Temporary plug system

An apparatus for temporarily closing a subterranean fluid conducting conduit comprising:

• a tubular housing disposed within the fluid of a subterranean well;
• a temporary plug being constructed at least partially from material dissolvable in the well fluid, the plug being positioned within said housing for blocking fluid passage through said housing;
• said temporary plug comprising a salt binder and an aggregate the aggregate comprising sand particles having a maximum diameter of 1 millimeter and being sufficiently small as to not impede other operations within the well, the aggregate and binder being solidified into a substantially rigid frangible member the binder being dissolvable in the well fluid thereby releasing individual pieces of said aggregate one from the other;
• said temporary plug further being at least partially contained within a dissolving resistant encasement of substantially pure binder:
• a mechanical fracturing means for breaking said temporary plug so that fluid flow through said housing is permitted;
• and
• a means for piercing said encasement thereby allowing the well fluid access to the interior of said temporary plug.

A method for temporarily closing a subterranean fluid conducting conduit, comprising the steps of:

• installing a temporary frangible plug within a housing located within a fluid conducting conduit;
• disposing said housing into a subterranean well so that said plug is submerged in well fluid;
• fracturing said temporary plug so that said plug breaks into pieces that are unsupportable within said housing thereby permitting fluid flow through said housing;
• and
• dissolving said plug into particles small enough not to foul future operations within the well.

An apparatus for temporarily closing a subterranean fluid conducting conduit, comprising:

• a tubular housing disposed within the fluid of a subterranean well;
• a temporary plug positioned within said housing for blocking fluid passage through said housing;
• said temporary plug having an interior core of unbound aggregate contained within a flexible membrane;
• and
• said aggregate being vacuum packed within said membrane so that said temporary plug is substantially rigid while the vacuum is maintained within the membrane.

A method for temporarily closing a subterranean fluid conducting conduit, comprising the following steps:

• installing a temporary plug within a housing located within a fluid conducting conduit wherein said temporary plug has an interior core of loose aggregate contained within a flexible membrane, said aggregate being vacuum packed within said membrane so that said temporary plug is substantially rigid while the vacuum is maintained within the membrane;
• disposing said housing into a subterranean well so that said plug is submerged in well fluid;
• and
• piercing said membrane so that said vacuum is balanced thereby allowing said substantially rigid plug to collapse and become unsupportable within said housing thereby permitting fluid flow through said housing.

An apparatus for temporarily closing a subterranean fluid conducting conduit, comprising:

• a tubular housing disposed within the fluid of a subterranean well;
• a temporary plug positioned within said housing for blocking fluid passage through said housing;
• said temporary plug supported within said housing about a periphery of said plug;
• and
• said temporary plug having a substantially spherical dome shape that results in substantially exclusive compressive force generation within said plug during operation.

A method of establishing and removing a temporary plug within a well bore, comprising the steps of:

• a. disposing a frangible plug within a well bore to block fluid flow therethrough;
• b. disposing a plug rupture mechanism within the well bore proximate said plug, said plug rupture mechanism being actuatable by introduction of increased pressure within the well bore;
• and
• c. substantially destroying said plug by introduction of increased pressure within the well bore to actuate the plug rupture mechanism.

A method of establishing and removing a temporary plug within a well bore comprising the steps of:

• a. disposing a frangible plug within a well bore to block fluid flow therethrough;
• b. disposing a plug rupture mechanism within the well bore proximate said plug, the plug rupture mechanism comprising a shear member operable to penetrate the plug to degrade the integrity of the plug, the plug rupture mechanism being actuatable by introduction of increased pressure within the well bore;
• and
• c. substantially destroying said plug by introduction of increased pressure within the well bore to actuate the plug rupture mechanism.