Device and method to seal boreholes
Assigneee2Tech Limited
InventorNeil Thomson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are described that are particularly suited for creating a seal in a borehole annulus. In one embodiment, an outer surface 10s of an expandable conduit 10 is provided with a formation 20 that includes an elastomeric material (e.g. a rubber) that can expand and/or swell when the material comes into contact with an actuating agent (e.g. water, brine, drilling fluid etc.). The expandable conduit 10 is located inside a second conduit (e.g. a pre-installed casing, liner or open borehole) and radially expanded. The actuating agent can be naturally occurring in the borehole or can be injected or pumped therein to expand or swell the elastomeric material to create the seal.
Claims20
A seal for use in a borehole, the seal comprising an elastomeric material that is capable of expanding or swelling upon contact with an actuating agent, wherein the elastomeric material is applied to a surface of a radially expandable conduit.
A method of creating a seal in a borehole, the method comprising:
- providing an elastomeric material in the borehole;
- and
- exposing the material to an actuating agent that causes the elastomeric material to expand.
A sealing apparatus for isolating a tubular, comprising:
- an expandable tubular body;
- and
- one or more swelling elastomers disposed around an outer surface of the expandable tubular body.
A method for isolating a well, comprising:
- running a sealing apparatus into the wellbore, the sealing apparatus including:
- a tubular body;
- and
- a swelling element disposed around an outer surface of the tubular body;
- and
- causing the swelling element to swell and contact the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.