Packer

• US 6,564,876 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Hendrickson, James D., Benton, Jim B., Willcox, Mitchell G., Madhaven, Raghu, Patel, Dinesh R., Vaynshteyn, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US09/745,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20010002621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 166/55.1, 166/120, 166/123, 166/124, 166/125, 166/138, 166/139, 166/181, 166/188, 166/297, 166/317, 166/376, 166/386, 166/387
• US Class Current: 166/387
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/126 with fluid-pressure-operated elastic cup or skirt E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1295 actuated by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/063 Valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc E21B34/103 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/116 Gun or shaped-charge perforators

Abstract

A packer for use inside a casing of a subterranean well includes a resilient element, a housing and a rupture disc. The resilient element is adapted to seal off an annulus of the well when compressed, and the housing is adapted to compress the resilient element in response to a pressure exerted by fluid of the annulus of a piston head of the housing. The housing includes a port for establishing fluid communication with the annulus. The rupture disc is adapted to prevent the fluid in the annulus from entering the port and contacting the piston head until the pressure exerted by the fluid exceeds a predefined threshold and ruptures the rupture disc.

Claims

1. A packer for use inside a well, comprising:

a resilient element adapted to shift from a first position in response to a hydraulic pressure communicated from a surface of the well, wherein the resilient element has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the well, to a second position, wherein the resilient element seals the annulus in the well, and back to the first position;

a tubing that moves relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the second position; and

the resilient element circumscribing the tubing.

2. The packer of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that circumscribes the tubing and includes a seal bore; and

seals adapted to form a seal between an interior surface of the seal bore and an exterior surface of the tubing.

3. The packer of claim 2, wherein the seal between the interior surface of the seal bore and the exterior surface of the tubing is formed when the resilient element is in both the first position and the second position.

4. A packer for use inside a well, comprising:

a resilient element adapted to shift between a first position in response to a hydraulic pressure communicated from a surface of the well, wherein the resilient element has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the well, and a second position, wherein the resilient element seals the annulus in the well;

a tubing that moves relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the second position;

the resilient element circumscribing the tubing; and

the resilient element and the tubing being concurrently retrievable to the surface after operation.

5. The packer of claim 4, further comprising:

a housing that circumscribes the tubing and includes a seal bore; and

seals adapted to form a seal between an interior surface of the seal bore and an exterior surface of the tubing.

6. A method for operating a packer inside a well, the packer including a resilient element and a tubing, the method comprising:

expanding the resilient element in direct response to a hydraulic pressure communicated from a surface of the well to seal the annulus of the well;

providing a tubing that moves relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the sealing position; and

concurrently retrieving the resilient element and the tubing to the surface after operation.

7. A packer for use inside a well, comprising:

a resilient element adapted to shift between a first position in response to a hydraulic pressure communicated from a surface of the well, wherein the resilient element has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the well, and a second position, wherein the resilient element seals the annulus in the well;

a tubing that is stationary with respect to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the first position that moves relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the second position; and

the resilient element circumscribing the tubing.

8. The packer of claim 7, further comprising:

a housing that circumscribes the tubing; and

a fastener maintaining the tubing stationary with respect to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the first position and enabling the tubing to move relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the second position.

9. The packer of claim 7, further comprising:

a housing that circumscribes the tubing and includes a seal bore; and

seals adapted to form a seal between an interior surface of the seal bore and an exterior surface of the tubing when the resilient element is in both the first and second positions.

10. A method for operating a packer inside a well, the packer including a resilient element and a tubing, the resilient element circumscribing the tubing, the method comprising:

deploying the packer in a first position, wherein in the first position, the resilient element has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the well and the tubing is stationary with respect to the resilient element; and

shifting the packer to a second position to expand the resilient element in direct response to hydraulic pressure communicated from a surface of the well, wherein in the second position the resilient element seals the annulus in the well and the tubing moves relative to the resilient element.

11. A completion assembly for use inside a well, comprising:

a packer and a perforating gun;

the packer including a resilient element and a tubing, the resilient element circumscribing the tubing;

the resilient element adapted to expand between a first position, wherein the resilient element has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the well, and a second position, wherein the resilient element seals the annulus in the well;

the tubing adapted to remain stationary with respect to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the first position;

the tubing adapted to the relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the second position; and

the perforating gun located below the resilient element and having a cross-sectional diameter that is larger than the cross-sectional diameter of the tubing.

12. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising:

a housing that circumscribes the tubing and includes a seal bore; and

seals adapted to form a seal between an interior surface of the seal bore and an exterior surface of the tubing.

13. A completion assembly for use inside a well, comprising:

a retrievable, hydraulically-set packer including a resilient element and a tubing, the resilient element circumscribing the tubing;

wherein in direct response to a hydraulic pressure communicated from a surface of the well, the resilient element is adapted to expand between a first position, wherein the resilient element has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the well, and a second position, wherein the resilient element seals the annulus in the well; and

wherein the tubing is adapted to move relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the second position and remain stationary relative to the resilient element when the resilient element is in the first position.

14. The assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

a housing that circumscribes the tubing and includes a seal bore; and

seals adapted to form a seal between an interior surface of the seal bore and an exterior surface of the tubing.

15. A method for operating a retrievable packer inside a well, the retrievable packer including a resilient element and a tubing, the resilient element circumscribing the tubing, the method comprising:

deploying the retrievable packer in a first position, wherein the resilient element has an outer diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the well and the tubing remains stationary with respect to the resilient element when the packer is in the first position; and

in direct response to hydraulic pressure communicated from a surface of the well, expanding the resilient element to shift the retrievable packer to a second position, wherein the resilient element seals the annulus in the well and the tubing moves relative to the resilient element.

16. A method comprising:

deploying an assembly comprising a packer and a tool downhole in a wellbore;

setting the packer;

after setting the packer, positioning the tool by moving the tool relative to the packer;

operating the tool after the tool is positioned; and

after the operation of the tool, releasing the packer from being set.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the packer remains set while the tool is being positioned.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the releasing comprises:

initiating an action to release the packer from being set after the operation of the tool.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to the releasing, retrieving the assembly from downhole.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the positioning does not affect a state of the packer.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

not initiating any action to change a state of the packer until completion of the operation of the tool.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein

the tool comprises a perforating gun, and

the operating comprises firing the perforating gun.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the positioning comprises:

positioning the perforating gun to a location of the wellbore to be perforated.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a packer adapted to ho sot and released downhole in a wellbore; and

a cool connected to the packer and adapted to;

remain stationary relative to the packer before the packer is set;

move relative to the packer after the packer is set to position the tool; and

operate after the tool is positioned.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the packer remains set while the tool is being positioned.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the packer is adapted to respond to an action initiated to release the packer from being set after the operation of the tool.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the packer is adapted to not respond to the movement of the tool during the positioning of the tool.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein

the tool comprises a perforating gun, and

the operation of the perforating gun comprises firing the perforating gun.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the perforating gun is adapted to move to position the perforating gun to a location of the wellbore to be perforated.