# US 2023/0056451 A1 · Method and Apparatus for providing a ball-in-place plug activated by cup and internal continuous expansion mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0056451 A1 - Document ID: US20230056451A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/981,351 - Filed: 2022-11-04 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-11 - Inventors: Gregoire Max Jacob - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230056451A1 ## CPC - E21B 33/134: Bridging plugs - E21B 23/01: for anchoring the tools or the like (E21B23/02 - E21B23/06 take precedence; anchoring of drives in the borehole E21B4/18) - E21B 23/06: for setting packers - E21B 33/1208: {characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence)} - E21B 33/128: with a member expanded radially by axial pressure (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) - E21B 33/1285: {by fluid pressure} - E21B 33/129: with mechanical slips for hooking into the casing (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) - E21B 23/0411: {specially adapted for anchoring tools or the like to the borehole wall or to well tube} - E21B 23/0413: {using means for blocking fluid flow, e.g. drop balls or darts (using balls or the like for actuating downhole valves E21B34/142)} - E21B 33/1295: actuated by fluid pressure - E21B 2200/08: Down-hole devices using materials which decompose under well-bore conditions - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A plug assembly, dedicated for ball-in-place operation, includes an expandable assembly, a locking ring, a cup and studs, to be deployed using a retrievable setting tool. The expandable assembly is adapted to be deformed radially over the locking ring and the cup, while the locking ring is retained longitudinally relative to a mandrel of the retrievable setting tool, thanks to the studs positioned within the cup. The locking ring has a stopping inner surface. The combination of the cup and an untethered object is adapted to contact an inner surface of the plug assembly and, using well fluid pressure, to apply forces to the plug assembly. The forces cause the longitudinal movement of the cup and untethered objects while contacting the inner surface of the plug assembly until the cup contacts the stopping inner surface of the locking ring. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: deploying a plug assembly, using a retrievable setting tool, into a tubing string containing well fluid, the plug assembly including: an expandable assembly, comprising a continuous sealing portion and a gripping portion, a locking ring, a cup, wherein the retrievable setting tool includes an external mandrel and an internal rod, whereby the external mandrel includes a longitudinal stopping surface relative to the locking ring, wherein the expandable assembly includes a flared inner surface, wherein the locking ring includes a flared outer surface, a stopping inner surface relative to the cup, a longitudinal stopping surface relative to the external mandrel of the retrievable setting tool, and a flared portion, wherein the flared portion of the locking ring includes a flared inner surface positioned opposite of the flared outer surface, wherein the cup includes a flared outer surface, a stopping outer surface and a stopping inner surface, wherein the flared outer surface of the locking ring is contacting the flared inner surface of the expandable assembly, wherein the flared outer surface of the cup is contacting the flared inner surface of the locking ring, wherein the stopping outer surface of the cup is adapted to couple with the stopping inner surface of the locking ring; expanding the expandable assembly over the flared outer surface of the locking ring, whereby the expandable assembly deforms radially until the gripping portion of the expandable assembly contacts at least one point of an internal surface of the tubing string, whereby the longitudinal stopping surface of the locking ring relative to the external mandrel and the longitudinal stopping surface of the external mandrel relative to the locking ring are stopped longitudinally relative to each other's, during the expansion of the expandable assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, whereby the longitudinal stopping surface of the locking ring relative to the external mandrel and the longitudinal stopping surface of the external mandrel relative to the locking ring are in direct contact with others, during the expansion of the expandable assembly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, whereby one or multiple studs are positioned longitudinally between the longitudinal stopping surface of the locking ring relative to the external mandrel and the longitudinal stopping surface of the external mandrel relative to the locking ring, whereby the one or multiple studs provide the stopping movement of the locking ring relative to the external mandrel during the expansion of the expandable assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, whereby the one or multiple studs slide longitudinally within the cup. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: releasing an untethered object inside the well fluid of the tubing string, wherein the untethered object includes an outer surface adapted to couple with the stopping inner surface of the cup; contacting the untethered object with the stopping inner surface of the cup, after the expandable assembly is deformed radially; applying pressure on the untethered object and on the cup using the well fluid whereby forces are applied to the plug assembly to cause: the radial deformation of the flared portion of the locking ring, the radial deformation of the continuous sealing portion of the expandable assembly, the contact of an internal surface of the tubing string with the continuous sealing portion of the expandable assembly, the longitudinal movement of the cup while contacting the flared inner surface of the locking ring until the stopping outer surface of the cup contacts the stopping inner surface of the locking ring; and penetrating the internal surface of the tubing string at the at least one point with the gripping portion of the expandable assembly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising diverting a portion of the well fluid outside the tubing string, or sealing a portion of the well fluid inside the tubing string with the plug assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein radially deforming the expandable assembly occurs through plastic deformation of metallic alloy. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising dissolving at least one component of the plug assembly or the untethered object. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable assembly includes a continuous sealing ring and a gripping ring that are separate, wherein the continuous sealing ring and the gripping ring are coupled longitudinally through a conical or an annular contact surface, and wherein the inner surface of the sealing ring and the inner surface of the gripping ring form the flared inner surface of the expandable assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein launching the untethered object inside the well fluid occurs from ground or seabed surface or directly released from the plugging assembly as part of the plug deployment inside the tubing string. ### Claim 11 A plugging apparatus, for use inside a tubing string with a retrievable setting tool, containing well fluid, comprising: a retrievable setting tool including: an external mandrel and an internal rod, a plug assembly including: an expandable assembly, comprising a continuous sealing portion and a gripping portion, a locking ring, a cup, wherein the expandable assembly includes a flared inner surface, wherein the locking ring includes a flared outer surface, a stopping inner surface relative to the cup, a longitudinal stopping surface relative to the external mandrel of the retrievable setting tool, and a flared portion, wherein the external mandrel includes a longitudinal stopping surface relative to the locking ring, wherein the flared portion of the locking ring includes a flared inner surface positioned opposite of the flared outer surface, wherein the cup includes a flared outer surface, a stopping outer surface and a stopping inner surface, wherein the flared outer surface of the locking ring is contacting the flared inner surface of the expandable assembly, wherein the flared outer surface of the cup is contacting the flared inner surface of the locking ring, wherein the stopping outer surface of the cup is adapted to couple with the stopping inner surface of the locking ring, wherein the flared inner surface of the expandable assembly is contacting the flared outer surface of the locking ring, and wherein the expandable assembly is adapted to be deformed radially over the flared outer surface of the locking ring. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: an untethered object, wherein the untethered object includes an outer surface adapted to couple with the stopping inner surface of the cup and, using well fluid pressure, to apply forces to the plug assembly to cause: the radial deformation of the flared portion of the locking ring, the radial deformation of the continuous sealing portion of the expandable assembly, the contact of an internal surface of the tubing string with the continuous sealing portion of the expandable assembly, the longitudinal movement of the cup while contacting the inner surface of the locking ring until the stopping outer surface of the cup contacts the stopping inner surface of the locking ring, and the penetration of the internal surface of the tubing string at least at one point with the gripping portion of the expandable assembly; one or multiple studs, wherein the one or multiple studs are positioned longitudinally between the longitudinal stopping surface of the locking ring relative to the external mandrel and the longitudinal stopping surface of the external mandrel relative to the locking ring, whereby the one or multiple studs provide the stopping movement of the locking ring relative to the external mandrel during the expansion of the expandable assembly, whereby the one or multiple studs slide longitudinally within the cup. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the expandable assembly includes a continuous sealing ring and a gripping ring that are separate, wherein the continuous sealing ring and the gripping ring are coupled longitudinally through a conical or an annular contact surface, wherein an inner surface of the sealing ring is adjacent to an inner surface of the gripping ring, and wherein the inner surface of the sealing ring and the inner surface of the gripping ring form the inner surface of the expandable assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the expandable assembly comprises one or more plastically deformable metallic alloys. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one component of the plug assembly or the untethered object comprise a material dissolvable inside the well fluid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a back-pushing ring, wherein the retrievable setting tool is adapted to displace the back-pushing ring causing the radial deformation of the expandable assembly over the flared outer surface of the locking ring, wherein the rod couples to the back-pushing ring with a preset load-shearing device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the untethered object is included inside the retrievable setting tool, wherein the untethered object is launched from the retrievable setting tool after the radial expansion of the expandable assembly and before the retrieval of the retrievable setting tool. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the flared portion of the locking ring between the flared outer surface and the flared inner surface is a thin section, including a material capable of deforming radially, elastically or plastically, between 1% and 30%, under the forces applied by the cup and the untethered object to the plug assembly, upon the well fluid being pressurized between 100 psi and 20,000 psi [0.7 MPa to 138 MPa]. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the thin section includes a radial thickness between 0.01 inch to 0.5 inch [0.2 mm to 12.7 mm]. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein flared inner and outer surfaces on the locking ring, as well as the flared outer surface of the cup include conical surfaces with angles between 2 and 40 degrees.