Fold back swell packer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523256-B2
Application number	US-201314650501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2013
Priority date	Dec 7, 2012
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A fold back ring for a swell packer is disclosed. A swell packer has a support member, a swellable element coupled to the support member, and a fold back ring coupled to the support member and engaging the swellable element. The fold back ring is sized and positioned such that when the swellable element swells, the fold back ring flexes outwardly and is caught between the swellable element and the interior surface of the well. The fold back ring therefore forms a barrier against extrusion of the swellable element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A swell packer, comprising:
a support member having a generally cylindrical profile;
a swellable element positioned around the support member and in contact with the support member, the swellable element having a first axial end, a second axial end, and a radially outward surface configured to engage a portion of a well wall when sufficient swollen;
first and second gauge rings on the support member, wherein the first gauge ring is adjacent the first axial end of the swellable element and the second gauge ring is adjacent the second axial end of the swellable element, wherein at least one of the gauge rings comprises a swellable element and a plurality of rigid ring sections embedded within the swellable element, wherein swelling of the swellable element causes the rigid ring sections to expand radially; and
first and second fold back rings, wherein the first fold back ring is between the first gauge ring and the first axial end of the swellable element and the second fold back ring is between the second gauge ring and the second axial end of the swellable element, wherein the fold back rings are configured to flex outwardly as the swellable element swells, and, wherein when the swellable element expands to contact the well wall a portion of the first fold back ring is radially between the first axial end and the well wall and a portion of the second fold back ring is radially between the second axial end and the well wall.

2. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein when the fold back rings are fully expanded they have an L-shaped cross section including a radial portion extending from the support member to the well wall and an axial portion extending generally parallel with the well wall.

3. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein the fold back rings comprise an internal layer contacting the swellable element and an external layer contacting the internal layer, each layer being solid at the support member side and having slits in an opposite side.

4. The swell packer of claim 3 wherein the slits in the internal layer are out of phase with the slits in the external layer such that no portion of the swellable element is exposed through the fold back rings.

5. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein the fold back rings have a first end bonded to the support member and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end is free and is folded over the axial ends of the swellable element.

6. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein the fold back rings have two or more layers, wherein both layers are of the same material.

7. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein the fold back rings have two or more layers, wherein at least two adjacent layers are made of different materials.

8. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein the fold back rings are made of steel or brass.

9. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein the fold back rings have a first end bonded to the support member and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end is free and has slits formed therein.

10. The swell packer of claim 9 wherein the slits are at least one of straight, circular, Vshaped, parallelogram, diamond, or oval.

11. The swell packer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the rigid ring sections has a Ushaped cross-sectional profile defining an interior region, and wherein the swellable element substantially fills the interior region.

12. A swell packer, comprising:
a support member;
a swellable element surrounding a portion of the support member and configured to react to a swelling fluid to swell and contact an internal wall of a well, wherein the swellable element has an axial end;
a fold back ring having an interior circumference bonded to the support member and an exterior circumference opposite the interior circumference, wherein the exterior circumference has recesses formed therein that enable the fold back ring to flexibly expand as the swellable element swells, wherein the fold back ring is positioned adjacent to the swellable element covering the axial end of the swellable element, and wherein the fold back ring is configured to expand to contact the internal wall of the well when the swellable element expands; and
a gauge ring having a swellable element and one or more rigid ring sections at least partially embedded within the swellable element.

13. The swell packer of claim 12 wherein, before the swellable element swells, the fold back ring is positioned over the axial end of the swellable element and resiliently compresses the axial end of the swellable element.

14. The swell packer of claim 12 wherein the fold back ring is wider than the distance between the support member and the internal wall of the well, such that when the swellable element expands a portion of the fold back ring is caught between the swellable element and the interior wall of the well.

15. The swell packer of claim 12 wherein the gauge ring has five rigid ring sections spaced radially around the support member with gaps between the rigid ring sections, wherein the gaps are filled by the swellable element of the gauge ring, and wherein when the swellable element of the gauge ring swells the rigid ring sections expand radially away from the support member.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Bilansky Erik
• Maynard Jeff
• Yang Liuqing

Classifications

• E21B33/127 Primary

  with inflatable sleeve (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/1216 Primary

  Anti-extrusion means, e.g. means to prevent cold flow of rubber packing · CPC title

• E21B23/06

  for setting packers · CPC title

• E21B33/1208

  characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence) · CPC title