US20220298885A1 - Packer apparatus - Google Patents
Packer apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20220298885A1 US20220298885A1 US17/696,805 US202217696805A US2022298885A1 US 20220298885 A1 US20220298885 A1 US 20220298885A1 US 202217696805 A US202217696805 A US 202217696805A US 2022298885 A1 US2022298885 A1 US 2022298885A1
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- Prior art keywords
- deformable
- packer
- fluid
- wellbore
- disposed
- Prior art date
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- Abandoned
Links
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- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
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Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
- E21B33/128—Packers; Plugs with a member expanded radially by axial pressure
- E21B33/1285—Packers; Plugs with a member expanded radially by axial pressure by fluid pressure
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
- E21B33/1208—Packers; Plugs characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means
- E21B33/1212—Packers; Plugs characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means including a metal-to-metal seal element
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B23/00—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells
- E21B23/04—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion
- E21B23/0412—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion characterised by pressure chambers, e.g. vacuum chambers
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B23/00—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells
- E21B23/04—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion
- E21B23/042—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion using a single piston or multiple mechanically interconnected pistons
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B23/00—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells
- E21B23/06—Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells for setting packers
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
- E21B33/124—Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
- E21B33/124—Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space
- E21B33/1243—Units with longitudinally-spaced plugs for isolating the intermediate space with inflatable sleeves
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
- E21B33/127—Packers; Plugs with inflatable sleeve
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
- E21B33/127—Packers; Plugs with inflatable sleeve
- E21B33/1277—Packers; Plugs with inflatable sleeve characterised by the construction or fixation of the sleeve
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
- E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
- E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
- E21B33/128—Packers; Plugs with a member expanded radially by axial pressure
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a packer apparatus for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing, and relates particularly, but not exclusively to a workstring comprising a packer apparatus.
- packer apparatuses are used to create annular seals in open wellbores or wellbore casing to isolate sections of the wellbore. This can be particularly useful in hydraulic fracturing operations where compartmentalised zones of a wellbore are individually stimulated to produce hydrocarbons.
- packers to isolate sections of wellbore can also be useful for example when abandoning wellbores to ensure that the sections of the wellbore are sealed to prevent leakage of hydrocarbons and other chemicals.
- a combination of dissolved corrosive chemicals such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and oxygen as well as high temperatures can corrode and damage packer elements leading to seal failures.
- Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.
- a packer apparatus for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing, the apparatus comprising:
- a body configured to be disposed in a wellbore; a deformable packer element disposed on the body, the deformable packer element comprising a deformable metallic outer cover; and actuation apparatus configured to move relative to the body to deform said deformable packer element outwardly from the body to cause said deformable metallic outer cover to contact the surface of the wellbore or casing in which the apparatus is located; wherein deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the deformable packer element and deformable metallic outer cover to return to a retracted condition.
- this provides the advantage that the element that is used to create a seal in the wellbore is resistant to corrosion from dissolved chemicals such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, particularly when operating in high temperature wellbore environments.
- deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the deformable packer element to return to a retracted condition provides the advantage that the packer can be reused multiple times and moved along the wellbore to seal at different points or deform casing at different points.
- Said deformable packer element may comprise a chamber configured to contain fluid, such that when the actuation apparatus is activated, said fluid is pressurised to deform said deformable metallic outer cover outwardly.
- the apparatus may further comprise at least one floating piston disposed at an end of said chamber, wherein said actuation apparatus is configured to move said floating piston to pressurise said fluid disposed in the chamber.
- This provides the advantage of a means of sealing the deformable packer element to prevent ingress of contaminants from the wellbore environment.
- Said fluid may be compressible such that such that when the actuation apparatus is deactivated, said fluid expands to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
- Said fluid may be incompressible and said deformable packer element may further comprise a return spring or elastomeric element disposed in said chamber such that deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the return spring or elastomeric element to expand to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
- Said deformable packer element further comprises an elastomeric element such that when the actuation apparatus is activated, said elastomeric deforms said deformable metallic outer cover outwardly, and when said actuation apparatus is deactivated, said elastomeric element expands to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
- Said elastomeric element may be disposed in a chamber having a floating piston disposed at an end of said chamber, and wherein said actuation apparatus is configured to move said floating piston to compress said elastomeric element disposed in the chamber.
- This provides the advantage of a means of sealing the deformable packer element to prevent ingress of contaminants from the wellbore environment.
- the apparatus may further comprise fluid disposed in said chamber.
- the deformable packer element is rotatably mounted on said body.
- said actuation apparatus comprises a plurality of hydraulic cylinders configured to compress said deformable packer element in response to an increase in fluid pressure in each of said hydraulic cylinders.
- This provides the advantage of a modular assembly which enables an operator to choose the amount of hydraulic pressure available to suit particular wellbore conditions and therefore the force that can be applied by the deformable packer elements to form a seal or cause casing expansion.
- the force available can be correspondingly increased.
- said actuation apparatus further comprises at least one mandrel element at least partially defining a longitudinal bore of the apparatus, said at least one hydraulic cylinder slidably disposed on said at least one mandrel element and being in fluid communication with said longitudinal bore.
- This provides the advantage of a compact configuration which enables multiple hydraulic cylinders to be assembled in the apparatus.
- the apparatus may further comprise a locking apparatus configured to prevent said at least one hydraulic cylinder moving relative to said at least one mandrel element, the locking apparatus comprising:
- At least one shear pin configured to prevent relative movement between said at least one hydraulic cylinder and said at least one mandrel element; and a restriction disposed in said longitudinal bore for engaging a ball or dart dropped into the longitudinal bore to block the longitudinal bore to enable fluid pressure to increase to shear said at least one shear pin and enable relative movement between said at least one hydraulic cylinder and said at least one mandrel element.
- the apparatus can be incorporated into a workstring having secondary functions.
- a hydraulically operated perforating tool might be incorporated into the workstring to enable casing to be perforated to conduct hydraulic fracturing.
- a situation is to be avoided whereby an increase in fluid pressure operates the deformable packer elements at the same time as the perforating tool.
- the packer apparatus can be prevented from deploying until such time as the ball or dart is dropped.
- Said body portion may at least partially define a longitudinal bore of the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one valve assembly disposed in said longitudinal bore, said at least one valve assembly configured to permit fluid to enter said longitudinal bore when the apparatus is moved into a wellbore containing fluid.
- the deformable packer elements in very close tolerance with the surface of the wellbore or the casing in which the apparatus is operating.
- this creates a problem during workstring deployment because the wellbore is likely to be full of fluid.
- This fluid therefore requires a path to be displaced when the workstring moves into the fluid which is advantageously provided by enabling the wellbore fluid to pass through the longitudinal bore of the apparatus.
- the valve assembly therefore ensures that the wellbore can be sealed to enable a pressure increase to deploy the deformable packer elements when the workstring is in place.
- Said at least one valve assembly may be configured to close when fluid is pumped into the longitudinal bore to enable fluid pressure to increase in the apparatus.
- This provides the advantage of enabling fluid pressure to increase in the apparatus after deployment of the workstring.
- a workstring comprising:
- first packer apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims; a second packer apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims; and a ported sub comprising ports, the ported sub connected between said first and second packer apparatuses.
- This provides the advantage of a straddle packer assembly with a ported sub between packers to create a pressure differential to actuate the packers and isolate a section of wellbore to enable fluid to fracture the formation.
- FIG. 1 a is a longitudinal cross-section of a packer apparatus for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the deformable packer element is shown in an undeformed retracted condition;
- FIG. 1 b is a longitudinal cross-sectional drawing of the apparatus of FIG. 1 a showing the deformable packer element in the outwardly deployed condition;
- FIG. 2 a is a longitudinal cross-section of a packer apparatus of a second embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 b is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the packer apparatus of FIG. 2 a showing the deformable packer element in the outwardly deployed condition;
- FIG. 3 a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a packer apparatus of a third embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 b is a longitudinal cross-section corresponding to FIG. 3 a showing the deformable packer element in the outwardly deployed condition
- FIG. 3 c is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G of FIG. 3 a;
- FIG. 4 a is a longitudinal cross-section of the packer apparatus of FIG. 1 a comprising a locking mechanism
- FIG. 4 b is a longitudinal cross-section corresponding to FIG. 4 a showing the locking mechanism in the released condition
- FIG. 4 c is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 4 a;
- FIG. 4 d is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 4 b;
- FIG. 4 e is a close-up of section E of FIG. 4 a;
- FIG. 4 f is a close-up of section F of FIG. 4 b;
- FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section of a workstring comprising two of the packers of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b connected either side of a ported sub;
- FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of a workstring incorporating two packer apparatuses of FIG. 1 a disposed either side of a ported sub, the workstring also comprising a surge valve system;
- FIG. 7 a is a cross-sectional view of the packer apparatus of FIG. 1 a shown disposed in wellbore casing;
- FIG. 7 b is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 7 a showing the packer apparatus in use to deform wellbore casing.
- a packer apparatus 2 for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing comprises a body 4 configured to be disposed in a wellbore and a deformable packer element 6 disposed on the body 4 .
- the deformable packer element 6 comprises a deformable metallic outer cover 8 .
- An actuation apparatus 10 is configured to move relative to the body 4 to deform said deformable packer element 6 outwardly from the body 4 ( FIG. 1 b ) to cause the deformable metallic outer cover 8 to contact the surface of the wellbore or casing in which the apparatus is located. Deactivation of the actuation apparatus 10 causes the deformable packer element 6 and deformable metallic outer cover 8 to return to a retracted condition.
- the deformable metallic outer cover 8 might not completely return to the undeformed state of FIG. 1 a , but will retract sufficiently to release any seal and disengage from the surface of the casing or wellbore to prevent drag and enable repeated re-deployment.
- a nickel based high-performance alloy such as Inconel 625 is preferred to form the deformable metallic outer cover 8 as such materials have a high nickel content for corrosion resistance and are relatively soft and ductile.
- the actuation apparatus 10 comprises a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 12 disposed on mandrel elements 14 which define a longitudinal bore 16 of the packer apparatus 2 .
- a plurality of internal ports 18 enables fluid communication between the longitudinal bore 16 and the hydraulic cylinders 12 .
- Each hydraulic cylinder 12 comprises a piston element 20 , a housing portion 22 and an annular port 24 on one side of the piston element 20 opposite to the hydraulic cylinder to provide fluid communication with the outside of the packer apparatus 2 .
- fluid pressure is communication through internal ports 18 to hydraulic chambers 12 to increase fluid pressure in the hydraulic chambers 12 .
- Deformable packer element 6 comprises a deformable metallic outer cover 8 defining a chamber 30 .
- a floating piston 32 closes off chamber 30 which is filled with fluid which might for example be oil or water. Movement of actuation apparatus 10 from the position of FIG. 1 a to FIG. 1 b moves floating piston 32 to compress the fluid in chamber 30 and deform the deformable metallic cover 8 outwardly to the position of FIG. 1 b . This causes deformable metallic outer cover 8 to engage the surface of the wellbore and form a seal.
- the deformable packer element 6 is rotatably mounted on body 4 by means of ball bearings 36 .
- ball bearings 36 are held in a channel 39 defined between an outer retaining sleeve 5 of the deformable packer element 6 and the body 4 .
- a plurality of ball bearings 36 fills channel 39 and are retained by NPT plug 37 .
- three sets of ball bearings are shown which enable rotation and also act as thrust bearings.
- a bearing 33 is located between the end of the actuation apparatus 10 and the floating piston 32 .
- a return spring 34 is mounted in the chamber 30 such that when the actuation apparatus is deactivated, the deformable packer element 6 is returned to a retracted condition. Deactivation of the actuation apparatus 10 is accomplished by the operator reducing fluid pressure in longitudinal bore 16 to equalise with the outside annulus such that there is no pressure differential between hydraulic chambers 12 and the annulus outside of the apparatus 2 .
- a return spring 34 instead of a return spring 34 , another biasing means such as an elastomeric element could be used. If the fluid in chamber 30 is an incompressible fluid such as water or an incompressible oil, the return spring 34 (or other biasing means) is required to ensure that the deformable packer element returns to a retracted condition after use. However, if the chamber 30 is filled with a compressible fluid such as a compressible oil, the natural resilience of the compressible fluid will be sufficient to expand after the actuation apparatus 10 is deactivated to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition after use for redeployment at a different position along the wellbore.
- a compressible fluid such as a compressible oil
- the packer apparatus 2 will generally be operated in a workstring by locating the packer apparatus at the farthest point along a wellbore from the surface for an initial sealing operation. Once that sealing operation has been completed, the workstring is pulled to the next point along the wellbore for sealing. The action of pulling the packer apparatus also aids in returning the deformable packer element 106 and therefore the deformable metallic outer cover to a retracted condition.
- a second valve assembly 50 comprises a spring-loaded sleeve 52 having internal ports 54 configured to align with external ports 56 formed through the body portion 4 when ball 58 pushes the sleeve 52 against the force of spring 60 . This creates a second fluid path to allow wellbore fluid to move.
- fluid pumped from the surface pushes the balls 42 and 58 back to the positions shown in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b to enable fluid pumped from the surface to flow through longitudinal bore 16 which is sealed from the annulus.
- the packer apparatus 2 is moved to a position in a wellbore or a casing at which an annular seal is required. Hydraulic fluid is then pumped from the surface into longitudinal bore 16 which closes valves 40 and 50 to enable fluid to flow freely along the internal bore 16 .
- Hydraulic fluid is then pumped from the surface into longitudinal bore 16 which closes valves 40 and 50 to enable fluid to flow freely along the internal bore 16 .
- This increases pressure in hydraulic cylinders 12 and when the pressure in hydraulic cylinders 12 is greater than the fluid pressure in the annulus outside of the apparatus 2 which is communicated through annular ports 24 , the hydraulic cylinders push actuation apparatus 10 against floating piston 32 to compress fluid in chamber 30 against the action of spring 34 .
- a ported sub 60 (also known as a nozzle stimulation sub) comprises a plurality of ports 62 to enable fluid to be pumped into the formation in which workstring 64 is located.
- Workstring 64 also includes first and second packer apparatuses 2 connected on opposite sides of the ported sub 60 .
- the packer apparatus 2 is located in a wellbore 70 lined with steel casing 72 .
- Packer apparatus 2 is located at a position at which such an annular seal is required.
- An elastomeric sleeve 76 has been mounted on the casing 72 but this is not always required, and the following procedure can be also conducted on steel casing 72 without any form of elastomeric or other sleeve.
- the actuation apparatus 10 is then operated in the manner described above to pressurise hydraulic chambers 12 and compress the deformable packer element 6 to push the deformable metallic outer cover 8 against the casing 72 . If sufficient force is applied, steel casing 72 deforms past its elastic limit to form a permanent deformed portion of casing and therefore a seal 78 compressing the elastomeric sleeve 76 against the surface of wellbore 70 .
- the packer apparatus can then be deactivated leaving the seal 78 in place and the packer apparatus to move to a different point in the casing 72 to form another seal.
- Locking mechanism 80 is therefore provided to hold the actuation apparatus 10 static when the pressure is changed in longitudinal bore 16 .
- Locking mechanism 80 comprises at least one sheer pin 82 which projects through the body into an internal sleeve 84 which comprises a restriction 86 for catching a deformable ball 92 or a dart.
- a recessed portion 88 is formed in sleeve 84 for holding keys 90 . Keys 90 increase the force required to release the locking mechanism 80 .
- the keys 90 prevent the actuation apparatus 10 from moving relative to body 4 .
- ball 92 When ball 92 is dropped, it sits against restriction 86 to enable the pressure to be increased sufficiently to break sheer pins 82 .
- Keys 90 then fall into recessed portion 88 in the sleeve 84 ( FIGS. 4 b , 4 d , 4 f ) to enable movement of the actuation apparatus 10 to enable the deformable packer element 6 and therefore deformable metallic outer cover 8 to be deployed.
- FIG. 5 shows a ported sub 60 disposed in a workstring comprising packer apparatuses 2 in which such a locking mechanism 80 is mounted. Additional pressure deforms the ball 92 forcing it past restriction 86 . The ball will then fall down the workstring to sit on the next restriction 86 to release a further packer apparatus 2 until the ball eventually lands in ball catcher 94 .
- FIGS. 2 a and 2 b A packer apparatus 102 of a second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b with parts common to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b shown with like reference numerals, but increased by 100.
- Packer apparatus 102 comprises actuation apparatus 110 and hydraulic cylinders 112 and other pressure operated components that operate in exactly the same way as the embodiment of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b , such that the hydraulic actuation of the packer will not be described in any further detail with reference to the second embodiment.
- deformable packer element 106 comprises deformable metallic outer cover 108 and a deformable elastomeric element 109 .
- the actuation apparatus 110 When the actuation apparatus 110 is activated, it moves to compress deformable elastomeric element 109 which in turn pushes deformable metallic outer cover 108 against the wellbore or casing to form a seal.
- the apparatus includes rotating sleeve 111 mounted on O-rings 113 .
- the resilience of the deformable elastomeric element 109 pushes back against the actuation apparatus 110 to return the deformable packer elements 106 and therefore deformable metallic outer cover 108 to a retracted.
- FIGS. 3 a and 3 b A packer apparatus 202 of a third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b , with parts common to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b shown with like reference numerals but increased by 200.
- packer apparatus 202 comprises a deformable packer element 206 having a deformable metallic cover 208 under which deformable elastomeric element 209 is disposed in common with the embodiment of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b . Also, the hydraulic operation of the apparatus 202 is identical to that of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 and will not be described in any further detail.
- FIGS. 3 a and 3 b The difference between the embodiment of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b with that of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b is the inclusion of floating piston 232 in contact with actuation apparatus 210 .
- actuation apparatus 210 When the actuation apparatus 210 is moved, it pushes floating piston 232 to compress deformable elastomeric element 209 .
- the floating piston 232 is used to seal the elastomeric element 209 against the ingress of wellbore fluid which can contain corrosive chemicals such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. In less corrosive environments, the floating piston 232 is not required and the embodiment of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b can be used.
- the deformable metallic outer cover 8 , 108 and 208 has been found to effectively form seals and be able to deform wellbore casing in corrosive environments whilst prevent corrosion and protecting other components of the packer apparatus.
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- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Consolidation Of Soil By Introduction Of Solidifying Substances Into Soil (AREA)
Abstract
A packer apparatus is disclosed. Packer apparatus comprises a body configured to be disposed in a wellbore and a deformable packer element disposed on the body. The deformable packer element comprises a deformable metallic outer cover. An actuation apparatus is configured to move relative to the body to deform said deformable packer element outwardly from the body to cause the deformable metallic outer cover to contact the surface of the wellbore or casing in which the apparatus is located. Deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the deformable packer element and deformable metallic outer cover to return to a retracted condition.
Description
- The present disclosure relates to a packer apparatus for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing, and relates particularly, but not exclusively to a workstring comprising a packer apparatus.
- In hydrocarbon production, packer apparatuses are used to create annular seals in open wellbores or wellbore casing to isolate sections of the wellbore. This can be particularly useful in hydraulic fracturing operations where compartmentalised zones of a wellbore are individually stimulated to produce hydrocarbons.
- The use of packers to isolate sections of wellbore can also be useful for example when abandoning wellbores to ensure that the sections of the wellbore are sealed to prevent leakage of hydrocarbons and other chemicals. However, in some wellbore environments, a combination of dissolved corrosive chemicals such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and oxygen as well as high temperatures can corrode and damage packer elements leading to seal failures.
- Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.
- According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a packer apparatus for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing, the apparatus comprising:
- a body configured to be disposed in a wellbore;
a deformable packer element disposed on the body, the deformable packer element comprising a deformable metallic outer cover; and
actuation apparatus configured to move relative to the body to deform said deformable packer element outwardly from the body to cause said deformable metallic outer cover to contact the surface of the wellbore or casing in which the apparatus is located;
wherein deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the deformable packer element and deformable metallic outer cover to return to a retracted condition. - By providing a deformable packer element comprising a deformable metallic outer cover, this provides the advantage that the element that is used to create a seal in the wellbore is resistant to corrosion from dissolved chemicals such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, particularly when operating in high temperature wellbore environments.
- This also provides the advantage that the deformable metallic outer cover has been found to be effective in deforming wellbore casing if the deforming force is sufficient, whereas elastomeric elements due to their elasticity are less effective in such circumstances.
- The feature that deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the deformable packer element to return to a retracted condition provides the advantage that the packer can be reused multiple times and moved along the wellbore to seal at different points or deform casing at different points.
- Said deformable packer element may comprise a chamber configured to contain fluid, such that when the actuation apparatus is activated, said fluid is pressurised to deform said deformable metallic outer cover outwardly.
- This provides the advantage that the fluid conforms to the inner shape of the deformable metallic outer cover to efficiently transfer force from the actuation apparatus to the deformable metallic outer cover during deployment of the deformable packer element.
- The apparatus may further comprise at least one floating piston disposed at an end of said chamber, wherein said actuation apparatus is configured to move said floating piston to pressurise said fluid disposed in the chamber.
- This provides the advantage of a means of sealing the deformable packer element to prevent ingress of contaminants from the wellbore environment.
- Said fluid may be compressible such that such that when the actuation apparatus is deactivated, said fluid expands to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
- This provides the advantage of a means for ensuring that the deformable packer element returns to a retracted condition subsequent to deactivation of the actuation apparatus.
- Said fluid may be incompressible and said deformable packer element may further comprise a return spring or elastomeric element disposed in said chamber such that deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the return spring or elastomeric element to expand to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
- This provides the advantage of a means for ensuring that the deformable packer element returns to a retracted condition subsequent to deactivation of the actuation apparatus.
- Said deformable packer element further comprises an elastomeric element such that when the actuation apparatus is activated, said elastomeric deforms said deformable metallic outer cover outwardly, and when said actuation apparatus is deactivated, said elastomeric element expands to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
- This provides the advantage of a means for ensuring that the deformable packer element returns to a retracted condition subsequent to deactivation of the actuation apparatus.
- Said elastomeric element may be disposed in a chamber having a floating piston disposed at an end of said chamber, and wherein said actuation apparatus is configured to move said floating piston to compress said elastomeric element disposed in the chamber.
- This provides the advantage of a means of sealing the deformable packer element to prevent ingress of contaminants from the wellbore environment.
- The apparatus may further comprise fluid disposed in said chamber.
- In a preferred embodiment, the deformable packer element is rotatably mounted on said body.
- This provides the advantage of preventing the workstring becoming stuck in the wellbore. It is generally easier to move a workstring in a wellbore when the workstring is rotating. However, packer elements whether deployed or retracted can engage the wellbore inadvertently (or the casing) to cause drag. By therefore mounting the deformable packer elements rotatably on the body, this reduces the friction during the workstring movement.
- In a preferred embodiment, said actuation apparatus comprises a plurality of hydraulic cylinders configured to compress said deformable packer element in response to an increase in fluid pressure in each of said hydraulic cylinders.
- This provides the advantage of a modular assembly which enables an operator to choose the amount of hydraulic pressure available to suit particular wellbore conditions and therefore the force that can be applied by the deformable packer elements to form a seal or cause casing expansion. By increasing the number of hydraulic cylinders in the apparatus, the force available can be correspondingly increased.
- In a preferred embodiment, said actuation apparatus further comprises at least one mandrel element at least partially defining a longitudinal bore of the apparatus, said at least one hydraulic cylinder slidably disposed on said at least one mandrel element and being in fluid communication with said longitudinal bore.
- This provides the advantage of a compact configuration which enables multiple hydraulic cylinders to be assembled in the apparatus.
- The apparatus may further comprise a locking apparatus configured to prevent said at least one hydraulic cylinder moving relative to said at least one mandrel element, the locking apparatus comprising:
- at least one shear pin configured to prevent relative movement between said at least one hydraulic cylinder and said at least one mandrel element; and
a restriction disposed in said longitudinal bore for engaging a ball or dart dropped into the longitudinal bore to block the longitudinal bore to enable fluid pressure to increase to shear said at least one shear pin and enable relative movement between said at least one hydraulic cylinder and said at least one mandrel element. - This provides the advantage that the apparatus can be incorporated into a workstring having secondary functions. For example, a hydraulically operated perforating tool might be incorporated into the workstring to enable casing to be perforated to conduct hydraulic fracturing. However, a situation is to be avoided whereby an increase in fluid pressure operates the deformable packer elements at the same time as the perforating tool. By therefore providing a locking apparatus comprising a restriction that is blocked by either a ball or a dart, the packer apparatus can be prevented from deploying until such time as the ball or dart is dropped.
- Said body portion may at least partially define a longitudinal bore of the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one valve assembly disposed in said longitudinal bore, said at least one valve assembly configured to permit fluid to enter said longitudinal bore when the apparatus is moved into a wellbore containing fluid.
- In some circumstances, it is desirable to have the deformable packer elements in very close tolerance with the surface of the wellbore or the casing in which the apparatus is operating. However, this creates a problem during workstring deployment because the wellbore is likely to be full of fluid. This fluid therefore requires a path to be displaced when the workstring moves into the fluid which is advantageously provided by enabling the wellbore fluid to pass through the longitudinal bore of the apparatus. The valve assembly therefore ensures that the wellbore can be sealed to enable a pressure increase to deploy the deformable packer elements when the workstring is in place.
- Said at least one valve assembly may be configured to close when fluid is pumped into the longitudinal bore to enable fluid pressure to increase in the apparatus.
- This provides the advantage of enabling fluid pressure to increase in the apparatus after deployment of the workstring.
- According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a workstring comprising:
- a first packer apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims;
a second packer apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims; and
a ported sub comprising ports, the ported sub connected between said first and second packer apparatuses. - This provides the advantage of a straddle packer assembly with a ported sub between packers to create a pressure differential to actuate the packers and isolate a section of wellbore to enable fluid to fracture the formation.
- Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1a is a longitudinal cross-section of a packer apparatus for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the deformable packer element is shown in an undeformed retracted condition; -
FIG. 1b is a longitudinal cross-sectional drawing of the apparatus ofFIG. 1a showing the deformable packer element in the outwardly deployed condition; -
FIG. 2a is a longitudinal cross-section of a packer apparatus of a second embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2b is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the packer apparatus ofFIG. 2a showing the deformable packer element in the outwardly deployed condition; -
FIG. 3a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a packer apparatus of a third embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3b is a longitudinal cross-section corresponding toFIG. 3a showing the deformable packer element in the outwardly deployed condition; -
FIG. 3c is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G ofFIG. 3 a; -
FIG. 4a is a longitudinal cross-section of the packer apparatus ofFIG. 1a comprising a locking mechanism; -
FIG. 4b is a longitudinal cross-section corresponding toFIG. 4a showing the locking mechanism in the released condition; -
FIG. 4c is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C ofFIG. 4 a; -
FIG. 4d is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D ofFIG. 4 b; -
FIG. 4e is a close-up of section E ofFIG. 4 a; -
FIG. 4f is a close-up of section F ofFIG. 4 b; -
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section of a workstring comprising two of the packers ofFIGS. 1a and 1b connected either side of a ported sub; -
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of a workstring incorporating two packer apparatuses ofFIG. 1a disposed either side of a ported sub, the workstring also comprising a surge valve system; -
FIG. 7a is a cross-sectional view of the packer apparatus ofFIG. 1a shown disposed in wellbore casing; and -
FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view corresponding toFIG. 7a showing the packer apparatus in use to deform wellbore casing. - Referring to
FIGS. 1a and 1b , apacker apparatus 2 for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing comprises abody 4 configured to be disposed in a wellbore and adeformable packer element 6 disposed on thebody 4. Thedeformable packer element 6 comprises a deformable metallicouter cover 8. - An
actuation apparatus 10 is configured to move relative to thebody 4 to deform saiddeformable packer element 6 outwardly from the body 4 (FIG. 1b ) to cause the deformable metallicouter cover 8 to contact the surface of the wellbore or casing in which the apparatus is located. Deactivation of theactuation apparatus 10 causes thedeformable packer element 6 and deformable metallicouter cover 8 to return to a retracted condition. - Depending on the alloy used to form the deformable metallic
outer cover 8, after deactivation of the actuation means, the deformable metallic outer cover might not completely return to the undeformed state ofFIG. 1a , but will retract sufficiently to release any seal and disengage from the surface of the casing or wellbore to prevent drag and enable repeated re-deployment. A nickel based high-performance alloy such as Inconel 625 is preferred to form the deformable metallicouter cover 8 as such materials have a high nickel content for corrosion resistance and are relatively soft and ductile. - The
actuation apparatus 10 comprises a plurality ofhydraulic cylinders 12 disposed onmandrel elements 14 which define alongitudinal bore 16 of thepacker apparatus 2. A plurality ofinternal ports 18 enables fluid communication between thelongitudinal bore 16 and thehydraulic cylinders 12. Eachhydraulic cylinder 12 comprises apiston element 20, ahousing portion 22 and anannular port 24 on one side of thepiston element 20 opposite to the hydraulic cylinder to provide fluid communication with the outside of thepacker apparatus 2. When hydraulic fluid pressure increases inlongitudinal bore 16, fluid pressure is communication throughinternal ports 18 tohydraulic chambers 12 to increase fluid pressure in thehydraulic chambers 12. This creates a pressure differential to the volume on the opposite side ofpiston elements 20 which if sufficient pushesactuation apparatus 10 and causes annular fluid to vent throughannular ports 24 to enable theactuation apparatus 10 to move to compress thedeformable packer element 6. -
Deformable packer element 6 comprises a deformable metallicouter cover 8 defining achamber 30. A floatingpiston 32 closes offchamber 30 which is filled with fluid which might for example be oil or water. Movement ofactuation apparatus 10 from the position ofFIG. 1a toFIG. 1b moves floatingpiston 32 to compress the fluid inchamber 30 and deform the deformablemetallic cover 8 outwardly to the position ofFIG. 1b . This causes deformable metallicouter cover 8 to engage the surface of the wellbore and form a seal. - The
deformable packer element 6 is rotatably mounted onbody 4 by means ofball bearings 36. Referring toFIGS. 1a, 3a and 3c , althoughFIGS. 3a and 3c refer to the second embodiment of the packer apparatus which will be described in further detail below, the means of enabling rotation of thedeformable packer element 6 relative to thebody 4 is the same for all embodiments such thatFIG. 3c is relevant to the first embodiment ofFIGS. 1a and 1b .Ball bearings 36 are held in achannel 39 defined between anouter retaining sleeve 5 of thedeformable packer element 6 and thebody 4. A plurality ofball bearings 36 fillschannel 39 and are retained byNPT plug 37. In all embodiments, three sets of ball bearings are shown which enable rotation and also act as thrust bearings. In addition toball bearings 36, to assist rotation a bearing 33 is located between the end of theactuation apparatus 10 and the floatingpiston 32. - A
return spring 34 is mounted in thechamber 30 such that when the actuation apparatus is deactivated, thedeformable packer element 6 is returned to a retracted condition. Deactivation of theactuation apparatus 10 is accomplished by the operator reducing fluid pressure inlongitudinal bore 16 to equalise with the outside annulus such that there is no pressure differential betweenhydraulic chambers 12 and the annulus outside of theapparatus 2. - Instead of a
return spring 34, another biasing means such as an elastomeric element could be used. If the fluid inchamber 30 is an incompressible fluid such as water or an incompressible oil, the return spring 34 (or other biasing means) is required to ensure that the deformable packer element returns to a retracted condition after use. However, if thechamber 30 is filled with a compressible fluid such as a compressible oil, the natural resilience of the compressible fluid will be sufficient to expand after theactuation apparatus 10 is deactivated to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition after use for redeployment at a different position along the wellbore. It should also be noted that thepacker apparatus 2 will generally be operated in a workstring by locating the packer apparatus at the farthest point along a wellbore from the surface for an initial sealing operation. Once that sealing operation has been completed, the workstring is pulled to the next point along the wellbore for sealing. The action of pulling the packer apparatus also aids in returning thedeformable packer element 106 and therefore the deformable metallic outer cover to a retracted condition. - In some circumstances, it is desirable to have the
deformable packer element 6 very close to the surface of the casing or the wellbore on which theapparatus 2 is disposed. However, this creates a problem that the fluid already in the wellbore or casing must be displaced to enable the workstring containing thepacker apparatus 2 to be moved into the wellbore. Moving a close tolerance workstring into a fluid filled wellbore can cause a fluid surge leading to an uncontrolled release of fluid at the surface. For this reason, afirst valve 40 comprising a spring-loadedball 42 is mounted inlongitudinal bore 16. When theapparatus 2 is moved into a wellbore containing fluid, the fluid pushesball 42 againstspring 44 to enable a fluid path up throughlongitudinal bore 16. - A second valve assembly 50 comprises a spring-loaded sleeve 52 having
internal ports 54 configured to align withexternal ports 56 formed through thebody portion 4 when ball 58 pushes the sleeve 52 against the force ofspring 60. This creates a second fluid path to allow wellbore fluid to move. When the operator wishes to pressure up theapparatus 2 to deploy thedeformable packer elements 6, fluid pumped from the surface pushes theballs 42 and 58 back to the positions shown inFIGS. 1a and 1b to enable fluid pumped from the surface to flow throughlongitudinal bore 16 which is sealed from the annulus. - Operation of the
packer apparatus 2 to form a seal in a wellbore or wellbore casing will now be described. Referring toFIGS. 1a and 1b , thepacker apparatus 2 is moved to a position in a wellbore or a casing at which an annular seal is required. Hydraulic fluid is then pumped from the surface intolongitudinal bore 16 which closesvalves 40 and 50 to enable fluid to flow freely along theinternal bore 16. This increases pressure inhydraulic cylinders 12 and when the pressure inhydraulic cylinders 12 is greater than the fluid pressure in the annulus outside of theapparatus 2 which is communicated throughannular ports 24, the hydraulic cylinders pushactuation apparatus 10 against floatingpiston 32 to compress fluid inchamber 30 against the action ofspring 34. This deforms the deformable metallicouter cover 8 into the expanded condition as shown inFIG. 1b which seals against the open wellbore or casing in which theapparatus 2 is located. - When the seal formed by expanded deformable metallic
outer cover 8 is no longer required, fluid pressure is reduced in thelongitudinal bore 16 which enablesreturn spring 34 to push the floatingpiston 32 andactuation apparatus 10 back along the tool to the condition ofFIG. 1a . This returns the deformable metallicouter cover 8 to the retracted condition ofFIG. 1 a. - Referring to
FIG. 6 ,packer apparatuses 2 and their annular sealing capability is useful for example in hydraulic fracturing. A ported sub 60 (also known as a nozzle stimulation sub) comprises a plurality ofports 62 to enable fluid to be pumped into the formation in which workstring 64 is located.Workstring 64 also includes first andsecond packer apparatuses 2 connected on opposite sides of the portedsub 60. - When a portion of the formation through which the wellbore is drilled is to be stimulated in hydraulic fracturing by pumping fracturing fluid into the formation, the operator increases the fluid pressure in
longitudinal bore 16 to deploy the deformable packer elements and deformable metallicouter covers 8 to form two annular seals which creates an isolated section of wellbore containing the portedsub 60. This enables fluid being pumped throughports 62 to be contained in a volume between the seals formed by the deformable metallicouter covers 8 to increase pressure sufficiently to cause hydraulic fracturing. - An alternative use for the
packer apparatus 2 will be described in reference toFIGS. 7a and 7b . Thepacker apparatus 2 is located in awellbore 70 lined withsteel casing 72. In some circumstances, it is desirable to create seals in theannulus 74 between thecasing 72 and thewellbore surface 70 for example to prevent fluid pressure migrating up the wellbore to the surface. This can cause water table pollution and leakage of chemicals into the environment after a wellbore is abandoned when hydrocarbon production is ceased. -
Packer apparatus 2 is located at a position at which such an annular seal is required. Anelastomeric sleeve 76 has been mounted on thecasing 72 but this is not always required, and the following procedure can be also conducted onsteel casing 72 without any form of elastomeric or other sleeve. Theactuation apparatus 10 is then operated in the manner described above to pressurisehydraulic chambers 12 and compress thedeformable packer element 6 to push the deformable metallicouter cover 8 against thecasing 72. If sufficient force is applied,steel casing 72 deforms past its elastic limit to form a permanent deformed portion of casing and therefore aseal 78 compressing theelastomeric sleeve 76 against the surface ofwellbore 70. The packer apparatus can then be deactivated leaving theseal 78 in place and the packer apparatus to move to a different point in thecasing 72 to form another seal. - Referring to
FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f and 5, in some circumstances it is desirable to prevent thepacker apparatus 2 operating in response to fluid pressure changes until such time as other workstring operations have been conducted. For example, the operator may wish to circulate in the wellbore for cleaning purposes or run another pressure operated tool in the workstring such as a perforating tool to perforate wellbore casing to enable stimulation and hydraulic fracturing. - If a
packer apparatus 2 is mounted in such a workstring, it is desirable to prevent thedeformable packer element 6 from deploying to create unwanted seals. Alocking mechanism 80 is therefore provided to hold theactuation apparatus 10 static when the pressure is changed inlongitudinal bore 16. Lockingmechanism 80 comprises at least onesheer pin 82 which projects through the body into aninternal sleeve 84 which comprises arestriction 86 for catching adeformable ball 92 or a dart. A recessedportion 88 is formed insleeve 84 for holdingkeys 90.Keys 90 increase the force required to release thelocking mechanism 80. - In the configuration of
FIGS. 4a, 4c and 4e thekeys 90 prevent theactuation apparatus 10 from moving relative tobody 4. Whenball 92 is dropped, it sits againstrestriction 86 to enable the pressure to be increased sufficiently to break sheer pins 82.Keys 90 then fall into recessedportion 88 in the sleeve 84 (FIGS. 4b, 4d, 4f ) to enable movement of theactuation apparatus 10 to enable thedeformable packer element 6 and therefore deformable metallicouter cover 8 to be deployed. -
FIG. 5 shows a portedsub 60 disposed in a workstring comprisingpacker apparatuses 2 in which such alocking mechanism 80 is mounted. Additional pressure deforms theball 92 forcing it pastrestriction 86. The ball will then fall down the workstring to sit on thenext restriction 86 to release afurther packer apparatus 2 until the ball eventually lands inball catcher 94. - A
packer apparatus 102 of a second embodiment of the invention is shown inFIGS. 2a and 2b with parts common to the embodiment ofFIGS. 1a and 1b shown with like reference numerals, but increased by 100. -
Packer apparatus 102 comprisesactuation apparatus 110 andhydraulic cylinders 112 and other pressure operated components that operate in exactly the same way as the embodiment ofFIGS. 1a and 1b , such that the hydraulic actuation of the packer will not be described in any further detail with reference to the second embodiment. In this embodiment,deformable packer element 106 comprises deformable metallicouter cover 108 and a deformableelastomeric element 109. When theactuation apparatus 110 is activated, it moves to compress deformableelastomeric element 109 which in turn pushes deformable metallicouter cover 108 against the wellbore or casing to form a seal. To facilitate rotation of thedeformable packer element 106 and prevent theelastomeric element 109 sticking on thebody 104, the apparatus includes rotating sleeve 111 mounted on O-rings 113. - Once the
actuation apparatus 110 is deactivated, the resilience of the deformableelastomeric element 109 pushes back against theactuation apparatus 110 to return thedeformable packer elements 106 and therefore deformable metallicouter cover 108 to a retracted. - A
packer apparatus 202 of a third embodiment of the invention is shown inFIGS. 3a and 3b , with parts common to the embodiment ofFIGS. 1a and 1b shown with like reference numerals but increased by 200. - In this embodiment,
packer apparatus 202 comprises a deformable packer element 206 having a deformablemetallic cover 208 under which deformableelastomeric element 209 is disposed in common with the embodiment ofFIGS. 2a and 2b . Also, the hydraulic operation of theapparatus 202 is identical to that of the embodiments ofFIGS. 1 and 2 and will not be described in any further detail. - The difference between the embodiment of
FIGS. 3a and 3b with that ofFIGS. 2a and 2b is the inclusion of floatingpiston 232 in contact with actuation apparatus 210. When the actuation apparatus 210 is moved, it pushes floatingpiston 232 to compress deformableelastomeric element 209. The floatingpiston 232 is used to seal theelastomeric element 209 against the ingress of wellbore fluid which can contain corrosive chemicals such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. In less corrosive environments, the floatingpiston 232 is not required and the embodiment ofFIGS. 2a and 2b can be used. - In all embodiments, the deformable metallic
outer cover - It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (15)
1. A packer apparatus for engaging a surface of a wellbore or wellbore casing to create an annular seal or deform the wellbore casing, the apparatus comprising:
a body configured to be disposed in a wellbore;
a deformable packer element disposed on the body, the deformable packer element comprising a deformable metallic outer cover; and
actuation apparatus configured to move relative to the body to deform said deformable packer element outwardly from the body to cause said deformable metallic outer cover to contact the surface of the wellbore or casing in which the apparatus is located;
wherein deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the deformable packer element and deformable metallic outer cover to return to a retracted condition.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said deformable packer element further comprises a chamber configured to contain fluid, such that when the actuation apparatus is activated, said fluid is pressurised to deform said deformable metallic outer cover outwardly.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one floating piston disposed at an end of said chamber, wherein said actuation apparatus is configured to move said floating piston to pressurise said fluid disposed in the chamber.
4. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said fluid is compressible such that when the actuation apparatus is deactivated, said fluid expands to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
5. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said fluid is incompressible and said deformable packer element further comprises a return spring or elastomeric element disposed in said chamber such that deactivation of the actuation apparatus causes the return spring or elastomeric element to expand to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said deformable packer element further comprises an elastomeric element such that when the actuation apparatus is activated, said elastomeric deforms said deformable metallic outer cover outwardly, and when said actuation apparatus is deactivated, said elastomeric element expands to return the deformable packer element to a retracted condition.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said elastomeric element is disposed in a chamber having a floating piston disposed at an end of said chamber, and wherein said actuation apparatus is configured to move said floating piston to compress said elastomeric element disposed in the chamber.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising fluid disposed in said chamber.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein deformable packer element is rotatably mounted on said body.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said actuation apparatus comprises a plurality of hydraulic cylinders configured to compress said deformable packer element in response to an increase in fluid pressure in each of said hydraulic cylinders.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said actuation apparatus further comprises at least one mandrel element at least partially defining a longitudinal bore of the apparatus, said at least one hydraulic cylinder slidably disposed on said at least one mandrel element and being in fluid communication with said longitudinal bore.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a locking apparatus configured to prevent said at least one hydraulic cylinder moving relative to said at least one mandrel element, the locking apparatus comprising:
at least one shear pin configured to prevent relative movement between said at least one hydraulic cylinder and said at least one mandrel element; and
a restriction disposed in said longitudinal bore for engaging a ball or dart dropped into the longitudinal bore to block the longitudinal bore to enable fluid pressure to increase to shear said at least one shear pin and enable relative movement between said at least one hydraulic cylinder and said at least one mandrel element.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said body portion at least partially defines a longitudinal bore of the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one valve assembly disposed in said longitudinal bore, said at least one valve assembly configured to permit fluid to enter said longitudinal bore when the apparatus is moved into a wellbore containing fluid.
14. An apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said at least one valve assembly is configured to close when fluid is pumped into the longitudinal bore to enable fluid pressure to increase in the apparatus.
15. A workstring comprising:
a first packer apparatus according to claim 1 ;
a second packer apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a ported sub comprising ports, the ported sub connected between said first and second packer apparatuses.
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GB2103681.9A GB2604889A (en) | 2021-03-17 | 2021-03-17 | Packer apparatus |
GB2103681.9 | 2021-03-17 |
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US20230057678A1 (en) * | 2020-01-02 | 2023-02-23 | Paul Bernard Lee | Method and apparatus for creating an annular seal in a wellbore |
US20220081982A1 (en) * | 2020-09-03 | 2022-03-17 | Defiant Engineering, Llc | Downhole intervention and completion drone and methods of use |
US20230111367A1 (en) * | 2020-09-03 | 2023-04-13 | Defiant Engineering, Llc | Downhole intervention and completion drone and methods of use |
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GB202103681D0 (en) | 2021-04-28 |
GB2604889A (en) | 2022-09-21 |
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