Baker Hughes Corporation

Baker Hughes, a Ge Compnay, LLC

Clint Mickey

Edward O'Malley

Steve Rosenblatt

Justin C Kellner

Paul Madero

Basil Jacob Joseph

David Alan Dolyniuk

A composite plug that can be used in fracturing has backup rings for the seal that are preferably made of a composite material. The backup rings are essentially connected segments that allow the connections to break when the plug is set and the cones are brought closer together. When the rings break to form gaps between segments in a specific ring, the adjacent ring has offset gaps so that as a whole there are no extrusion gaps that would allow the seal element to pass. The rings can be rotationally locked to each other initially at the adjacent segments that are formed when the plug is set to maintain their relative positions so that gaps between segments adjacent the seal are overlapped with segments from the adjacent ring. The segmenting backup rings can be used on one or on both sides of a sealing element.

Composite segmenting backup ring for a subterranean plug

A plug drop tool, including a body defining a chamber, a plug initially housed in the chamber and a member disposed with the body. The member is actuatable for selectively enabling communication between the chamber and an annulus at least partially defined by the body. The plug is movable into the annulus when the communication is enabled.

Downhole plug drop tool

Apparatuses for restricting fluid flow through a well conduit comprise a tubular member having a seat member disposed within the tubular member for receiving a plug element. One or both of the seat member or the plug element comprise at least one shape-memory material to facilitate the plug element being able to land on the seat and/or to facilitate the plug element to pass through a seat member or other restriction in the tubular member either before or after landing on a seat.

Shape-memory apparatuses for restricting fluid flow through a conduit and methods of using same

An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a borehole in an earth formation includes: a carrier configured to be deployed in the borehole; and a sealing device including at least one deformable element disposed at the carrier, the deformable element configured to have a first position and a second position, the first position forming a void in the sealing device configured to retain a flowable sealing material therein, the second position causing the void to be in flowable communication with leak paths formed in at least one of the sealing device and the borehole.

Apparatus and method for sealing portions of a wellbore

A high expansion packer or bridge plug is described. It features an external portion of a soft material that flows into spiral exterior leak paths formed when the sealing element is subjected to longitudinal compression. Preferably, the sealing element is an elastomer such as cured rubber, while the outer material is a soft uncured or somewhat cured rubber. The outer covering may itself be covered for protection when running in with such protective covering breaking or otherwise getting out of the way during the element compression process. As a result of compression, the soft material occupies the exterior helical or other leak paths for a sufficient length along the sealing element to withstand high differential pressures, without leakage.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

Clint Mickey