Fold Back Swell Packer
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsErik Bilansky, Jeff Maynard, Liuqing Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fold back ring for a swell packer is disclosed. A swell packer has a support member, a swellable element coupled to the support member, and a fold back ring coupled to the support member and engaging the swellable element. The fold back ring is sized and positioned such that when the swellable element swells, the fold back ring flexes outwardly and is caught between the swellable element and the interior surface of the well. The fold back ring therefore forms a barrier against extrusion of the swellable element.
Claims20
A swell packer, comprising:
- a support member having a generally cylindrical profile;
- a swellable element positioned around the support member and in contact with the support member, the swellable element having a first axial end, a second axial end, and a radially outward surface configured to engage a portion of a well wall when sufficient swollen;
- first and second gauge rings on the support member, wherein the first gauge ring is adjacent the first axial end of the swellable element and the second gauge ring is adjacent the second axial end of the swellable element;
- and
- first and second fold back rings, wherein the first fold back ring is between the first gauge ring and the first axial end of the swellable element and the second fold back ring is between the second gauge ring and the second axial end of the swellable element, wherein the fold back rings are configured to flex outwardly as the swellable element swells, and wherein when the swellable element expands to contact the well wall a portion of the first fold back ring is radially between the first axial end and the well wall and a portion of the second fold back ring is radially between the second axial end and the well wall.
A swell packer, comprising:
- a support member;
- a swellable element surrounding a portion of the support member and configured to react to a swelling fluid to swell and contact an internal wall of a well, wherein the swellable element has an axial end;
- a fold back ring having an interior circumference bonded to the support member and an exterior circumference opposite the interior circumference, wherein the exterior circumference has recesses formed therein that enable the fold back ring to flexibly expand as the swellable element swells, wherein the fold back ring is positioned adjacent to the swellable element covering the axial end of the swellable element, and wherein the fold back ring is configured to expand to contact the internal wall of the well when the swellable element expands.
A method of mitigating extrusion of a swellable element of a swell packer, the method comprising:
- forming a swellable element for a swell packer to substantially surround a support member;
- forming a fold back ring over a portion of the swellable element, wherein the fold back ring is flexible and permits the swellable element to expand, wherein the swell packer is configured for use in a well;
- swelling the swellable element sufficiently to deflect the fold back ring outwardly and against an interior surface of a well, wherein the fold back ring is sufficiently large that at least a distal portion of the fold back ring is caught between the swellable element and the interior surface of the well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.