Downhole tool with protective covering

Abstract

Degradable and abradable protective covers closely fitted about degradable downhole tools, and methods and devices for making, packaging, transporting and using degradable downhole tools with such covers.

1 . An assembly for use in a cased hydrocarbon well having downhole fluid, comprising:
 a settable downhole tool, the tool having a mandrel, slip or slips and cone or cones;   a protective wrap located about at least a portion of the tool, the protective wrap comprised of shrinkable material, tightly covering an outer surface of at least the slip or slips and cone or cones, and is hydrolytically degradable in the downhole fluid, the tool covered by the protective wrap comprising a covered tool; and   the covered tool is adapted to be run into the well's casing, is adapted so the protective wrap will then at least partially degrade in the well's downhole fluid and cease covering the tool, and is adapted so the tool can then be set directly into the casing and the sealed directly against the casing.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the mandrel, slip or slips, and cone or cones is degradable in the downhole fluid and the tool is configured and comprised so after the tool is set in the well's downhole fluid against the casing and used in completion operations in the well, then degradation of at least the mandrel, slip or slips and cone or cones will cause the tool to release from the casing. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the protective wrap is longitudinally long enough to at least cover the tool's slip or slips and cone or cones, the protective wrap is attached to at least some larger radial outer surfaces of the slip or slips and cone or cones and is not attached to some smaller radial outer surfaces of the slip or slips and cone or cones, and the protective wrap provides a covered tool outer surface which is smoother than a similar tool without the wrap, and wherein the covered tool is capable of sliding through a horizontal leg of the well having debris on the bottom of the horizontal leg with less horizontal force than a similar tool without the wrap; and   wherein the wrap's covering is at least 2.0 mil thick for providing resistance against sand abrasion as the covered tool is run in through the horizontal leg.   
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is not laminated to the tool, is not an integral layer of any part of the tool and is between 0.5 to 7 mil thick. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is not an integral layer of any part of the tool and is between 1.5 to 5 mil thick. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is not an integral layer of any part of the tool and is the wrap is between 2 to 3.5 mil thick. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is comprised of a cylindrical shrinkable film joined together at a joint to form a cylinder, the film covering at least the tool's one or more slips and one or more cones, and the film's joint is continuous and parallel to the mandrel's axis. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is comprised of a continuous shrinkable tube covering at least the tool's one or more slips and one or more cones. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is comprised of a continuous shrinkable preformed bag covering at least the slip or slips and cone or cones and an end of the tool. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool is further comprised of a lower retaining element having set screws on the tool's lower end and/or a higher retaining element having set screws on the tool's higher end, and the protective wrap covers at least the slip or slips and cone or cones, and does not the cover set screws in the tool's lowest and/or highest retaining elements. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is primarily unidirectionally shrinkable and arranged about the tool so protective wrap shrinkage primarily reduces the wrap's radius about the tool and does not primarily reduce the wrap's length along the tool, the slip or slips have inserts or withers, and protective wrap shrinkage about the tool does not cause the slip or slips inserts or withers to penetrate or tear the protective wrap. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap has visually apparent indicia, namely, at least one of a color, a stripe, a design or a symbol, which visually differentiate between different types of wraps, namely, wraps having different thicknesses or compositions or which visually differentiate between different types of tools, namely, tools having different functions or measurements. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is optically clear. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap is comprised of one of the following: fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyolefin, PVC tubes, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), silicone rubber, PLA, PGA, PVOH, PTFE (fluoropolymer) or Viton. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a moisture impermeable outer shell, the shell entirely enclosing the covered tool, and adapted to be easily removable from the covered tool prior to inserting the covered tool into the casing. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a label on the inside or the outside of the protective wrap, the label being degradable in the downhole fluid. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the protective wrap provides the tool with protection against sand infiltration and sand friction so the tool within the protective wrap suffers less sand infiltration and less sand friction than a similar tool without the protective wrap. 
     
     
         18 . An assembly for use in a cased hydrocarbon well having a downhole fluid, the assembly comprising:
 a settable downhole tool, the tool having a mandrel, slip or slips and cone or cones, wherein at least one of the mandrel, the slip or slips and cone or cones is degradable in the well's downhole fluid, and the tool is configured and comprised so the degradation of one of the mandrel, the slip or slips and cone or cones when the tool is set in the casing will release the tool from the casing;   a protective wrap which is degradable in the downhole fluid and which covers an outer surface of at least the slip or slips and cone or cones;   the covered tool is adapted to be run into the well's casing, and then the wrap to at least partially degrade in the well's downhole fluid, and then the tool to be set into and sealed against the casing;
 wherein the wrap is primarily unidirectionally shrinkable and arranged about the tool so shrinkage of the wrap primarily reduces the wrap's radius about the tool and does not primarily reduce the wrap's length along the tool; 
 wherein the wrap is comprised of one of the following: fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyolefin, PVC tubes, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), silicone rubber, PLA, PGA, PVOH, PTFE (fluoropolymer) or Viton; 
 wherein the wrap covers at least the slip or slips and cone or cones, does not cover a portion of an outer radial surface of a first end of the tool, and does not cover a portion of an outer radial surface of a second end of the tool; 
 wherein the wrap is adapted to make the covered tool smooth enough to enable the covered tool to slide through a horizontal leg of the well having debris in the horizontal leg with less force than a similar tool without the wrap, namely, the wrap is longitudinally long enough to cover the tool's slip or slips and cone or cones, and the wrap provides a covered tool outer surface which is smoother than a similar tool without the wrap; 
 wherein the wrap's covering is at least 2.0 mil thick for providing resistance against abrasion as the covered tool is run through a horizontal leg; and, 
   a moisture impermeable outer shell, the shell entirely enclosing the covered tool, and adapted to be easily removable from the covered tool prior to inserting the covered tool into the casing.   
     
     
         19 . An assembly for use in a cased hydrocarbon well having aqueous downhole fluid, comprising:
 a settable downhole tool, the tool having a mandrel, slip or slips and cone or cones and elastomeric seal;   a protective wrap which is degradable in the well's downhole fluid and which covers an outer surface of at least the slip or slips and cone or cones and elastomeric seal, the tool covered by the protective wrap comprising a covered tool; and
 wherein the covered tool is adapted to be run into the well's casing, is adapted so the protective wrap will then at least partially degrade in the well's downhole fluid and cease covering the tool, and is adapted so the tool can then be set directly into the casing and be sealed directly against the casing; and 
 wherein at least one of the mandrel, slip or slips and cone or cones is degradable in downhole fluid and the tool is configured and comprised so after the tool is set in the well's downhole fluid against the casing and used in completion operations in the well, then degradation of at least the mandrel, slip or slips and cone or cones will cause the tool to release from the casing; and further comprising: 
   a moisture impermeable outer shell, the shell entirely enclosing the covered tool, and adapted to be easily removable from the covered tool prior to inserting the covered tool into the casing.   
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 17 ;
 wherein the protective wrap is comprised of a polymer acid and is hydrolytically degradable in an acidic aqueous downhole fluid;   wherein the protective wrap is longitudinally long enough to at least cover the tool's slip or slips and cone or cones, the protective wrap is attached to at least some larger radial outer surfaces of the slip or slips and cone or cones and is not attached to some smaller radial outer surfaces of the slip or slips and cone or cones, and the protective wrap provides a covered tool outer surface which is smoother than a similar tool without the wrap, and wherein the covered tool is capable of sliding through a horizontal leg of the well having debris on the bottom of the horizontal leg with less horizontal force than a similar tool without the wrap; and   wherein the wrap's covering is at least 2.0 mil thick for providing resistance against sand abrasion as the covered tool is run in through the horizontal leg.