Plug apparatus having a dispersible plug member and a fluid barrier
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsJames D. Vick, Jr., David L. Reesing, Ewan O. Robb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plug apparatus is provided which includes a dispersible plug member and a fluid barrier. In one embodiment described herein, a fluid barrier is utilized to prevent contamination of fluid contained in a plug apparatus. The fluid is thus available for use in dispersing a plug member of the plug apparatus, regardless of the types of other fluids present in a well in which the apparatus is installed. Various configurations of fluid barriers are also provided.
Claims108
Apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean well, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a flow passage formed therethrough;
- a dispersible plug member preventing flow through the flow passage, dispersal of the plug member being initiated upon contact with a fluid;
- at least one barrier spaced apart from the plug member and substantially isolating a volume of the fluid from contamination, the isolated volume of the fluid being disposed between the barrier and the dispersible plug member;
- and
- a dispersing mechanism selectively preventing and permitting fluid communication between the volume of the fluid and the plug member.
Apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean well, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a flow passage formed therethrough;
- a dispersible plug member preventing flow through the flow passage, the plug member being dispersible upon contact with a fluid;
- at least one barrier substantially maintaining a volume of the fluid between the barrier and the plug member.
Apparatus operatively positionable in a subterranean well, the apparatus comprising:
- a tubular member having an axial passage formed therethrough;
- at least one barrier extending across the passage;
- and
- a dispersible plug structure extending across the passage in an axially spaced relationship with the barrier and preventing flow through the axial passage, the barrier and the dispersible plug structure forming opposite ends of a longitudinal portion of the axial passage extending therebetween and adapted to hold a quantity of fluid useable to disperse the plug structure and isolated between the barrier and the dispersible plug structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.