Electronically set and retrievable isolation devices for wellbores and methods thereof

• US 9,243,490 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Ade-Fosudo, Adebowale, Ramirez, Robert M., Munshi, Ammar
• Primary Examiner(s): Fiorello, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/719,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20140166277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1275 inflated by down-hole pumping means operated by a down-hole drive
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure

Abstract

Sealing devices such as packers comprise an expandable sealing element that is inflated and/or deflated by an electrically-activated pump disposed in a wellbore so that the sealing element can be set and retrieved from the wellbore. The pump is disposed downhole in close proximity to the expandable sealing element and is electronically associated with a surface processing unit located at the surface of the wellbore. In certain embodiments, an electric motor electronically associated with the surface processing unit drives the pump to flow a fluid into a chamber of the expandable sealing element to inflate the expandable sealing element and pumps the fluid out of the chamber of the expandable sealing element to deflate the expandable sealing element. Multiple sealing elements can be disposed on a tool or work string and all can be addressable and individually and separately controlled by the surface processing unit.

Claims

1. A sealing device for use in an open-hole wellbore to isolate an annulus of the open-hole wellbore, the sealing device comprising:

a mandrel having a mandrel outer wall surface, and a mandrel inner wall surface defining a mandrel bore;

an expandable sealing element disposed on the mandrel outer wall surface, the expandable sealing element having a sealing element outer wall surface, a sealing element inner wall surface defining a sealing element chamber, a run-in position, and a set position, the sealing element chamber being in selective fluid communication with a mandrel or annulus port, the port being in fluid communication with a fluid source, said set position has said sealing element contacting the open hole wellbore for annulus isolation as between opposed ends of said sealing element;

an electrically-activated pump operatively associated with the port and the sealing element chamber and located outside said mandrel bore, the electrically-activated pump having an inlet in fluid communication with the fluid source through the port, and an outlet in fluid communication with the sealing element chamber; and

a power source mounted adjacent to said sealing element and located outside said mandrel bore and operatively associated with the electrically-activated pump,

wherein the electrically-activated pump transports a fluid from the fluid source through the inlet, out of the outlet, and into the sealing element chamber to inflate the expandable sealing element from the run-in position to the set position, and

wherein the electrically-activated pump transports the fluid from the sealing element chamber through the outlet, and out of the inlet to deflate the expandable sealing element from the set position toward the run-in position.

2. The sealing device of claim 1, wherein the electrically-activated pump is capable of holding the expandable sealing element in the set position.

3. The sealing device of claim 1, further comprising a valve disposed in the outlet to facilitate movement of the fluid from the sealing element chamber through the outlet, and through the inlet.

4. The sealing device of claim 1, wherein the port is disposed through the mandrel outer wall surface and the mandrel inner wall surface and in fluid communication with the mandrel bore, and the fluid source comprises the mandrel bore.

5. The sealing device of claim 1, wherein the electrically-activated pump and the power source are in electronic communication with a processing unit in electronic communication with an electronic communication line.

6. The sealing device of claim 1, further comprising a valve disposed in a deflation passage, the deflation passage being in selective fluid communication with the fluid source and the sealing element chamber by the valve for selective deflation of the expandable sealing element from the set position toward the run-in position.

7. The sealing device of claim 6, wherein the valve is a solenoid actuated valve in electronic communication with a processing unit.

8. A sealing device for use in an open-hole wellbore to isolate an annulus of the open-hole wellbore, the sealing device comprising:

a mandrel having a mandrel outer wall surface, and a mandrel inner wall surface defining a mandrel bore;

an expandable sealing element disposed on the mandrel outer wall surface, the expandable sealing element having a sealing element outer wall surface, a sealing element inner wall surface defining a sealing element chamber, a run-in position, and a set position, the sealing element chamber being in selective fluid communication with a mandrel or annulus port, the port being in fluid communication with a fluid source, said set position has said sealing element contacting the open hole wellbore for annulus isolation;

an electrically-activated pump operatively associated with the port and the sealing element chamber, the electrically-activated pump having an inlet in fluid communication with the fluid source through the port, and an outlet in fluid communication with the sealing element chamber; and

a power source operatively associated with the electrically-activated pump,

wherein the electrically-activated pump transports a fluid from the fluid source through the inlet, out of the outlet, and into the sealing element chamber to inflate the expandable sealing element from the run-in position to the set position, and

wherein the electrically-activated pump transports the fluid from the sealing element chamber through the outlet, and out of the inlet to deflate the expandable sealing element from the set position toward the run-in position;

wherein the port is disposed through the sealing element outer wall surface and the sealing element inner wall surface and in fluid communication with the sealing element chamber, and the fluid source comprises an annulus of the wellbore.

9. A method of sealing an open-hole wellbore to divide an annulus of the open-hole wellbore, the method comprising:

(a) electrically activating a first downhole pump located outside a bore of a mandrel and operatively associated with a first expandable sealing element of a first sealing device mounted to said mandrel causing a first fluid to flow into a chamber of the first expandable sealing element to inflate the first expandable sealing element;

(b) continuing to pump the first fluid into the chamber of the first expandable sealing element until an outer wall surface of the first expandable sealing element engages with an inner wall surface of a wellbore; and

(c) maintaining the first downhole pump in a first downhole pump stationary set position causing the outer wall surface of the first expandable sealing element to be maintained in contact with the inner wall surface of the wellbore to define a first isolated zone within the wellbore while maintaining clear said bore of said mandrel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein after step (c) the first downhole pump is activated causing the first fluid within the chamber of the first expandable sealing element to flow out of the chamber of the first expandable sealing element to deflate the first expandable sealing element.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein during step (c) a wellbore fluid is flowed from a wellbore annulus through a first fluid control valve disposed in fluid communication with the first isolated zone.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

(d) electrically activating a second downhole pump operatively associated with a second expandable sealing element of a second sealing device causing a second fluid to flow into a chamber of the second expandable sealing element to inflate the second expandable sealing element;

(e) continuing to pump the second fluid into the chamber of the second expandable sealing element until an outer wall surface of the second expandable sealing element engages with the inner wall surface of the wellbore; and

(f) maintaining the second downhole pump in a second downhole pump set position causing the outer wall surface of the second expandable sealing element to be maintained in contact with the inner wall surface of the wellbore to define a second isolated zone within the wellbore.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(g) electrically activating a third downhole pump operatively associated with a third expandable sealing element of a third sealing device causing a third fluid to flow into a chamber of the third expandable sealing element to inflate the third expandable sealing element;

(h) continuing to pump the third fluid into the chamber of the third expandable sealing element until an outer wall surface of the third expandable sealing element engages with the inner wall surface of the wellbore; and

(i) maintaining the third downhole pump in a third downhole pump set position causing the outer wall surface of the third expandable sealing element to be maintained in contact with the inner wall surface of the wellbore to define a third isolated zone within the wellbore.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein during step (0 a first wellbore fluid is flowed from a wellbore annulus through a first fluid control valve disposed in fluid communication with the second isolated zone.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein after step (i) the third downhole pump is activated causing the third fluid within the chamber of the third expandable sealing element to flow out of the chamber of the third expandable sealing element to deflate the third expandable sealing element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein after the third expandable sealing element is deflated, flowing a second wellbore fluid from the wellbore annulus through the first fluid control valve.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid comprise the same fluid.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the third fluid comprises the same fluid as the first and second fluids.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein steps (a) and (d) are selectively performed by a processing unit in electronic communication with the first downhole pump and the second downhole pump.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein during step (c), a pressure sensor operatively associated with the first expandable sealing element communicates electronically with a processing unit electronically associated with the first downhole pump to maintain the first downhole pump in the first downhole pump set position.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the first fluid is flowed from a tubular bore into the chamber of the first expandable sealing element during step (a).

22. The method of claim 9, wherein the first fluid is flowed from an annulus of the wellbore into the chamber of the first expandable sealing element during step (a).

23. The method of claim 9, wherein during step (c) gas migration between the outer wall surface of the first expandable sealing element and the inner wall surface of the open-hole wellbore is prevented.