US 12,345,115 B2
Heaters to accelerate setting of expandable metal
Michael Linley Fripp, Carrollton, TX (US); Joachim Pihl, Sandefjord (NO); and Arpana Verma, Coppell, TX (US)
Assigned to Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/151,331.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/962,910, filed on Jan. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0222509 A1, Jul. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. E21B 33/12 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 33/1208 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for setting a downhole tool, comprising:
positioning the downhole tool within a wellbore, the downhole tool including electrically conductive expandable metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis, the expandable metal including an alkaline earth metal or a transition metal;
positioning a downhole localized heater within the wellbore, the downhole localized heater being proximate the expandable metal; and
subjecting the expandable metal to a wellbore fluid to expand the expandable metal into contact with one or more surfaces while activating the downhole localized heater to create a temperature spike and accelerate an expansion of the expandable metal, wherein while subjecting the expandable metal to the wellbore fluid the expandable metal goes from metal to micron scale particles that expand and lock together.