Straight bore metal-to-metal wellbore seal apparatus and method of sealing in a wellbore

A seal apparatus for use in a subterranean wellbore having a wellbore tubular disposed therein, said wellbore tubular defining a wellbore surface, comprising:

• a conveyance tubular positionable within said subterranean wellbore at a selected location relative to said wellbore surface;
• a sealing ring, disposed about at least a portion of said conveyance tubular, said sealing ring having a first surface proximate said conveyance tubular and a second surface, said second surface being a sealing surface with a plurality of portions, with selected ones of said plurality of portions of said sealing ring extending radially from said conveyance tubular in at least one radial dimension and defining a plurality of metal seal points for selective sealing engagement with said wellbore surface;
• wherein said seal apparatus is operable in a plurality of modes of operation, including:
• running mode of operation wherein said sealing ring is maintained in a radially-reduced position, out of engagement with said wellbore surface;
• a sealing mode of operation, wherein said plurality of metal seal points of said sealing ring is in sealing metal-to-metal engagement with said wellbore surface, providing a fluid-tight seal at selected locations between said conveyance tubular and said wellbore tubular;
• an actuator member, selectively and remotely actuable, for urging said sealing ring between said running and sealing modes of operation;
• wherein said wellbore tubular is in contact with wellbore fluids;
• and
• a sealing layer means, including a layer of resilient material disposed about at least a portion of said second surface of said sealing ring defining an outer surface, which, during said running mode of operation, is disposed radially outward from said plurality of metal seal points of said sealing ring with a portion of said layer of resilient material disposed between selected ones of said plurality of metal seal points of said seal ring, for preventing entrapment of said wellbore fluids between selected ones of said plurality of metal seal points during sealing mode of operation by expelling by displacement said wellbore fluid which is intermediate said outer surface of said layer of resilient material and said wellbore surface prior to (a) penetration of said layer of resilient material by said plurality of metal seal points and (b) sealing engagement with said wellbore surface by said plurality of metal seal points.

A seal apparatus for use in a subterranean wellbore having a wellbore tubular disposed therein, said wellbore tubular defining a wellbore surface, comprising a conveyance tubular positionable within said subterranean wellbore at a selected location relative to said wellbore surface,

• a sealing ring, disposed about at least a portion of said conveyance tubular, said sealing ring having a first surface proximate said conveyance tubular and a second surface, said second surface being a sealing surface with a plurality of portions, with selected ones of said plurality of portions of said sealing ring extending radially from said conveyance tubular in at least one radial dimension and defining at least one metal seal point for selective sealing engagement with said wellbore surface;
• wherein said seal apparatus is operable in a plurality of modes of operation, including:
• running mode of operation wherein said sealing ring is maintained in a radially-reduced position, out of engagement with said wellbore surface;
• a sealing mode of operation, wherein said at least one metal seal point of said sealing ring is in sealing metal-to-metal engagement with said wellbore surface, providing a fluid-tight seal at a selected location between said conveyance tubular and said wellbore tubular;
• an actuator member, selectively and remotely actuable, for urging said sealing ring between said running and sealing modes of operation;
• wherein said plurality of portions of said sealing ring extend radially from said conveyance tubular and define a plurality of metal seal points for engagement with said wellbore surface during said sealing mode of operation;
• wherein a layer of resilient material is disposed over said sealing surface of said sealing ring and extends between said plurality of metal seal points and which defines an outer surface, which, during said running mode of operation, is disposed radially outward from said plurality of metal seal points of said sealing ring;
• and
• wherein, during said sealing mode of operation, (a) said wellbore fluid which is intermediate said outer surface of said layer of resilient material is expelled by displacement by said layer of resilient material prior to penetration of said layer of resilient material by said plurality of metal seal points, each providing a seal, and (b) said layer of resilient material is urged into sealing contact with said wellbore surface, and is prevented from extrusion by said metal seal points.

In a wellbore containing fluid therein and having a tubular member disposed therein which includes a central bore which defines a wellbore surface, the method of sealing comprising:

• providing a metal conveyance tubular with a cylindrical outer surface;
• providing a metal sealing ring with at least one circular metal extender portion extending radially outward from an outer surface of said metal sealing ring, and having a contoured inner surface;
• surrounding said metal sealing ring with a layer of resilient material disposed over at least a portion of the outer surface of said sealing ring, said layer of resilient material having an inner surface in engagement with said at least one circular metal extender portion of said sealing ring, with said at least one circular metal extender portion of said sealing ring extending radially outward and into said layer of resilient material, and in gripping engagement therewith, to prevent said layer of resilient material from swabbing-off during said running operations;
• placing said metal sealing ring around said metal conveyance tubular so that said contoured inner surface at least in-part defines an annular cavity around said metal conveyance tubular;
• providing a metal conical wedge ring having a sloped outer surface;
• placing said metal conical wedge ring around said meal conveyance tubular and disposing at least a portion of it in said annular cavity;
• lowering said metal conveyance tubular, said metal sealing ring, and said metal conical wedge ring to a desired location within said wellbore tubular within said central bore of said tubular member;
• applying an axial load to said metal conical wedge ring to drive said metal conical wedge ring between said metal conveyance tubular and said metal sealing ring and cause said metal sealing ring to deform by expanding radially outward to urge said at least one circular metal extender portion into sealing metal-to-metal engagement with said wellbore surface of said tubular member;
• and
• wherein an annular region defined between said conveyance tubular and said tubular member is occluded by a gas-tight barrier which is composed substantially entirely of metal components.

In a wellbore containing fluid therein and having a tubular member disposed therein which includes a central bore which defines a wellbore surface, a method of sealing comprising:

• providing a metal conveyance tubular with a cylindrical outer surface;
• providing a metal sealing ring with a plurality of circular metal extender portions extending radially outward from an outer surface of said metal sealing ring, and having a contoured inner surface;
• placing said metal sealing ring around said metal conveyance tubular so that said contoured inner surface at least in-part defines an annular cavity around said metal conveyance tubular;
• providing a metal conical wedge ring having a sloped outer surface;
• placing said metal conical wedge ring around said meal conveyance tubular and disposing at least a portion of it in said annular cavity;
• providing a layer of resilient material;
• lowering said metal conveyance tubular, said metal sealing ring, and said metal conical wedge ring to a desired location within said wellbore tubular within said central bore of said tubular member;
• applying an axial load to said metal conical wedge ring to drive said metal conical wedge ring between said metal conveyance tubular and said metal sealing ring and cause said metal sealing ring to deform by expanding radially outward to urge said plurality of circular metal extender portions into sealing metal-to-metal engagement with said wellbore surface of said tubular member;
• wherein an annular region defined between said conveyance tubular and said tubular member is occluded by a gas-tight barrier which is composed substantially entirely of metal components;
• securing said layer of resilient material to said outer surface of said metal sealing ring;
• and
• evacuating said fluid from between said plurality of circular metal extender portions to prevent entrapment of said fluid between said metal sealing ring and said wellbore surface.