Annulus sealing arrangement and method of sealing an annulus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670747-B2
Application number	US-201414562906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

An annulus sealing arrangement includes, at least one member positionable within an annulus, a first radial dimension of the at least one member is initially less than a second radial dimension defined by the annulus, and a plurality of plates in operable communication with the at least one member initially positioned with surfaces of the plurality of plates forming acute angles relative to an axis defined by the annulus, at least a first portion of each of the plurality of plates perimetrically overlapping a second portion of at least one other of the plurality of plates positioned perimetrically adjacent thereto, the annulus sealing arrangement is configured such that increases in the first radial dimension cause the acute angles to increase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An annulus sealing arrangement, comprising:
at least one seal member positionable within an annulus, a first radial dimension of the at least one member being initially less than a second radial dimension defined by the annulus;
at least one second seal member distinct from and adjacent to the at least one seal member; and
a plurality of individual plates separately embedded in the second seal member, the at least one second seal member in operable communication with the at least one seal member, the plurality of individual plates initially positioned with surfaces of the plurality of individual plates forming acute angles relative to an axis defined by the annulus, at least a first portion of each of the plurality of individual plates perimetrically overlapping a second portion of at least one other of the plurality of individual plates positioned perimetrically adjacent thereto, the annulus sealing arrangement being configured such that increases in the first radial dimension cause the acute angles to increase during deformation of the at least one second seal member.

2. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein one set of the plurality of individual plates is positioned near a longitudinal end of the at least one seal member.

3. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein increases in the acute angles cause the plurality of individual plates to span the second radial dimension defined by the annulus.

4. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the acute angles increase to a 90 degree angle.

5. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising at least one support positioned within the annulus on a longitudinal side of the plurality of individual plates opposite that of the at least one seal member.

6. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the at least one support prevents the plurality of individual plates from moving longitudinally past the at least one support.

7. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising at least one ring positioned in the annulus between the at least one seal member and the at least one second seal member.

8. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal member is configured to cause radial increases in the first radial dimension in response to being longitudinally compressed.

9. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal member is configured to cause radial increases in the first radial dimension in response to swelling of the at least one seal member.

10. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of individual plates are attached to others of the plurality of individual plates.

11. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of individual plates are perimetrically attached to others of the plurality of plates.

12. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the acute angles are formed relative to surfaces of the plurality of individual plates facing toward a majority of the at least one seal member.

13. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individual plates are configured to radially fill the annulus to prevent the at least one seal member from extruding past the plurality of individual plates after the acute angles have increased.

14. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the annulus sealing arrangement is part of a treatment plug, packer, bridge plug, or frac plug.

15. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individual plates are positioned in at least a first row and a second row, the first row being longitudinally adjacent to the second row and the plurality of individual plates in the first row being perimetrically offset relative to the plurality of individual plates in the second row.

16. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein part of the at least one seal member is positioned between the surfaces and a mandrel defining an inner radial boundary of the annulus.

17. The annulus sealing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal member is a polymer.

18. A method of sealing an annulus, comprising:
radially increasing a dimension of a first seal member to span a radial dimension of the annulus;
sealing the annulus to flow past the first seal member;
deforming a second seal member thereby rotating a plurality of individual plates separately embedded in the second seal member and in operable communication with the seal member with the radial increasing of the first seal member;
preventing the plurality of individual plates from moving longitudinally away from the first seal member; and
preventing extrusion of the first seal member through the annulus past the plurality of individual plates.

19. The method of sealing an annulus of claim 18 , further comprising compressing the member between two sets of the plurality of individual plates.

20. The method of sealing an annulus of claim 18 , further comprising swelling the first seal member to radially increase the dimension thereof.

21. The method of sealing an annulus of claim 18 , further comprising increasing acute angles formed between surfaces of the plurality of individual plates and an axis of the annulus with the rotating of the plurality of individual plates.

22. The method of sealing an annulus of claim 18 , further comprising perimetrically overlapping at least a portion of each of the plurality of individual plates with another of the plurality of individual plates.

23. The method of sealing an annulus of claim 18 , further comprising:
diverting fluid with the sealing; and
treating an environment within an earth formation with the diverted fluid.

Assignees

• Ruffo Antonio C
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Ruffo Antonio C

Classifications

• E21B33/1216 Primary

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

• E21B33/1208

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