Settable and unsettable device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10822898-B2
Application number	US-201815983598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A settable device including a radially enlargeable portion, a force retention pathway operably connected to the radially enlargeable portion to maintain a setting force to the radially enlargeable portion, a material disposed within the force retention pathway of the device, the material retaining force when in solid form and disengaging force retention when in fluid form.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A settable device comprising:
a radially enlargeable portion;
a force retention pathway operably connected to the radially enlargeable portion to maintain a setting force to the radially enlargeable portion;
a material disposed within the force retention pathway of the device, the material retaining force when in solid form and disengaging force retention when in fluid form.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the radially enlargeable portion is a sealing element.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the radially enlargeable portion is an anchor.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the force retention pathway includes a member comprising the material.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the force retention pathway includes a member having a recess, the recess housing the material.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the force retention pathway further includes an upset protruding into the recess.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the material maintains a position of the upset relative to the recess when in solid form and allows a change in relative position of the upset to the recess when in fluid form.

8. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the force retention pathway further includes a slider protruding into the recess.

9. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the force retention pathway further includes a biasing member.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material has a melting temperature greater than ambient wellbore temperature.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material has a melting temperature at or below ambient wellbore temperature.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material includes a metal.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metal is bismuth.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid form includes a liquid.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid form includes a gas.

16. A method for unsetting a settable device as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
creating a temperature at the material greater than its melting point;
transitioning the material to a fluid form; and
allowing the material to flow thereby disengaging force retention.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising moving the settable device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the creating is by resistance heating or chemical reaction.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising retrieving the device by pulling while creating.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising retrieving the device by pulling after creating.

Assignees

• Doane James
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Doane James

Classifications

• E21B23/0415

  using particular fluids, e.g. electro-active liquids · CPC title

• E21B23/00 Primary

  Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells (setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10) · CPC title

• E21B33/128

  with a member expanded radially by axial pressure (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B23/01

  for anchoring the tools or the like (E21B23/02 - E21B23/06 take precedence; anchoring of drives in the borehole E21B4/18) · CPC title

• E21B23/04

  operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion (E21B23/08 takes precedence) · CPC title