Heat sources and alloys for use in down-hole applications
AssigneeBiSN Tec Ltd
InventorPaul Carragher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A chemical reaction heat source for use in heaters used in down-hole applications is provided. The heat source has a fuel composition that comprises thermite and a damping agent. The use of the thermite mix enables the heaters of the present invention to generate hotter temperatures down wells. This in turn allows the use of Bismuth/Germanium alloys, which have higher melting points, to enable the production of plugs for the abandonment of deeper wells where subterranean temperatures are higher.
Claims14
1-22 (canceled)
A plug tool comprising:
- a heating element having an up hole end and a down hole end and defining therebetween a longitudinal axis;
- the heating element comprising a first zone and a second along the longitudinal axis, wherein the first zone is closer to the up hole end that the second zone;
- wherein each zone comprises thermite and a damping agent defining a ratio of thermite to dampening agent;
- and wherein the ratio for the first zone is different from the ratio of the second zone;
- and,
- a plug material comprising an alloy.
A method of abandoning a well, the method comprising:
- a. positioning a well abonnement system in a well, the system comprising:
- i) a heater that comprises a chemical reaction heat source having a fuel composition that comprises a thermite composition;
- and,
- ii) a plug material comprising an alloy;
- iii) wherein the heater defines a plurality of longitudinal zones having differing ratios of the chemical reaction heat source and a dampening agent, whereby at least two of the zones have different heating capacities;
- and,
- b. igniting the thermite composition and thereby melting the plug material in a controlled manner;
- and,
- c. solidifying the plug forming material to plug the well.
A method of tailoring a well abandonment system to suit an underground conduit or well comprising:
- a. assessing down-hole environmental characteristics of the underground conduit or well that is to be plugged;
- b. selecting an alloy comprising a material suitable to produce a stable plug within the environment of the underground conduit or well;
- c. providing a chemical reaction heat source suitable to melt the selected bismuth alloy, said heat source having a fuel composition that comprises thermite and a damping agent;
- wherein the heat source has a plurality of zones along a longitudinal axis, whereby at least two of the zones comprise different amounts of dampening agent;
- and,
- d. producing a tailored well abandonment system comprising the selected alloy and provided chemical reaction heat source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.