# US 11,441,371 B2 · 3D printed barrel slip > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,371 B2 - Document ID: US11441371B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/132,924 - Filed: 2020-12-23 - Published: 2022-06-23 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-23 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Linley Fripp; Terapat Apichartthabrut; Robert Travis Murphy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441371B2 ## CPC - E21B 23/01: for anchoring the tools or the like (E21B23/02 - E21B23/06 take precedence; anchoring of drives in the borehole E21B4/18) - E21B 33/1292: {with means for anchoring against downward and upward movement} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A 3D printed barrel slip that includes a radially expandable barrel slip body that is movable from an unexpanded position to an expanded position; wherein the body has an outer surface that, when in the unexpanded position, defines a first radius; wherein the first radius is associated with a first curvature; and wherein, when in the expanded position, portion(s) of the outer surface has a second curvature that is less than the first radius. The body is an integrally formed single-component body that defines an external surface; and an internal chamber isolated from the external surface. The internal chambers affect the strength of portions of the body to control the timing of deployment of the barrel slip. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A barrel slip that comprises a radially expandable barrel slip body that is movable from an unexpanded position to an expanded position; wherein the body includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slip anchors, each slip anchor has an outer surface that, when the body is in the unexpanded position, defines an outer radius having a center that is circumferentially offset from outer radius centers of other slip anchors in the plurality of circumferentially spaced slip anchors; and wherein, when the body is in the expanded position, the outer radius centers of the circumferentially spaced slip anchors converge at a common center of the body such that the body defines a circular cross section in the expanded position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the outer surface of each of the slip anchors is radially displaced from the casing center by a radial distance less than the outer radius. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the outer surface of each of the slip anchors have a curvature associated with the circular cross section in the expanded position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein the outer radius is associated with an internal radius of a casing string, and wherein the internal radius of the casing string has a center at the common center of the body at which the outer radius centers of the circumferentially spaced slip anchor converge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The barrel slip of claim 4, wherein each slip anchor has an internal surface that, when the body is in the unexpanded position, defines an inner radius having a center that is circumferentially offset from inner centers of other slip anchors in the plurality of circumferentially spaced slip anchors and radially offset from the common center of the body at which the outer radius centers of the circumferentially spaced slip anchor converge; and wherein, when the body is in the expanded position, the inner radius centers of the circumferentially spaced slip anchors converge at the common center of the body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, a first plurality of teeth formed by a first portion of the body is positioned at a first angle relative to a second plurality of teeth formed by a second portion of the body; wherein, when in the expanded position, the first plurality of teeth is positioned at a second angle relative to the second plurality of teeth; and wherein the second angle is less than the first angle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein the body is an integrally formed single-component body that defines: an external surface defining an entire exterior surface of the body; and an internal chamber isolated from the external surface such that the internal chamber does not penetrate the external surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the body is an integrally formed single-component body that defines: a first slip anchor of the plurality of slip anchors; a second slip anchor of the plurality of slip anchors, the second slip anchor positioned in a first position relative to the first slip anchor; and a frangible connection that extends between the first slip anchor and the second slip anchor; and wherein, when in the expanded position, the second slip anchor is positioned in a second position relative to the first slip anchor; and the frangible connection is severed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the body defines cones that extend along a length of the body; wherein a portion of the inner surface defining the cones is a loading surface; and wherein the loading surface has a variable curvature along a portion of the length of the body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the body is an integrally formed single-component body defining: a first cylindrical portion; a second cylindrical portion disposed about the first cylindrical portion and positioned at a first position relative to the first cylindrical portion; and a fracture tab connecting the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion; and wherein, when in the expanded position, the fracture tab is broken and the second cylindrical portion is at a second, different position relative to the first cylindrical portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The barrel slip of claim 10, wherein the first cylindrical portion is a wedge portion with an external surface forming first cones; and wherein the second cylindrical portion comprises slip anchors of the plurality of slip anchors and has an internal surface forming second cones that correspond with the first cones. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The barrel slip of claim 1, wherein the barrel slip is at least partially manufactured using an additive manufacturing process. ### Claim 13 A method of deploying a barrel slip, the method comprising: positioning the barrel slip within a casing string when the barrel slip is in an unexpanded position; wherein the casing string has an inner surface having a first curvature defining an internal radius extending from a casing center; wherein the barrel slip comprises a body includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slip anchors, each slip anchor having an outer surface that, when in the unexpanded position, defines an outer radius extending from an outer center that is radially offset from the casing center; and expanding the body from the unexpanded position to an expanded position, wherein expanding the body from the unexpanded position to the expanded position comprises radially displacing the slip anchors to converge the outer radius centers of the slip anchors at a common center of the body at the casing center and thereby engaging the outer surface of each of the slip anchors with the inner surface of the casing string; and wherein, when in the expanded position, the outer surface of each of the slip anchors have the first curvature of the inner surface of the casing string. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the outer surface of each of the slip anchors is radially displaced from the casing center by a radial distance less than the outer radius. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the barrel slip is at least partially manufactured using an additive manufacturing process. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the outer surface of each of the slip anchors have the first curvature of the inner surface of the casing string. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, a first plurality of teeth formed by a first portion of the body is positioned at an angle relative to a second plurality of teeth formed by a second portion of the body; and wherein expanding the body from the unexpanded position to the expanded position further comprises repositioning the first plurality of teeth relative to the second plurality of teeth to reduce the angle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the body is an integrally formed single-component body that defines: an external surface defining an entire exterior surface of the body; and an internal chamber isolated from the external surface such that the internal chamber does not penetrate the external surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the body is an integrally formed single-component body that defines: a first slip anchor of the plurality of slip anchors; a second slip anchor of the plurality of slip anchors, the second slip anchor positioned in a first position relative to the first slip anchor; and a frangible connection that extends between the first slip anchor and the second slip anchor; and wherein expanding the body from the unexpanded position to the expanded position further comprises: severing the frangible connection; and moving the first slip anchor relative to the second slip anchor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein, when in the unexpanded position, the body is an integrally formed single-component body defining: a first cylindrical portion; a second cylindrical portion disposed about the first cylindrical portion and positioned at a first position relative to the first cylindrical portion; and a fracture tab connecting the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion; and wherein expanding the body from the unexpanded position to the expanded position further comprises: severing the fracture tab; and moving the first cylindrical portion relative to the second cylindrical portion.