Patent Publication Number: US-2022213754-A1

Title: Downhole ceramic disk rupture by laser

Description:
FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to systems and methods for downhole tool removal. More specifically, this disclosure relates to removing functionality of a ceramic disk installed in a wellbore utilizing high powered lasers. 
     BACKGROUND 
     During hydrocarbon well drilling and completion activities, production casing and production tubing is installed in a wellbore. Prior to production packer installation, ceramic disks are installed in the wellbore to maintain pressure and isolate the production tubing for wellbore operations. Once production packers are installed in the production casing, the ceramic disk is broken so that well flowback operations can begin. 
     Ceramic disks are generally ruptured with milling tools directed downhole with coiled tubing. Milling tools are drill-like tools that mechanically destroy the disk. Other ways of rupturing the ceramic disks include dropping go-devils or other tools in the wellbore. The conventional methods of milling or dropping tools results in the use of heavy equipment, takes substantial time and energy, and results in debris formation in the wellbore. The conventional methods of milling or dropping tools can also result in complications related to coil tubing getting locked-up (or stuck) within a wellbore, or breakage of heavy equipment. Additionally, it can take substantial time and energy to lower tools downhole, and other downhole operations may not be able to be performed downhole when the milling is being performed, or when the milling or other tools are lowered downhole. Due to the long tool transit time downhole and due to the risk of damage or lock-up from lowering and raising downhole tools through the wellbore, performing more than one tasks with the same tools or during a tool run is advantageous. Therefore, additional methods of rupturing ceramic disks downhole are desired, including methods performing multiple tasks with the same device. 
     SUMMARY 
     The disclosure relates to systems and methods for removing the functionality of a ceramic disk installed in a wellbore during oil and gas well completion and production activities. The ceramic disks are installed in a wellbore during wellbore operations. The wellbore operations can include packer installation, wellbore isolation sub installation, logging operations, or other well completion or production activities. The ceramic disks can be installed in wellbore nipples, landing nipples, sealing sections of wellbore production piping, wellbore subs, or other sections of the production piping or casing of the wellbore, including screwing a threaded disk directly into producing piping or casing. 
     More specifically, the disclosure relates to breaching a ceramic disk with a high-powered laser that heats the ceramic disk until structural failure. Once breached, the ceramic disk can no longer hold pressure in the wellbore. Lasers can be used to heat materials, but have generally not been utilized in downhole operations for oil and gas production due to their sensitive operating nature being incompatible with the extreme operating conditions experienced downhole. Embodiments disclosed herein, however, utilize specialized industrial strength lasers that can withstand downhole conditions. These specialized industrial strength lasers can include external shielding given the extreme operating conditions encountered downhole. These lasers include hydrogen fluoride lasers, deuterium fluoride lasers; oxygen iodine lasers; carbon dioxide lasers; carbon monoxide lasers; free electron lasers; neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet lasers; and krypton fluoride (excimer) lasers. 
     Therefore, disclosed is a method of breaching a ceramic disk installed in a wellbore, the ceramic disk operable to maintain pressure within the wellbore during a wellbore operation. The method includes the step of lowering a laser source into the wellbore, where the laser source is operable to generate a laser beam. The laser beam is operable to deliver thermal radiation to the ceramic disk when the laser beam is absorbed by the ceramic disk. The method also includes the step of heating the ceramic disk with the laser beam so that the ceramic disk is breached within the wellbore and can no longer maintain pressure within the wellbore. 
     In some embodiments, the laser source is operable to produce a high-powered laser beam. The laser beam has an infrared wavelength greater than 10,000 nm. The laser source provides greater than 500 W power when operated in a super pulsed mode. The laser source is operable to produce a blue light laser beam. The laser source is a CO2 laser. 
     In some embodiments, the method also includes the steps of determining a breakpoint temperature at which the ceramic disk breaches, and selecting the laser source so that the laser source is operable to generate the laser beam with sufficient thermal radiation to heat the ceramic disk to the breakpoint temperature. The step of determining the breakpoint temperature includes using an infrared thermometer to determine a penetration temperature for the ceramic disk. 
     In some embodiments, the method also includes the steps of directing the laser beam through a wellbore fluid to a receiver to generate a resulting laser beam; receiving the resulting laser beam with the receiver, and measuring properties of the resulting laser beam to determine characteristics of the wellbore and the wellbore fluid. The resulting laser beam has a wavelength between 800 and 1000 nanometers. 
     Further disclosed is a system for breaching the ceramic disk installed in the wellbore for the wellbore operation. The system includes the ceramic disk installed within the wellbore, where the ceramic disk is operable to maintain pressure during the wellbore operation. The system also includes the laser source which is operable to generate the laser beam and direct the laser beam onto the ceramic disk, and the laser beam, which is operable to transfer the thermal radiation to the ceramic disk such that the ceramic disk is heated to the point of fracture. 
     In some embodiments, the system also includes the receiver, which is operable to receive a resulting laser beam so that properties of the resulting laser beam can be used to determine characteristics of the wellbore and the wellbore fluid. The resulting laser beam is generated from the laser beam traveling through the wellbore fluid. 
     In some embodiments, the system also includes the filter, which is operable to generate a filtered laser beam when the laser beam is passed through the filter. The resulting laser beam is then generated from the filtered laser beam traveling through the wellbore fluid. The laser beam is a high-powered laser beam. The laser beam is a blue light laser. The laser source is a CO2 laser. The system can also include an insulation operable to preserve the thermal radiation of the system. The laser source can also include a neutral gas operable to increase the thermal radiation to the ceramic disk. The laser source is operable to produce the laser beam under a wellbore temperature and a wellbore pressure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following descriptions, claims, and accompanying drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only several embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the scope as it can admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic of a vertical wellbore laser system, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic of a horizontal wellbore laser system, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic of a logging laser beam system, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic of a logging laser beam system with filter, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     In the accompanying Figures, similar components or features, or both, can have a similar reference label. For the purpose of the simplified schematic illustrations and descriptions of  FIGS. 1A through 2B , the numerous pumps, valves, temperature and pressure sensors, electronic controllers, and the like that can be employed and well known to those of ordinary skill in the art are not included. Further, accompanying components that are in conventional industrial operations are not depicted. However, operational components, such as those described in the present disclosure, can be added to the embodiments described in this disclosure. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While the disclosure will be described with several embodiments, it is understood that one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that many examples, variations and alterations to the systems and methods described are within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments of the disclosure described are set forth without any loss of generality, and without imposing limitations, on the claims. 
     Advantages of the present disclosure include a non-contact physical breaking of the ceramic disk, potential long-distance intervention and breaking of the ceramic disk, and elimination of heavy downhole milling tools. Additionally, in some embodiments, the laser source can have dual functionality for logging purposes as well as disk rupturing, allowing for multiple actions downhole with one tool and one trip downhole. Logging advantageously allows data to be collected on the wellbore, the wellbore fluids, the formation, and other downhole conditions. Additionally, the embodiments disclosed herein can be deployed in oil and gas wellbores and with ceramic disks already known and used in the field—no special ceramic disk or wellbore operating techniques are required. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A , vertical wellbore laser system  101  is depicted. Wellbore  110  includes production casing  112  and production tubing  114 . Installed in the annulus between production casing  112  and production tubing  114  are packers  116 , installed during the wellbore operations. Installed within production tubing  114  is ceramic disk  120 . Ceramic disk  120  can be any type of disk capable of maintaining pressure in production tubing  114  while the wellbore operation is being performed and capable of being heated to structural failure and breach, such as fracturing or rupturing. The wellbore operation can include the installation of packers  116 . In some preferred embodiments, ceramic disk  120  is made of a ceramic material known in the art. The ceramic material can include any type of ceramic material known in the art suitable for downhole conditions. The ceramic material can include aluminum oxide, aluminum titanate, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, similar ceramic materials, or combinations of the same. Ceramic disk  120  is a flat, plate-like disk wedged or installed within production tubing  114 ; however, ceramic disk  120  can be any shape or size. Ceramic disk  120  is installed in nipple  152 . In some embodiments, ceramic disk  120  is a semispherical shape or a convex/concave shape, where the convex side faces the higher of the pressures within the wellbore. Ceramic disk  120  can be installed by methods known in the art, including installation during production tubing installation. In some embodiments, ceramic disk  120  is installed in production tubing  114  at the surface. 
     Laser source  130  is deployed by lowering laser source  130  into production tubing  114 . The lowering of laser source  130  can be performed by method known in the art, such as coiled tubing, slick line, wire line, or tractors. Downhole drones or other tools designed to deploy downhole tools from the surface can also be used to deploy laser source  130  into wellbore  110 . Laser source  130  is lowered into wellbore  110  towards ceramic disk  120 . The exact depth of ceramic disk  120  in wellbore  110  or the exact depth laser source  130  is lowered in wellbore  110  can be determined by methods known in the art, such as a casing collar locater. A casing collar locater is a downhole tool that can determine the depth downhole using a reference spot on the casing string, usually a magnetic anomaly measurement causing by the high molar mass of the casing string. In some embodiments, laser source  130  is lowered into wellbore  110  so that the distance between laser source  130  and ceramic disk  120  is less than about 500 feet, alternately less than about 400 feet, alternately less than about 300 feet, alternately less than about 250 feet, alternately less than about 200 feet, alternately less than about 150 feet, and alternately less than about 100 feet. In a preferred embodiment, laser source  130  is lowered so that a short distance less than 50 feet exists between laser source  130  and ceramic disk  120 . Shorter distances between laser source  130  and ceramic disk  120  minimize the generation of plasma within wellbore  110 . Laser source  130  is connected to laser source supply string  132  which can supply power and control mechanisms to laser source  130 . Laser source  130  includes insulation  136  which can protect laser source  130  from the conditions of wellbore  110  including the wellbore temperature and the wellbore pressure, and to prevent the absorption of laser beam  134  inside wellbore  110 . Insulation  136  can preserve energy and improve efficiency. Insulation  136  can include fiber glass materials or polyisocyanurate. 
     Laser source  130  can be any type of mechanism or apparatus capable of generating a laser beam. Laser source  130  is able to withstand the temperatures and pressures of typical wellbore conditions. Laser source  130  can withstand pressures up to 10,000 psi and temperatures of 320° F. Conventional lasers used until recently were too sensitive and could not withstand these typical wellbore conditions at or near ceramic disk  120 . Recent advances in specialized laser technology, including blue laser technology, allow for industrial lasers to be able to withstand the conditions in a wellbore, including the wellbore pressure and the wellbore temperatures, which can be substantially higher than pressures and temperatures at the surface. Laser source  130  can be a high-powered laser that generates a high-powered laser beam. Laser source  130  can be a blue light laser, a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, or a neutral gas laser. The CO2 laser can operate at a wavelength of 10.6 micrometer with an average power of 1 MW. The CO2 laser can be operated in either a continuous or a pulsed wave mode. In a continuous wave mode, the laser beam is continuously emitted. In a pulsed wave mode, the laser beam is not run continuously but generated in pulses. Laser source  130  can provide greater than 500 W power when operated in a super pulsed mode. While in super pulsed mode, lasers emit a frequency of radiations in the range of 20 to 100 W with vary high amplitudes over a short period of time, such as 250 nanoseconds. In a super pulsed mode the laser operates with a wavelength of approximately 900 nanometers. Advantageously, the super pulsed mode can have greater penetration due to the very high power and short time pulses, and requires less time to rupture the ceramic disk than a continuous wave mode. Additionally, the super pulsed mode results in a lower thermal emission, resulting in energy conservation, as compared to the continuous wave mode. 
     Laser source  130  can be a hydrogen fluoride laser with an operating wavelength in the range of 2.6 to 4.2 micrometers, or alternately a deuterium fluoride laser with an operating wavelength in the range of 2.6 to 4.2 micrometers. Laser source  130  can be a chemical oxygen iodine laser with an operating wavelength of about 1.315 micrometers. Advantageously, chemical oxygen iodine lasers have excellent precision and high range which can be useful in downhole applications. Laser source  130  can be a carbon monoxide laser with an operating wavelength in the range of 5 to 6 micrometers. Laser source  130  can be a free electron laser with an adjustable wavelength. Advantageously, the wavelength can be adjusted in case of reflection, blackbody radiation, or for other operational advantages. Laser source  130  can be a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser with an operating wavelength of about 1.06 micrometers and a power output of 4 kW. Laser source  130  can be a krypton fluoride excimer laser with an operating wavelength of about 0.248 micrometers and a power output of 10 kW. The krypton fluoride excimer laser can be operated in a repetitive pulsed laser mode. In a repetitive pulsed laser mode, the laser is not continuously emitted but is emitted in repeated pulses. 
     When activated, laser source  130  generates laser beam  134 . Laser beam  134  is directed at ceramic disk  120 . Laser beam  134  is a light beam that, when absorbed by ceramic disk  120  is converted to heat. Laser beam  134  delivers thermal radiation to ceramic disk  120  when laser beam  134  is absorbed by ceramic disk  120 . Removal of debris within wellbore  110  can increase the effectiveness of laser beam  134 . Laser beam  134  can be the high-powered laser beam. Laser beam  134  can have the infrared wavelength greater than 10,000 nm. 
     Laser beam  134  is directed at ceramic disk  120  for the amount of time so that sufficient thermal radiation can be transferred to ceramic disk  120 , heating ceramic disk  120  leading to a structural failure of the ceramic material. The amount of time can be predetermined by lab tests, calculations based on the properties of the ceramic material and ceramic disk  120  and laser source  130 , estimates based on previous applications, or the actual time required for laser beam  134  to sufficiently heat ceramic disk  120 . Ceramic disk  120  is breached within wellbore  110  due to heating and other factors, such as wellbore pressures and compressive forces from the expansion of ceramic disk  120 . In some embodiments, the amount of time laser beam  134  is directed at ceramic disk  120  is less than 60 minutes. 
     In some embodiments, the breakpoint temperature at which ceramic disk  120  ruptures can be determined in a laboratory setting. The breakpoint temperature is used herein to denote the temperature at which ceramic disk  120  ruptures or is expected to experience structural failure. The breakpoint temperature can be calculated, measured, estimated by laboratory testing, provided by the manufacturer, or established by other methods. The infrared thermometer can be used to determine the penetration temperature for ceramic disk  120  when factoring in the wellbore temperature and the wellbore pressure, as well as characteristics of ceramic disk  120 . The penetration temperature is the temperature the surface of ceramic disk  120  must reach from the thermal radiation provided by laser beam  134  so that thermal radiation can penetrate to the center of ceramic disk  120  to reach the breakpoint temperature and lead to rupturing of ceramic disk  120 . The amount of time needed for laser beam  134  to be directed at ceramic disk  120  can be estimated, calculated, or measured using the breakpoint temperature, the penetration temperature, and other factors as enumerated herein. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1B , horizontal wellbore laser system  102  is depicted, and shares many of the same elements and characteristics of vertical wellbore laser system  101 . Wellbore  110  is a horizontal wellbore. The methods disclosed herein can be applied for horizontal wellbore laser system  102 . Due to the straight path of laser beam  134  and the non-linear path of wellbore  110 , laser source  130  is positioned closer to ceramic disk  120  to prevent laser beam  134  from impacting production tubing  114 , or to prevent production tubing  114  from intercepting laser beam  134 , and to ensure laser beam  134  is focused on ceramic disk  120 . In some embodiments, laser source  130  is lowered into wellbore  110  so that the distance between laser source  130  and ceramic disk  120  is less than about 50 feet, alternately less than about 40 feet, alternately less than about 30 feet, alternately less than about 20 feet, and alternately less than about 10 feet. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , logging laser beam system  201  is depicted, and shares many of the same elements and characteristics as vertical wellbore laser system  101 . Advantageously, logging laser beam system  201  has dual functionality as it can break a ceramic disk and can gather information on downhole conditions and wellbore fluid characteristics. Ceramic disk  120  is installed in disk sub  260 . Ceramic disk  120  can be installed in wellbore  110  by any method. Logging laser beam system  201  also includes receiver  244  which can be attached to laser source  130  so that a distance exists between receiver  244  and laser source  130 . Receiver  244  can be located one to five feet from laser source  130 . During logging operations, laser beam  134  is directed through wellbore fluid  250 , generating resulting laser beam  240 . Wellbore fluid  250  can include production fluids, oil, gas, hydrocarbons, water, any other type of fluid found within an oil and gas wellbore, or combinations of the above. 
     Receiver  244  receives resulting laser beam  240 . Resulting laser beam  240  can have a wavelength between 800 and 1000 nanometers. By measuring the amount of time it takes for resulting laser beam  240  to travel the distance from laser source  130  to receiver  244 , velocities of laser beam  134  and resulting laser beam  240  through wellbore fluid  250  can be determined. The velocity of resulting laser beam  240  differs based on the medium and characteristics of wellbore fluid  250 . By analyzing the velocity of resulting laser beam  240 , characteristics of wellbore fluid  250  such as the water-cut and fluid composition can be determined. Characteristics of the surrounding rock can also be measured. Porosity as a function of time utilizing the Wyllie time-average equation can be calculated using Equation 1: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
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     In Eq. 1, Δt is the laser transit time in μsec/ft, Δt f  is the laser transit time through the fluid in μsec/ft, Δt ma  is the laser transit time through the rock matrix in μsec/ft, and ϕ is the total porosity of the rock. Δt f  and Δt ma  can be measuring and are constant for each medium. Receiver  244  can then transmit the information to the surface (not pictured), either by remote transmission or through laser source supply string  132  so that further analysis may be conducted. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2B , logging laser beam system with filter  202  is depicted, and shares many of the same elements and characteristics as logging laser beam system  201 . Logging laser beam system with filter  202  includes filter  246 . Filter  246  can be any known mechanism through which certain wavelengths of light are blocked except for the desired wavelength that is measured. Laser beam  134  passes through filter  246  generating filtered laser beam  248 . As filtered laser beam  248  travels through wellbore fluid  250 , resulting laser beam  240  is generated. Receiver  244  receives resulting laser beam  240 , and logging operations can be performed. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made without departing from the principle and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined by the following claims and their appropriate legal equivalents. 
     Ranges may be expressed throughout as from about one particular value, or to about another particular value. When such a range is expressed, it is to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particular value or to the other particular value, along with all combinations within said range. 
     The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     As used in the specification and in the appended claims, the words “has,” and “include” and all grammatical variations thereof are each intended to have an open, non-limiting meaning that does not exclude additional elements or steps.