RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to provisional application Serial No. 62/068,123 filed on filed on October 24, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety

BACKGROUND

[0002] This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Exploring, drilling and completing hydrocarbon and other wells are generally complicated, time consuming, and ultimately very expensive endeavors. As a result, over the years, a significant amount of added emphasis has been placed on maximizing hydrocarbon recovery for every well drilled. Along these lines, well monitoring and maintenance have become critical to effective well management throughout the life of the well. By the same token, the architecture of the well itself as well as the use of uniquely tailored completions hardware may be important factors in maximizing recovery from the reservoir.

[0004] In order to maximize recovery, completions hardware may be outfitted with a host of different tools and features for use in the well. For example, valves, sand screens, sliding sleeves, sensors and other devices may be incorporated into completions hardware and relied upon throughout well operations. As such, each of these devices may be tethered to the oilfield surface by way of a control line. That is, whether for the purposes of telemetry, delivering power, chemical injection fluid or any other number of reasons, a line may be provided which tethers the downhole device to oilfield equipment. Thus, an operator or automated equipment may maintain interaction with the device during operations. For example, downhole conditions may be monitored over such lines and downhole actions, such as the closing of a sliding sleeve may be directed over such lines.

[0005] Given the likely depths involved, such control lines are generally secured to adjacent completions hardware such as production tubing rather than allowed to hang loosely between the oilfield surface and the downhole device at issue. More specifically, completions clamps may be utilized intermittently over the course of several thousand feet of well depth to secure a line to adjacent.

[0006] At the end of operations or perhaps other times, an operator may be inclined to remove some of the noted hardware. For example, at the end of operations production tubing may be removed along with other equipment and the well capped. However, it is not always desirable that all equipment or the lines themselves be removed. Unfortunately though, given the permanent nature of the clamps, operators are not currently afforded the option of removing production tubing without also removing the cumbersome lines that have been secured thereto.

SUMMARY

[0007] A dissolvable wellbore device is constructed of an eutectic material. In accordance to some embodiments the dissolvable wellbore device is an eutectic clamp. An example well system includes a tubing string disposed in a wellbore and an eutectic clamp connecting a control line to the exterior of the tubing string. In a method the eutectic clamp is melted in the wellbore to release the control line from the tubing sting.

[0008] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates a well system incorporating a dissolvable wellbore device in a wellbore completion according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates the dissolvable wellbore device eliminated from the completion according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 illustrates the wellbore plugged and abandoned according to one or more aspects of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

[0014] As used herein, the terms connect, connection, connected, in connection with, and connecting may be used to mean in direct connection with or in connection with via one or more elements. Similarly, the terms couple, coupling, coupled, coupled together, and coupled with may be used to mean directly coupled together or coupled together via one or more elements. Terms such as up, down, top and bottom and other like terms indicating relative positions to a given point or element are may be utilized to more clearly describe some elements. Commonly, these terms relate to a reference point such as the surface from which drilling operations are initiated.

[0015] Embodiments herein are described with reference to certain types of downhole hardware and lines. For example, embodiments herein reference production tubing and control lines. However, other types of vertically disposed completion hardware and lines may take advantage of embodiments of the dissolvable wellbore devices such as the completions clamps as described herein. So long as the clamps are of a eutectic material or otherwise controllably dissolvable appreciable benefit may be realized.

[0016] As used herein, the term "eutectic" is meant to refer to any material or composition which may be provided in a solid form and controllably heated to effectively liquefy and remove. This may include conventional soldering alloys suitable for downhole use and non-alloy compositions. The eutectic material may contain for example bismuth, lead, tin, cadmium, or indium.

[0017] Referring generally to Figure 1, a well system 20 is illustrated incorporating a dissolvable wellbore device or eutectic wellbore device, identified in the figures as a clamp 38 (e.g., completions clamp, eutectic completions clamp, eutectic clamp). The eutectic wellbore device may include devices other than clamps. In the depicted and described embodiment the completions clamp is constructed of eutectic material providing that the dissolvable device can be intentionally removed while located downhole. For example, when an operator is ready to pull or abandon the completion, the eutectic completion clamps may be melted so that the control lines may be left in the wellbore. By not having to pull the control lines considerable rig time may be saved.

[0018] The depicted well system 20 includes a completion 22 deployed in a wellbore 24. Completion 22 may comprise a production string 26 which may be formed of a variety of components utilized in downhole applications. For example, production string 26 may comprise a tubing string 28 as well as a variety of other wellbore components 30. The specific type of wellbore components 30 depend on the wellbore application, but the components can be selected from, for example, valves, sensors, testing equipment, servicing equipment, production equipment, energy storage devices and other types of devices. In the example illustrated in Figure 1, wellbore components 30 comprise a chemical injection mandrel 32 (e.g., valve) and one or more sensors forming a measurement system 34. At least one control line 36 extends along wellbore 24 and operatively engages chemical injection mandrel 32 and measurement system 34. In this embodiment, control line 36 comprises an electrical cable for example in communication with the measurement system and the mandrel 32 and also includes a chemical injection line for delivering chemicals to the downhole environment via chemical injection mandrel 32.

[0019] Completion 22 may comprise additional components, depending on the specific wellbore application. As illustrated, completion 22 comprises, for example, an eutectic clamp 38 for holding control line 36 with respect to tubing string 28. Furthermore, wellbore 24 may be lined with a well casing 40, and one or more packers 42 may be deployed in the annulus between well casing 40 and tubing string 28 or between well casing 40 and other completion components. Generally, a wellhead 44 is disposed at the surface, and tubing string 28 extends downwardly from the wellhead 44.

[0020] Well system 20 includes a telemetry system 46 for communicating electrical signals between a downhole location 48 and an uphole location 50, such as a surface location 52 located at the Earth's surface. Telemetry system 46 comprises one or more control lines 36 that carry electrical signals, e.g. power and/or communication. [0021] Referring now to Figure 2, in conjunction with Figure 1, the eutectic completions clamp 38 is removed freeing the connection of the control line(s) 36 from the tubing string 28. In this example the eutectic completions clamp 38 was removed by melting in response to being heated. The eutectic material may be melted for example by heating via various mechanisms, including without limitation heat delivery lines (e.g., electric lines), pyrotechnic devices and chemical reactions, for example thermite. The heating element or device may be disposed with the completion for activation when desired or run into the wellbore when it is desired to liquefy an eutectic wellbore device.

[0022] In Figure 2 a heating device or element 54 is conveyed into the wellbore 24 on a conveyance 56 (e.g., wire line, tubing) and disposed adjacent to the eutectic completions clamp. The heating element 54 is activated to produce sufficient to melt the eutectic completions clamp 38. In the illustrated example the heating element is deployed inside of the tubing string 28 and activated to melt the eutectic completions clamp which is located outside of the tubing string 28. In some embodiments the heating element is deployed in the annulus 58 of the wellbore.

[0023] Referring now to Figure 3, in conjunction with Figures 1 and 2, the wellbore 24 is illustrated plugged and abandoned. Once the eutectic completions clamp 38 was dissolved (i.e., melted) an upper portion of the completion 22 is removed from the wellbore, for example by cutting tubing string 28, leaving a lower portion of the completion 22 including some or all of the control line 36 in the wellbore. As will be understood by those skilled in the art with benefit of this disclosure it may be difficult to cut and/or drill out cables in a control line 36 relative to the ability to back-off, cut or drill out other completion components. With the upper portion of the completion 22 removed a plug 60 can be placed in the wellbore above the lower completion and the wellbore capped as illustrated by wellhead 44.

[0024] The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The scope of the invention should be determined only by the language of the claims that follow. The term "comprising" within the claims is intended to mean "including at least" such that the recited listing of elements in a claim are an open group. The terms "a," "an" and other singular terms are intended to include the plural forms thereof unless specifically excluded.