Downhole drop plugs, downhole valves, frac tools, and related methods of use

Abstract

Downhole drop plugs, frac sleeves, and downhole plug-operated valves. The drop plugs may incorporate a ring part and a rod part. The valves may incorporate a bypass to accommodate material that gets stuck in the valve on flowback. The valves may incorporate a compound seat that passes a first ball of a first size and seats a second ball of the first size. Locking seats, dissolvable balls, and dissolvable mandrels are illustrated and discussed as well.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A downhole valve comprising:
 an outer housing defining an interior bore;   an inner mandrel mounted in the interior bore, the inner mandrel defining an interior passageway between an uphole end and a downhole end of the inner mandrel, the inner mandrel defining an uphole facing drop plug seat surface encircling the interior passageway; and   in which the inner mandrel comprises dissolvable material.   
     
     
         2 . The downhole valve of  claim 1  in which the inner mandrel comprises a protective coating covering the dissolvable material. 
     
     
         3 . The downhole valve of  claim 2  in which the protective coating is removable on exposure to contact with a downhole drop plug or contact with an abrasive. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole valve of  claim 3  in which the uphole facing drop plug seat surface is formed with an abrasion and contact resistant material. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole valve of  claim 4  in which the abrasion and contact resistant material comprises steel. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole valve of any one of  claim 4  in which the abrasion and contact resistant material is present as a liner positioned within the interior passageway. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole valve of any one of  claim 2  in which:
 the dissolvable material comprises a first metal that dissolves in the presence of an electrolyte; and 
 the protective coating comprises a second metal that is in electrical contact with the dissolvable material, and that accelerates the rate of dissolution of the dissolvable material when the dissolvable material and protective coating are exposed to the electrolyte. 
 
     
     
         8 . The downhole valve of  claim 7  in which the protective coating is electroplated to the dissolvable material. 
     
     
         9 . The downhole valve of any one of  claim 7  in which the protective coating comprises copper, nickel, or silver. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole valve of any one of  claim 2  in which the protective coating comprises a non-metal. 
     
     
         11 . The downhole valve of  claim 10  which the non-metal comprises a polymeric material. 
     
     
         12 . The downhole valve of  claim 11  which the polymeric material comprises polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         13 . The downhole valve of any one of  claim 1  in which the inner mandrel has a first position where the inner mandrel is actuatable by a drop plug to shift to a second position where the dissolvable material becomes exposed to one or more of wellbore fluids and fluids within the interior passageway. 
     
     
         14 . The downhole valve of  claim 13  in which:
 in the first position, an outer wall surface portion of the inner mandrel is sealed within an inner restriction surface in the outer housing, and the dissolvable material is located on or in fluid communication with the outer wall surface portion; and 
 upon actuation the outer wall surface portion slides out of contact with the restriction surface to expose the dissolvable material. 
 
     
     
         15 . The downhole valve of  claim 14  in which the dissolvable material is in fluid communication with the outer wall surface portion via a port in the outer wall surface portion. 
     
     
         16 . The downhole valve of any one of  claim 13  in which the downhole valve is actuatable to open a port to an exterior surface of the outer housing. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 pumping a drop plug down a well into an interior bore of a downhole valve to close the downhole valve; and   degrading a dissolvable portion of the downhole valve by exposing the dissolvable portion to wellbore fluids or fluids within the interior bore.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising, when the downhole valve is closed by the drop plug;
 pressurizing fluid in the well to an extent sufficient to open a port to an exterior of the downhole valve; and 
 pumping fluid through the port into the exterior of the downhole valve at or above a fracturing pressure of the formation. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of any one of  claim 17  in which the downhole valve has a protective coating cover the dissolvable material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  comprising pumping an abrasive into contact with the downhole valve to remove the protective coating. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  in which the abrasive is pumped prior to pumping the drop plug down the well. 
     
     
         22 . The method of any one of  claim 19  comprising forming the downhole valve by electroplating the protective coating over the dissolvable material.