Patent Application
20240271499
In the resource recovery industry and fluid sequestration industry liner-top packers are oft used structures at the tops of liners. The packers set by prior art methods require work string manipulation such as pull up and slack off movements to shear out retainers and set the packer. Drawbacks include failure to slack of enough weight and similar stuck string issues. Some arrangements include a hydraulic pusher arrangement as well to increase force of the packer if the set down weight is insufficient to get the packer set. Hydraulic pusher arrangement employ high applied tubing pressure and accordingly can be deleterious to the operation through overpressure that can damage the formation. Accordingly, the art is still seeking alternative arrangements and methods that avoid these drawbacks.
An embodiment of a liner-top packer setting arrangement including a mandrel attached to a liner-top packer, a valve positioned and configured to close or open a port through the mandrel, a housing dispose on the mandrel, a volume defined between the housing and the mandrel, the volume being pressure communicable with the port when the valve is in an open position, and a piston disposed in the volume, the piston exposed to port pressure on one side thereof and to a lower pressure on an opposite side thereof, the piston connected to the packer.
An embodiment of a method for setting a liner-top packer including remotely opening a valve that, when open permits hydrostatic tubing pressure to reach a piston that is underbalanced, driving the piston with the hydrostatic pressure, setting the liner-top packer with the piston.
An embodiment of a wellbore system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, a liner-top packer setting arrangement disposed on the string.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
Referring to
In use, the method includes running the arrangement 10 to a target position usually in connection with a liner hanger and liner string. Liner hangers and liners are well know to the art and require no specific disclosure. Liner-top packers are of course used with these known components but require the motions identified in the background of this disclosure. In the method disclosed herein, the ultimate effect of the set liner-top packer is achieved without the workstring motions of the prior art. The method includes, after deployment, sending a signal to open the valve 30, the signal in some embodiments being wireless, and opening the valve 30 to allow hydrostatic pressure in the mandrel 12 to flow through the port 14 to the volume 18a and to act on the piston 24 first side 26. Since the piston 24 is unbalanced with regard to hydrostatic pressure, moving the piston to reduce the dimensions of volume 18b (see difference between
Referring to
Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1: A liner-top packer setting arrangement including a mandrel attached to a liner-top packer, a valve positioned and configured to close or open a port through the mandrel, a housing disposed on the mandrel, a volume defined between the housing and the mandrel, the volume being pressure communicable with the port when the valve is in an open position, and a piston disposed in the volume, the piston exposed to port pressure on one side thereof and to a lower pressure on an opposite side thereof, the piston connected to the packer.
Embodiment 2: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the valve is remotely actuable.
Embodiment 3: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the valve is actuable by one of acoustically, electrically, optically, or hydraulically.
Embodiment 4: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the opposite side of the piston is exposed to atmospheric pressure.
Embodiment 5: The arrangement as in any prior embodiment, wherein the piston bifurcates the volume into a portion where pressure is dictated by the valve position and a portion that defines an atmospheric chamber.
Embodiment 6: A method for setting a liner-top packer including remotely opening a valve that, when open permits hydrostatic tubing pressure to reach a piston that is underbalanced, driving the piston with the hydrostatic pressure, setting the liner-top packer with the piston.
Embodiment 7: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the piston is underbalanced with atmospheric pressure.
Embodiment 8: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the opening is wirelessly.
Embodiment 9: The method as in any prior embodiment, wherein the opening is acoustically.
Embodiment 10: A wellbore system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, a liner-top packer setting arrangement as in any prior embodiment disposed on the string.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about”, “substantially” and “generally” are intended to include the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For example, “about” and/or “substantially” and/or “generally” includes a range of ±8% of a given value.
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a borehole, and/or equipment in the borehole, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
