Disintegrating Agglomerated Sand Frack Plug

摘要

The frack plug has a sealing element that reforms when set to hold differential pressure. The element is granular with adhesive to hold the granular particles together but allow the shape to reform under setting force. The adhesive can be broken down with a chemical agent or in other ways to allow the seal to reform to the sealing position at the desired depth. As a result the structural components can disintegrate and the seal assembly can fragment into small pieces that can be circulated out of the well or allowed to drop to the hole bottom. The seal can have particles of controlled electrolytic materials (CEM), natural or synthetic sand, swelling or non-swelling rubber. The assembly can contain pellets that selectively release to initiate the breakdown of the structural components of the frack plug.

主权项

1. A removable plug for subterranean use, comprising:
a mandrel made of a material that can be structurally compromised after a predetermined time with exposure to existing well conditions upon running in or later created well conditions; a sealing element supported by said mandrel for a run in and a set position created by an actuation assembly that selectively axially compacts said sealing element or pushes the sealing element radially; said sealing element essentially comprising at least one material, such that upon setting said sealing element in said set position said structural compromise of said mandrel allows said granular material to disperse after a time of applied differential pressure against said plug so that the plug is removed from its set subterranean location without further mechanical intervention at the subterranean location.