Packers having controlled swelling
AssigneeBaker Hughes, A Ge Company, LLC
InventorsAnil Sadana, Anton Kovalchuk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sealing system for a flow channel comprises a mandrel; a swellable element disposed about the mandrel; and a swell control element disposed on a surface of the swellable element and configured to delay swelling of the swellable element; wherein the swell control element comprises a polymeric matrix that is impermeable to oil, water, or a combination thereof; and a channel inducer dispersed in the polymeric matrix, the channel inducer comprising carbon nanotubes, a hollow fiber, a degradable polymer, an oil swellable material, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
Claims23
A sealing system for a flow channel comprising:
- a mandrel;
- a swellable element disposed about the mandrel;
- and
- a swell control element disposed on a surface of the swellable element and configured to delay swelling of the swellable element;
- wherein the swell control element comprises
- a polymeric matrix that is impermeable to oil, water, or a combination thereof;
- and
- a channel inducer dispersed in the polymeric matrix, the channel inducer comprising carbon nanotubes, a hollow fiber, a swellable material, a degradable polymer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
A method of sealing, the method comprising:
- disposing a sealing system in a wellbore;
- the sealing system comprising:
- a mandrel;
- a swellable element disposed about the mandrel;
- and
- a swell control element disposed on a surface of the swellable element and configured to delay swelling of the swellable element;
- the swell control element comprising:
- a polymeric matrix that is impermeable to oil, water, or a combination thereof;
- and
- a channel inducer dispersed in the polymeric matrix, the channel inducer comprising carbon nanotubes, a hollow fiber, a degradable polymer, a swellable material, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing;
- and
- allowing the swelling element to swell upon contact with a downhole fluid permeated through the swell control element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.