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US 6,202,747 B1Granted
Hydraulic well packer and method
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsRodger Dale Lacy, Billy Ray Newman, John Hughes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydraulically controlled packer for an oil or gas well is disclosed that is capable of being hydraulically unset. One embodiment of the invention is capable of being hydraulically unset prior to locking thus allowing fine tuning of packer location in relation to oil-bearing strata. Other embodiments of the invention are capable of being hydraulically unlocked and unset for further use within the oil or gas well without being withdrawn to the surface for reassembly. The invention may be used in downhole well tools other than packers.
Claims31
A downhole well apparatus comprising:
- a support mandrel positionable within a well casing;
- at least one setting piston movably disposed within the mandrel;
- a plurality of slips supported on the support mandrel for movement relative thereto between inwardly retracted running positions and outwardly extended set positions in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- at least one seal element disposed about the support mandrel and compressible into sealing relationship between the support mandrel and the well casing in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- and
- a source of setting hydraulic pressure in communication with a first surface of the setting piston and a source of unsetting hydraulic pressure in communication with a second surface of the setting piston, the setting piston setting the slips and seal element in response to setting hydraulic pressure and unsetting the slips and seal element in response to unsetting hydraulic pressure.
3 more elements
A downhole well apparatus comprising:
- a support mandrel positionable within a well casing;
- at least one setting piston movably disposed within the mandrel;
- a plurality of slips supported on the support mandrel for movement relative thereto between inwardly retracted running positions and outwardly extended set positions in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- at least one seal element disposed about the support mandrel and compressible into sealing relationship between the support mandrel and the well casing in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- and
- a source of setting hydraulic pressure in communication with a first surface of the setting piston and a source of unsetting hydraulic pressure in communication with a second surface of the setting piston, the setting piston setting and locking the slips and seal element in response to setting hydraulic pressure and unlocking and unsetting the slip and seal element in response to unsetting hydraulic pressure.
3 more elements
A downhole well apparatus comprising:
- a support mandrel positionable within a well casing;
- at least one setting piston movably disposed within and releasably engageable with the support mandrel;
- a plurality of slips supported on the support mandrel for movement relative thereto between inwardly retracted running positions and outwardly extended set positions in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- at least one seal element disposed about the support mandrel and compressible into sealing relationship between the support mandrel and the well casing in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- a source of setting hydraulic pressure in communication with a surface of the setting piston, the setting piston disposed for movement into engagement with the support mandrel in response to setting hydraulic pressure and returning to its original position upon disengagement from the support mandrel in response to removal of setting hydraulic pressure;
- and
- at least one unlocking piston having a surface in communication with a source of unlocking hydraulic pressure, the unlocking piston disposed for movement in response to unlocking hydraulic pressure and returning to an original position upon removal of unlocking hydraulic pressure.
4 more elements
A downhole well apparatus comprising:
- a support mandrel positionable within a well casing;
- at least one setting piston movably disposed within the mandrel;
- a plurality of slips supported on the support mandrel for movement relative thereto between inwardly retracted running positions and outwardly extended set positions in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- at least one seal element disposed about the support mandrel and compressible into sealing relationship between the support mandrel and the well casing in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- a source of setting hydraulic pressure and a source of unsetting hydraulic pressure, the setting piston setting the slips and seal element in response to setting hydraulic pressure and unsetting the slips and seal element in response to unsetting hydraulic pressure;
- and
- the setting piston adapted to set and unset the slips and seal element a plurality of times.
4 more elements
A method for operating a downhole well apparatus, comprising:
- providing the apparatus with a support mandrel positionable within a well casing, at least one setting piston movably disposed within the mandrel, a plurality of slips supported on the mandrel for movement relative thereto between inwardly retracted running positions and outwardly extended set positions in response to movement of the at least one setting piston, and at least one seal element disposed about the mandrel and compressible into sealing relationship between the mandrel and the casing in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- setting the slips and seal element in response to the application of setting hydraulic pressure to the setting piston;
- unsetting the slips and seal element in response to the application of unsetting hydraulic pressure to the setting piston;
- and
- resetting and unsetting the slips and seal element a plurality of times.
2 more elements
A method for operating a downhole well apparatus, comprising:
- providing the apparatus with a support mandrel positionable within a well casing, at least one setting piston movably disposed within the mandrel, a plurality of slips supported on the mandrel for movement relative thereto between inwardly retracted running positions and outwardly extended set positions in response to movement of the at least one setting piston, and at least one seal element disposed about the mandrel and compressible into sealing relationship between the mandrel and the casing in response to movement of the at least one setting piston;
- setting the slips and seal element in response to the application of setting hydraulic pressure to a first surface of the setting piston;
- and
- unsetting the slips and seal element in response to the application of unsetting hydraulic pressure to a second surface of the setting piston.
1 more element
A method for operating a downhole well apparatus, comprising:
- providing the apparatus with a support mandrel positionable within a well casing, at least one setting piston movably disposed within and releasably engageable with the mandrel, a plurality of slips supported on the mandrel for movement relative thereto between inwardly retracted running positions and outwardly extended set positions in response to movement of the at least one setting piston, at least one seal element disposed about the mandrel and compressible into sealing relationship between the mandrel and the casing in response to movement of the at least one setting piston, and at least one unlocking piston movably disposed within the mandrel;
- setting and locking the slips and seal element by engaging the setting piston with the mandrel in response to the application of setting hydraulic pressure to a surface of the setting piston;
- returning the setting piston to its original position upon disengagement from the mandrel in response to removal of setting hydraulic pressure;
- unsetting and unlocking the slips and seal element by moving the unlocking piston in response to the application of unlocking hydraulic pressure to a surface of the unlocking piston;
- and
- returning the unlocking piston to its original position upon removal of the unlocking hydraulic pressure.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.