Apparatus and method for sealing perforated well casing

Apparatus for sealing an opening in a well conduit to form a substantially fluid tight seal at said opening, said apparatus comprising:

• a radially expansible sleeve expandable to be forcibly engaged with an interior wall surface of said conduit to close an opening in said conduit said sleeve comprising a cylindrical tube having a plurality of elongated axially extending flutes formed by external and internal folds;
• a body supporting said sleeve for traversal into a well to a position generally adjacent said opening in said conduit and disposed within said conduit;
• a quantity of an explosive charge material disposed on said body and operable to explosively expand said sleeve into forcible and fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit;
• and
• a detonator operatively connected to said charge material to initiate an explosion of said charge material to expand into forcible and substantially fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit to form a substantially fluid tight seal at said opening.

Apparatus for sealing an opening in a well conduit to form a substantially fluid tight seal at said opening, said apparatus comprising:

• a radially expansible sleeve expandable to be forcibly engaged with an interior wall surface of said conduit to close an opening in said conduit;
• a body supporting said sleeve for traversal into a well to a position generally adjacent said opening in said conduit and disposed within said conduit;
• a quantity of an explosive charge material disposed on said body and operable to explosively expand said sleeve into forcible and fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit;
• a detonator operatively connected to said charge material to initiate an explosion of said charge material to expand said sleeve into forcible and substantially fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit to form a substantially fluid tight seal at said opening, and
• a connector connecting the apparatus to an elongated member for deploying the apparatus in a well, the elongated member comprising a cable including electrical conductor means associated therewith for transmitting an energizing signal to said charge material.

Apparatus for sealing an opening in a well conduit to form a substantially fluid tight seal at said opening, said apparatus comprising:

• a radially expansible sleeve expandable to be forcibly engaged with an interior wall surface of said conduit to close an opening in said conduit;
• a body supporting said sleeve for traversal into a well to a position generally adjacent said opening in said conduit and disposed within said conduit;
• a quantity of an explosive charge material disposed on said body and operable to explosively expand said sleeve into forcible and fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit;
• and
• a detonator operatively connected to said charge material to initiate an explosion of said charge material to expand said sleeve into forcible and substantially fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit to form a substantially fluid tight seal at said opening;
• and
• a flexible cable connected to the sleeve and to the apparatus and operable to allow the sleeve to be deployed from a radially contracted position on the apparatus to a radially expanded position toward engagement with said conduit.

A method for closing an opening in a well conduit to substantially prevent fluid flow through said opening, comprising the steps of:

• placing an elongated sleeve in said conduit adjacent said opening;
• and
• moving said sleeve from a radially contracted position out of engagement with the conduit into a radially expanded position in forcible engagement with the conduit,
• detonating an explosive charge positioned to expand said sleeve into forcible and substantially fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit to close said opening.

A method for closing an opening in a conduit comprising the steps of:

• placing a sleeve in said conduit adjacent said opening the sleeve consisting of a coiled metal sheet or plate member at least partially coiled to have an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of said conduit;
• moving the sleeve from a radially contracted position out of engagement with said conduit into a radially expanded position in forcible engagement with said conduit;
• and,
• energizing an explosive charge to urge said sleeve into forcible and substantially fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit to substantially close said opening.

A method for closing an opening in a well conduit to substantially prevent fluid flow between said conduit and an earth formation surrounding said conduit, comprising the steps of:

• placing an elongated sleeve in said conduit adjacent said opening;
• displacing liquid from a space between said sleeve and said conduit;
• moving said sleeve from a radially contracted position to a radially expanded position to engage said conduit after displacement of said liquid and prior to detonating said explosive charge;
• and,
• detonating an explosive charge to urge said sleeve into forcible and substantially fluid tight sealing engagement with said conduit to close said opening.