Patent Application
20250027378
This application claims the benefit of Indian Patent Application No. 202121057236 entitled “High Expansion Cradle Shaped Anti-Extrusion Ring and Ax Type Elastomeric Seal for Bridge Plugs, Packer or Frac Plug,” filed Dec. 9, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Hydrocarbons produced from a subterranean formation oftentimes have sand or other particulates disposed therein. As the sand is undesirable to produce, many techniques exist for reducing the sand content in the hydrocarbons. Gravel packing is one technique used to filter and separate the sand from the hydrocarbons in a wellbore. Gravel packing generally involves pumping a gravel slurry, including gravel dispersed within a carrier fluid, down a work string and into the annulus formed between a completion assembly and the wall of the wellbore. The gravel is used to filter and separate the sand from the hydrocarbons as the hydrocarbons flow from the formation, into a completion assembly, and up to the surface.
One or more packers are oftentimes set or actuated prior to gravel packing. Upon actuation, the packers expand radially outward into contact with the wall of the wellbore to isolate different layers or zones of the formation. Isolating the different zones prevents the cross-flow of fluids (e.g., hydrocarbon fluids such as oil or gas) between the different zones and reduces the amount of water produced from the formation.
A packer assembly for use within a wellbore according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes a mandrel, a seal assembly disposed about the mandrel, an anti-extrusion assembly disposed about the mandrel proximate the seal assembly to prevent extrusion of the seal assembly, and a deployment system. The anti-extrusion assembly includes a cradle cone including a plurality of arcuate surfaces on an exterior of the cradle cone and a plurality of cradle arms. Each cradle arm includes a flexible tip and be positioned on a respective arcuate surface of the cradle cone. The deployment system is operable to compress the seal assembly such that the seal assembly seals against a wellbore wall and to rotate the plurality of cradle arms such that the flexible tips of the cradle arms contact the wellbore wall to prevent extrusion of the seal assembly.
A completion system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes a tubing string positionable within the wellbore and a packer assembly coupled to the tubing string. The packer assembly includes a mandrel, a seal assembly disposed about the mandrel, an anti-extrusion assembly disposed about the mandrel proximate the seal assembly to prevent extrusion of the seal assembly, and a deployment system. The anti-extrusion assembly includes a cradle cone including a plurality of arcuate surfaces on an exterior of the cradle cone and a plurality of cradle arms. Each cradle arm includes a flexible tip and be positioned on a respective arcuate surface of the cradle cone. The deployment system is operable to compress the seal assembly such that the seal assembly seals against a wellbore wall and to rotate the plurality of cradle arms such that the flexible tips of the cradle arms contact the wellbore wall to prevent extrusion of the seal assembly.
A method of completing a wellbore according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes positioning a packer assembly within a wellbore. The method also includes compressing a seal assembly of the packer assembly via a deployment system of the packer assembly such that the seal assembly seals against a wellbore wall. The method further includes rotating a plurality of cradle arms of an anti-extrusion assembly of the packer assembly via the deployment system such that flexible tips of the cradle arms contact the wellbore wall to prevent extrusion of the seal assembly.
However, many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.
Certain embodiments of the disclosure will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying figures illustrate the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various described technologies. The drawings are as follows:
In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.
In the specification and appended claims: the terms “connect,” “connection,” “connected,” “in connection with,” “connecting,” “couple,” “coupled,” “coupled with,” and “coupling” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via another element.” As used herein, the terms “up” and “down,” “upper” and “lower,” “upwardly” and “downwardly,” “upstream” and “downstream,” “uphole” and “downhole,” “above” and “below,” and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe some embodiments of the disclosure.
Referring now to
The downhole well completion 110 system may be constructed to facilitate production of well fluids and/or injection of fluids. By way of example, the downhole well completion 110 system may comprise at least one sand screen joint 112, e.g. a plurality of screen assemblies 112. Each sand screen joint 112 may include a shroud, e.g. a sand screen, 114 that cover a screen filter through which fluid may enter the corresponding sand screen joint 112 for production to a suitable location, e.g. a surface location. For example, hydrocarbon well fluids may flow from formation 106, into wellbore 102, and into the screen assemblies 112 via the shrouds 114. In some embodiments, the downhole well completion system 110 also may comprise a plurality of packers 116 which may be used to isolate sections or zones 118 along the wellbore 102.
Turning now to
Turning now to
In one or more embodiments, wedge elements 306 comprising a hard durometer elastomer (e.g., an elastomer having a durometer of between approximately 80 and approximately 90) are positioned on either side of the center sealing element 300. In other embodiments, the wedge elements 306 may be made of metal, polyether ether ketone (“PEEK”), or any other similar polymer. The wedge elements 306 each include an angled surface 316 on the surface opposite the center sealing element 300 and an arcuate surface 318 contacting the center sealing element 300.
A pair of end elements 308 is positioned adjacent to the angled surface 316 of the wedge elements. In one or more embodiments, the end elements 308 comprise a soft durometer elastomer to allow the end elements 308 to deform within the annular gap between the center sealing element 300 and a tubular or wellbore wall when the seal assembly 202 is compressed and create a seal. The pair of foldback rings 310, 312 are formed from a ductile metal or polymer and partially cover portions of the end elements 308 opposite the wedge elements 306. The foldback rings 310, 312 may deform such that the foldback rings 310, 312 remain in contact with the end elements 308 as the seal assembly 202 is compressed. Further, the foldback rings 310, 312 may each include slots or gaps and be aligned with each other in such a way that one foldback ring 310, 312 covers the slots or gaps in the adjacent foldback ring 310, 312 to reduce or prevent extrusion of the end elements 308.
Turning now to
In one embodiment, the anti-extrusion assembly 204 includes 20 cradle arms 400 positioned about a cradle cone 402 that includes twenty arcuate surfaces 404. In other embodiments, the anti-extrusion assembly may include less than twenty cradle arms 400 and respective arcuate surfaces 404 or more than twenty cradle arms 400 and respective arcuate surfaces 404.
As discussed above, the anti-extrusion assembly 204 is deployed along with the seal assembly 202 via the deployment system 208. When actuated via the deployment system 208, the cradle arms 400 rotate to contact the casing or wellbore wall, as shown in
As used herein, a range that includes the term between is intended to include the upper and lower limits of the range; e.g., between 50 and 150 includes both 50 and 150. Additionally, the term “approximately” includes all values within 5% of the target value; e.g., approximately 100 includes all values from 95 to 105, including 95 and 105. Further, approximately between includes all values within 5% of the target value for both the upper and lower limits; e.g., approximately between 50 and 150 includes all values from 47.5 to 157.5, including 47.5 and 157.5.
Although a few embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202121057236 | Dec 2021 | IN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US22/51835 | 12/5/2022 | WO |
