Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
  • E21B33/1208—Packers; Plugs characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
  • E21B33/128—Packers; Plugs with a member expanded radially by axial pressure
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
  • E21B33/1208—Packers; Plugs characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means
  • E21B33/1216—Anti-extrusion means, e.g. means to prevent cold flow of rubber packing
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/10—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells in the borehole
  • E21B33/12—Packers; Plugs
  • E21B33/122—Multiple string packers

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates to well tools that utilize swellable seals.
• the backup ring designs are actuated only when the seals are pressurized.
• multiple seals and thus multiple backup rings are used.
• O-rings or chevron seals are used.
• the effectiveness of such seals is dependent to the cleanliness and surface finish of the surface sealed against
• FIG 1 is a schematic side view of a well incorporating a tubing string.
• FIG 2 is an side cross-sectional view of an example of two well components incoporporating a sealing assembly.
• FIG. 3A and 3B are detail views of the example well components, showing an end of the sealing assembly prior to the seal swelling and after the seal has swelled.
• FIG.4 is a perspective view of an example backup member showing the undulations.
• a well includes a substantially cylindrical wellbore 10 that extends from a wellhead 22 at the surface 12 downward into the Earth into one or more subterranean zones of interest 14 (one shown).
• the subterranean zone 14 can corresponding to a single formation, a portion of a formation, or more than one formulation accessed by the well, and a given well can access one or more than one subterranean zone 14.
• the formations of the subterranean zone are hydrocarbon bearing, such as oil and/or gas deposits, and the well will be used in producing the hydrocarbons and/or used in aiding production of the hydrocarbons from another well (e.g., as an injection or observation well).
• the concepts herein, however, are applicable to virtually any type of well.
• a portion of the wellbore 10 extending from the wellhead 22 to the subterranean zone 14 is lined with lengths of tubing, called casing 16.
• the depicted well is a vertical well, extending substantially vertically from the surface 12 to the subterranean zone 14.
• the concepts herein, however, are applicable to many other different configurations of wells, including horizontal, slanted or otherwise deviated wells, and multilateral wells.
• a tubing string 18 is shown as having been lowered from the surface 12 into the wellbore 10.
• the tubing string 18 is a series of jointed lengths of tubing coupled together end-to-end and/or a continuous (i.e., not jointed) coiled tubing, and includes one or more well tools (e.g., one shown, well tool 20).
• the string 18 has an interior, center bore that enables communication of fluid between the wellhead 22 and locations downhole (e.g., the subterranean zone 14 and/or other locations).
• the string 18 can be arranged such that it does not extend from the surface 12, but rather depends into the well on a wire, such as a slickline, wireline, e-line and/or other wire.
• the concepts herein apply to a sealing arrangement that can be used in a number of different contexts to seal between well components in a well.
• the sealing arrangement can be used in the well tool 20.
• the well tool 20 is of a type having an inner tubing component nested in an outer tubing component, with the sealing arrangement described herein configured to seal between the tubings.
• the sealing arrangement need not be limited to sealing components of the same tool or device.
• the well tool 20 is a packer type tool (e.g., packer, bridge plug, frac plug and/or other) that has the sealing arrangement configured to seal the tool 20 to the inner surface of the casing 16, a liner or other component in the well to seal the annulus around the tubing string 18.
• the tubing string 18 can be placed in the well in two parts, with an uphole component that has a stab or stinger that is received into a corresponding bore of the downhole component
• the sealing arrangement is configured to seal to the bore of the other component, and thus seal between the two tubings
• a running tool or actuating tool can be used to operate the well tool 20 or another component in the well.
• the running or actuating tool has a stinger or stab that is received into a corresponding bore of the tool or device being actuated, and the sealing arrangement is configured to seal between the stinger/stab and bore.
• the sealing arrangement is configured to seal between the stinger/stab and bore.
• the well components 30, 32 are two elongate tubings (e.g., tubings of a well tool, a packer and casing, a stinger and bore, or other), concentrically nested within each other.
• the inner tubing (component 32) includes a seal groove 24 sized to receive an elongate swellable elastomer seal 26 and backup members 28.
• Each of the seal groove 24, swellable seal 26 and backup members 28 are annular or ring shaped to encircle the tubular well components 30, 32.
• An annular gap 34 is formed between the well components 30, 32.
• the elongate swellable elastomer seal 26 is made from a swellable elastomer that swells or expands on contact with a specified fluid, e.g., oil, water, and/or other.
• a specified fluid e.g., oil, water, and/or other.
• the swellable elastomer swells in all directions uniformly, unless constrained. Therefore, in the example with the annular swellable elastomer seal 26 in the seal groove 24, the seal 26 swells radially outward, as well as axially within the groove 24, parallel to centerline of the well components 30, 32.
• the seal 26 is elongate in that it axial dimension is longer than its radial dimension, but other configurations of seal 26 could be provided In certain instances, the radial dimension of the seal 26 is selected to provide a gap with the component 30 to allow the seal 26 (and component 32) to be inserted and withdrawn from component 30.
• a backup member 28 is provided at each end of the seal 26, axially between the seal 26 and opposing axial ends of the seal groove 24. In other instances, only one backup member 28 is provided.
• the backup member 28 is a wave backup member made as a wave spring, or configured similarly to a wave spring, with one or more axial undulations 36 distributed around the backup member 28. In certain instances, the undulations can be distributed evenly around the backup member 28, for example, as in FIG 4 showing four undulations 36 distributed at 90° from each other. Although shown as smooth, curving sine wave like undulations 36, the undulations could be more abrupt and/or a different shape.
• the backup member 28 is constructed of a thin, flat material with parallel sidewall surfaces, and the undulations 36 are configured so that when the member 28 is axially compressed toward flat, they expand the backup member 28 circumferentially, and correspondingly radially outward.
• the backup member 28 can be sized to lightly contact or provide a gap with the component 30 in an unexpended (not axially compressed) free state. Such a configuration allows the backup member 28 to slide axially through the component 30 without much or any resistance, allowing the component 32 to be inserted and withdrawn into the component 30.
• the number and amplitude A of the undulations 36 can be selected so that when the backup member 28 is compressed, it bridges the gap 34 and abuts and presses on the component 30.
• the number of undulations 36 and the amplitude A of the undulations can be selected to provide a contact pressure against the component 30 to provide an adequate degree of backup that prevents the swellable seal 26 from extruding through gap 34.
• the backup member 28 is provided with a chamfer 38 on its inner diameter oriented toward the seal 26 to facilitate the member 28 expanding and centering on the seal 26.
• the backup member 28 can be constructed of a number of different materials.
• the member 28 can be constructed of a material having a higher hardness and/or yield strength than the elastomer of the swellable seal 26 to facilitate the backup member 28 providing an effective backup.
• the material is selected based on its ability to survive the high, downhole
• Some example materials for the backup member include metal, polymer, composite and/or other materials or mixes of materials.
• FIG 3A is a detail view about the axial end of the seal groove 24, showing the swellable elastomer seal 26 prior to swelling and the backup 28 unexpended.
• the swellable elastomer seal 26 compresses the backup members 28 against the axial end wall of the seal groove 24.
• the undulations of the backup members 28 axially compress, and cause the backup members 28 to expand radially into abutting contact with the component 30, as shown in FIG 3B.
• the seal 26 begins to hold a pressure differential, the seal 26 is supported against extrusion through the gap 34 by the low pressure side backup member 28 pressing against the component 30.
• the pressure differential can be reversed and the opposing backup member 28 will support the seal 26 against extrusion through the gap 34.
• the surface finish of the surface sealed against on the component 30 need not be tightly controlled, as the swellable seal 26 provides a contact pressure that facilitates sealing rougher surfaces than non-swelling seals.
• the component 30 need not be provided with a polished bore receptacle.
• the seal 26 can provie more surface area for sealing than a conventional O-ring or chevron seal. In certain instances, the greater surface area and/or the contact pressure from swelling will allow the swellable seal 26 to seal, even if damaged.
• the seal 26 swells in contact with fluid, a pressure differential is not necessary to achieve a seal or to actuate the backup members 28 into supporting the seal 26.
• the swelling also facilitates insertion of the component 32 into component 30, because the seal 26 need not contact component 30 until in contact with the specified fluid. Once sealing, the seal 26 resists withdrawal of the component 32 from component 30.
• the cost to manufacture can be less than other more complex backups and chevron seals.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Gasket Seals (AREA)
• Sealing Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=53041857

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (22)

• 2013
  • 2013-11-06 CN CN201380080069.3A patent/CN105683492A/zh active Pending
  • 2013-11-06 WO PCT/US2013/068776 patent/WO2015069242A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2013-11-06 AU AU2013405012A patent/AU2013405012B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2013-11-06 EP EP13896934.0A patent/EP3042033A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2013-11-06 US US15/027,516 patent/US20160245038A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2013-11-06 RU RU2016112594A patent/RU2631454C1/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2013-11-06 CA CA2926387A patent/CA2926387C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2013-11-06 MX MX2016004222A patent/MX2016004222A/es unknown
  • 2013-11-06 SG SG11201602567VA patent/SG11201602567VA/en unknown
• 2014
  • 2014-11-06 AR ARP140104173A patent/AR099284A1/es unknown

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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