CA1281998C

CA1281998C - Retrievable well bore tubular member packer arrangement and method

Info

Publication number: CA1281998C
Application number: CA000581667A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Britt Oliver Braddick
Original assignee: Texas Iron Works Inc
Current assignee: Texas Iron Works Inc
Priority date: 1988-05-10
Filing date: 1988-10-28
Publication date: 1991-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-10-28
Also published as: GB8820366D0; GB2218442A; GB2218442B

Abstract

RETRIEVABLE WELL BORE TUBULAR MEMBER
PACKER ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD
Abstract of the Disclosure A retrievable packer arrangement that can be used as a permanent production packer employs a simple compression set packer (P) which can be either mechanically, hydraulically or wireline explosively set and retrieved by coupled or coiled pipe or wireline.
The arrangement includes an adapter (A) supported by the setting tool (ST) which surrounds an external seal surface (19) on the upper end of an inner tubular member (I) which seal surface is exposed after the packer arrangement isset in a well bore tubular member (T) by release of the setting tool (ST) from the inner member (I) and removal of the adapter (A) therewith, so that a production string (PS) may then sealingly telescope over the inner member upper end.
An outer member (O) includes release means adjacent its upper external end including an external grapple engaging surface means (100) so that the packer arrangement can be released without engaging the packer (P) or slips (76,76') which secure the packer arrangement in the tubular member (T) and with-out inserting any mechanism in the set packer arrangement.
The packer arrangement provides an unrestricted bore for well tools and flow from the well.
The invention also contemplates lowering a landing nipple (LN) into a well bore tubular member to a desired location and sealably anchoring it at thatlocation by a retrievable packer (P'), for subsequent removal by a grapple tool supported on pipe or a wireline.

Description

9~
This invention relates to a packer arrangement eor a well hore. It rnay be employed as a permanent produc-tion packer or as a rstrievable packer, in any size tubular member. It also has particular application in conjunction with small diameter production strings which enables production packers associated with such production string to be positioned in a well hore tubular member and then readily retrieved by a wireline, or i~ desired, coiled or coupled pipe.
Various types oi perl~nent and retrievable production packers have been hereto~ore employed. ~Some oi' such pac~ers and packer arrangements are sh~n in the 1974-75 Composite Catalog o~ Oil Field Equipment and Services at pages 394, 395, 404, 405, 408, 3924, 3925, 3932 and 3933.
The packer construction employed with prior art packer arrangements has hereto~ore been dependent upon whether the packer was to be set by mechani-cal, hydraulical or wireline rneans. Requiring a special or di~-ferent packer thus required a substantially larger inventory ~or satisfying all customers preferences. Some packer arrangements also were subject to pre~ature actua-tion as they were lowered in the wall bore since well bores may actually be helical causing the packer arrangernents to actuate during lowering opera~
tions on a coupled well string (a well string ~ormed o~ pipe joints connec-~0 ted together by couplings).
Also, permanent production packer arrangements generally had to bemilled or cut out when it was desired to remove them. Further, applicant is not aware o~ any retrievable packer arrangement that can be set either mechanicallyJ hydraullcally or explosively on a wireline and then retrieved either by coupled pipe, or continuous pipe (pipe coiled on a drum) or a wireline, or a packer arrangement which can be 50 actuated and re-trieved that employs the same packer construction without regard to the type setting tool.
It has hereto~ore generally been the practice to employ nonretrievable, permanently set production packers where small internal diameter production strings are employed which require -the use o-~ milling tools to mill or cut the packers when it is desired to remove them irom the tubular m mber in 31r3~

which they are positioned. This operation i3 quite expensive and time consuming. While, as note~, the present invention may have application in any size diameter tubular members or production strings, it does have parti-cular application in connection with small diameter production strings in that it is constructed and arranged to enable its release and retrieval ~rom the ~vell bore tubular member without atternpting to introduce mechanisms internally o~ the packer arrangement, or adjacent the pac~er and slips which are e~panded into sealing engagement with the tubular member. Release and retrieval oP the present invention is e~ected by engaging the exterior oP
the packer arrangement adjacent the upper end above the se-t packer and slips.
The present invention overcomes the above and other problems. For example, the same packer may he employed in any packer arrangement, whether it is to be hydraulically, mechanically or explosively set. Explosively set mechanisms can be run into the well bore on a wireline. If the packer arrangement is hydraulically set, continuous coiled tubing ~pipe coiled on a drum) may be employed which does not require the use oP a drilling mast or worl~over mast to lower the packer arrangement into the well bore tubular member whic.h is required to mechanically set a packer. Regardless o~ how the packer arrangement oP the present invention is initially set, it can be retrieved by a wireline or coiled tubing without the use o~ a drilling mast at the well location. If desired, it may be also retrieved with coupled pipe which requires the use oP a drilling mast to enable <joints oP pipe or tubing to be coupled together as the well string is lowered into the well bore in a well known manner.
In addition, the packer arrangernent includes inner and outer tubular members which can he manipulated either hydraulically, explosively, or by a mechanical setting tool to quickly and readily expand the packer in-to seal-ing engagement with a well bore tubular ~ember. It is secured in sealing position by slip means which lockingly engage the tubular member. ~n exter-nal seal engaging suri'ace is provided adjacent the upper end oP the inner member which becomes exposed ~or sealing engagernent wlth a production string ~8~L~39~
lcwered into the well bore to surround the inner member upper end after the packer arrangement has been set. An external grapple engaging surface means is provided adjacent the upper end of the outer tubular me(nber above the set packer arrangement for engagement by a grapple tool on a wireline, coiled or coupled pipe for release and retrieval of the packer arrangement, thus eliminating the necessity of trging to engage any inter~al mechanism to release the packer arrangment.
An ob~ect of the present invention is to provide a retrievable packer arrangement which employs a relatively simple compression set packer and the same type pac~er can be employed with either a mechanical, hydraulic or wireline setting tool -for sealingly positioning the packer in a well bore tubular member. The packer arrangement can be retrieved with either a coupled pipe string, coiled pipe string or wireline.
Another object o~ the present invention is to provide a retrievable packer arrangement which employs a relatively simple compression set packer and the same type packer can be employed with either a mechanical, hydraulic or wireline setting tool for sealingly positioning the packer in a well bore tubular member and wherein the packer sealingly engages the well bore tubu-lar member below the slips that secure ths packer to the well bore tubular ~0 member whereby contact by well bore fluids from below the packer which might foul the slips and make it diificult to release them is substantially less-ened, if not eliminated. The packer arrangement can be retrieved with either a coupled pipe string, coiled pipe string or wireline.
A still ~urther ob~ect of the present invention is to provide a retrie-vable packer arrangement which employs a relatively simple compresslon set packer and the same type packer can be employed with either a mechanical, hydraulic or wireline setting tool to be positioned in a well bore tubular member and which packer arrange~ent includes an inner member with an e~ter-nal seal engaging surface that is e~posed after removal of the setting tool ~0 to telescopically receive therearound a production string to communicate well ~luids through the packer arrangement to the earth's surface. The t3q3~

packer arrangemen-t can be retrieved with ei-ther a coupled pipe string, coil-ed pipe string or wireline.
An object o-E the ~present invention is to provide a retrievable packer arrangement which employs a relatively simple cornpression set packer and the sama type packer can be employed wi-th either a mechanical, hydraulic or wireline setting tool to be posi-tioned in a well bore tubular member and whelein the pac~er sealingly engages the well bore tubular member below the slips which aid in sealingly securing the packer to the well bore tubular member whereby contact by well bore fluids from belo~ the packer which might 1~ foul the slips and ~ake it difficult to release them is substantially lessened if not eliminated, -the slips co-mprising at least tNo annular rows of segments and the packer arrangement including means to selectively set the uppQrmost row of slip segments prior to setting the lower row of slip segments. The packer arrangement can be retrieved with either a collpled pipe string, coiled pipe string or wireline.
An object of the present invention is to provide a retrievable packer arrangement which employs a ralatively simple compression set packer and the same type packer can be employed with either a mechanical, hydraulic or wireline setting tool to be positioned in a well bore tubular member and which can be retrieved with either a coupled pipe string, coiled pipe string or wireline by engaging an external grapple means adjacent the upper and of the packer arrangement with a grapple tool including jar means to aid in releasing the packer arrangement for retrieval.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a retrievable packer arrangement including inner and outer tubular members secured against movement as they are lowered into the well bore with the inner member having a seal engaging surface adjacent its upper end which is surrounded by an adapter while the packer arrangement is lowered and positioned in a well bore tubular member and then the adapter removed to e~pose the seal engaging surface for telescoping engagement into a production string. The outer member is provided with an external grapple engaging surface adjacent its upper end ~or engagement by a grapple tool to release and re-trieve -the ~q~8~

packer arrangement. The packer arrangement can be set mechanically, hydrau-lically or explosively by wireline and retrieved by either wireline, coiled or coupled tubing as desirad.
Accordingly, it is another object o~ the prasent invention to provide a retrievable packer arrangement for use particularly with small diameter production strings in which the internal bore may be restricted so that access to the pac~er setting arrangement for release is li~ited thus making retrieval difficult, if not impossible, in some situations. It also has application to any size tubular production string mamber, and is constructed and arranged so it may be lowered into the well bor~ on a well string along with a setting tool which may be explosively actuated, or hydraulically or mechanically actuated to sealably secure a packer in engagement with a well bore and tubular member, and to expose the upper end o~ the packer arrange-ment which has an external seal surfaca for sealably receiving the produc-tion string thereover that is lcwered into the well bore and releasably engaged therewith.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method O e positioning a landing nipple with recess means therain in a well bore well string which has no landing shoulder to receive the landing nipple and ~0 ~hich well string has a larger diameter than the diameter of a production string thereafter positioned in the wall string whereby retrievable plug means and/or instrument means may ba seated in the landing nipple to selec tively and instrumentally measure well bore conditions and/or block flow from the well bore to the production string comprising the steps of lowering an upwardly open receptacle into the well bore and securing it to the well string, lowering retrievable packer means with landlng nipple means depend-ing therefrom into and securing the packer means in position in the upwardly open receptacle and lowering a production string into the well string and sealably engaging it within the upwardly open receptacle above the packer means.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of position-ing a landing nipple in a liner in a well bore well string which has no ~8~

landing shoulder to receive the landing nipple and which wel] string has a larger diame-ter than the diameter of a produc-tion string thereafter posi-tioned in the well string whereby a retrlevable plug may be sxated in the landing nipple to block flow from the well bore to the production string comprising the steps o-E lowering an upwardly open receptacle into the wsll bore and securing it to the well string, lavering packer means with landing nipple n~ans depending therefrom into and sealably securing it in position in the upwardly open receptacle, applying fluid pressure to the sealably secured landing nipple to test eor leaks and lowering a production string into the well bore and sealably engaging it within the upwardly open rscep-tacle, lowering a rstrievable plug through the production string to engage in the landing nipple beneath the production string to block flow erom the well bore to the production string, elevating the production string to seal-abIy disengage it from the upwardly facing receptacle and circulating ~luid above the plug between the well string and production string.
The packer arrange:nent also includes a grapple sur~aGs msans adjacent its upper outer end which may be engaged by a grapple tool lowered into the well bore when it is desirsd to release and retrieve the packer arrangement, aftsr first removing the production string from engagement with the upper end of the packer arrangement.
When the grapple tool is lowered into the well bore, it engages adja-cent the upper end o e the outsr member and is constructed and arranged so that it may selectively apply dislodging forces to the inner and outc-r members to dislodge the slip msans from engagement with the tubular member and enable the packer and slips to unset or release so that the packer arrangement can be removed from the well bore.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description and drawings.
Figs. lA, Fig. IB and Fig. lC are longitudinal one-quarter sectional views illustrating an embodiment Oe the present invention for use with a hydraulically or explosively actuated setting -tool. The views show the assembled packer arrangement in position eor lowering into a well bore ~ a~ ~

tubular member to set the packer and slip means in se~ling and securing relationship with the well bore tubular ~ember;
Fig. lD is a partial sectional view of Fig. lB illustr~ting in enlarged, greater detail one form Oe the lock means;
Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B are longitudinal one-quarter sectional views illus-trating the relative position of components of the form of the presant invention shown in Figs. lA-lC after longitudinal movement of the inner and outer tubular members 'nas been effected to expand or move the packer and slips into sealing and securing relation with the well bore tubular member, e~pose the external seal surface adjacent the upper end of the inner tubular member and actuate the lock means to maintain the inner and outer tubular members in longitudinally moved relation ~or maintaining the packer and slip means engaged with -the well bore tubular member;
Fig. 3 is a one-quarter sectional view shcwing a production string releasably and sealably connected with the inner tubular member seal surface;
Fig. 4 is cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 illustrating details of one form o~ releasable connection means between the production string and inner member;
Figs. 5A and 5B are one-quarter sectional views showing the position of the components when a grapple means has actuated the release means of the lock means and disengaged the packer and slip means of the Fig. lB and lC
form from the well bore tubular member Por retrieval;
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 6-6 Oe Fig. 5A showing the details of one form o~ means to enable the grapple means to selectively apply ~orces to the packer arrangement to disengage the packer and slips from the well bore tubular member for retrieval.
Figs. 7A, 7B and 7C are schematic elevations, partly in section o~ a preferred form o~ the invention illustrating respectively the invention with ~0 a mechanical setting tool which normally employs coupled pipe; the invention with a hydraulic setting tool with which coiled pipe may be employed; and the invention with an explosively actuated set-tlng tool with ~hich a wire-line inc~Nding an electrical conduit is employed for setting the parker arrangement;
Fig. 8 is a one quarter sectional vleq~ sho~wing the de ~ils c~f a mechan-ical se-tting tool including a portion of the adapter releasably supported on the setting tool;
Figs. 8A and 8B are one-quarter sectional views -that are continuations o:E Fig. 8 showing in Fig. 8A the upper ends of the inner and outer tubular members, the adapter surrounding the e~ternal seal surEace on the inner member; the grapple engaging sur-Eace means on the outer tubular member upper end and other details, while Fig. 8B illustra~es the preferred relationship of the packer and slip means; Figs. 8A and 8~ also show the details of -the form of the invention which are employed with the hydraulic setting tool and e~plosively actuated se-tting tool schematically shown in Figs. 7B and 7C
respectively;
Figs. 9A and 9B are one-quarter sectional views showing the relation-ship of the components of the form invention of Figs. 8A, 8B after it has been secured in the well bore tubular member either by a mechanical, hydrau-lic or e~plosive wireline setting tool, respectively9 as shcwn by Figs.
7A-7C;
~0 Fig. lO is a one-quarter sectional view shc~ing the production string surrounding the inner member seal surface;
Figs. llA and llB are one-quarter sectional views showing the Figs. 8A, 8B ~orm aiter it is released for retrieval;
Fig. 12 is a partial section of Fig. 8A illustrating in enlarged eorm and greater detail of a preferred form of the lock means;
Fig. l3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 13-13 of Fig. tO and is similar to Fig. 4;
Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view on the line 14-14 Oe Fig. tlA and is similar to Fig. 6;
Fig. 15 ls a schemtic view illustrating a well bore with a casing, a liner supported therein with an upwardly facing tubular member such as a packer bore receptacle and the packer arrangement Oe the present invention ~B~B
having connected th0rewith a landing nipple which is seala~ly secured in position in the liner;
Fig. 16 illustrates a well bore with a production packer between a casing and a single production string with the packer arrangement o~ the present invention positioned as a plug in the production string; and Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 16 and scher~tically illustates a dual ~low production packer arrangement with dual flow production strings associated therewith and the packer arrangement of the present invention positioned to control communication through each o~ the production strings as desired.
Attention is first directed to Figs. lA, Fig. tB, Fig. lC, Fig. 7A, Fig. 7B and Fig. 7C wherein a setting or well string WS including a setting tool is schematically illustr~ted at the upper end o~ Fig. lA, 7A, 7B and 7C
and represented generally by the letters ST. The setting tool portion of the setting string is connected to an inner tubular member I and supported on an outer tubular ~ember 0 by the adapter A as illl~strated in Figs. lA, lB, 7A, 7B and 7C. The setting tool ST may be considered part of the inner member I as the packer arrangement is lowered into the well and actuated by the setting tool mechanism referred to generally at 170 A lock means re-~er-~0 red to generally by the letter L in Figs. lB and 8A is associated wlth theinner and outer members to maintain the packer means represented generally at P and slips S generally supported on the outer member 0 sealably engaged and secured, respectively, with a well bore tubular member T as will be described. The well bore tubular member T is shown in Figs. 2A, 2B, 3 through 6; Figs. 9A, 9B, 10, llA, llB, 13 and 14.
The setting string WS with the setting tool ST thereon may be lowered along with the structure shown in Figs. lA, lB, lC, 7A, 7B or 7C into the well bore and may be considered part o~ well string WS. The w~ll string WS
may be either coupled pipe, that is joints o~ pipe connected by couplings; a continuous length of pipe, that is pipe coiled on a drum D such as represen-ted in Fig. 7B; or it may be a wireline coiled on drum D as represented in . 1~

Fig. 7C, the latter also includinv an electric line -to oparate the e~plo-sively actuated set-ting tool schem~tically represented in Fig. 7C.
An adapter A is supportad in any sui-table manner on the machanical, hydraulic, or wireline setting tool Oe the drawings by any suitable means such as by the setting tool portion represented at 16 and 20 that is engaged with the adapter A in any suitable manner as represented at 15 and 21. The a~apter is retrieved with the setting tool after the packer arrangement has been sealably secured in the well bore tubular mamber T.
The actuating mechanism of the setting tool represented in dotted line in Figs. lA and schematically in Figs. 7A-7C at 17 is connscted by any suit-able means such as the arrangement 18 to the portion l9 of inner member I
tbat extends longitudinally within the surrounding adapter A. rhe portion 19 is connected at its lower end 20 to a shear release sleave and/or rota-tional release mechanism 21 adjacent the upper end o~ the inner tubular member 1. The lower end 22 of adapter A rests on or is adjacent the annular shoulder 31 ad~acen-t the upper end of outer tubular mamber 0.
As previously noted, the actuating mechanism 17 o~ the setting tool ST
may be explosively actuated, hydraulically actuated or mechanically actuated whichever m~y be desired. Figs. lA-lC; and Figs. 7C, 8A, 8B, respectively, illustrate two forms of the explosively sat packer arrangement; Figs. lA-lC, 7B, and Figs. 8A, gB illustrate two forms of the hydraulic set packer arrangement and Figs. 7A, 8, 8A and 8B illustrate the form Oe the mechanical set packer arrangement. The setting tools details are generally well known to those skilled in the art and no detailed description is deemed necessary as to their detailed structure and function.
When the inner tubular member I and outer tubular member 0 are assem-bled for lcwering into the well bore tubular member T, they are initially releasably connected together against relative longitudinal movement as they are lowered to position in the well bore tubular member T by suitable means such as the shear pin 35 adjacent the upper end of the inner member I and outer member 0 above the lock means L, the packer means P and slips S. The inner member I is provided ad~acent lts upper end with an external seal ll 9~3 sur~ace 38 formed by any suitable means for sealably receiving therearound the lower end of the production string PS as shown in Fig. 10 for communica-ting fluid flcw from a producing for~ation thrc~ugh the set packer arrange-ment as shown in Figs. 2A, 2B, ~A and 9B to the pro*uctlon string PS as shcwn in Figs. 3 and 10 for f'low to the earth's surface. The production string PS is provided with internal seal means 3~a for sealably engaging longitudinal seal sur~ace 38. The adapter A egtends over and su~rounds the e~ternal seal surface 38 on the inner member I as the packer arrangement is lovered into the well bore and secured with the tubular member T and thus inhibits damage to the seal surface during operations.
The lock means L includes a ratchet surface 40 on the outer periphery of the inner member I that extends longitudinally thereof. A split or segmented ratchet ring 42 having a ratchet surface 43 on its inner periphery and outer annular tapered surface means 44 a'buts a ratchet ring support 48 which is prov~ded with an internal kapered annular surface means 50 conform-ing with the tapered surface means 44 on the ratchet ring 42. It will be noted that in Figs. lB, lD, and 2A a single taper forms the surface means 44 and 50, while a plurality of tapered surfaces form the surface means in Flgs. 8A, 9A, llA and 12. The multiple taper form is preferred as it provides less back-off movement between the inner and outer members after the packer P is compressed and thereby attains a somewhat better sealing relationship of the packer and a 'better securing relationship by the slips S.
An annular groove 52 is formed in the ou-ter circumferential surface 53 of the ratchet ring support 48 and receives therein a split spring lock rlng 54 which may be formed to tend to expand out of en~Oagement with the groove 52, but which lock ring is retained in position in the groove 52 by the release means 58 when the lock means and release means is in the position shown in Figs. lB, 2A, 8A, and 9A. The top surface of ring 54 and the top or upper surface of groove 52 may be shaped as shown in Figs. lD and 12 -to tend to urge the ring 54 ou-t of groove 52 when release means in the ~orm of 9~3 sleeve means 58 is shiEted to a second position as shown in Fi~s. 5A and llA.
The release rneans 58 cooperate with lock means L when in the position sh~Yn in Figs. lB, 2A, 8A and 9A to inhibit release Oe the lock rneans L.
~anipulation o~ the outer member 0 shiets the release means -to a second pos-ition to enable lock ring 54 to move out o~ groove 52 as will be described.
The outer member 0 includes the release sleeve means 58 which projects above and s telescopically received in the upper end o-E ou-ter member ~ as shown in Figs. tB> 2A, 5A, 8A, 9A and llA, the sleeve means 58 being releas-ably coupled with the remainder of the outer rnember 0 by the shear pin 59.
The sleeve means 58 includes a longitudinally extending, annular portion 60 of reduced diameter providing or forming an annular upper shoulder 61 on the sleeve means 58. The lower end 64 o~ sleeve means 58 ~ormed on portion 60a ad~acent the lock means ~ when the lock means is engaged provides a lower annular shoulder. A counterbor2 63 extends ~rom lower end or shoulder 64 which counterbore receives the lock ring 54 when the components o~ the lock means are assembled ~or lowering in the well bore as shown in Figs. IB and 8A of the drawings. The lower shoulder end 64 o~ the sleeve means 58 rests on the lower annular shoulder 33 formed in the outer member 0 as better seen in Figs. 1~ and 12. The longitudinal e~tent on the sleeve means 58 between the lower shoulder 64 and upper shoulder 61 is o~ less longitudinal extent than the distance between the lower shoulder 33 and upper annular shoulder 34 ~ormed on the outer member 0 thereby providing a longitudinal annular space 65 between the shoulders 61 and 34 to accommodate relative longitudi-nal movement of the sleeve means 58 along inner member I and relatlve to the remainder o~ the outer member 0 as will be described. The lower shoulder end 64 o~ the sleeve means 58 is o~ less wldth or extent than ~he lower shoulder 33 on outer member 0, so that the lock rlng 52, overhangs the shoulder 33 to rest thereon as shown in Figs. lB, 2A, lD, 8A, 9A and 12.
The pin 66 positioned in the portion 67 o~ the outer member e~tends into the slot 68 ~ormed in the sleeve means 58 and accomnodates relative movement between the sleeve means 58 and the rem~inder Oe the outer member 0 9~
when the shear pin 59 is sheared to accommodate such longitudinal mo~ement ~hile preventing relative rotation -therebetween.
In the Figs. 1~ lC form, an ex~ension ~ is supportetl on tbe outer member 0 beneath the lock means IJ and pac~er P and depends from the lower end of the outer member 0. The cage means C is supported on ~he extension E
adjacent its lower end and depends therefrom as shown in Fig. lC.
The upper end 70 of the extension E abuts or is adjacant the lower end of packer means P and the upper end 68a of the packer P is abutted against the ledge or shoulder 69 formed on the outer -tubular member. The packar means P is sh~n as being a single packer but it can be appreciated that additional packers may be employed as desired. The packers are of the compression type, which expand upon compression. The same packer is employ-ed with all forms of the invention.
A plurality of longitudinally e~tending, circumferentially spaced slots 71 are provided in the extension E forming part of outer tubular member 0 and engaged therein are pins 72 secured to and projecting from the outer member which extend into slots 71 and support the extension E on the outer member 0 for relative longitudinal movement -therebetween. The lower end of the e~tension E terminates in the downwardly facing annular conical surface ~0 74 as shown.
The inner tubular member I is provided adjacent its lower end with the annular upwardly facing conical suri'ace 80 and when the components of the packer arrangement are assembled, the upwardly facing conical surface 80 i9 adjacent, but longitudinally spaced relatlve to the downwardly facing coni-cal surface 74 and receives therebetween the upper and lower annular rows of slip segments 76, 76' which may be joined together as shown, or separate, and are aligned with the openlngs or windows 82, 82' which extend longitudi-nally of and are circumferentially and longitudinally spaced in the cage C.
It will be noted that the cage C overlaps the upwardly and downwardly facing conical surfaces 80 and 74 respectively and the cage is supported on the extension E by the annular ring 85 which rests on shoulder 7~a of exten-sion E and which ring fits wlthin the groove 86 in cage C. A similar ring t~

3~3 S8 carried in groove 89 oE cage C below lower slip 76' aids in r~intaining the cage in position on the e~tension E when the slips are retrdcted a5 well as expanded and accommodates relative movement between the cage and inner and outer membe~s.
In the Figs. 7A and 8 form the mechanical setting tool includes a hous-ing represented at 110'. It is supported on the setting tool by segment~d nut lll which has resilient means 112' surrounding the nut segments so that it nny e~pand and contract. The inner annular surface of -the nut segments 11l is threaded as shown at 112 to lock with threads 113 on the setting tool when in the position shown in Fig. 8. Con-forming tapers 11~ on the nut 111 and 115 on the housing 110' abut and cause nut 111 to collapse inwardly and move it into the groove 116 which causes the threads 112 on the nut segments to lock with the threads 113 on the setting string and tool ST. The longi-tudinal dis-tance of space 117 in housing 110' whdch receives nut 111 is longer than the nut so that after the string WS has been rotated to unthread from housing 110', the setting string will automatically relock with the nut 111 when the string is lowered or moved toward the segmented nut 111 since the nut 111 m~y move down in space 117 and expand outwardly to engage threads 112 and 113. However, if the setting string is lo~ered when connec-ted to housing 110', subsequent lifting will cause the housing and nut to cooperate and prevent separation or withdrawal o~ the setting string ~rom the housing. This assists in maintaining inner tubular member I and outer tubular member O connected as the packer arrangement is lowered in the well bore to prevent separation o~ the setting string from the housing and acci-dental premature actuation and setting o~ the packer arrangement.
Spring loaded drag blocks 119 are carried on housing 110' and engage tubular member T (not shown in Fi~ 8). The housing 110' is restrained rela-tive to setting string WS upon rotation of the setting string WS by the blocks 119 so that the setting s-tring WS can be threadedly disconnected from ~0 housing llO' by rotation of the setting string which rotates the remainder oi the packer arrangemertt relative to restrained housi~g 110'. A~ter disconnecting the setting string ~rom housing 110', lleting up on setting 3~
string ~'1S relative -to housing llOt, which housing will then be r~strained against longitudinal movement with the set-ting string by blocks 11~, causes the entire packer arrangement to move up relative to hausing llO' so that slips 12~ carried by housing 110' are contacted by conical sureace 121 which moves up with the packer arrangement as the setting string is lifted. This urges slips 120 outwardly and into securing relationship with the adjacent tubular member T. Housing 110' is then secured with the tubular ,~ember T
along with outer tubular member O since outer tubular member ~ is connected with h~sing 110' by the threads 15 on annular rnember 123. Ring 122 prevents separation of annular member 123 from the remainder of the setting tool ST therebelow while lowering in the well bore and enables the setting tool to be retrieved in its entirety after setting the packer. Conical sur~ace 1~1 may be formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced members or fingers extending from annular member 23 as shown to accommodate radial movement of conical sur-Eace 121 as will be described.
The inner tubular member I can then be pulled up by the setting string ~S to shear pin 35 to release inner member I from outer rnember 0. Continued tension in the setting string causes upward mo~ement of inner member I rela-tive to outer tubular rnember O after shearing pin 35 and causes ratchet surface 40 thereon to rnove up relative to lock means L since the ratchet r;ng 48 moves to accomrnodate clearance of the threads on the inner member and the threads on the ratchet ring. The other components of the loc~ means L are held in place by ring support 48, lock ring 54 and the shoulder a-t the end O-e the recess formed in release sleeve 58 in which -the lock means is positioned, as well as the other cooperating surfaces in the outer tubular member. The lock means L will act to lock the inner member in whatever elevated position results when the packer P and slips S are secured with the tubular member T.
The outer tubular member O e~tends from its upper end adjacent which the grapple engaging surface means 100 is provided and terminates in an annular dcwnwardly facing conical surface 125, The inner -tubular member t~

extends through outer tubular member 3, the c~ge C and pack.er P and is provided with an annular upwardly -Eacing conical sur~ace t~6 longitudinally spaced from the lower end of inner member I and above packer means P as shown in Fig. 8B. The cage C is supported ad~acent and ~spans the conical surfaces l25, 126 on inner and outer members as described with regard to Fig. lC.
The slip rows 7~, 76' illustrate slips that are connected; h~7ever, each row 76, 76' could be ~ormed by separate slip segments supported in any suitable manner in the cage C. As shown a single spring tends to retain and 1~ urge the connected slips in each row tcward the retracted position.
Suit~ble means are provided to set the top row of slip segments 76 prior to the lower row of slip segments 76'. Such means may be of any suit-able ~orm and as illustrated includes shear pin 130 which secures the lower end of cage C with the inner member I to function as will be described.
The conical surface 126 is formed on inner member sleeve portion 131 which is releasably secured to inner member I by shear pin 132 below packer P. The portion 131 is also secured by shear pin 132 to inner member sleeve portion 133 which is radially spaced ~rom inner tubular member I by the width of portion 131 e~tending therebetween. ~leeve portion 133 e~tends ~0 between packer P and sleeve 133f of inner member I and receives or supportspacker P thereon as sho~n in Fig. 8B. The shoulders 131b and 133b on sleeve portions 131 and 133, respectively, interlock portions 131 and 133 together ad~acent and below the packer P as sh~7n. The lower end of s1eeve portion 131 termin~tes in spaced relation to the shoulder 133c on end member 133d which connects portion 133 and longitudinal sleeve 133f o~ inner member I
together. This forms longitudinal annular space 134 extending between the portion 133 and the sleeve 133f of inner member I as shown in Fig. 8B. The foregoing forms what may be termed a slip connection.
The shear pin 130 which secures the lower end Oe cage C with the inner member I is weaker th~n shear pin 132 connecting sleeve portion 131 to sleeve portion 133 of inner member I so that sequentially pin 130 will shear ~irst and then pin 132.

't3~3 In the operation of the packer arrangement o e the prssent invention shown in Figs. lA-6, it is assembled as above described and as shc~7n in Figs. lA-lC inclusive for lowering into a well ~ore tubular member T. When the setting tool ST hQs been actuated, the components rnove to the respective postions illustrated in Figs. 2A and 28.
As previously noted, the actuating mechanism 17 may be either explosive or hydraulic actuated and when actuated, a force is applied as respresented in Fig. lA by the arrow 10 to the inner member I to apply tension thereto while the setting or well string WS applies a force to the ad~pter housing 1~ as represented by the arrows 11 to shear pin 35 connecting the inner member I and outer member 0 together and release them for relative longitu-dinal movement due to the forces applied by the actuating or activating mechanism 17. When relative longitudinal movement between the inner member I and the outer member 0 caused by the setting tool ST occurs, the inner member I is moved upwardly as shown in Fig. 2a and positions the external seal surface 38 ~or subsequent sealing engagement with a production string PS when it is lowered into the well bore as shown in Fig. 3.
Also, the r~lative longitudinal movement ~orces the packer P to expan-ded and sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member T as well as movlng the slips 767 76' onto the conical surfaces 74 and 80, respectively, to engage and secure with the well bore tubular member T as shown in Fig.
2B.
The downward movement O-e the outer member 0 relative to inner member I
not only causes slip rows 76, 76' to engage well bore tubular ~ember T, but also shifts outer member 0 downwardly and inner member I upwardly to expand packer means P into sealing engagement with the well bore tubular member T.
The up movement of inner member I shifts ratchet sur~ace 40 thereon from the position shown in Fig. lB to the position shown in Fig. 2A. The ratchet surface 40 on the inner member I and ratchet surface 43 on the split ratchet ring 4~ accommodates longitudinal movement Oe the inner member I
relative thereto and to the outer member 0 on which the lock means L is supported so that the ratchet ring 42 locks with the ratchet sur~ace 40 on 1~3 3~3~3 the inner member I after relative longi-tudinal movanen-t between the inner and outer members -from -the initial postion Oe Figs. IA-lC to the second position demonstrated in Figs. 2A and 2B -to assist in retaining the packer means P expanded in sealing engagement and the s1ip r~Ns 767 76' moved to securing relationship with the tubular member T.
The shear ring 21 can be shearad by the activating mechanism 17 or by an additional tension in the well string l5 so that the portion 19 and adap-ter l6 is recovered with the setting string 15 and then a production string may be lowered into sealing engagemen~ with the e~posed seal surface of the packer arrangement o~ the present invention as illustrated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3 the production string PS is shown as being provided with a releasable connection re~erred to generally by the letters RC between the external sur~ace of the inner member I and the internal surface of the lower end o~
the production string, such releasable connection being illustrated as in the form of a J-slot re~erred to at 98 on inner member I wbich engages with the pin 99 on the production string in a well known manner so that the production string PS is releasably secured to the packer arrangement on the external surface of the inner member adjacent its upper end.
This arrangement does not provide any restrictions in the flow path ~0 through the packer arrangement, which restrictions where relatively small diameter production strings ars employed can present serious problems.
The operation o~ the hydraullc and e~plosively set eorms o~ Figs. 7B, 7C-l~ is similar to that above descrihed, except the slip means 75, 76' are sequentially set so that the upper row is set first as will be described in greater detail hereina~ter~
In the operation o~ the mech~nical form o-f Figs. 7A and 8-14, a~ter the packer arrangement has been lowered in the well bore and the inner tubular member I rotated to disconnect it from housing 1l0', the slips 120 ara set against the tubular member by pulling up on the setting string WS to move the packer arrangement up relative to housing 110' which urges conical surface 121 against slips 120 and moves ~he slips outwardly to secure housing 110' and outer member O with the well bore tubular member T.

1'~

7~3~

As inner tubular member I is moved up relative to outer tubtl1ar m.ember 0, after shearing pin 35 ~s previously described, the slip cage C with slip rows 76, 76' is urged up by inner tubular rnember I. ~ortions 13t, 133 along ~ith pac~er P which is between the end l31a Oe portion 131 ancl end 133a OI
portion 133 are ~oved therewith. The packer P extends along or is supported on portion 131 as shown.
This causes the upper row 76 of slip segments to be rnoved outwardly by sur~ace 125 to secure with tubular member T prior to the lower row 76'.
Thereafter still additional -tension shears pin 130 and the inner tubular 10 member I with conical surface 126 is then urged up to move sur~ace 126 against the lower row 76' of slip segments so that they move ou-~vardly into securing relationship with tubular member T as shown in Fig. 9B.
Still further tension shears pin 132 so that inner member I continues to move up causing packer P to be compressed between shoulders 13la and 133a, since space 134 accommodates movement O-e sleeve 133f and connected portlon 133 relative to portion 131 O-e inner member I. The lock means L
will hold the inner member I in its ~inal position against downward movement aIter the pac~er and slips are set, since, as previously noted, the ratchet 40 on the inner member I moves up through lock ring 48, but cannot move down 20 ~vhen the lock means L is in the position shown in Figs. 2A and 9A.
The setting string and setting tool may then be released erom the inner member and set packer arrangement by shearing shear ring 21 by still addi-tional tension, or by rotating to unthread at shear ring 21. The shear and thread ring 21 provides connecting means ~or connecting the irlner tubular member I with the setting string WS and disconnect means to disconnect the setting tool and setting string erom the set packer arrangement in all eorms o ~ the invention. The setting tool is then pulled up by the setting string to abut the shoulder 140 with shoulder 141, which movement elevates annular recessed portion 142 to align with the slips 120 whereby the radially mova-30 ble conical suriace portion 121 may retract inwardly relative to well boretubular member T and move into recess 142 to release the slips 120 as the setting string is pulled up. The engagement Oe sholllders 140, 141 removes ~.0 the se-tting tool, housing 110' and connected adap-ter A ~rorn the packer arrangement and exposes the seal sur~ace 38 projecting above -the outer member ~or engagement by the produc-tion string PS which may be lowered into the well bore a~ter the setting string is retrieved.
The external seal sur-~ace 3~ is provided with a releasable connection RC in the -form of a J-slot 9~ adjacent its lower end -to raceive the pin 99 on production string PS as shown in Fig. 10. Also, the inner member I
adJacent its upper end is provided with an internal annular groove 38' to receive a retrievable plug shown in dotted line at 145 in Fig. 10.
~0 The external seal connection ~ith the production string PS does not interfere with placement and removal of the plug as desired and similarly the arrangement of the external grapple sur~ace means 100 adjacent the upper end of the outer member 0 and belo~v the production string does not interfere with the production string connection and disconnection and also enables the pac'~er arrangement to be released and retrieved without first removing plug 145.
The f-unction o~ the hydraulic form shown in Fig. 7B and the e~plosively actuated ~orm of Fig. 7C is simil~r to that above described except the mechanical setting tool details sh~vn in Fig. 8 are not employed.
~0 The setting string and setting tool of Figs. 7B and 7C and Figs. lA-lC
are connected directly to the inner tubular member I as schematically shown depending upon which form, hydraulic or explosively set is to be used.
Nhere hydraulics are employed, the fluid is supplied through the coiled tubing CT and discharged into inner member I a~ter the ball B has been ~irst inserted and seated on ball seat BS to close o~ inner member 1. The fluid is then dlrected through port 146 to act d~vn on piston 147 and outer member 0 with a resultant upward force on member X to shear pin 35. Further pres-sure moves outer tubular member 0 down and creates an up reactive ~orce on member I to egpand upper slips into contact with the tubular member T in the Fig. 7B, 7C form. Therea~ter additional pressure shears pin 130 and the lower row 76 of slips set against ~lbular member T. Shear pin 132 then shears upon additional pressure and enables packer P to be sealingly set as described with regard to Fig. ~. ~tn the Figs. l~-lC ~orm~ both slip r~ls are simultaneously actuated After the packer is set, additional hydraulic pressure shears ring 21 and the se~-ting tool ST and adapter A are retrieved from the set packer arrangernent to expose exterr~.l seal sur~ace 38 on inner member I for connection with the production string as pr~viously descrined.
As noted above, the ac~uation o~ the e~plosively actuated setting tool of Figs. lA and 7C is as above described with regard to the hydraulic form.
In the mechanical form, the packer arrangernent is set by the setting tool by up pulls or tension in the setting string to stepwise increase ten-sion to sequentially shear member 35, 130, 132 and 21; in the hydraulic ~orm the hydraulic pressure acts to move outer tubular member down and causes an up force on the inner rr;ember I with increased pressure increments to ~lso stepwise shear member 35, 130, 132 and 21; the actuation of the e~plosively actuated form causes a sirnilar relationship of forces to that which occurs with the hydraulic form, but the events may occur more rapidly.
Release and subsequent retrieval of all forrns of the packer arrangementis e~fected by actuating release means 58.
Grapple surface means lO0 are provided on the external upper end of the outer member as shown, which grapple surface means rr~y assurne any configura-~0 tion for conformably receiving and engaging with Q grapple means 100' shownin Figs. 5A and llA. As shown, the grapple surface is illustrated as being a ratchet surface lOl which is adapted to engage the ratchet mernber 103 carried by the grapple means 100'. The member or ring 103 is split or segmented to accommodate movement of the grapple means 100' dcwn over the surface lOl, but locks therewith when a tension is applied to the well string which carries the grapple means 100'.
The grapple 100' in the embodiment illustra-ted is shown as including an overshot or member 105 which may be telescopically received over the upper end o~ the inner m~mber for engaging with the external upper end of the sleeve means 58 and when tension is applied thereto the shear pin 59 is sheared to then accommodate relative longitudinal movement between the sleeve or release means 58 and the remainder Oe the outer member 0. When 2~

the sleeve means 58 shifts upwardly in response to tension in the well s-tring or operating string OS, the lock ring 54 moves or is urged ou-twar-lly into the space in the outer member 0 beneath the lower shoulder 64 o e upwardly shifted sleeve 58 as shown in Figs. .5A and tlA. Movement of the lock ring 54 out of the groove 5~ disconnects the lock m~ans L from the outer member to enable a pull or tension to be applied to the outer member O
by the grapple tool to release the slip rows 76, 76' from securing relation-ship with the tubular member T and thus enable the packer P to move to retracted position as illustrated in Figs. 5B and llB. If the application of the tension force by the operating string OS as described does not completely release the slip segments ~rom tubular member T, the pin 110 between overshot 105 and the operating string OS may be sheared by moving the operating string downwardly to release it ~or longitudinal movement relative to the overshot member 105. Thereupon a downv~ard jar may be npplied by the suri'ace 14 on the lower end of the operating string to the upper end 7 of the inner member I as shown in Figs. 5A and llA to further assist in releasing the rows of slip segments 76, 76' from the tubular member T. The shoulders 111, 112 enable an upward jar to be applied to the inner member I. Thus, selective tension and compression forces may be O applied respectively to the outer member O and inner member I to effect release from the tubular member T for retrievQl. The operating string OS
remains coupled to overshot 105 by reason of the shoulders 111, 112 so that the packer arrangement on inner member I may be retrieved ~rom the well bore along with the operating strirlg.
It is believed that the setting and retrieval of the disclosed ~orms is understood from the foregoing description. As noted, the mechanical setting form of Figs. 7A and 8-8B employs the housing 110' to enQble the setting string and tool to be ~anipulated to set the slip rows sequentially and then the packer by stepwise increasing the tension.
Release and retrieval also involves further tension so that apart i'rom the initial rotational release o-~ the setting tool and inner tubular member 9'~38 -~rom the houslng 110', setting and retrieval is accomplished by tension sequentially applied in the setting string.
In the hydraulic and explosively actuated form of setting tool employed with t'ne pac~er arrangement Oe Figs. lA-lC, 7B, 8A and 8,~ pressure is sequentially applied to set the slips and packer in a ~anner, or sequence as desired and then set the packer. Release is accomplished as abo~7e described.
It should be noted that sequential settlng of the slips in the packer arrangement of Figs. lA-lC, 2A and 2B by hydraulic and explosive setting tools is not contemplated. Where a mechanical setting tool is e~ployed the packer should be below the slips as shown in Figs. 7A, 8A and 8B and the sequential setting of slip rows 76, 76' is preferential to assure proper setting of the pac~er.
Also the packer below the slips as shown in Figs. 8A and 8~ seals off the slips thereabove and prevents well fluid from the well bore beneath the packer from contacting the slips and causing them to corrode or possibly bind to remove even after a substantial period of years in the well bore.
While the present invention may be employed in any size tubular member, it has particular utility in connection with smaller tubular members such as tubing employed ~or production strings in well bores. The arrangement of the components Oe the packer arrangement of the present invention enables it to be positioned and sealably anchored in relatively small interrlal diameter tubular members, and the arrangement o~ the external grapple surface engag-ing means enables it to be released from its anchored position by engaging adjacent the upper end of the packer.
Further, the present invention has utility ln that it may act as a plug to plug of~ flow through a tubular member merely by employing an inner member that has no flow passage therethrough.
It may also be employed to retrievably position instruments and other devices in well bore tubular members which have no landing shoulder means to receive and support the instruments and devices, or where the landing shoul-l~B1~3s3~3 der ~eans o~ th~ tublar member is inoperative for any reason, such as by ~way of e~ample, da~age or corrosion.
In oil and gas well tubular members which are provided with a pro~ile or a landing shoulder o~ some type, it has been custo~ary to provide a lock mandrel o~ ~vell know form with means which seats in the pro~ile, or groo~le, to enable various devices to be positioned in the landing nipple for accor~
plishing various ~unctions in the well. However, many oil and gas wells have been completed in which the tubular members haYe not been provided with a profile ~or receipt of means to engage in the profile and sealably posi-tion a retrievable loc~ m~ndrel in the tubular member.
Also the groove or profile may become worn, damaged or corroded over a period of time so that it is inoperative. The present invention overcomes this disadvantage in that landing nipple means, one form of which is as illustrated generally at LN in Fig. 15 of the drawings may be connected to the lower end of the inner member I of the retrievable packer arrangement o~
the present invention, which packer arrangement is represented generally by the letter P' in Fig. 15. It can be appreciated that packer arrangemant P' includes the components of the present invention such as, by way of example, as shown in Figs. 1-14 and as heretofore described.
The landing nipple means L~ includes upper and lower landing nipple means and upper and lower tubing nipple means and a perforated nipple. It can be appreciated that the landing nipple means con~iguration and for~ can be varied to accomplish any results desired. The upper tubing nipple 150 is provided with threads at each end and its upper end is threadedly engaged with the lower end of the inner member I of the packer arrangement o-~ Figs.
1-14.
The upper landing nipple 151 is connected with the lower end of upper tubing nipple 150 and depends there~rom. An annular groove or profile 153 is provided therein as illustrated. As shown in Fig. 15, the perforated tubing nipple 152 is threadedly secu~d with and depends from the upper landing nipple lSl, and the lower landing nipple 151' is connected to and depends from the per~orated tubing nipple 152. The lower landing nlpple ~5 q39~

151' is provided in its internal borg with annular groove and profile 1.54 as sh~vn.
The lcwer tubing nipple 150' is secured to and depends from lower land-ing nipple 154 as illust~ted in Fig. l5.
Fig. 15 illustrates a ~,vell bore '~B which is provided with a casing designated as C. A liner L is secured within the casing C and depends or extends downwardly therefrom. The liner L is supported on the casing by any suitable means such as the liner hanger referred to generally by the letters LH which may be of any suitable well known ~orm such as a mechanical actua-ted for~ or a hydraulically actuatad form as desired.
In Fig. 15 the slips 149 of a liner hanger are illustr~ted that func-tion in a well known manner to support the liner L on the casing C.
The liner L ~orms an upwardly opening or upwardly facing receptacle and includes an extension designated R comlnonly referred to as a packer bore receptacle.
A string of tubular members extends -erom the earth's surface into the well bore WB to form what is normally te~ned a production string design~ted PS and is of s~aller internal diameter than the internal diameter of the upwardly facing or upwardly opening receptacle R. Seal means o~ any suita-~0 ble fonn referred to by the letters SM are provided either on the production string PS lower end or within the receptacle R to form a sealing relation-ship bet~veen the lower end of the production string PS and the pQcker bore receptacle R. This accommodates longitudinal movement o~ the production string relative to the retrievable receptacle while maintain-lng a seal therebetween.
As noted previously the packer arrangement P' in Fig. 15 of course includes the construction and arrangement of the packer described in Figs.
1-14 including the inner and outer member with a packer means and slips as described with regard thereto.
In using the present invention as illustrated in Fig. l5, the well bore is drilled, the casing C ls positioned therein and thereafter the liner L is hung on the casing C in a manner well known in the art.

.~

3~

~ere the p~cker arrangement Oe the present invention is employed to position a landing nipple in the liner L, the packer arrangement P' and landing nipple LN are usually positioned in the liner L before the produc tion string PS is sealably engaged with the packer bore receptacle R.
When a profile 153 is not present, or i~ present, but inoperative, and it is desired to shut off flow from the formation represen~ed by the le-tter F in order to accomplish desired servicing operations in the well bore, a packer such as sh~vn and described in Figs. 1-14~ but smaller in size may be sealably seated in the upper tubing nipple 150 as represented at 155 to ~unction as a plug and close off flow from the formation F to the production string PS. Alternatively, if the upper landing nipple 151 is provided with an operative profile 153, a plug of a well known -form may be lowered to seat in profile 153 so as to close of e flow from perforations 169 which communi-cate the formation F with the production string PS through the perforated nipple 152.
Thereafter the production string PS may be either removed from the well bore, or withdrawn from sealing engagement with the packer bore receptacle so as to conduct whatever servicing operations may be desired such as circu-lation of fluids ~ithin the well, or other operations as desired.
In some situations it may be desirable to temporarily or permanently position suitable retrievable instrument means such as a pressure bomb or temperature bomb represented by the letter B in the lower landing nipple.
The instrument means B is provided with suitable well known means for engag-ing with a profile 154 when such profile is present and operative in the lcwer landing nipple. Also, a suitable fishing neck is provided on the instrument means B for engagement and retrievable ~rom the well bore as desired.
Where the prolile 154 ls not present or not operative ~to seat instru-ment means B, the instrument means B may be supported by a smaller size of the packer arrangement P' o~ the present invention to anchor the instrument means B in the lower tubing nipple 150'. In such evenk a smaller size of the p~Lcker arrangement P' could be lowered with instrL~ent means B secured 3~

therewith and se~lably anchored as represented at 155' in the lower tubing nipple.
If it is desired to remove -the landing nipple means LN, the production string PS is removed ~rom the well bo-re. The packer arrangement P' of the present invention includes surface means on the inner and outer member upper ends as illustrated in Fig. 5 oi the drawings so that upward and downward selective jarring impacts m~y be imparted to -the inner and outer members to disengage the slips ~rom their respec-tive conical sur~aces in the packer arrangement to aid in moving the expanded packer to retracted position ~or tO retrieval from the liner L. ~lso, as previously noted, the packer arrange-ment P' can be set and retrieved by wireline which is oi~ substantial advan-tage when the packer arrangement is used in small diameters.
In Fig. 16 the casing C is again represented and is provided with a production string again represented by the letter PS with a production packer of any suitable con~iguration and arrangement illustrated generally by 160.
~ eretofore, it has been customary to provide a pro~ile or groove for receiving a plug ~hat may be lowered into the production string and seated in the proi'ile ii it is desired to block flow therethrough or to suspend ~0 instruments within the tubing.
In those instances where no pro~ile has been provided in a production string or i~ provided, but inoperative, the packer arrangement P' of the present invention may be lowered through the production string PS and actua-ted to expand into sealing and anchoring relationship within the tubular member as represented at 165 in Fig. 16 o-~ the drawings. The packer 165 may i'unction as a plug, or to support instrument means as described with regard to Fig. 15.
Hereto:~ore, it has been e~tremely di~ficult, if not impossible in some situations to remove a packer from a tubular member in a well bore without drilling or milling or cutting it out in some fashion.
The packer arrangement P' of the present invention overcomes this problem in that it provides sur~ace means on each the lnner and outer 2~

members with which a grapple tool such as described hereinabova may be engaged so as to selectively impart upward and dcwnward jarring impacts above the seated packer to di.sengage the anchored slips from the tubular member and erom their respactive upwardly and downwardly facirlg conical surfaces ~or retrieval of the packer arrangement.
In Fig~ t7 a casing C is again illustrated with a dual production packer of well known form represented generally at 170 with a pair o-f production strings associated therawith again represented respectively by PS-l and PS-2.
It will be noted that production s-tring PS-l is sealably received in the production packer 170 as illustrated and a passage 171 is provi~ed in the production packer 170 for conductlng flow from a formation such as F-l into production string PS-l.
The packer arrangement P of the present invention i3 again illustrated at 165 as seated within the passage 171 oi the production packer when it is desired to seal off the flow therethrough or to suspend instruments within the tubing from the packer 1~5.
Similarly, production string PS-2 is sealably received in production packer 170' as illustrated and it may also be selectively provided with the ~0 packer arrangement P of the present invention again represented, anchored an~ sealed at 165.
In instances where it is desired to seat a packer at any desired eleva-tion and maintain ease of setting as well as retrieval~ the present packer arrangement is particularly useful in that it provides an external grapple surface which may be engaged to assist in packer slip release without engag-ing internally in the packer arrangement. Also, the packer can be ~provided in relatively small diameters while still employing the beneficial structu-ral arrangement of its component to assist in ease of positioning and retrieval.
Additionally the fact that the present packer arrangement may be selec-tively set either mechanically, hydraulically or by an explosive wire line actuated tool means is particularly usaful as well as the eact that it can ; 29 be retrieved by a grapple tool supported on either coupled pipe, coiled pipe or a wire line as desired.
Fron the ~oregoing description, it can be seen that the present inven~
tion enables the same simple comprsssion type packer to be sealingly set and secured in position in a tubular member by either a hydraulic, mechanical or wireline setting tool and it can be released and retrieved without milling, and without attempting to insert any tool in ~he pac~er arrangement to ef~ect release by either coupled or coiled tubing or a wireline grapple.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustra-tive and explanatory thereof, and various changes in sizs, shape and materi-als as well as in the details o~ the illustrated construction may be made without departing from the spirit o~ the invention.

Claims

1. A well bore tubular member retrievable packer arrangement for con-nection with either mechanically, hydraulically or wire line explosively actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement with the well bore tubular member to communicate with a production string and which packer arrangement may be retrieved by a grapple tool supported on either coupled pipe, coiled pipe or a wireline comprising:
inner and outer tubular members;
said inner and outer tubular members each having an upper end;
connecting means adjacent the upper end of said inner tubular member for connecting said inner tubular member with the setting tool means;
said inner tubular member having a longitudinally extending, annular external surface adjacent its upper end;
adapter means supported by the retrievable setting tool means and surrounding said annular external surface on said inner tubular member;
securing means securing said inner and outer tubular members against relative movement as they are lowered into the well bore, said securing means releasable upon relative movement between said inner and outer tubular members;
packer means supported on at least one of said tubular members and expandable into sealing engagement with the well bore tubular member upon relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members;
slip means for engaging the well bore tubular member upon relative lon-gitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members to secure the packer arrangement in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
cooperating lock means on said inner and outer tubular members to lock said inner and outer tubular members in their longitudinally moved relation-ship to aid in maintaining said packer means secured in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;

disconnect means responsive to manipulation of the setting string for dis-connecting the retrievable setting tool means and adapter from said inner tubu-lar member whereby the setting tool means and said adapter may be withdrawn by the setting string to expose said external surface on said inner tubular member for sealably receiving the production string therearound; and external grapple surface engaging means on the external surface of said outer tubular member for engagement by the grapple tool to retrieve the packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member.

2. A well bore tubular member retrievable packer arrangement for connection with and actuatable by either mechanically, hydraulically or wirelineexplosively actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement with the well bore tubular member to communicate with a production string and which packer arrangement may be retrieved by a grapple tool supported on either coupled pipe, coiled pipe or a wireline comprising:
inner and outer tubular members;
said inner and outer tubular members each having an upper end;
connecting means adjacent the upper end of said inner tubular member for connecting said inner tubular member with the setting tool means;
securing means securing said inner and outer tubular members against relative movement as they are lowered into the well bore, said securing means releasable upon relative movement between said inner and outer members;
slip means for engaging the well bore tubular member upon relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members to secure the packer arrangement in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
packer means supported on said inner tubular member below said slip means and expandable into sealing engagement with the well bore tubular member upon relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members to seal off the well bore below said packer means from said slipmeans;

cooperating lock means on said inner and outer tubular members to lock said inner and outer tubular members in their longitudinally moved relation-ship to aid in maintaining said packer means secured in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
said inner tubular member having a longitudinally extending, annular external surface adjacent its upper end;
disconnect means responsive to manipulation of the setting string for disconnecting and removing the setting tool means from said inner tubular member; and external grapple surface engaging means on the external surface of said outer tubular member for engagement by the grapple tool to retrieve the packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member.

3. A well bore tubular member retrievable packer arrangement for con-nection with either hydraulically or wireline explosively actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement with the well bore tubular member to communicate with a production string and which packer arrangement may be retrieved by a grapple tool supported on either coupled pipe, coiled pipe or a wireline comprising:
inner and outer tubular members;
said inner and outer tubular members each having an upper end;
connecting means adjacent the upper end of said inner tubular member for connecting said inner tubular member with the setting tool means;
said inner tubular member having a longitudinally extending, annular external surface adjacent its upper end;
adapter means supported by the retrievable setting tool means and surrounding said annular external surface on said inner tubular member;
securing means securing said inner and outer tubular members against relative movement as they are lowered into the well bore, said securing means releasable upon actuation of the setting tool to accommodate relative longitudi-nal movement between said inner and outer tubular members;
slip means supported for engaging the well bore tubular member upon relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members to secure the packer arrangement in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
packer means supported on said outer tubular member above said slip means and expandable into sealing engagement with the well bore tubular member upon relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members;
cooperating lock means on said inner and outer tubular members to lock said inner and outer tubular members in their longitudinally moved relation-ship to aid in maintaining said packer means secured in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
disconnect means responsive to manipulation of the setting string for disconnecting the retrievable setting tool means and adapter from said inner tubular member whereby said setting tool means may be withdrawn by the setting string to expose said external surface on said inner tubular member for sealably receiving the production string therearound; and external grapple surface engaging means on the external surface of said outer tubular member for engagement by the grapple tool to retrieve the packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member.

4. A packer arrangement for connection with hydraulically or wireline explosively actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member to extend upwardly into a production string and which is retrievable by a grapple tool supported on either coupled pipe, coiled pipe or a wireline comprising:
inner and outer tubular members;
said inner and outer tubular members each having an upper end;
connecting means adjacent the upper end of said inner tubular member for connecting said inner tubular member with the setting tool means;
said inner tubular member having a longitudinally extending, annular external surface adjacent its upper end;
adapter means supported by the retrievable setting tool means and surrounding said annular external surface on said inner tubular member;

securing means securing said inner and outer tubular members against relative movement as they are lowered into the well bore, said securing means releasable upon actuation of the setting tool to accommodate relative longitudi-nal movement between said inner and outer tubular members;
slip means for engaging the well bore tubular member upon relative lon-gitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members to secure the packer arrangement in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
packer means below said slip means and expandable into sealing engage-ment with the well bore tubular member upon relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members;
cooperating lock means on said inner and outer tubular members to lock said inner and outer tubular members in their longitudinally moved relation-ship to aid in maintaining said packer means secured in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
disconnect means for disconnecting the retrievable setting tool means from said inner tubular member whereby the setting tool means may be with-drawn by the setting string to expose said external surface on said inner tubular member for sealably receiving the production sting therearound; and external grapple engaging surface means on the external surface of said outer tubular member for engagement by the grapple tool to retrieve the packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member.

5. A packer arrangement for connection with and actuatable by mechani-cally actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to seal-ably secure the packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member to extend upwardly into a production string and which is retrievable by a grapple tool supported on either coupled pipe, coiled pipe or a wireline comprising:
inner and outer tubular members;
said inner and outer tubular members each having an upper end and a lower end;
means releasably connecting said inner tubular member with the setting string;

said inner tubular member having an annular longitudinally extending external seal engaging surface adjacent its upper end;
said setting tool means including housing means;
connecting means for releasably connecting said housing means with said setting tool means;
adapter means supported by said housing means and surrounding said annular external surface on said inner tubular member;
conical surface means on said adapter means;
said housing means including drag block means and slip means whereby engagement of said drag block means with the well bore tubular member enables said releasable connecting means to be actuated by manipulating the set-ting string to release said housing means from said inner member and engage said conical surface means on said adapter means with said slip means to secure said housing means to the well bore tubular member;
shear means connecting said inner and outer tubular members together, said shear means releasable upon longitudinal movement of said inner member after said housing means is secured to the well bore tubular member;
additional slip means supported for moving outwardly relative to said inner and outer tubular members to engage and secure with the well bore tubu-lar member when said inner member is moved up relative to said housing means and outer tubular member;
packer means below said additional slip means which is expandable into sealing engagement with the well bore tubular member upon longitudinal movement of said inner tubular member relative to said housing means and outer tubular member;
cooperating lock means on said inner and outer tubular members to lock said inner and outer tubular members when said packer means is in sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member and to maintain said packer means secured in expanded, sealed engagement with the well bore tubular member;
said releasable connection means responsive to manipulation of the setting string to reconnect said housing means with the setting string for removal of said housing means and adapter means from adjacent said inner tubular member to expose said external surface on said inner tubular member for sealably receiving the production string therearound; and external grapple engaging surface means on the external surface of and ad-jacent the upper end of said outer tubular member for engagement by the grap-ple tool to retrieve the packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member.

6. The packer arrangement of claims 1, or 2, or 3, or 4, or 5 wherein said cooperating logic means includes:
a ratchet surface on said inner tubular member;
a ratchet ring between said inner and outer tubular members, said ratchet ring having a least one tapered outer surface;
a ratchet ring support between said inner and outer tubular members, said support ring having an outer tubular surface with a groove therein and at least one inner tapered surface abutting said ratchet ring outer tapered surface; and a lock ring in the groove to aid in retaining said support and ratchet ring engaged with said ratchet surface.

7. A method of positioning a retrievable packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member by a setting string wherein the packer arrangement includes an inner tubular member connected with the setting string, an outer tubular member with external engageable release surface means adjacent its upper end and operable to release the set packer arrangement, packer means and slip means for sealably securing with the well bore tubular member, lock means to lock the packer arrangement in sealing relation with the well bore tubular member and which lock means can be unlocked by the external release surface means comprising the steps of:
releasably securing the inner and outer members against relative longitu-dinal movement;
manipulating the setting string to release the inner and outer members for relative longitudinal movement which moves the packer means and slip means into sealing and securing relationship with the well bore tubular member, positions the external engageable release surface means adjacent the upper end of the outer member for engagement and actuates the lock means to maintain the packer means and slip means in sealed and secured relationship with the well bore tubular member; and releasing the setting string from the inner member and removing the setting string from the inner member for retrieval from the well bore to position the external engageable surface means adjacent the outer member upper end for engagement.

8. A method of recovering a packer arrangement set in a well bore tubu-lar member wherein the packer arrangement includes packer means, slip means to secure the packer means in the well bore tubular member and an inner tubu-lar member with an outer tubular member extending through the packer means, the outer tubular member having external release means on the external surface thereof and adjacent its upper end and which release means is operable to release the set packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member comprising the steps of:
lowering grapple means to engage the external release means on the outer tubular member; and manipulating the grapple means to release the slips that secure the set packer arrangement to the well bore tubular member for retrieval of the slips and packer arrangement wherein the manipulation includes applying compres-sion and/or tension forces adjacent the upper end of the inner and outer tubularmembers to release the slips.

9. A method of securing a packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member by a setting string and retrieving the set packer arrangement by grapple means wherein the packer arrangement includes an inner tubular member with an external seal surface adjacent its upper end within the adapter for sealably receiving thereover a production string when the seal surface is exposed, an outer tubular member with release means adjacent its external upper end and operable to release the secured packer arrangement, packer means and slip means for sealably securing with the well bore tubular member, lock means to lock the packer arrangement in sealing relation with the well bore tubular member and which can be unlocked by the release means comprising the steps of:
releasably securing the inner and outer members against relative longitu-dinal movement;
disconnecting the inner and outer members for relative longitudinal movement which movement moves the packer means and slip means into sealing and securing relationship with the well bore tubular member, and actu-ates the lock means to maintain the packer means and slip means in sealed and secured relationship with the well bore tubular member;
releasing the setting string from the inner member and removing the setting string from the well bore to expose the external seal surface on the inner member upper end for sealing engagement with the production string;
lowering a production string into the well bore to sealably engage the external seal surface on the secured packer arrangement;
removing the production string from the well bore;
lowering grapple means into the well bore to telescopically engage the external release means; and selectively applying compressive and/or tension forces adjacent the upper end of the inner and outer members to actuate the release means and slip means to disengage the secured packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member for retrieval.

10. A method of positioning a retrievable packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member by a setting tool on a setting string and wherein the packerarrangement includes an inner tubular member, an outer tubular member with external release means thereon operable to release the set packer arrangement, packer means and slip means wherein the slip means includes upper and lower row of slips for sealably securing with the well bore tubular member, lock meansto lock the arrangement in sealing relation with the well bore tubular member and which can be unlocked by the release means comprising the steps of:
manipulating the setting tool string to sequentially:

release the inner tubular member from the outer tubular member and secure the outer tubular member to the well bore tubular member;
secure the upper row of slips to the well bore tubular member;
secure the lower row of slips to the well bore tubular member;
expand the packer means into sealing engagement with the well bore tubular member;
actuate the lock means to lock the rows of slips and packer means in sealed, secured relation with the well bore tubular member; and remove the setting tool and setting string from the inner member to position the external release means for engagement.

11. A method of positioning a retrievable packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member for sealably receiving over its upper end a production string, wherein the arrangement includes inner and outer members with packer means and slip means for sealably securing with the tubular member, lock means to lock the arrangement in sealing relation with the tubular member and release means to release the lock means comprising the steps of:
releasably securing the inner and outer members against relative longitu-dinal movement;
manipulating the inner member to release it from the outer member for relative longitudinal movement;
effecting relative longitudinal movement between the inner and outer members to move the packer means and slip means into sealing and securing relationship with the well bore tubular member and to actuate the lock means to maintain the packer means and slip means in sealed and secured relationship with the tubular member; and selectively applying compressive and tension forces adjacent the upper end of the inner and outer members to actuate the release means and slip means to disengage the packer means from the tubular member for retrieval.

12. The packer arrangement of claim 5 wherein said additional slip means comprises upper and lower rows of slips supported in cage means and wherein said cage means adjacent said lower row of slip means is secured to said inner tubular member by shear means whereby longitudinal movement of said inner tubular member causes said cage means and lower row of slips to move together and actuate said upper row of slips to secure with the well bore tubular member prior to said lower row of slips.

13. The packer arrangement of claim 12 wherein said packer means is supported on said inner member by a slip connection, said slip connection being secured to said inner member by shear means to retain said packer means in retracted position until both rows of said slips are secured with the well bore tubular member, said shear means and slip connection being releasable after saidslip rows have secured with the well bore tubular member whereby longitudinal up movement of said inner member actuates said slip connection to compress and expand said packer means into sealing relation with the well bore tubular member.

14. The packer arrangement of claim 5 wherein said slip means comprises:
upper and lower rows of slips;
means to sequentially secure said rows of slips to the well bore tubular member in a predetermined manner;
means to retain said packer means in retracted position until said slip rows have been sequentially secured to the well bore tubular member; and means to expand said packer means into sealing engagement with the well bore tubular member after said rows have been secured to the well bore tubular member.

15. A packer arrangement for connection with and actuatable by mechani-cal setting tool means supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member to extend upwardly into a produc-tion string and which is retrievable by a grapple tool supported on either coupled pipe, coiled pipe or a wireline comprising:
inner and outer tubular members;
said inner and outer tubular members each having an upper end and a lower end;

means releasably connecting said inner tubular member with the setting string;
said setting tool means including housing means;
conical surface means supported on said outer tubular member adjacent said housing means;
connecting means releasably connecting said housing means with said setting tool means;
said housing means including drag block means and slip means whereby engagement of said drag block means with the well bore tubular member enables said releasable connecting means to be actuated by manipulating the setting string to release said housing means from said inner member and engage said conical surface means supported on said outer tubular member with said slip means to secure said housing means to the well bore tubular member;
shear means connecting said inner and outer tubular members together, said shear means releasable upon longitudinal movement of said inner member after said housing means is secured to the well bore tubular member;
additional slip means for securing said housing means and outer tubular member with the well bore tubular member when said inner member is moved upon relative to said outer tubular member;
said additional slip means comprising upper and lower rows of slips supported in cage means and wherein said cage means adjacent said lower row of slip means is secured to said inner tubular member by shear means whereby longitudinal movement of said inner tubular member causes said cage means and lower row of slips to move together and activate said upper row of slips to secure with the well bore tubular member prior to said lower row of slips;
packer means below said additional slip means, said packer means being supported on said inner member by a slip connection, said slip connection being secured to said inner member by shear means to retain said packer means in retracted position until both rows of said slips are secured with the well bore tubular member, said shear means and slip connection being releasable after saidslip rows have secured with the well bore tubular member whereby longitudinal up movement of said inner member actuates said slip connection to compress and expand said packer means into sealing relation with the well bore tubular member;
said releasable connection means responsive to manipulation of the setting string to reconnect said housing means with the setting string for removal of said housing means with the setting string; and external grapple engaging surface means on the external surface of said outer tubular member for engagement by the grapple tool to retrieve the packer arrangement from the well bore tubular member.

16. The packer arrangement of claims 1, or 2, or 3, or 5 including means to inhibit release of said cooperating lock means said means to inhibit release including:
sleeve means forming part of, projecting above and telescopically positioned relative to said outer tubular member;
said sleeve means and outer tubular member having upper and lower annular, longitudinally spaced shoulders with the longitudinal space between said shoulders of said outer member being of greater extent than the extent of the longitudinal space between said shoulders of said sleeve means to accommodate rela-tive longitudinal movement between said sleeve means and outer tubular member while preventing separation thereof; sleeve shear means securing said sleeve means and outer tubular member together when said sleeve means lower shoulder abuts said outer tubular member lower shoulder;
said sleeve means having an internal recess adjacent its lower shoulder for receiving and positioning said lock ring on said outer tubular member lower shoul-der whereby said release means when in this position inhibits release of said lock means; and said sleeve means responsive to manipulation of said outer tubular member when said grapple engaging sur-face means is engaged by the grapple tool to release said cooperating lock means for retrieval of the packer arrangement for the well bore.
and wherein said grapple engaging surface means is formed on said sleeve means whereby said sleeve means may be engaged and actuated by the grapple tool to break said sleeve shear means and move said sleeve means of said outer tubular member to the second position which releases said lock ring from said outer tubular member lower shoulder and said ratchet support ring whereby relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer tubular members may be effected to disengage said slip means and packer means from the well bore tubular member for retrieval of the packer arrangement.

17. A method of selectively blocking flow from a formation through the flow passage of a production string that is sealably engaged in an upwardly openreceptacle in a well by positioning a retrievable packer with a landing nipple thereon in the production string flow passage comprising the steps of:
securing the landing nipple to the retrievable packer;
lowering the retrievable packer and landing nipple into the production string flow passage;
positioning a retrievable plug in the landing nipple in the production string flow passage to block flow from the formation;
elevating the production string to disengage it from the upwardly open receptacle; and circulating fluid above the plug between the well and production string.

18. The packer arrangement of claim 15 wherein said additional slip means comprises upper and lower rows of slips supported in cage means and wherein said cage means adjacent said lower row of slip means is secured to saidinner tubular member by shear means whereby longitudinal movement of said inner tubular member causes said cage means and lower row of slips to move together and activate said upper row of slips to secure with the well bore tubular member prior to said lower row of slips.

19. The packer arrangement of claims 1, or 2, or 3 including means to inhibit release of said cooperating lock means, said means responsive to manip-ulation of said outer tubular member when said grapple engaging surface means is engaged by the grapple tool to release said cooperating lock means for retrieval of the packer arrangement from the well bore.

20. A retrievable well bore tubular member packer setting and retriev-ing arrangement for connection with either mechanically, hydraulically or wire-line explosively actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member, the invention comprising:
inner and outer members each having an upper end;
said inner member having a longitudinally extending, annular external surface adjacent its upper end;
said outer member having external grapple surface engaging means adja-cent its upper end;
releasable connecting means connecting the upper end of said inner member with the setting tool means;
packer means supported on at least one of said members and expandable into sealing engagement with the tubular member;
downwardly facing conical surface means on said outer member;
upwardly facing conical surface means on said inner member;
longitudinally spaced upper and lower rows of slip segments for engaging with said downwardly and upwardly facing conical surface means, respectively, for securing the said packer means in sealed relation with the tubular member;
means to first actuate said upper row of slip segments into securing engagement with the tubular member and then actuate said lower row of slip segments into engagement with the tubular member;
means to accommodate relative longitudinal movement between said inner and outer members to effect expansion of said packer means into sealing relation with the tubular member;

cooperating lock means to lock said inner and outer members in their longitudinally moved relationship to maintain said packer means in expanded sealed relationship with the tubular member;
surface means to receive a downward jar force on said inner member to release said upwardly facing conical surface from said lower row of slip segments; and said external grapple surface engaging means adapted to impart an upward jar force on said outer member to release said downwardly facing coni-cal surface from said upper row of slip segments for retrieval of said packer means from the tubular member.

21. A retrievable well bore tubular member packer setting and retriev-ing arrangement for connection with either mechanically, hydraulically or wire-line explosively actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member, the invention comprising:
inner and outer members each having an upper end;
said inner member having a longitudinally extending, annular external surface adjacent its upper end;
said outer member having external grapple surface engaging means adja-cent its upper end;
releasable connecting means connecting the upper end of said inner member with the setting tool means;
packer means supported on at least one of said members and expandable into sealing engagement with the tubular member;
downwardly facing conical surface means on said outer member;
upwardly facing conical surface means on said inner member;
longitudinally spaced upper and lower rows of slip segments for engaging with said downwardly and upwardly facing conical surface means, respectively, for securing the said packer means in sealed relation with the tubular member;
means responsive to up movement of said inner member to sequentially first actuate said upper row of slip segments into securing engagement with the tubular member and then actuate said lower row of slip segments into engage-ment with the tubular member;
surface means on said inner member responsive to further up movement of said inner member after said rows of slip segments have been secured with the tubular member to expand said packer means into sealing relation with the tubular member;
cooperating lock means to lock said inner and outer members in their longitudinally moved relationship to maintain said packer means in expanded sealed relationship with the tubular member;
additional surface means to receive a downward jar force on said inner member to release said upwardly facing conical surface from said lower row of slip segments; and said external grapple surface engaging means adapted to impart an upward jar force on said outer member to release said downwardly facing coni-cal surface from said upper row of slip segments for retrieval of said packer means from the tubular member.

22. A retrievable well bore tubular member packer setting and retriev-ing arrangement for connection with either mechanically, hydraulically or wire-line explosively actuated setting tool means retrievably supported on a setting string to sealably secure the packer arrangement in a well bore tubular member, the invention comprising:
inner and outer members each having an upper end;
said inner member having a longitudinally extending, annular external surface adjacent its upper end;
releasable connecting means connecting the upper end of said inner member with the setting tool means;
packer means supported on at least one of said members and expandable into sealing engagement with the tubular member;
downwardly facing conical surface means on said outer member;
upwardly facing conical surface means on said inner member;

longitudinally spaced upper and lower rows of slip segments for engaging with said downwardly and upwardly facing conical surface means, respectively, for securing the said packer means in sealed relation with the tubular member;
means responsive to up movement of said inner member to sequentially first actuate said upper row of slip segments into securing engagement with the tubular member and then actuate said lower row of slip segments into engage-ment with the tubular member;
surface means on said inner member responsive to further up movement of said inner member after said rows of slip segments have been secured with the tubular member to engage and expand said packer means into sealing rela-tion with the tubular member;
cooperating lock means to lock said inner and outer members in their longitudinally moved relationship to maintain said packer means in expanded sealed relationship with the tubular member; and surface means on each said inner and outer members to selectively receive downward and upward jar forces, respectively, to release said rows of slip segments from their respective conical surfaces for retrieval of said packer means from the tubular member.

23. A method of sealably and releasably securing landing nipple means by a retrievable packer in a well bore well string having a larger diameter thanthe diameter of a production string positioned in the well string, whereby a retrievable device may be inserted through the production string and sealably and releasably anchored in the landing nipple comprising the steps of:
lowering an upwardly open receptacle into the well bore and securing it to the well string;
positioning an expandable and retrievable packer on a landing nipple and lowering them into the upwardly open receptacle; and actuating the retrievable packer to expand and seal with the upwardly open receptacle to sealably secure the landing nipple in the upwardly open receptacle.

24. The method of claim 23 including the step of lowering a produc-tion string into the well string and sealably and removably anchoring it within the upwardly open receptacle above the landing nipple.

25. A method of positioning and retrieving landing nipple means by a retrievable packer in a well having a liner therein comprising the steps of:
securing a retrievable packer and landing nipple means together for lowering into the liner;
actuating the retrievable packer to expand and seal with the liner to seal-ably anchor landing nipple means therein;
positioning a production string having a smaller internal diameter than the liner in the well;
sealably and releasably engaging the smaller internal diameter production string with the liner above the sealably anchored landing nipple;
disengaging the production string from the liner and retrieving it from the well bore; and releasing the expanded retrievable packer from the liner for retrieval of the landing nipple means from the liner in the well.

26. A method of selectively blocking flow from a formation by posi-tioning a packer and landing nipple in a well having a tubular member whereby well operations may be carried out without killing the well comprising:
positioning a retrievable packer and landing nipple together and lowering them into the tubular member;
actuating the retrievable packer to expand and seal with the tubular member to sealably anchor the landing nipple therein;
positioning a production string having a smaller internal diameter than the tubular member in the well;
sealably and releasably engaging the smaller internal diameter production string with the tubular member above the anchored landing nipple;
lowering an expandable retrievable packer through the production string to a position above or into the landing nipple; and expanding the retrievable packer to seal and anchor within the well to block off flow through the production string.

27. A method of selectively blocking flow from a formation in a well by positioning a retrievable packer and landing nipple in a well having a tubular member whereby well operations may be carried out without killing the well comprising:
positioning the retrievable packer and landing nipple together and lower-ing them into the tubular member;
actuating the retrievable packer to expand and seal within the tubular member to sealably anchor the landing nipple therein;
positioning a production string having a smaller internal diameter than the tubular member in the well;
sealably and releasably engaging the smaller internal diameter production string with the tubular member above the anchored landing nipple; and lowering a retrievable plug through the production string to sealably anchor in the landing nipple beneath the production string to block flow from the formation.

28. The method of claim 27 including the step of elevating the produc-tion string to disengage it from the tubular member.

29. The method of claim 28 including the steps of:
sealably reengaging the production string with the tubular member; and removing the retrievable plug from the well bore.

30. The method of claim 28 including the step of circulating fluid above the plug between the tubular member and production string.

31. A method of positioning and retrieving landing nipple means in a well having an upwardly facing receptacle therein comprising the steps of:
securing a retrievable packer and landing nipple means together and lowering them into the tubular member;
actuating the retrievable packer to expand and seal with the upwardly facing receptacle to sealably anchor the landing nipple means therein;
lowering a production string having a smaller internal diameter than the upwardly facing receptacle to sealably and releasably engage within the upwardlyfacing receptacle above the anchored landing nipple means;

disengaging the production string from the upwardly facing receptacle and retrieving it from the well bore; and actuating the retrievable packer to release it from its expanded position for retrieving the landing nipple means from the well.

32. A method of completing a well having a tubular member by posi-tioning a retrievable packer associated with a retrievable landing nipple means in the tubular member wherein the retrievable packer includes inner and outer members with surfaces for receiving downward and upward jar forces, comprising the steps of:
lowering the retrievable packer and associated retrievable landing nipple means into the tubular member;
actuating the retrievable packer to sealably anchor the landing nipple means in the tubular member; and selectively applying upward and/or downward jar forces to the inner and outer members for releasing the anchored packer and landing nipple means for retrieval.

33. The method of claim 23 including the steps of:
disengaging the production string from the tubular member to carry out operations in the well bore; and removing the landing nipple means from the well bore.

34. A well string arrangement for fluid flow in a casing secured in a well bore in the earth comprising:
a liner secured to said casing and extending longitudinally therebelow for receiving fluid flow in the well string arrangement;
said liner including an upwardly open receptacle within said casing;
a retrievable packer positioned in said liner having a seal surface exposed thereabove;
landing nipple means supported by said retrievable packer and depending therefrom; and a production string sealably and removably engaged with said seal surface above said retrievable packer.

35. The invention of claims 1, or 2, or 3, or 4, or 5, or 15, or 20, or 21, or 22 including landing nipple means secured with said inner member and depending therefrom.

36. A well string arrangement for fluid flow in a casing secured in a well bore in the earth comprising:
a liner secured to said casing and extending longitudinally therebelow for receiving fluid flow in the well string arrangement;
said liner including an upwardly open receptacle within said casing;
a retrievable packer supported by an inner and an outer member and posi-tioned in said liner;
landing nipple means supported by said retrievable packer and depending therefrom;
said inner member having surface means for receiving downward jarring impact;
said outer member adapted for receiving upward jarring impact; and means for selectively applying upward and downward jar forces to said inner and outer members to release said retrievable packer and landing nipple means for retrieval.