wherein when the wellbore barrier device is in the swelled configuration, the wellbore barrier device protects the one or more seal stacks from debris generated from milling and/or drilling operations.
A method of installing a wellbore system subassembly in a well, comprising:
- arranging a deflector tool having an inner bore within a casing string cemented into the well, the deflector tool having one or more seal stacks and a wellbore barrier device disposed about the inner bore, wherein the wellbore barrier device is arranged uphole from the one or more seal stacks;
- expanding the wellbore barrier device inwardly from an unswelled configuration to a swelled configuration;
- protecting with the swelled wellbore barrier device the one or more seal stacks from debris;
- advancing a tubular string into the casing string, the tubular string being separated into at least a first production tubular and a second production tubular;
- and
- penetrating the swelled wellbore barrier device with the first tubular string.
A well system subassembly, comprising:
- a combination whipstock/deflector defining a deflector surface and an inner bore extending longitudinally from the deflector surface;
- one or more seal stacks disposed about the inner bore of the combination whipstock/deflector;
- and
- a swellable elastomer disposed about the inner bore and arranged above the one or more seal stacks, the swellable elastomer being expandable from an unswelled configuration to a swelled configuration, wherein, when the swellable elastomer is in the swelled configuration, the swellable elastomer protects the one or more seal stacks from debris.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.