Downhole devices for providing sealing components within a wellbore, wells that include such downhole devices, and methods of utilizing the same

Abstract

Downhole devices, wells that include the downhole devices, and methods of utilizing the same are disclosed herein. The downhole devices include a core; a sealing component holder positioned within the core including an opening to an external surface of the core; a plurality of sealing components positioned within the sealing component holder; a metering device; and a cover positioned over the opening. The metering device is constructed and arranged to displace an internal volume of the sealing component holder and discharge through the opening a portion of the plurality of sealing components contained within the sealing component holder. The cover is constructed and arranged to allow the portion of the sealing components to exit the opening upon displacement of the internal volume of the sealing component holder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A downhole device for providing sealing components within a well comprising:
 a core;   a sealing component holder positioned within the core including an opening to an external surface of the core;   a plurality of sealing components positioned within the sealing component holder;   a metering device constructed and arranged to displace an internal volume of the sealing component holder and discharge through the opening a portion of the plurality of sealing components contained within the sealing component holder; and   a cover positioned over the opening, the cover constructed and arranged to allow the portion of the sealing components to exit the opening upon displacement of the internal volume of the sealing component holder.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing component holder is positioned at least proximal the distal end of the core. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sealing components are ball sealers or chemical diverters. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sealing components are ball sealers. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the sealing component holder includes a plurality of spaced-apart regions, each region including a plurality of ball sealers, the plurality of ball sealers within one region having a substantially different rate of degradation than the plurality of ball sealers in each adjacent region. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the well includes a wellbore tubular forming a tubular conduit having in inner diameter in the range of from 90 mm to 178 mm, and wherein the sealing component holder and metering device are placed proximal the distal end of the core and a portion of the plurality of the ball sealers have a maximum outer dimension greater than 32 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein a portion of the plurality of the ball sealers have a maximum outer dimension of less than 15 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein a portion of the plurality of the ball sealers have a maximum outer dimension of less than 15 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sealing components are chemical diverters which are selected from benzoic acid flakes, polyglycolic acid polymer beads, and polylactic acid polymer beads. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the metering device includes a pump or a motor operatively connected to a member positioned within the sealing component holder such that, upon actuation of the pump or motor, the member displaces an internal volume of the sealing component holder. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the metering device includes a pump operatively connected to the sealing component holder such that, upon actuation of the pump, a displacement fluid is introduced into an inlet of the sealing component holder displacing an internal volume of the sealing component holder. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the metering device includes a pump and the pump is a solid state, piezoelectric pump. 
     
     
         13 . A method for providing sealing components within a well including a wellbore and a wellbore tubular extending within the wellbore, the wellbore tubular defining a tubular conduit, the method comprising:
 positioning a downhole device proximal to or within a first region within the tubular conduit radially interior of a first section of the wellbore tubular, the downhole device comprising:   a core,   a sealing component holder positioned within the core including an opening to an external surface of the core,   a plurality of sealing components positioned within the sealing component holder,   a metering device constructed and arranged to displace an internal volume of the sealing component holder and discharge sealing components through the opening, and   a cover positioned over the opening, the cover constructed and arranged to allow the sealing components to exit the opening upon displacement of the internal volume of the sealing component holder;   actuating the metering device to displace a first internal volume of the sealing component holder to discharge a first portion of the plurality of sealing components through the opening into the tubular conduit;   positioning the downhole device proximal to or within a second region within the tubular conduit radially interior of a second section of the wellbore tubular, the second region spaced apart from the first region along the length of the wellbore tubular; and   actuating the metering device to displace a second internal volume of the sealing component holder to discharge a second portion of the plurality of sealing components through the opening into the tubular conduit.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the downhole device includes a plurality of explosive charges arranged on an external surface of the core and a plurality of triggering devices, each of the plurality of triggering devices is constructed and arranged to selectively initiate explosion of a selected portion of the plurality of explosive charges; and wherein the wellbore tubular includes a plurality of selective stimulation ports disposed along a length of the wellbore tubular; and wherein the method further comprises:
 actuating a first triggering device of the plurality of triggering devices to initiate explosion of a first portion of the plurality of explosive charges to generate a first shockwave within the first region of the tubular conduit to transition a first portion of the selective stimulation ports to an open state; and   actuating a second triggering device of the plurality of triggering devices to initiate explosion of a second portion of the plurality of explosive charges to generate a second shockwave within the second region of the tubular conduit to transition a second portion of the selective stimulation ports to an open state, wherein the first portion of the plurality of sealing components seal the first portion of the selective stimulation ports and the second portion of the plurality of sealing components seal the second portion of the selective stimulation ports.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sealing component holder forms a majority of an internal volume of the core, the wellbore tubular has been previously perforated at spaced-apart intervals along its length, and at least a portion of the plurality of the sealing components are used to seal the previously perforated spaced-apart intervals within a re-fracturing area of interest along the length of the wellbore tubular. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sealing components includes at least a first plurality of degradable sealing components within a first region of the sealing component holder occupying the first internal volume and a second plurality of degradable sealing components within a second region of the sealing component holder occupying the second internal volume, the first plurality of degradable sealing components having a different rate of degradation than the second plurality of degradable sealing components, and wherein the first section of the wellbore tubular is one of the previously perforated spaced-apart intervals along the length of the wellbore tubular and the second section of the wellbore tubular is another of the previous spaced-apart intervals along the length of the wellbore tubular. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 positioning a perforation gun within a region of the tubular conduit radially interior of an unperforated section of the wellbore tubular within the re-fracturing area of interest after the previously perforated spaced-apart intervals have been sealed with degradable sealing components,   positioning the downhole device such that detonation of the perforation gun does not significantly damage the downhole device;   detonating the perforation gun to form new perforations within the unperforated section of the wellbore tubular,   positioning the downhole device proximal to or within the region of the tubular conduit radially interior of newly perforated section of the wellbore tubular,   displacing an additional internal volume of the sealing component holder to discharge an additional portion of the plurality of sealing components through the opening, wherein the additional internal volume includes a plurality of non-degradable sealing components within an additional region of the sealing component holder.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the positioning, detonating, and displacing are continued until the re-fracturing of the wellbore tubular within the area of interest is completed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the well is an injection well and includes at least three sections of the wellbore tubular that are passing injection fluid into the subterranean formation to create pressure and displace hydrocarbons within the reservoir to assist a hydrocarbon well producing hydrocarbons, the at least three sections include the first section, the second section, and a third section of the wellbore tubular, each of the at least three sections spaced apart from each other along the length of the wellbore tubular, and wherein the subterranean formation proximate the first section and the second section is sealed such that the injection fluid is diverted to the subterranean formation proximate the third section of the wellbore tubular. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , the method further comprises:
 identifying locations of the first section and the second section using production logs to determine the sections of the injection well that are ineffective in creating pressure within the reservoir.   
     
     
         21 . A well comprising:
 a wellbore;   a wellbore tubular extending within the wellbore, the wellbore tubular defining a tubular conduit; and   a downhole device disposed within the tubular conduit, the downhole device comprising:   a core;   a sealing component holder positioned within the core including an opening to an external surface of the core;   a plurality of sealing components positioned within the sealing component holder;   a metering device constructed and arranged to displace an internal volume of the sealing component holder and discharge through the opening a portion of the plurality of sealing components contained within the sealing component holder; and   a cover positioned over the opening, the cover constructed and arranged to allow the portion of the sealing components to exit the opening upon displacement of the internal volume of the sealing component holder.