US 12,345,117 B2
Individual separate chunks of expandable metal
Stephen Michael Greci, Carrollton, TX (US); Michael Linley Fripp, Carrollton, TX (US); and Brandon T. Least, Carrollton, TX (US)
Assigned to Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on May 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/334,363.
Prior Publication US 2022/0381106 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. E21B 33/12 (2006.01); E21B 33/13 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 33/1208 (2013.01) [E21B 33/13 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A downhole tool, comprising:
a tubular; and
a collection of conductive individual separate chunks of expandable metal positioned about the tubular, the collection of conductive individual separate chunks of expandable metal comprising a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis, wherein the collection of conductive individual separate chunks of expandable metal each has a surface-area-to-volume ratio (SA:V) ranging from 5 cm−1 to 50 cm−1 and further wherein during the expansion, the separate chunks of expandable metal are configured to go from metal to micron-scale particles that are larger and lock together.