DRILLABLE BRIDGE PLUG

• US 20100326650A1
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (SLB)
• Inventors: Shkurti, Piro, Tran, Lap T., Melenyzer, George J., Roberts, William M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,047,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/191
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1216 Anti-extrusion means, e.g. means to prevent cold flow of rubber packing
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/134 Bridging plugs

Abstract

A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool including a mandrel, a sealing element disposed around the mandrel, an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element, an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone, a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element, a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone, two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element, and two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings is disclosed.

Claims

1. A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool comprising:

a mandrel;

a sealing element disposed around the mandrel;

an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element;

an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone;

a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element;

a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone;

two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element; and

two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings and each of the two element barrier assemblies comprising a first barrier ring and a second barrier ring,

wherein each of the first and second barrier rings has a cylindrical portion, a first face, and a second end, wherein the cylindrical portion is formed with a plurality of slits extending from the second end to a location behind the first face, and wherein the slits formed on the first barrier ring are rotationally offset from the slits formed on the second barrier ring.

2. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the element end rings is disposed radially inward of the sealing element.

3. The downhole tool of claim 2, wherein in the sealing element is bonded to the two element end rings.

4. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second barrier rings further comprises at least one groove formed in the front face and configured to receive a tab formed on the upper or lower cone.

5. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein at least one of the upper cone and lower cone are copper plated.

6. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein each of the two element barrier assemblies comprises a barrier ring and a frangible backup ring.

7. The downhole tool of claim 6, wherein the two element end rings comprise at least one protrusion extending axially away from the sealing element.

8. The downhole tool of claim 7, wherein the barrier ring further comprises a plurality of openings configured to receive the protrusions.

9. The downhole tool of claim 1, further comprising a lower gage ring disposed proximate a lower end of the mandrel, wherein the lower gage ring comprises an internal thread on a lower end of the gage ring.

10. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the lower cone comprises a bearing shoulder configured to engage the mandrel.

11. The downhole tool of claim 1, wherein the upper slip assembly comprises an upper end having a plurality of castellations configured to engage a plurality of castellations formed on a lower end of an upper gage ring, and wherein the lower slip assembly comprises a lower end having a plurality of castellations configured to engage a plurality of castellations formed on an upper end of a lower gage ring.

12. A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool comprising:

a mandrel;

a sealing element disposed around the mandrel;

an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element;

an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone;

a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element;

a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone;

two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element; and

two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings,

wherein at least one of the two element end rings comprises at least one protrusion extending axially away from the sealing element.

13. The downhole tool of claim 12, wherein each of the two element barrier assemblies comprises a barrier ring and a frangible backup ring.

14. The downhole tool of claim 13, wherein the barrier ring further comprises at least one opening configured to receive the at least one protrusion.

15. A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool comprising:

a mandrel;

a sealing element disposed around the mandrel;

an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element;

an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone;

a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element;

a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone;

two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element;

two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings; and

a locking device disposed proximate an upper end of the mandrel, wherein the locking device comprises an upper gage ring and an axial lock ring.

16. A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool comprising:

a mandrel;

a sealing element disposed around the mandrel;

an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element;

an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone;

a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element;

a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone;

two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element; and

two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings,

wherein at least one of the upper and lower cones comprises at least one tab disposed on a surface facing the sealing element, and wherein the at least one tab is configured to rotationally lock the at least one of the upper and lower cones with the element barrier assemblies and the sealing element.

17. The downhole tool of claim 16, wherein at least one of the two element end rings comprises at least one groove formed in a face of the element end ring configured to receive the at least one tab.

18. A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool comprising:

a mandrel;

a sealing element disposed around the mandrel;

an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element;

an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone;

a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element;

a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone;

two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element; and

two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings,

wherein at least one of the upper and lower slip assemblies comprises an anchoring device, the anchoring device comprising a conical inner surface configured to engage the sloped surfaces of the upper cone and the lower cones, and

wherein the anchoring device comprises a frangible ring having at least two axial slots extending from a second end of the anchoring device.

19. The downhole tool of claim 18, wherein the anchoring device further comprises a plurality of castellations on a first end.

20. The downhole tool of claim 19, wherein the axial slots of the anchoring device extend from the second end to a location proximate the castellations on the first end.

21. The downhole tool of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of teeth formed on an outer surface of the anchoring device.

22. A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool comprising:

a mandrel;

a sealing element disposed around the mandrel;

an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element;

an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone;

a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element;

a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone;

two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element; and

two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings,

wherein at least one of the upper and lower slip assemblies comprises an anchoring device, the anchoring device comprising a conical inner surface configured to engage the sloped surfaces of the upper cone and the lower cones, and

wherein the anchoring device comprises a slip base and a plurality of slips disposed on the slip base.

23. The downhole tool of claim 22, wherein a length of each of the plurality of slips is disposed substantially parallel with a length of the downhole tool and wherein the plurality of slips are disposed circumferentially around the slip base.

24. The downhole tool of claim 22, wherein the plurality of slips comprises teeth formed on an outer surface.

25. The downhole tool of claim 22, wherein at least one of the plurality of slips comprises a locking profile configured to engage the slip base.

26. A downhole tool for isolating zones in a well, the tool comprising:

a mandrel;

a sealing element disposed around the mandrel;

an upper cone disposed around the mandrel proximate an upper end of the sealing element;

an upper slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the upper cone;

a lower cone disposed around the mandrel proximate a lower end of the sealing element;

a lower slip assembly disposed around the mandrel adjacent a sloped surface of the lower cone;

two element end rings, a first element end ring disposed adjacent the upper end of the sealing element and a second element end ring disposed adjacent the lower end of the sealing element; and

two element barrier assemblies, each assembly disposed adjacent one of the two element end rings,

wherein the upper slip assembly comprises an upper end having a plurality of castellations configured to engage a plurality of castellations formed on a lower end of an upper gage ring, and wherein the lower slip assembly comprises a lower end having a plurality of castellations configured to engage a plurality of castellations formed on an upper end of a lower gage ring.