Expandable packer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of expanding a packer assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a tubing with an axially continuous sealing element disposed on an outside surface thereof along a substantial length of the tubing, wherein the sealing element defines alternating thick and thin bands, and wherein each thin band protrudes from the outside surface less than each thick band; and
expanding the tubing such that relatively greater expansion of an outer diameter and an inner diameter of the tubing occurs at where each thin band is located compared to where each thick band is located, wherein the expansion of the tubing causes the thick and thin bands of the sealing element to contact a surrounding surface.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus include tubing expanded to create a seal in an annulus surrounding the tubing. The tubing includes a sealing material selected to cause forming of undulations in a diameter of the tubing upon expansion of the tubing. Various factors of the sealing material such as deviations in its thickness influence sealing performance of the tubing with the sealing material.
54 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of expanding a packer assembly, the method comprising:
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providing a tubing with an axially continuous sealing element disposed on an outside surface thereof along a substantial length of the tubing, wherein the sealing element defines alternating thick and thin bands, and wherein each thin band protrudes from the outside surface less than each thick band; and expanding the tubing such that relatively greater expansion of an outer diameter and an inner diameter of the tubing occurs at where each thin band is located compared to where each thick band is located, wherein the expansion of the tubing causes the thick and thin bands of the sealing element to contact a surrounding surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of expanding a packer assembly, the method comprising:
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running tubing into a wellbore, the tubing having an axially continuous sealing element disposed on an outside surface thereof along a substantial length of the tubing, wherein the sealing element includes alternating first and second properties; placing the sealing element with the alternating first and second properties into engagement with a surrounding surface; and creating undulations in a diameter of the tubing based on the alternating first and second properties of the sealing element. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An expandable packer assembly comprising:
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a tubing having unexpanded and expanded positions; and an axially continuous sealing element disposed along a substantial length of the tubing, and defining thick bands alternating with thin bands that protrude from the outside of the tubing less than the thick bands, wherein an inner diameter of the tubing along the length is uniform in the unexpanded position and undulations at the thin bands with a larger expanded inner diameter than an expanded inner diameter at the thick bands in the expanded position, and wherein the thick and thin bands of the sealing element contact a surrounding surface when the tubing is in the expanded position. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification