Baker Hughes Corporation

William M Richards

Douglas James Murray

Paul Andrew Reinhardt

Alfredo Gomez

Daniel E Dinhoble

A packer or bridge plug design is revealed that has a lock mechanism involving the interengagement of teeth. The meshing of the teeth holds the set of the sealing elements and slips of the packer or bridge plug. Release is accomplished by an application of weight which, due to relative movement of parts, allows the stress applied to the slips and sealing element to be relieved with the interengaging teeth of the lock mechanism still in place. Upon stress relief as to the slips and sealing elements, further movement cams the locking member in a manner so as to separate the interengagement of the teeth, thus completing the release. The stress-relief mechanism and the lock mechanism are part of a compact assembly which is preferably mounted above the packer or bridge plug for easy access. A pressure equalization technique involves discrete operation of an equalizing sleeve followed by at least one opposed motion before a release sleeve can be tagged for removing the plug.

Top release retrievable bridge plug or packer and method of releasing

A shifting tool is disclosed which allows movement of a shifting sleeve, to be followed by an additional force applied to ensure complete stroking of the shifting sleeve. This is accomplished by a shifting key to normally shift the shifting sleeve, followed by an overpull key which engages while the shifting key is still engaged. Once a predetermined force has been applied to the overpull key, the force applied from the surface is removed so that the tool may disengage from the sleeve. Subsequent manipulation, without necessarily any removal from the wellbore, if it does not result in a reengagement, provides feedback that the shifting sleeve has, in fact, shifted its full stroke. An emergency release is available which actuated by an overpull force beyond a predetermined level, applied while the overpull key is engaged for an emergency release from the shifting sleeve.

Overpull shifting tool

The invention comprises a uniquely shaped sealing element or elements for a packer. In an application using a stack of elements, the upper element is configured so that at least a portion of its inside diameter represents an interference fit with the mandrel onto which it is mounted. A built-in moment within the packing element occurs as a result of the partial interference fit. Additionally, a taper is provided which, in effect, shifts the point of contact of the upper element closer to a central element, tending to better give extrusion support to the central element. The taper also facilitates the creation of a resistive moment which fights the tendency of the upper element to extrude in the upper outermost corner of the upper element, for example. The central element can also be installed on a mandrel with interference throughout its length to create a built-in radial force urging the element back into its original shape after it is expanded and allowed to relax. Using such shapes, the need to mechanically stretch the elements longitudinally, after they are relaxed so that the packer can be withdrawn without interference in a close running situation, is eliminated.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

William M Richards