1. A method usable with a well, comprising:
deploying plugs along a wellbore to form a plurality of fluid barriers for associated stages, the plugs comprising a first plug that comprises a first material that reacts with a first agent and does not react with a second agent and a second plug that comprises a second material that reacts with the second agent and does not react with the first agent, wherein each plug forms a lower boundary of its associated stage;
performing a first stimulation operation in the stage associated with the first plug;
communicating the first agent into the well to react with the first material to remove the first plug;
performing a second stimulation operation in the stage associated with the second plug; and
communicating the second agent into the well to react with the second material to remove the second plug.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deploying comprises deploying the first plug and the second plug in a tubular string.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the deploying comprises deploying the first plug and the second plug to form seals against a wall of the wellbore.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of deploying the plugs comprises:
deploying a plurality of the first plugs and a plurality of the second plugs; and
alternating the first plugs with the second plugs along the wellbore.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating the first agent comprises communicating the first agent in a fluid used in the first stimulation operation.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
perforating the well to form perforation tunnels along the wellbore in the stages.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
communicating a hydraulic communication inhibiting agent into the stage associated with the first plug at or near the conclusion of the first stimulation operation.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first agent comprises an acid, the first material comprises calcium carbonate, the second agent comprises a base, and the second plug comprises a polyacrylic polymer.
9. A method usable with a well, comprising:
deploying plugs along a wellbore to form a plurality of fluid barriers for associated stages, the plugs comprising a first plug that comprises a first material that reacts with a first agent and does not react with a second agent and a second plug that comprises a second material that reacts with the second agent and does not react with the first agent;
performing a first stimulation operation in the stage associated with the first plug;
communicating the first agent into the well to react with the first material to remove the first plug;
performing a second stimulation operation in the stage associated with the second plug;
communicating the second agent into the well to react with the second material to remove the second plug
using a string-deployed valve in the isolated stage to allow formation communication in association with the first stimulation operation; and
closing the valve at the conclusion of the first stimulation operation.
10. A system usable with a well, comprising:
a plurality of first plugs deployed in a wellbore, each of the first plugs comprising a first material being reactive with a first agent and not being reactive with a second agent;
a plurality of second plugs deployed in the wellbore, each of the second plugs comprising a second material being reactive with the second agent and not being reactive with the first agent;
wherein the first and second plugs form fluid barriers for a plurality of isolated stages in the well, each of the first and second plugs defining a lower boundary of an associated stage.
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:
a tubing string, wherein the plurality of first plugs and the plurality of second plugs are deployed in a passageway of the tubing string.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of first plugs and the plurality of second plugs form seals against a wall of the wellbore.
13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:
a tubing string comprising valves and a passageway, wherein the plurality of first plugs and the plurality of second plugs are deployed in the passageway of the tubing string,
wherein at least one of the valves is adapted to be opened to permit fluid communication between the passageway of the tubing string and a region outside of the tubing string.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first agent comprises an acid, the first material comprises calcium carbonate, the second agent comprises a base, and the second material comprises a polyacrylic polymer.
15. A method usable with a well, comprising:
deploying plugs in a wellbore to form fluid barriers for a plurality of stages, wherein each deployed plug defines a lower boundary of an associated stage, the deploying comprising:
deploying first plugs in the wellbore, the first plugs comprising a first material being reactive with a first agent and being not reactive with a second agent;
deploying second plugs in the wellbore, the second plugs comprising a second material not being reactive with the first agent and being reactive with the second agent;
alternating positions of the first and second plugs in the wellbore to cause the first plugs to establish lower boundaries for some of the stages and the second plugs to establish lower boundaries for at least some of the other stages;
performing stimulation operations in the plurality of stages;
communicating the first agent into the stages having lower boundaries established by the first plugs to react with the first material to remove the first plugs; and
communicating the second agent into the stages having lower boundaries established by the second plugs to react with the second material to remove the second plugs.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of communicating the first agent comprises communicating the first agent at or near conclusion of the stimulation operations in the stages in which the lower boundaries of the stages are established by the first plugs.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first agent comprises an acid, the first material comprises calcium carbonate, the second agent comprises a base, and the second material comprises a polyacrylic polymer.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
perforating the wellbore in regions of the wellbore associated with the stages prior to the act of deploying the plugs.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
communicating a hydraulic communication inhibiting agent into the wellbore near the conclusion of at least one of the stimulation operations.
20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
using valves of the tubing string in the stages to perform the stimulation operations.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An unbonded capping system for strength testing of concrete masonry units, comprising:
a rigid, rectangular foam board of a size to be received on a face of a concrete masonry unit; and
a plastic sheet laminated to the rigid foam board and being engagable by a test apparatus, in use, with the rigid foam board engaging the face of the concrete masonry unit to provide even load distribution during testing.
2. The unbonded capping system of claim 1 wherein the rigid foam board comprises an expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam board.
3. The unbonded capping system of claim 2 wherein the EPS foam board has a density greater than 2 lbft3.
4. (The unbonded capping system of claim 2 wherein the EPS foam board has a density of about 3 lbft3.
5. The unbonded capping system of claim 1 wherein the foam board has a thickness of about 0.5 inches and the plastic sheet has a thickness of about 0.06 inches.
6. The unbonded capping system of claim 1 wherein the plastic sheet is laminated to the rigid foam board with an adhesive.
7. For use with a testing system for compression testing of concrete masonry units including first and second platens, a pair of compression pads each comprising:
a rigid, rectangular foam board of a size to be received on one face of a concrete masonry unit; and
a plastic sheet laminated to the rigid foam board and being engagable by one of the test platens, in use, with the rigid foam board engaging the face of the concrete masonry unit to provide even load distribution during testing.
8. The compression pads of claim 7 wherein the rigid foam board comprises an expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam board.
9. The compression pads of claim 8 wherein the EPS foam board has a density greater than 2 lbft3.
10. The compression pads of claim 8 wherein the EPS foam board has a density of about 3 lbft3.
11. The compression pads of claim 7 wherein the foam board has a thickness of about 0.5 inches and the plastic sheet has a thickness of about 0.06 inches.
12. The compression pads of claim 7 wherein the plastic sheet is laminated to the rigid foam board with an adhesive.
13. In a capping system for compression testing of concrete masonry units including first and second platens, the improvement comprising:
a pair of laminated compression pads, each comprising a rigid, rectangular foam layer of a size to be received on one face of a concrete masonry unit, and a plastic sheet layer laminated to the rigid foam layer and being engagable by one of the test platens, in use, with the rigid foam layer engaging the face of the concrete masonry unit to provide even load distribution during testing.
14. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the rigid foam layer comprises an expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam board.
15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the EPS foam board has a density greater than 2 lbft3.
16. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the EPS foam board has a density of about 3 lbft3.
17. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the foam layer has a thickness of about 0.5 inches and the plastic sheet layer has a thickness of about 0.06 inches.
18. The improvement of claim 13 wherein the plastic sheet layer is laminated to the rigid foam layer with an adhesive.
19. An unbonded capping system for strength testing of concrete masonry units, comprising:
a pair of laminated compression pads, each comprising a high density expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam layer of a size to be received on a face of a concrete masonry unit, and a plastic sheet layer adhered to the EPS foam layer and being engagable by a test apparatus, in use, with the EPS foam layer engaging the face of the concrete masonry unit to provide even load distribution during testing.
20. The unbonded capping system of claim 19 wherein the EPS foam layer has a density of about 3 lbft3.
21. The unbonded capping system of claim 19 wherein the EPS foam layer has a thickness of about 0.5 inches and the plastic sheet layer has a thickness of about 0.06 inches.