Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Brett Guillory

David Ward

Ken Whanger

Mike Dion

Mike Betik

Chris Cuffe

Methods for reclaiming a borehole extending from an earth surface into the earth, part of which borehole is in a lost circulation zone. The methods include the steps of closing off the borehole to fluid flow above the lost circulation zone by installing a packer system with an inflatable packer element, inflating the inflatable packer element with cement, allowing the cement to set so that the inflatable packer effectively seals off the borehole to fluid flow, and then drilling out the inflatable packer. Such a method also may include a further operation conducted in the borehole within the lost circulation zone. The packer system comprises in one arrangement a packer body, an inflatable bladder around the packer body, a plurality of ribs mounted around at least a portion of the inflatable bladder, and a valve apparatus, all of which are fabricated from a drillable material.

Drillable inflatable packer & methods of use

The present invention relates to packers adapted to seal an annular space within a wellbore. The packers, for example, may be utilized to circulate or reverse circulate a fluid. In one embodiment, the present apparatus comprises a first tubular subunit and a second tubular subunit moveably coupled together, a flexible packing element disposed between the first tubular subunit and the second tubular subunit, and a temporary mechanical connection adapted to restrain the first tubular subunit and the second tubular subunit from compressing the flexible packing element, in which the temporary mechanical connection is adapted to be hydraulically disengaged. In another embodiment, the present apparatus further comprises a valve. The valve may be selectively opened to allow fluid to flow between the annular space and the central bore of the valve.

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The Woodlands, TX, United States of America

Brett Guillory