US 2006/0065391 A1 · Expandable seal

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention provides a sealing apparatus for use in a tubular member. In one embodiment, the sealing apparatus includes an expandable sleeve and an expandable a toroidal/ring-shaped seal. The seal seats within a circumferential saddle or groove formed in the sleeve. An exemplary seal has an enlarged diameter portion and presents a radially outward sealing surface. During expansion, the enlarged diameter portion is compressed against the tubular member but, at least initially, the remainder of the sealing surface is not compressed. Thus, the pressure associated with the compression is focused on the limited contact area between the seal and the tubular. Continued expansion can increase the contact pressure and/or the amount of contact area. In one arrangement, the seal is configured to provide a gas tight seal.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A sealing apparatus for use in a wellbore tubular, comprising:

(a) a radially expandable sleeve member;
and
(b) a radially expandable seal member disposed on the sleeve member, the seal member having a radially outward sealing surface that increases surface contact area with the wellbore tubular as the seal member expands.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/230,240Filed 19 Sep 2005

Priority

20 Sep 2004

Published

30 Mar 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

E21B 29/10
Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming…
E21B 33/1208
Packers; Plugs: characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means
E21B 43/106
Of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like: couplings or joints therefor
E21B
Earth or rock drilling

Expandable seal

Life of this patent

Expandable seal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21