Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Shobeir P Gar

Xiaoguang Allan Zhong

Michael Linley Fripp

Lonnie Carl Helms

David Joe Steele

Ricky Layne Covington

Sandeep Thatathil

Christian Alexander Ramirez

Frank Vinicia Acosta Villareal

Gavin Graff

Systems and methods for creating seals that expand during temperature drops. The seals may include a negative CTE material that is either internal or external to the sealing element; shape memory alloys (SMA) which exhibit negative CTE during a phase change; and/or external lattice structures with positive CTE components but negative overall CTE.

Volumetric compensation for sealing performance under large temperature swing conditions

Provided is an internal slip, a sealing/anchoring subassembly, a well system, and method. The internal slip, in one aspect, includes a tubular, the tubular having a tubular inner diameter (ID) and a tubular outer diameter (OD). The internal slip, in this aspect, further includes a first set of teeth disposed along the tubular inner diameter (ID), the first set of teeth configured to engage with base teeth disposed on a base outer diameter (OD) of a base positioned radially inside of the tubular. The internal slip, in this aspect, further includes a second set of teeth disposed along the tubular outer diameter (OD), the second set of teeth configured to engage with stroke sleeve teeth disposed on a stroke sleeve outer diameter (OD) of a stroke sleeve positioned radially outside of the tubular, wherein one or more of the second set of teeth are generally symmetrical about a centerline thereof.

Internal slip including one or more symmetrical teeth

Provided is a sealing/anchoring assembly, a well system, and a method. The sealing/anchoring assembly, in one aspect, includes a mandrel, a sealing/anchoring element positioned about the mandrel, and a setting sleeve coupled with a first end of the sealing/anchoring element. The sealing/anchoring assembly, in one aspect, further includes an internally threaded setting sleeve coupled with a second end of the sealing/anchoring element, the internally threaded setting sleeve configured to employ its internal threads to rotate and axially translate along the mandrel to move the sealing/anchoring element between a radially retracted state a radially expanded state.

Reduced backlash sealing/anchoring assembly

A wiper dart having a bi-diameter wiper cup can be used to help track the location of the dart in a pipe string. As the wiper dart is pumped through the pipe string, a first mean pump pressure will exist as the wiper cup travels through drill pipe sections having a larger inner diameter than a tool joint and a second mean pump pressure will exist as the wiper cup travels through the tool joints. The wiper cup can have a geometric shape selected such that a detectable pressure spike can be observed when the wiper cup reaches a transition section located between one end of a pipe section and the tool joint. By counting the number of pressure spikes, an operator can accurately track the location of the wiper dart as it is being pumped through the pipe string.

Tracking a wiper dart having a bi-diameter wiper cup in a wellbore using pressure spikes

Provided is a sealing/anchoring subassembly, a well system, and method. The sealing/anchoring subassembly, in one aspect, includes a mandrel, as well as a sealing/anchoring element positioned about the mandrel, the sealing/anchoring element configured to move between a radially retracted state and a radially expanded state. The sealing/anchoring subassembly, according to this aspect, also includes a ratch latch body coupled to the sealing/anchoring element, the ratch latch body configured to hold the sealing/anchoring element in the radially expanded state. The ratch latch body, in one aspect, may include a stroke sleeve having a plurality of stroke sleeve teeth disposed thereon, and a base having a plurality of base teeth disposed thereon, the stroke sleeve teeth and the base teeth configured to directly ratchet along one another to hold the sealing/anchoring element in the radially expanded state.

Internal slip design with minimum backlash for packers seal enhancement

A wiper dart can be used in an oil and gas operation. The wiper dart can have at least two different outer diameters. A first outer diameter can be less than a second outer diameter and used to wipe the insides of tool joints of a tubing string. The second outer diameter can be used to wipe the insides of pipe sections of the tubing string that have a larger inner diameter than the tool joints. The single, bi-diameter wiper cup can be used in lieu of two or more current, conical-shaped wiper cups to accomplish the same functionality. The wiper cup can include a protruding ring located circumferentially around the wiper cup at the first outer diameter. A plurality of buttons or splines can be spaced apart around the wiper cup at the second outer diameter.

Wiper dart having a bi-diameter wiper cup with protruding ring

Methods and apparatus for performing a sealing operation. A sealing element is introduced into a wellbore having a temperature. The sealing element comprises a material having a positive coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and a material having a negative CTE. The sealing element is expanded to contact an adjacent surface. The material having a negative CTE expands when the wellbore temperature is decreasing and the expansion of the negative CTE material maintains contact of the sealing element with the adjacent surface while the wellbore temperature is decreasing.

Packer elements with low thermal expansion

Methods and apparatus for performing a wellbore operation. A thermal compensator is introduced into a wellbore having a temperature. The thermal compensator comprises an outer layer comprising a first material, an inner layer comprising a second material, and a core disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer; wherein the core comprises a third material. The third material has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the first material and the second material. The core contracts when the wellbore temperature is decreasing and the contraction of the core moves the outer layer such that it applies a force to a structure adjacent to the outer layer.

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Carrollton, TX, United States of America

Shobeir P Gar