Swellable elastomer plugging system for temporary or permanent abandonment of a wellbore

Abstract

A process for plugging a wellbore, e.g., an oil or gas well, which comprises installing swelling elastomer sealing units across an interval of casing which is properly in the annulus space between the outside of the casing and the rock face. The swellable elastomer sealing units can also be used to seal off perforated casing, production screen and open hole completions. The plug and abandonment system is comprised of swelling elastomer units that are connected together to achieve a desired sealing contact length. These connected units may be hung off below or placed above a packer, cement retainer, cast iron bridge plug or setting slips. Both the tubular form of the plugging unit and the rod form of the plugging unit can be used in conjunction with conventional settable medium (cementing, barite or sized aggregate) plug setting operations. The elastomers incorporated are designed to swell with the current wellbore fluid and/or any possible future wellbore fluid. The swelling elastomers create sufficient expansion force to effectively seal off the wellbore internal to the casing, liner, screen or open-hole interval.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A swellable elastomer plugging system for temporary or permanent abandonment of a wellbore, comprising:
 a plurality of swellable elastomer units comprising: aqueous/brine swellable units of swellable elastomer material; hydrocarbon/oil swellable units of swellable elastomer material, or a combination thereof;   supports for the swellable elastomer units comprising solid rods or tubular cores;   connections for attaching the swellable elastomer units to the supports comprising adhesives and/or baffle plates; and   connectors for connecting the swellable elastomer units together, comprising box and pin connections.   
     
     
         18 . The swellable elastomer plugging system of  claim 17  further comprising a settable medium. 
     
     
         19 . A method of creating and setting the equivalent of multiple abandonment plugs on a single trip into the wellbore using swellable elastomers alone or in conjunction with conventional settable plugging medium. 
     
     
         20 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein the hydrocarbon swellable components are disks. 
     
     
         21 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein baffles connected to the rod or tubular cores confine longitudinal expansion and enhance circumferential expansion of the swellable elastomer units during swelling. 
     
     
         22 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein the swellable elastomer units are conveyable into the wellbore by drill pipe, work string, coiled tubing, wireline, or braided line. 
     
     
         23 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein the swellable elastomer units are hydraulically pumpable into position within the wellbore. 
     
     
         24 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein the swellable elastomer units seal off the interior of casing, tubing, perforated completion intervals, completion screens, or open-hole interval to plug the wellbore. 
     
     
         25 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein the swellable elastomer units comprise elastomers in sheet form wrapped around solid rod or tubular cores and held in place using adhesives and/or baffle plates that are connected to the rod or tubular cores. 
     
     
         26 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein the swellable elastomer units are disks having a central hole there through and are threaded onto rod or tubular cores and held in place using adhesives and/or baffle plates connected to the rod or tubular cores. 
     
     
         27 . The swellable plugging system of  claim 17  wherein the swellable elastomer units comprise spray on elastomers laid onto a central rod or tubular core with baffle plates connected to the central rod or tubular core to protect the elastomer from abrasion and wear when the units are placed into the wellbore. Preliminary Amendment