Camco International, Inc.

Baker Hughes Corporation

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Walter J Laflin

Vel Berzin

Brian K Moore

Bennett M Richard

Edward T Wood

Edward O'Malley

Arthur J Morris

Robert O Castillo

James R Korte

Steven N Bailey

Darwin D Arline

Edward J O'malley

A field assembled packer or plug features a sleeve of a swelling material, preferably rubber, which is slipped over the tubular. A pair of molds is assembled over the tubular. The molds can accommodate variation in the size and out of roundness of standard API tubulars. An epoxy mixture is formulated on site and pumped into the molds at opposed ends of the sealing element assembly and allowed to set up. The molds are removed and the assembly is ready to be run in the hole as a packer included in a tubular string. The element assembly can include a harder swelling material on opposed ends of the main sealing element to protect the main sealing element from damage during run in.

Field assembled packer

A sealing element that swells on exposure to well fluids present or added to the wellbore is assembled to the mandrel in a manner to induce circumferential stresses proximately to the inside diameter of the element so as to resist the tendency of the inside diameter of the element to grow during the swelling process. A vacuum and a pressure method are described. Leak paths between the mandrel and the sealing element are minimized or eliminated as a result.

Swelling element packer and installation method

The present invention generally provides a system and method for stiffening a cutting tool assembly used in cutting laterally relative to a wellbore axis to reduce stresses and cyclical bending of the cutting tool assembly during cutting. The system includes a cutting tool attached to a shaft such as an output shaft of a motor or a drill string. A sleeve is disposed in an annular space, known as a box relief, defined between the shaft and a peripheral wall of the cutting tool. The sleeve is preferably fixed in the annular space by a sleeve ring surrounding a recess in the shaft, but can be coupled to the peripheral wall and/or shaft by, for example, a threaded engagement. As the cutting tool attempts to bend at a connection with the shaft during cutting, creating stresses at the connection, the stresses are distributed throughout the increased contact area of the sleeve with the cutting tool, causing less stress per unit area and distributing at least a portion of the stress away from the threaded engagement between the shaft and the cutting tool. The reduced stresses cause less fatigue and thus lower failure rate of the members. Also, the walls of the cutting tool surrounding the shaft are lengthened to engage even more surface area of the sleeve and further reduce the bending stresses. Also, the distance between the cutting portion of the cutting tool and an engagement portion between the cutting tool and the shaft can be shortened to reduce stresses on the engagement portion by forming a shorter cutting tool.

Method and apparatus for stiffening an output shaft on a cutting tool assembly

A well connector connectable to the outside of coil tubing for coupling the tubing to another member. The connector includes a tubular body externally enclosing the end of the coil tubing and a second end for connection to another member. A slip housing is threadably connected to the first end of the body and encloses slips between the body and the housing for gripping the outside of coil tubing. The body includes a thermally compensated packing element and a threaded actuation energizer is provided threadably engaging the body, separate from the slip actuation, for energizing the packer element into a seating engagement with the exterior of the coiled tubing.

Coiled tubing external connector with packing element

A ratchet-type spoolable connector for coupling coiled tubing to tools or other coiled tubing. A mandrel is engaged by a ratchet to the inside of a body and slips abut the end of the body and engage the mandrel. The alternate application of tension and compression across the connector ratchets the mandrel into wedging engagement with the slips for gripping the coiled tubing.

Apparatus for internally connecting to coiled tubing

An internal slip-type connector for coupling coiled tubing to tools or other coiled tubing having a body that does not upset the outside diameter of the coiled tubing with seal means to seal to the inside of the coiled tubing. A mandrel is threadably engaged to the inside of the end of the body and slip means abuts the first end of the body and engages the mandrel. Rotation of the body relative to the mandrel wedges the slip means into the inside of the coiled tubing for gripping.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Walter J Laflin