Abstract: A method of sealing leaks in oil and gas wells includes: removing a portion of an inner casing string within a wellbore to access an annulus associated with an area of fluid leakage; filling a first portion of the annulus with a first metal alloy to form a first metal alloy layer; filling a second portion of the annulus with cement to form a cement layer over the first metal alloy layer; and filling a third portion of the annulus with a second metal alloy to form a second metal alloy layer over the cement layer. The first metal alloy layer, the cement layer, and the second metal alloy layer together seal the annulus.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 28, 2025
Date of Patent:
February 3, 2026
Assignees:
Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Wellbore Integrity Solutions
Inventors:
Zahrah Marhoon, Amjad Alshaarawi, Abdallah A. Kubaisi, Jafar S. Alzaid, David Shearer, Shantanu Swadi
Abstract: A method of repairing wellbores includes setting a plug to isolate a wellbore flowpath within a plurality of concentric casing strings, milling a window through a radially innermost casing string of the plurality of concentric casing strings, via a casing milling tool, and radially outward towards one of a plurality of cement columns, cleaning out one of plurality of a cement columns between two of the concentric casing strings to expand the window radially, inserting a solid eutectic alloy into the wellbore flowpath above the plug, heating the solid eutectic alloy, via a heater inserted within the wellbore flowpath, to melt the eutectic alloy and allow the melted eutectic alloy to flow into the window, solidifying the melted eutectic alloy to form a solidified eutectic plug within the window, and drilling out the solidified eutectic plug to restore the wellbore flowpath through the eutectic plug.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 12, 2024
Date of Patent:
November 18, 2025
Assignees:
SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, WELLBORE INTEGRITY SOLUTIONS
Inventors:
Zahrah Al Marhoon, Amjad Alshaarawi, Abdallah A. Alkubaisi, Jafar S. Alzaid, Khalil E. Mohamed, Thomas Heinold, Peter Egbe, Alessandro Antonio Gallelli, Songlin Zhong, David Shearer
Abstract: A method of repairing wellbores includes setting a plug to isolate a wellbore flowpath within a plurality of concentric casing strings, milling a window through a radially innermost casing string of the plurality of concentric casing strings, via a casing milling tool, and radially outward towards one of a plurality of cement columns, cleaning out one of plurality of a cement columns between two of the concentric casing strings to expand the window radially, inserting a solid eutectic alloy into the wellbore flowpath above the plug, heating the solid eutectic alloy, via a heater inserted within the wellbore flowpath, to melt the eutectic alloy and allow the melted eutectic alloy to flow into the window, solidifying the melted eutectic alloy to form a solidified eutectic plug within the window, and drilling out the solidified eutectic plug to restore the wellbore flowpath through the eutectic plug.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 12, 2024
Publication date:
October 16, 2025
Applicants:
SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, WELLBORE INTEGRITY SOLUTIONS
Inventors:
Zahrah AL MARHOON, Amjad ALSHAARAWI, Abdallah A. ALKUBAISI, Jafar S. ALZAID, Khalil E. MOHAMED, Thomas HEINOLD, Peter EGBE, Alessandro Antonio GALLELLI, Songlin ZHONG, David SHEARER