Pressure actuable downhole tool and a method for actuating the same

Abstract

Pressure actuable downhole tool such as a packer and a method for actuating the same typically uses a control line to trigger a configuration change in the tool in which a communication line is opened between the throughbore of the tool and a pressure responsive actuator, allowing the pressure responsive actuator to be set by downhole fluid pressure applied via the throughbore. Thus the pressure from the control line is used to trigger actuation of the tool, but the throughbore pressure is used to set the tool. The advantage of this activation mechanism is that the tool can be set even when pressure supplied by the control line is insufficient to fully actuate or set the tool, and in certain embodiments, the tool can be set using much higher tubing pressure than could be supplied through the control line, thereby allowing more reliable and instantaneous setting than tools set using control line pressure alone.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.