Halliburton Company

Halliburton Services

Eugene E Baker

Ernest E Carter, Jr

David Durward Szarka

Odie R Davis

Nolan M Workman

Richard Lee Giroux

Steven George Streich

Pat M White

John T Brandell

Lee Wayne Stepp

James D Hendrickson

Robert L Jessup

A casing inflation packer for use in a casing string in a well bore. The apparatus includes a housing connected in the casing string. An inflatable packer portion on the housing sealingly engages the well bore when inflated. An inflation passageway is defined between a housing central opening and the packer. A rupture disc is initially disposed between the central opening and the inflation passageway for preventing communication therebetween. The rupture disc ruptures in response to a first predetermined pressure, thereby placing the central opening in communication with the packer through the inflation passageway. A slidable control valve is disposed in the inflation passageway and is initially shearably held in an open position. Upon application of a second predetermined pressure across the valve, the valve is moved to a closed position, thus preventing overinflation of the packer and also preventing deflation thereof. A check valve allows fluid to enter the packer and acts as a backup preventing fluid from leaving the packer in the event of failure of the control valve. Another check valve provides pressure equalization between the packer and the well annulus as the apparatus is lowered into the well bore. The packer has an elastomeric packer element and metal reinforcing, such as a metal packer bladder, disposed inside the packer element.

Casing inflation packer

An inflatable packer element utilizing metal cable employed to reinforce the elastomeric packer bladder as an anchoring element. Steel cable is exposed along at least a portion of the packer element surface to engage a casing, liner or other conduit wall, or the wall of an open well bore. A seal may be effected at one or both ends of the packer element through use of a bonded elastomer cover which is pressed against the conduit wall by the expanded cable when the packer element is inflated.

Inflatable anchor element and packer employing same

An anchor tool and cooperating anchor positioner for use in a well bore are disclosed. The anchor tool may be employed as part of a well casing or liner, while the anchor positioner is part of a tool string run inside the casing or liner. The anchor positioner locates and anchors the tool string at a desired level in the well bore by engagement with the anchor tool placed at that location. Multiple anchor tools may be employed if it is desired to deploy the tool string at different levels. All operation of the anchor positioner is effected by mechanical force.

Anchor and anchor positioner assembly

A method is provided for cementing an annular cavity between a subsea well casing and a borehole from a floating vessel. A drill string is run into the casing. An opening positioner attached to the drill string is engaged with a valve in the casing. The drill string is lifted to open the valve. The drill string is positioned to align an isolation packer with the casing valve. An anchor attached to the drill string is set to provide sufficient resistance between the drill string and the casing to operate a motion compensator on the floating vessel. A cement slurry is then pumped into the drill string, out the isolation packer, through the open casing valve and into the annular cavity between the casing and the well bore-hole.

Method of cementing from a floating vessel

An apparatus is provided for cementing an oil well borehole from a floating vessel. A sliding sleeve cementing valve is adapted to be interconnected with a casing string. A drill string to be lowered into the casing string includes a drill pipe, an opening positioner connected to the drill pipe for opening the cementing valve, an anchor connected to the opening positioner to provide sufficient resistance between the drill string and casing string to operate a motion compensator on the floating vessel, and an isolation packer connected to the anchor.

Apparatus for cementing from a floating vessel

An inflatable packer assembly includes a cylindrical mandrel with a cylindrical valve body concentrically disposed about the mandrel. The valve body includes an inlet communicating with an interior of the mandrel and an outlet for directing fluid to an inflatable element of the packer assembly. First and second axial bores, containing first and second pistons, respectively, are disposed in said valve body and communicate with an end surface thereof. The first bore also communicates with said inlet. A first port connects the first and second bores. A second port connects the second bore and the outlet. The first piston is held in a first position blocking said first port until a pressure differential across the first piston reaches a first level at which the first portion is released and is moved to a second position allowing fluid communication between the inlet and the first port. The second piston is held in a first position allowing fluid communication between said first and second ports until a pressure differential across said second piston reaches a second level, higher than said first level, at which said second piston is released and is moved to a second position blocking said second port.

Inflatable packer assembly with control valve

An isolation packer extension doubles the distance between upper and lower packer assemblies of an isolation packer so that less accurate positioning thereof is required when performing cementing operations from a floating vessel.

Isolation packer extension

A method and apparatus for gravel packing a producing formation or zone in a well without inducing fluid movement across the zone being packed during reverse circulation. Packing and reverse circulation are effected without any movement of the tool string from the time packing is initiated. Bypass and dump valves are incorporated in the isolation gravel packer to facilitate movement of the tool string within the well bore before and after packing a zone.

Isolation gravel packer

The extended length isolation packer of the present invention comprises upper and lower tubular body assemblies which are interconnected by a middle body. The upper tubular body assembly has an upper packer assembly and a closing positioner attached to its outer surface. The lower tubular body assembly has a lower packer assembly attached to its outer surface. An upper inner mandrel is concentrically disposed within said upper tubular body assembly and has a port disposed therein for communicating an inner cavity of said upper inner mandrel with the annular cavity between the isolation packer and an oil well casing. A lower inner mandrel is concentrically disposed within said lower tubular body assembly and communicates with said upper inner mandrel through said middle body. A fluid bypass is provided through annular cavities between the inner mandrels and the tubular body assemblies. The extended length provided by the lower tubular body assembly effectively doubles the distance between upper and lower packer assemblies providing for much greater allowable error in positioning the isolation packer within an oil well casing. Additionally, attached to a drill string, with the extended length isolation packer, is an anchor means which may be set against the casing to provide the necessary resistance between the drill string and the casing to operate a motion compensator system on a floating vessel. The motion compensator system then adjusts the effective length of the drill string as needed to compensate for wave induced vertical motion. This prevents movement of the isolation packer during cementing procedures. Additionally, methods are disclosed for cementing or treating a selected zone within an oil well borehole, from a floating vessel.

Isolation packer and methods of cementing from a floating vessel

A method of gravel packing multiple zones with a single trip of the operating string into a well without inducing fluid movement across zones, and without disturbing the zone being packed in reverse circulation. Apparatus is disclosed to perform the method, comprising a screen liner assembly surrounding a concentric operating string. Mechanical force on the operating string is used to change all tool modes of the apparatus. The operating string is accurately positioned with respect to the screen liner assembly at every zone level and zones may be easily relocated if necessary. Zones may be packed in any order, and a zone may be repacked, if necessary, during the same trip into the well.

Method and apparatus for gravel packing multiple zones

An inflatable packer assembly includes a cylindrical mandrel with a cylindrical valve body concentrically disposed about the mandrel. The valve body includes an inlet communicating with an interior of the mandrel and an outlet for directing fluid to an inflatable element of the packer assembly. First and second axial bores, containing first and second pistons, respectively, are disposed in said valve body and communicate with an end surface thereof. The first bore also communicates with said inlet. A first port connects the first and second bores. A second port connects the second bore and the outlet. The first piston is held in a first position blocking said first port until a pressure differential across the first piston reaches a first level at which the first piston is released and is moved to a second position allowing fluid communication between the inlet and the first port. The second piston is held in a first position allowing fluid communication between said first and second ports until a pressure differential across said second piston reaches a second level, higher than said first level, at which said second piston is released and is moved to a second position blocking said second port.

The inflatable bladder means of the inflatable packer of the present invention includes an integral support means for bridging an annular space between the packer and a well casing, to increase the ability of the inflatable packer to withstand differential pressures within said annular space. The integral support means includes a plurality of reinforcing layers with each of said layers having a first end securely fastened to an annular anchor shoe means and a free second terminating between the anchor shoe means and a sliding shoe means. The integral support means further includes a second plurality of reinforcing layers which are radially alternated with the reinforcing layers of the first plurality. Each of the reinforcing layers of the second plurality includes a first free end terminating adjacent the anchor shoe means and a second free end terminating between the anchor shoe means and the sliding shoe means. The free second ends of successively radially outwardly located reinforcing layers of said first and second pluralities of reinforcing layers are terminated at points successively axially more distant from said anchor shoe means. A second similarly constructed reinforcing element is provided in the other end of the inflatable bladder means adjacent the sliding shoe means.

Inflatable packer element with integral support means

A cementing tool includes a tubular housing having a cementing port disposed through a wall thereof. An upper adapter has its lower end connected to the tubular housing, and has a second end adapted for connection to a string of pipe. A sliding sleeve valve assembly is located within the tubular housing and is slidable relative thereto between an open position wherein said cementing port is open, and a closed position wherein said cementing port is closed. A protective sleeve has its lower end connected to the sliding valve sleeve assembly and has its upper end slidingly received within an inner cylindrical surface of the lower end of the upper adapter. The protective sleeve is always received within said cylindrical surface of the upper adapter so that it always covers a gap between the lower end of the upper adapter and the sliding valve sleeve assembly, thereby preventing any device which is passed through an inner bore of the cementing tool from entering said gap and hanging up thereon.

Cementing tool with protective sleeve

A port valve isolation packer comprises an upper body, a slip joint port valve, a positioner mandrel, a spacer coupling and a lower body, all of which make up a tubular body of the isolation packer. Said tubular body has upper and lower packer assemblies and a closing positioner attached to its outer surface. An inner mandrel is concentrically disposed within said tubular body. The slip joint port valve includes a slip joint mandrel having a port disposed therein, and a slip joint sleeve having a radial bore therethrough. When said port valve is in a first closed position, said port is blocked by said slip joint sleeve. When said port valve is in a second open position, said port is aligned with the radial bore of the slip joint sleeve. The inner bore of the inner mandrel communicates with said port. A fluid bypass is provided through an annular cavity between the inner mandrel and the tubular body.

Growing community of inventors

Duncan, OK, United States of America

Eugene E Baker