Systems and Methods for Restricting Fluid Flow in a Wellbore with an Autonomous Sealing Device and Motion-Arresting Structures

Abstract

Systems and methods for restricting fluid flow in a casing conduit, including a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation, a casing string that extends within the wellbore and defines a portion of the casing conduit, a plurality of motion-arresting structures that project from an inner surface of the casing string to define a plurality of reduced-area regions of the casing conduit, and an autonomous sealing device that defines a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration. The methods include conveying the autonomous sealing device through the casing conduit, determining that the autonomous sealing device is located within a target portion of the casing conduit, expanding the autonomous sealing device to the expanded configuration, retaining the autonomous sealing device on a selected motion-arresting structure, and restricting fluid flow within the casing conduit with the autonomous sealing device.

1 . A hydrocarbon well, comprising:
 a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation;   a casing string that extends within the wellbore and has an inner surface, which defines a portion of a casing conduit;   a plurality of motion-arresting structures that are spaced apart from one another along a portion of a longitudinal length of the casing string, wherein the plurality of motion-arresting structures projects from the inner surface of the casing string to define a plurality of reduced-area regions of the casing conduit; and   an autonomous sealing device that defines a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein the autonomous sealing device:   (i) is sized to flow through the plurality of reduced-area regions when in the contracted configuration;   (ii) is sized to be retained on a selected motion-arresting structure of the plurality of motion-arresting structures upon transitioning to the expanded configuration; and   (iii) restricts fluid flow between an uphole portion of the casing conduit and a downhole portion of the casing conduit upon being retained on the selected motion-arresting structure.   
     
     
         2 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is programmed to transition to the expanded configuration responsive to being located within a target portion of the casing conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is not operatively attached to any of a wireline, a working line, and tubing. 
     
     
         4 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is configured to form a fluid seal with the selected motion-arresting structure to restrict the fluid flow when the autonomous sealing device is in the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The well of  claim 4 , wherein the selected motion-arresting structure defines a sealing surface that is sized to form the fluid seal with the autonomous sealing device. 
     
     
         6 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is configured to form a fluid seal with the inner surface of the casing string to restrict the fluid flow when the autonomous sealing device is in the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device includes an expansion mechanism that is configured to transition the autonomous sealing device to the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The well of  claim 7 , wherein the expansion mechanism includes at least one of an explosive charge, a mechanical actuator, an electric actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a chemical reaction, and a material that swells upon contact with a wellbore fluid. 
     
     
         9 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is further configured to transition from the expanded configuration to a retracted configuration, wherein, in the retracted configuration, the autonomous sealing device is sized to flow through the plurality of reduced-area regions and permits fluid flow between the uphole portion of the casing conduit and the downhole portion of the casing conduit. 
     
     
         10 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein, subsequent to transitioning to the expanded configuration, the autonomous sealing device is further configured to at least one of break apart and dissolve to permit fluid flow between the uphole portion of the casing conduit and the downhole portion of the casing conduit. 
     
     
         11 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is further configured to release a supplemental material into the casing conduit subsequent to transitioning to the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The well of  claim 11 , wherein the well includes a plurality of autonomous sealing devices, and further wherein each of the plurality of autonomous sealing devices includes a unique tracer material that comprises the supplemental material. 
     
     
         13 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device at least one of includes and is operatively attached to a perforation device that is configured to create a perforation within the casing string. 
     
     
         14 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion-arresting structures include a plurality of isolation rings that are operatively attached to the inner surface of the casing string, wherein the plurality of isolation rings define a plurality of similarly sized reduced-area regions. 
     
     
         15 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion-arresting structures includes a plurality of stops that project from the inner surface of the casing string. 
     
     
         16 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reduced-area regions of the casing conduit defines a respective transverse cross-sectional area that is at least 50% and less than 99% of a transverse cross-sectional area of the portion of the casing conduit that is defined by the inner surface of the casing string. 
     
     
         17 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of motion-arresting structures includes a plurality of sliding sleeves, wherein each of the plurality of sliding sleeves is associated with a respective injection port that extends between the casing conduit and the wellbore, wherein each of the plurality of sliding sleeves is configured to selectively restrict fluid flow through the respective injection port prior to the autonomous sealing device being retained thereon, and further wherein each of the plurality of sliding sleeves is configured to selectively permit fluid flow through the respective injection port responsive to the autonomous sealing device being retained thereon. 
     
     
         18 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the well further includes a hydraulically actuated sleeve that is located uphole from the selected motion-arresting structure, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve is associated with a sleeve port that extends between the casing conduit and the wellbore, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve is constructed to selectively transition from a closed configuration, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve resists a fluid flow through the sleeve port, and an open configuration, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve permits the fluid flow through the sleeve port responsive to a pressure differential between a portion of the casing conduit that is proximal to the hydraulically actuated sleeve and a portion of the subterranean formation that is proximal to the hydraulically actuated sleeve exceeding a threshold sleeve actuation pressure. 
     
     
         19 . The well of  claim 1 , wherein the autonomous sealing device includes an autonomous controller that is programmed to control the operation of the autonomous sealing device. 
     
     
         20 . The well of  claim 19 , wherein the autonomous controller is programmed to determine a location of the autonomous sealing device within the casing conduit and to transition the autonomous sealing device to the expanded configuration based, at least in part, on the determined location. 
     
     
         21 . A method of restricting fluid flow between an uphole portion of a casing conduit and a downhole portion of the casing conduit, wherein the casing conduit is partially defined by a casing string that extends within a wellbore that is defined within a subterranean formation, and further wherein the casing string includes a plurality of motion-arresting structures, wherein the plurality of motion-arresting structures is spaced apart from one another along a portion of a longitudinal length of the casing string and project from an inner surface of the casing string to define a plurality of reduced-area regions of the casing conduit, the method comprising:
 conveying an autonomous sealing device through the casing conduit, wherein the conveying includes conveying the autonomous sealing device through a portion of the plurality of reduced-area regions while the autonomous sealing device is in a contracted configuration;   determining that the autonomous sealing device is located within a target portion of the casing conduit;   responsive to the determining, expanding the autonomous sealing device to an expanded configuration;   retaining the autonomous sealing device on a selected motion-arresting structure of the plurality of motion-arresting structures; and   restricting fluid flow between an uphole portion of the casing conduit and a downhole portion of the casing conduit with the autonomous sealing device.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further includes supplying a stimulant fluid to the casing conduit, and further wherein the conveying includes flowing the autonomous sealing device within the stimulant fluid. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further includes detecting a variable associated with the autonomous sealing device. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the variable associated with the autonomous sealing device includes at least one of a speed of the autonomous sealing device within the casing conduit, an acceleration of the autonomous sealing device within the casing conduit, a deceleration of the autonomous sealing device within the casing conduit, a pressure proximal to the autonomous sealing device within the casing conduit, a location of the autonomous sealing device along the length of the casing string, a depth of the autonomous sealing device below a ground surface, and a number of casing collars that the autonomous sealing device has traveled past while located within the casing conduit. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on the variable associated with the autonomous sealing device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the expanding includes automatically expanding without receiving an external input by the autonomous sealing device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the restricting includes forming a fluid seal with the selected motion-arresting structure. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the restricting includes forming a fluid seal with the inner surface of the casing string. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further includes removing the autonomous sealing device from the casing conduit. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the removing includes transitioning the autonomous sealing device from the expanded configuration to a retracted configuration to permit the removing, wherein, in the retracted configuration, the autonomous sealing device is sized to be conveyed through the plurality of reduced-area regions. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the removing includes at least one of shrinking the autonomous sealing device, retracting the autonomous sealing device, breaking apart the autonomous sealing device, and dissolving the autonomous sealing device to permit the removing. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further includes stimulating the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the stimulating includes supplying a stimulant fluid to the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of motion-arresting structures includes a plurality of sliding sleeves, wherein each of the plurality of sliding sleeves is associated with a respective injection port that extends between the casing conduit and the wellbore, wherein each of the plurality of sliding sleeves is configured to selectively restrict fluid flow through the respective injection port prior to the autonomous sealing device being retained thereon, wherein each of the plurality of sliding sleeves is configured to selectively permit fluid flow through the respective injection port responsive to the autonomous sealing device being retained thereon, and further wherein the supplying includes translating a sliding sleeve that is associated with the selected motion-arresting structure to permit the fluid flow through the injection port that is associated with the selected motion-arresting structure. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the casing string includes a hydraulically actuated sleeve that is located uphole from the selected motion-arresting structure, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve is associated with a sleeve port that extends between the casing conduit and the wellbore, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve is constructed to selectively transition from a closed configuration, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve resists a fluid flow through the sleeve port, and an open configuration, wherein the hydraulically actuated sleeve permits the fluid flow through the sleeve port, responsive to a pressure differential between a portion of the casing conduit that is proximal to the hydraulically actuated sleeve and a portion of the subterranean formation that is proximal to the hydraulically actuated sleeve exceeding a threshold sleeve actuation pressure, and further wherein the supplying includes transitioning the hydraulically actuated sleeve from the closed configuration to the open configuration to permit the fluid flow through the sleeve port. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is operatively attached to a perforation device, and further wherein the stimulating includes perforating the casing string to permit the supplying. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the autonomous sealing device is a first autonomous sealing device, wherein the selected motion-arresting structure is a first selected motion-arresting structure, wherein the downhole portion of the casing conduit is a first downhole portion of the casing conduit, wherein the uphole portion of the casing conduit is a first uphole portion of the casing conduit, and further wherein the method includes repeating at least the conveying, the determining, the expanding, the retaining, and the restricting to retain a second, or subsequent, autonomous sealing device on a second, or subsequent, selected motion-arresting structure that is uphole from the first motion-arresting structure and to restrict fluid flow between a second, or subsequent, uphole portion of the casing conduit and a second, or subsequent, downhole portion of the casing conduit. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further includes producing a reservoir fluid from the subterranean formation.