Packer system with load bypass to prevent premature expansion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024133263-A1
Application number	US-202218049374-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 24, 2022
Priority date	Oct 25, 2022
Publication date	Apr 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The packer system includes a packer mandrel, an upper support or gage ring, a seal member, an upper slip device, an upper cone, a lower cone, a lower slip device, a setting sleeve, and a setting piston. The seal member has a run-in position and a set position. The set position seals against a borehole at a location in a borehole. The setting sleeve has a bypass position to transfer load of the setting piston away from the lower slip device and to the lower cone, the seal member, and the upper cone to set the seal member and upper slip device before the lower slip device. The setting sleeve has a released position to separate from the setting piston so that the load of the setting piston can finally be applied on the lower slip device for expansion of the lower slip device at the proper time and location.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A packer system, comprising:
a packer mandrel having an upper mandrel end and a lower mandrel end; an upper support ring at said upper mandrel end; a seal member having an upper seal end and a lower seal end opposite said upper seal end, said seal member having a run-in position with a run-in diameter and a set position with set diameter, said set diameter being larger than said run-in diameter so as to seal against a borehole; an upper slip device having an upper support ring end, an upper cone end opposite said upper support ring end, and an initial upper slip position with said seal member in said run-in position, said upper slip device being between said upper support ring and said upper seal end; an upper cone having an upper slip end and an upper sealing end opposite said upper slip end, said upper sealing end positioned so as to exert pressure at said upper seal end on said seal member, said upper slip device being in sliding engagement with said upper cone and having an upper slip engaged position with said seal member in said set position; a lower cone having a lower slip end and a lower sealing end opposite said lower slip end, said lower sealing end positioned so as to exert pressure at said lower seal end on said seal member; a lower slip device having a lower setting sleeve end, a lower cone end opposite said lower setting sleeve end, and an initial lower slip position with said seal member in said run-in position, said lower slip device being in sliding engagement with said lower cone and having a lower slip engaged position with said seal member in said set position; a setting sleeve having a lower cone engagement end and a setting piston end opposite said lower cone engagement end, said setting sleeve being mounted on said packer mandrel and being between said packer mandrel and said lower slip device; and a setting piston having a setting end in removeable engagement with said setting piston end of said setting sleeve so as to apply pressure on said setting sleeve to said lower cone, said lower slip being between said setting piston and said lower cone.

2 . The packer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said setting sleeve has a bypass position relative to said setting piston with said setting piston end of said setting sleeve removably engaged with said setting piston so as to apply pressure on said setting sleeve to said lower cone, said seal member and said upper cone, and
wherein said setting sleeve has a released position relative to said setting position with said lower slip device engaged with said setting piston so as to apply pressure on said lower slip device for sliding engagement with said lower cone to said lower slip engaged position.

3 . The packer system, according to claim 2 , wherein said setting sleeve has said bypass position relative to said setting piston with said setting piston end of said setting sleeve removably engaged with said setting piston so as to apply pressure on said setting sleeve to said lower cone, said seal member, and said upper cone through said lower slip device.

4 . The packer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said setting sleeve is comprised of a release component on said setting piston end so as to separate said setting piston from said setting sleeve with said seal member in said set position and said upper slip device in said upper slip engaged position.

5 . The packer system, according to claim 4 , wherein said release component 96 is comprised of a shear pin 98 .

6 . The packer system, according to claim 4 , wherein said release component 96 is comprised of a shear ring 99 .

7 . The packer system, according to claim 4 , wherein said setting sleeve has said bypass position relative to said setting piston with said setting piston end of said setting sleeve removably engaged with said setting piston so as to apply pressure on said setting sleeve to said lower cone, said seal member, said upper cone and said release component concurrently.

8 . The packer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said upper support ring has an unlocked position on said packer mandrel relative to said seal member and a locked position relative to said seal member, said locked position being closer to said seal member than said unlocked position, said upper support ring being in said locked position with said seal member in said set position, and said upper slip device in said upper slip engaged position.

9 . The packer system, according to claim 8 , wherein said upper support ring is in said locked position with said lower slip device in said lower slip engaged position and said setting sleeve in said released position.

10 . The packer system, according to claim 8 , wherein said upper support ring is in said locked position with said lower slip device in said initial lower slip position and said setting sleeve in said bypass position.

11 . The packer system, according to claim 1 , further comprising: a hydraulic pressure means for said setting piston.

12 . The packer system, according to claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic pressure means comprises:
a lower support ring on said packer mandrel and connected to said setting piston; an upper piston engaged to said setting piston and blocked by the lower support ring; a lower mandrel connected to lower mandrel end; an upper piston housing around said upper piston, said packer mandrel and lower mandrel; a lower piston around said lower mandrel so as to actuate said setting piston cooperatively with said upper piston; and a bottom sub attached to said lower mandrel.

13 . A method for downhole operations, comprising the steps of:
running a packer system, according to claim 1 , in a borehole, with said seal member in said run-in position, said upper slip device in said initial upper slip position, said lower slip device in said initial lower slip position, and said setting sleeve in said bypass position; placing said packer system at a location in the wellbore; applying pressure on said setting sleeve with said setting piston; applying pressure on said lower cone, said seal member, and said upper cone with said setting sleeve; expanding said seal member from said run-in position to said set position with pressure exerted through the setting sleeve and lower cone, said setting sleeve being in said bypass position; sliding said upper slip device from said initial upper slip position to said upper slip engaged position with pressure exerted through the setting sleeve, the lower cone, and the seal member, said setting sleeve being in said bypass position; separating said setting piston from said setting sleeve with said seal member in said set position and said upper slip device in said upper slip engaged position so as to place said setting sleeve in said released position; applying pressure on said lower slip device with said setting piston with said setting sleeve in said released position; and sliding said lower slip device from said initial lower slip position to said lower slip engaged position with pressure from said setting piston, said setting sleeve being in said released position.

14 . The method, according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
performing downhole operations, after the step of sliding said lower slip device from said initial lower slip position to said lower slip engaged position with pressure from said setting piston, said seal member being in said set position, said upper slip device being in said upper slip engaged position, and said lower slip device being in said lower slip engaged position.

15 . The method, according to

Assignees

• Cnpc Usa Corp
• Beijing Huamei Inc
• China Nat Petroleum Corp

Inventors

• Roberts Kwami
• Maynard Jeff
• Yue Jianpeng
• Cheng Peng
• Nettles Damon
• Batson Perry

Classifications

• E21B33/1285 Primary

  by fluid pressure · CPC title

• E21B33/1295 Primary

  actuated by fluid pressure · CPC title