Whipstock packer assembly

A packing assembly for sealing between an inner mandrel and a well casing, said assembly having expandable slip-type anchoring means mounted to the mandrel, a plurality of sleeves slidably mounted coaxially on the mandrel and means for setting the anchoring means, the improvement comprising:

• packing means to sealingly engage the well casing and the inner mandrel, said packing means including a pair of resiliently deformable annular packing elements mounted on the inner mandrel and a non-deformable annular spacer ring mounted on the inner mandrel intermediate said packing elements, said spacer ring having axial outer portions extending beneath said packing elements and axially opposed sloped surfaces adapted to guide said packing elements toward the well casing during compression of said packing means, said spacer ring including means for sealingly engaging the inner mandrel;
• means for compressing said packing means into sealing engagement with the well casing while preventing extrusion of said packing elements, said compressing means mounted on the inner mandrel axially above and axially below said packing means to compress said packing elements toward said spacer ring into engagement with the well casing;
• said spacer ring being axially movable in response to pressure variations affecting said packing means to variably deform said packing elements when said packing elements are in sealing engagement with the well casing thereby enhancing said sealing engagement of said packing elements with the well casing and the inner mandrel in response to pressure variations.

An apparatus for setting a whipstock and for changing the direction of drilling through a casing wall in a single trip of the drill string, said apparatus comprising:

• a whipstock;
• a drill string;
• a mill connected on said drill string;
• means releasably connecting said mill to the upper portion of said whipstock;
• a packing assembly for setting said apparatus;
• a fluid passage extending through said drill string, said mill, and said whipstock to said packing assembly;
• said packing assembly including:
• expandable slip-type anchoring means with means for setting said anchoring means;
• packing means adapted to sealingly engage the casing wall including at least two resiliently deformable packing elements and a spacer ring for variably deforming said packing elements in response to fluid pressure in said well casing, said spacer ring disposed between said packing elements and extending partially beneath said packing elements;
• and
• means for compressing said packing means into sealing engagement with the casing wall while preventing extrusion of said packing elements;
• said packing assembly being responsive to fluid pressure supplied through said fluid passage means.

An apparatus for setting a whipstock and for changing the direction of drilling through a casing wall in a single trip of the drill string, said apparatus comprising:

• a whipstock;
• a drill string;
• a mill connected on said dril string;
• means releasably connecting said mill to the upper portion of said whipstock;
• a packing assembly for setting said apparatus;
• a fluid passage extending through said drill string, said mill, and said whipstock to said packing assembly;
• said packing assembly including:
• expandable slip-type anchoring means with means for setting said anchoring means;
• packing means adapted to sealingly engage the casing wall including at least two resiliently deformable packing elements and a non-deformable spacer ring for variably deforming said packing elements in response to fluid pressure in said well casing, said spacer ring disposed between said packing elements such that a portion thereof extends beneath said packing elements, said spacer ring including axially opposed sloped surfaces adapted to guide said packing elements toward the well casing;
• and
• means for compressing said packing means into sealing engagement with the casing wall while preventing extrusion of said packing elements.