US 11,885,191 B2
Patch for joining downhole ends of pipes
Daniel T. Craig, Katy, TX (US)
Filed by Wellbore Integrity Solutions LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/169,372.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/972,626, filed on Feb. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0246751 A1, Aug. 12, 2021
Int. Cl. E21B 31/00 (2006.01); E21B 31/12 (2006.01); E21B 36/00 (2006.01); E21B 17/04 (2006.01); E21B 33/10 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 31/007 (2013.01) [E21B 17/04 (2013.01); E21B 31/12 (2013.01); E21B 33/10 (2013.01); E21B 36/00 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A downhole tool for joining a string of pipe to which the downhole tool is attached to a downhole tubular in a wellbore, the downhole tool comprising:
a connector disposed on an upper end of the downhole tool capable of joining the upper end of the downhole tool to the string of pipe;
a catch adapted to join a lower end of the downhole tool to an upper end of the downhole tubular by lowering the downhole tool to overlap the lower end of the downhole tool with the upper end of the downhole tubular; and
at least one seal capable of creating a seal between the lower end of the downhole tool and the downhole tubular where they overlap;
wherein the downhole tool defines a hollow passageway capable of communicating fluid between the string of pipe and the downhole tubular once the downhole tool is joined to the string of pipe and the downhole tubular; and
wherein the seal comprises:
a housing; and
a plurality of sealing elements, the plurality of sealing elements comprising:
one or more melting metal sealing elements made of a eutectic metal alloy with a melting point lower than an annealing temperature of the tubular; and
one or more sealing elements made of rubber, non-rubber elastomer, or a non-eutectic metal or metal alloy configured to act as barrier to impede migration of a flow of the eutectic metal or metal alloy when melted by a heater within the vicinity of the one or more melting metal sealing elements.