Patent Abstract:
A swellable setting confirmation arrangement comprising: a mandrel; a swellable material supported by the mandrel; one or more sensory configurations at the swellable material and a method for confirming setting of a swellable material and for installing a swellable material having a setting confirmation function.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Sealing devices are well known in the hydrocarbon recovery industry due to their ubiquitous use pursuant to varied needs throughout the wellbore. There are also many different types of sealing devices, some of which allow for testing immediately after setting by pressuring up on the well system to ensure that the setting procedure was successful. This is clearly beneficial as there is an immediate confirmation of a successful job. This occurs before the operator leaves the job site to insure that the job went well and thus promotes customer satisfaction. 
         [0002]    While the above testing opportunity is the case for many kinds of sealing devices it is not so for all devices. Swellable devices cannot be tested because their initial actuation is a much longer-term program. More specifically, swellable materials that are used in the wellbore generally set over a time period of about two weeks. While setting time does vary (due to particular fluid concentration and chemistry and the temperature of the wellbore at the location of the set), it is always over time long enough that it would be decidedly uneconomical to maintain testing equipment at a site to test such a seal after it is expected to be fully set. 
         [0003]    Because swellable materials have other beneficial properties and are favored in the art, they are becoming more and more prevalent despite the fact that testing is not realistically plausible. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    A swellable setting confirmation arrangement comprising a mandrel; a swellable material supported by the mandrel; one or more sensory configurations at the swellable material. 
         [0005]    A method for confirming setting of a swellable material comprising: running a swellable material to a target location in a wellbore; swelling the swellable material for a period of time; measuring strain caused by the swelling of the swellable material with one or more sensory configurations. 
         [0006]    A method for installing a swellable material having a setting confirmation function in a wellbore comprising: Installing one or more sensory configurations in a wellbore; installing a swellable material radially adjacent the one or more sensory configurations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a set verification arrangement for a swellable device; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1A  is an alternate configuration showing the sensory configuration in a spaced helical pattern; 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  is an alternate configuration showing the sensory configuration in a non-spaced helical pattern; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a set verification arrangement for a swellable device; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a set verification arrangement for a swellable device; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of a set verification arrangement for a swellable device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The above-described drawback to the use of swellable devices in the downhole environment is overcome through various embodiments and methods as disclosed herein. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment is illustrated schematically in quarter section. A swellable setting confirmation arrangement  10  comprises a mandrel  12  having a swellable material  14  disposed there around. In one iteration, the swellable material  14  is around the mandrel  12  for 360 degrees but it should be noted that it is not necessarily required that the swellable material  14  be so configured. It is possible in other embodiments for the material  14  to be something short of 360 degrees about the mandrel  12  for particular applications without effect on the arrangement disclosed herein. Between the mandrel  12  and the swellable material  14  is disposed one or more sensory configuration(s)  16 . The configuration may comprise one or more optic fibers, load cells, strain sensors, such as hall effect sensors, momentary switches, etc. that have the ability to sense a load placed thereon (on or off, a “dichotomous measurement”). In one embodiment, the sensor(s) not only sense the presence of a load but additionally quantifies that load as well. The foregoing sensory configurations can be configured to sense quantitatively by known methods. Such sensing includes but are not limited to mercury strain gauges, rubber strain gauges, piezo resistance strain gauges, silicon strain gauges, wheatstone bridges, intrinsic sensors, extrinsic sensors, electro mechanical sensors, electro optic sensors, etc. An optic fiber based sensory configuration is an example of a configuration capable of both. The one or more sensory configurations  16  may thus be a single optic fiber, a plurality of fibers, a bundle of fibers, etc. extending roughly longitudinally and generally parallel to the mandrel  12 , or extending helically about the mandrel  12  (with the helix ranging from tightly wrapped (see  FIG. 1B ) such that there is no gap between adjacent wraps of the optic fiber(s) to loosely wrapped (see  FIG. 1  A) so that gaps from small to large may exist between the adjacent wraps of optic fiber(s)depending upon resolution desired). Determination of the density of the sensory configuration is directly related to the resolution of the information desired to be obtained. The greater the resolution desired, the greater the density needed. It is to be understood that the helical illustration of  FIG. 1  is equally applicable to the  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  embodiments by substituting the configuration  16  in those illustrations for the configurations  16  shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . It is intended that the reader understand that the helical conditions shown are applicable to any of the embodiments of the invention. 
         [0016]    In other embodiments, the one or more sensory configurations  16  may be placed randomly between the swellable material  14  and mandrel  12  or may be placed in any desired pattern between material  14  and mandrel  12 . This includes a pattern that is affected by the use of a network of strain sensors in a net of electrical connection, etc. The pattern may itself be unrelated to any anticipated distribution of strain (in which case the distribution is likely to be uniform but is not required to be) or may be specifically placed with regard to anticipated strain distribution. In either case, the purpose of the one or more sensory configurations  16  is to sense strain placed thereon by the swelling of the swellable material  14 . 
         [0017]    When a swellable material is set in a wellbore the material  14  will exert pressure against the mandrel  12  and the structure against which it is set. Depending upon a number of factors including but not limited to the degree of swelling attained and the geometric shape of the structure in which the swellable device is being set, the strain experienced at various portions of the swellable material and thus the mandrel may be different. The swellable setting confirmation arrangement  10  provides information to this effect to an operator. As noted above, since the swellable material swells slowly in the wellbore, on the order of two weeks, there is no way to test the set of the swellable while the installation crew and equipment is still on site. This means that if the swellable did not attain a set that enables it to do its job, this will not necessarily be known and presumably, production will suffer. If a well operator knows that something was a miss, remedial action could be taken. Where the arrangement  10  merely shows existence or absence of strain enough information is provided that the operator knows the device must be pulled and a new one put in. Where however, the arrangement  10  also provides a quantification of the strain thereon, a much more resolute picture of the downhole environment can be gleaned. This enables an operator or swellable installation crew to determine more precisely what type, shape, style, etc. of swellable would be best suited to have the desired effect in the particular wellbore. This is possible because with a quantification of strain, the geometry in the wellbore is far better defined since areas of greater strain and areas of lesser strain will indicate washed out areas or out of round areas of the structure downhole in which the device is being set. 
         [0018]    In the embodiments discussed above, as the swellable material swells into contact with a structure in which it is being set, the material  14  itself exerts more and more pressure on the mandrel. Because the one or more sensory configurations  16  are located between the material  14  and the mandrel  12 , they are compressed there between and hence will register that condition either dichotomously or quantitatively depending upon application. 
         [0019]    In another embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the one or more sensory configurations  16  are embedded in the swellable material  14 . The one or more sensory configurations are hence put into compression upon swelling of the swellable material  14  similarly to that of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  but the compression profile is distinct in that the configurations  16  are not directly compressed against the mandrel  12 . While the magnitude of compression may be smaller in this embodiment, it is still easily measured dichotomously or quantitatively. Further, in this embodiment the one or more sensory configurations may be better environmentally protected for some applications. 
         [0020]    In yet another embodiment, referring to  FIG. 3 , the one or more sensory configurations  16  are located on an outside surface  20  of the material  14 . In this embodiment, the configurations  16  are exposed to the wellbore and are more likely to experience damage but they also will be directly in contact with the surface against which the swellable material  14  is to be set. This will provide a very accurate indication of the surface irregularities of the structure in applications where such is useful. 
         [0021]    In yet another embodiment, referring to  FIG. 4 , the one or more sensory configurations  16  (each of those disclosed above are possible) are separated from the swellable material  14 . In one iteration the separated sensory configurations are still mounted to the same mandrel so that they can be put in place in a single run whereas in another iteration, the sensory configurations  16  could be mounted to a separate string for run in separately from the swellable material  14  if dictated by a particular need.  FIG. 4  schematically illustrates both concepts by including a break line  26  that is intended to signify alternatively length of the mandrel  12  or a separate mandrel run at a different time. In either of these iterations, the one or more sensory configurations  16  are mountable in the wellbore  22  via a deployment method such as expansion. One embodiment will use rings  28  and  30  on either end of the configurations  16  that are expandable and will anchor the configurations  16  to the wellbore  22 . The configurations  16  are thus affixed to the wellbore  22  where after the swellable material  14  is positioned inside of the configuration(s)  16  and allowed to swell in the normal course. Progress of the swellable material can be monitored, as can that of the foregoing embodiments through the one or more sensory configurations  16 . It is also to be noted that the components can be reversed such that the configurations  16  are placed at a radially inward position instead of outward with similar effects. 
         [0022]    While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation

Technology Classification (CPC): 4