Patent ID: 10352115

Abstract:
Sealing particles are used to stop or reduce undesired fluid loss. The sealing particles may be swellable or have effective cross-sectional areas greater than five square millimeters or are both swellable and have effective cross-sectional areas greater than five square millimeters. The sealing particles are disposed in one or more locations in which there is undesired fluid flow and, once lodged therein, stop or at least reduce the undesired fluid loss. A tubular having a bypass flow path may be used to deploy the sealing particles. The bypass flow path may use a biased or unbiased sleeve that is selectably movable to expose or block exit ports in the tubular. A retrievable sealing disk may be deployed to move the sleeve. The sealing particles may be made of a bi-stable material with extenders and may be actuated using swellable material. The sealing particles may extend in multiple dimensions.