# US 12,110,757 B2 · Packer arrangement for sealingly guiding a drillstring therethrough

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,110,757 B2
- Document ID: US12110757B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/037,325
- Filed: 2021-11-17
- Published: 2023-12-28
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2020-11-21
- Assignees: Electrical Subsea & Drilling AS
- Applicants: Electrical Subsea & Drilling AS
- Inventors: Egil Eriksen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110757B2

## CPC

- E21B 21/08: Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10)
- E21B 33/128: with a member expanded radially by axial pressure (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence)
- E21B 17/1014: {Flexible or expansible centering means, e.g. with pistons pressing against the wall of the well (E21B17/1042 takes precedence)}
- E21B 33/08: Wipers; Oil savers
- E21B 33/1285: {by fluid pressure}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A packer arrangement for a sealed passage of a drillstring therethrough. The drillstring has geometric differences between passing drill pipes and joint couplings. The packer arrangement includes a packer holder which forms a housing with an axially through-going center passage which has a flexible packer sleeve arranged in a portion thereof, an external annulus which encloses the packer holder, an internal annulus, and two actuators which apply an axial tensile force to the flexible packer sleeve. The flexible packer sleeve has a center portion and two end terminations which are axially displaceable in the packer holder. The internal annulus is delimited by the center portion of the flexible packer sleeve and by the packer holder. The internal annulus is in a fluid communication with the external annulus. Each of the two end terminations is coupled to one of the two actuators, respectively.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A packer arrangement for a sealed passage of a drillstring therethrough, the drillstring having geometric differences between passing drill pipes and joint couplings, the packer arrangement comprising:
a packer holder which is configured to form a housing with an axially through-going center passage which comprises a flexible packer sleeve arranged in a portion thereof, the flexible packer sleeve comprising a center portion and two end terminations which are configured to be axially displaceable in the packer holder;
an external annulus which is configured to enclose the packer holder;
an internal annulus which is delimited by the center portion of the flexible packer sleeve and by the packer holder, the internal annulus being in a fluid communication with the external annulus; and
two actuators which are configured to apply an axial tensile force to the flexible packer sleeve,
wherein,
each of the two end terminations is coupled to one of the two actuators, respectively.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The packer arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the two actuators comprises springs which are configured to push the two end terminations away from each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The packer arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the two actuators is formed as a hydraulic piston ring which is configured to push the two end terminations away from each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The packer arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein,
the packer holder further comprises two end stops each of which have a respective end stopper surface, and stabilizer springs,
one of the stabilizer springs is correspondingly arranged to abut between one end stopper surface in the packer holder and a side of one of the hydraulic piston rings that is opposite to a corresponding one of the two actuators, and
each of the stabilizer springs is configured to cushion an impact of the corresponding hydraulic piston ring against the corresponding one of the two end stops.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The packer arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein,
a transition zone exists between each of the two end terminations and the center portion of the flexible packer sleeve, and
each hydraulic piston ring comprises a support collar which is configured to restrict a deflection of the transition zone.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The packer arrangement as recited in claim 5, wherein each support collar is integrated in the packer holder.