Wells – Means for guiding insertable element laterally of well axis – Secured in operative position by movable means engaging well...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-07
2001-04-03
Neuder, William (Department: 3672)
Wells
Means for guiding insertable element laterally of well axis
Secured in operative position by movable means engaging well...
C166S187000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209636
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to wellbore operations and, in certain particular aspects, to systems for providing primary barriers in wellbores and temperature compensation for fluid actuated apparatuses.
2. Description of Related Art
Often in a wellbore or within a tubular member in a wellbore it is desirable to have an effective sealing barrier between an upper portion of the wellbore or tubular and a lower portion thereof. A variety of prior art bridge plugs and cement systems provide barriers in wellbores and tubulars. Such a barrier is, preferably, impervious to fluids in the wellbore or tubular; unaffected by temperatures encountered in the wellbore or tubular; and strong enough and sufficiently securely emplaced to withstand forces thereon, e.g. by a dropped tool or piece of equipment.
Prior art fluid set bridge plugs can burst or deform when subjected to unusually high temperatures and may deform or shrink when subjected to unusually low temperatures - either of which temperature changes can impair their proper functioning.
FIG. 1
shows a typical prior art cement system in which cement C has been emplaced through a bull plug and hardened above and below an inflated packer P. The cement below the packer has sealed off a lower set of perforations R and has sealed off the interior of a casing S below an upper set of perforations T so that fluids from a formation F may flow to a production string G and then to surface collection equipment. Installation of a system as shown in
FIG. 1
is a complex, expensive, time-consuming job.
Typical inflatable packers and other wellbore tools and apparatuses operated by fluids can be adversely affected when the temperature of actuating fluid changes or when the temperature of fluids contacting the apparatus changes. Also various fluid actuated anchor devices can be adversely affected by such temperature changes.
There has long been a need for an effective and efficient wellbore barrier that is not adversely affected by temperature changes within the wellbore or within a tubular member within which the barrier is emplaced. There has long been a need for such a barrier that serves as a primary barrier which is so securely emplaced that certain forces encountered in a wellbore are insufficient to dislodge, penetrate, or move the barrier. There has long been a need for temperature-compensated apparatus for wellbore operations which include a temperature compensating system so that temperature changes encountered in a wellbore do not adversely affect operation of the apparatuses.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention, in certain aspects, provides a wellbore apparatus that is actuated by fluid under pressure or in which certain mechanisms are moved or held in position, selectively or otherwise, by fluid (hydraulic or pneumatic) under pressure in combination with a temperature compensating system that accounts for and counters the effects of temperature changes imposed on the wellbore apparatus while it is positioned within a wellbore or within a tubular member of a tubular string within a wellbore and, in one aspect, maintains constant or nearly constant internal fluid pressure in the mechanism. Such an apparatus is, in one aspect, a “through-tubing” apparatus.
In one particular aspect an inflatable packer system is provided that has a temperature compensating system that maintains the temperature of fluid within the packer at a desired level so that the packer does not inadvertently deflate. In another aspect such a packer system includes a wellbore anchor apparatus (such as any known wellbore anchor or anchor device, mechanically and/or hydraulically actuated, regular set or through-tubing). In one aspect, the anchor is set prior to packer inflation which may greatly facilitate packer inflation in a wellbore with fluid cross flow. In another aspect (with or without the anchor apparatus) a diverter or whipstock is connected above the packer (any known whipstock or diverter; orientable; solid, hollow-filled, or hollow; through-tubing; and/or retrievable). Such a whipstock may be set either on the low side or high side of casing.
Mill guide systems as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,629 issued Mar. 17, 1998 and in pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/962,162 filed Oct. 31, 1997 are anchored in a wellbore or in a tubular with an anchor device. A mill guide system according to the present invention includes an anchor apparatus as disclosed herein with a thermal compensator as disclosed herein. In one aspect such a thermal compensator has a hollow piston with differential piston surfaces mounted concentrically in a chamber around the mill guide.
In another embodiment of the present invention a packer system is provided that includes an inflatable packer and a wellbore anchor apparatus (as discussed in the preceding paragraph) including, but not limited to hydraulically (or pneumatically) selectively settable anchor devices for wellbore tools as disclosed in the prior art, e.g. but not limited to, as used to anchor a whipstock.
Systems as described herein may be run down hole in a wellbore on: a typical tubular string, e.g. but not limited to, a string of tubing or casing; on coiled tubing; on a wireline (e.g. with a selectively actuatable pump using either wellbore fluid or a fluid charge stored therein to actuate a fluid actuated apparatus or apparatuses, which apparatus(es) in one aspect are selectively releasable from the pump and wireline); pipe; and/or snubbing pipe. Sealing apparatus as disclosed here may be used to close off a wellbore, casing in a main or lateral wellbore, and/or a liner in a main or lateral wellbore—and such sealing apparatus may be selectively deflatable and/or retrievable and, in one aspect, may be used with anchor apparatus and/or temperature compensating apparatus as disclosed herein. Systems as disclosed herein may be set in perforated casing. Systems as disclosed herein may be used in milling a window in perforated casing. In one aspect a system as disclosed herein that includes an anchor, a sealing apparatus such as an inflatable sealing packer or sealing plug, and whipstock apparatus is no more than about 10 meters in length.
It is also within the scope of this invention to provide a fluid powered and/or selectively actuated wellbore anchor apparatus with a temperature compensating system that maintains fluid temperature within the anchor apparatus at a desired level or within a desired range so that temperature changes imposed on the anchor apparatus do not adversely affect its operation or result in its deactivation and unwanted movement. It is to be understood that any anchor apparatus disclosed herein may be used to anchor in a wellbore or within a tubular in a wellbore.
What follows are some of, but not all, the objects of this invention. In addition to the specific objects stated below for at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention, other objects and purposes will be readily apparent to one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention's teachings and disclosures. It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a fluid activated and/or powered wellbore apparatus (or apparatuses) with a temperature compensator;
Such an apparatus which is a packer or an anchor; and
Such an apparatus that includes a packer, an anchor, and, in one aspect, a whipstock or diverter;
It is also, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide an inflatable packer with a wellbore anchor device or apparatus; and to provide new, useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious devices and methods for selective re-entry of multi-lateral bores branching from a main wellbore.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures and functions. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that
Blizzard, Jr. William A.
Carter Thurman B.
Drechsler Jan
Enerstvedt Eirik
Langford Dale E.
McClung Guy
Neuder William
Weatherford / Lamb, Inc.
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