Openhole packer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a naked-eye packer, which comprises: a tube body extending axially and having a first through hole axially; a seal sleeved circumferentially outside the tube body, the seal having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being fixed to the tube body, and the free end being capable of making a sealing contact with a naked-eye well; a plurality of pistons arranged circumferentially along the tube body, and pressure can be applied to the pistons through the first through hole so that the pistons can move upward axially; a support block arranged between the seal and the pistons for pushing the free end of the seal to move; the support block has a first surface, and the first surface has a first position that fits the outer surface of the tube body and a second position that does not fit the outer surface of the tube body; when the pistons move upward axially, the support block can be switched from the first position to the second position; when the support block is in the second position, the free end of the seal can make a sealing contact with the naked-eye well. The naked-eye packer provided by the present invention has strong irregular deformation ability and good sealing performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of downhole tools in oil wells, and particularly to an open-hole packer. Background Art

[0002] The description in this part only provides background information related to the disclosure of the present invention, and does not constitute prior art.

[0003] In recent years, there have been more and more open-hole wells. For performing zonal operations such as acidizing, fracturing, water injection, water shutoff, and well testing in the open-hole well formation, an open-hole packer is required. Compared with the conventional casing well section, the wellbore shape in the open-hole section is irregular. Therefore, it is required that the maximum sealing coefficient (expansion coefficient) of the open-hole packer is relatively large, and there are strong requirements for the irregular deformation ability of the sealing member of the open-hole packer.

[0004] It should be noted that the above introduction of the technical background is only for the convenience of clearly and completely explaining the technical solution of the present invention and facilitating the understanding of those skilled in the art. It cannot be considered that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art just because these solutions are described in the background art part of the present invention. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an open-hole packer, which has strong irregular deformation ability and good sealing performance.

[0006] To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides an open-hole packer, including:

[0007] A tube body extending axially, having a first through hole axially;

[0008] A sealing member sleeved circumferentially outside the tube body, the sealing member having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being fixed to the tube body, and the free end being capable of making sealing contact with the open-hole well;

[0009] A plurality of pistons arranged circumferentially along the tube body, and pressure can be applied to the pistons through the first through hole so that the pistons can move upward along the axis;

[0010] A support block disposed between the sealing member and the pistons, for pushing the free end of the sealing member to move; the support block has a first surface, and the first surface has a first position that fits the outer surface of the tube body and a second position that does not fit the outer surface of the tube body; when the pistons move upward along the axis, the support block can be switched from the first position to the second position; when the support block is in the second position, the free end of the sealing member can make sealing contact with the open-hole well.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the support block has a rotating edge on the first surface, and the support block can rotate around the rotating edge to switch from the first position to the second position.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the support block has a second surface, the second surface intersects the first surface at the rotating edge, and the second surface is not perpendicular to the first surface.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, a load-bearing block is provided between the piston and the support block, and the load-bearing block has one end connected to the piston and one end connected to the rotating edge.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment, an installation sleeve is fixedly sleeved on the tube body in the circumferential direction. The installation sleeve is axially provided with a second through hole and a plurality of third through holes. The second through hole is used to accommodate part of the tube body, and the third through holes are located in the circumferential direction of the second through hole and are used to accommodate at least part of the piston.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment, a locking block is provided at one end of the piston away from the support block, and a locking sleeve cooperating with the locking block is fixedly provided outside the tube body. When the piston moves upward along the axis, the locking block slides upward on the locking sleeve.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment, a one-way limiting portion is provided on the contact surface between the locking block and the locking sleeve to limit the locking block to only slide upward and not downward.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment, a pin is provided on the tube body, and the pin fixes the locking sleeve on the tube body.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment, a liquid inlet hole is provided on the tube body, and the liquid inlet hole communicates the first through hole with one end of the piston away from the support block.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment, an upper joint is provided at the upper end of the tube body, and a compression cap is provided between the upper joint and the seal for fixing the fixed end of the seal; a retaining ring is provided at the lower end of the tube body for forming a pressurizing chamber for the piston.

[0020] Beneficial effects: The open-hole packer provided by the embodiment of the present invention has a novel and unique structure, different from conventional compression packers and expansion packers. By arranging a plurality of pistons in the circumferential direction of the tube body to push the support block to switch from the first position to the second position, the free end of the seal can be in sealing contact with the open hole well in the circumferential direction, so that the open-hole packer has strong irregular deformation ability and good sealing performance.

[0021] Specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, indicating the ways in which the principles of the present invention can be employed. It should be understood that the scope of the embodiments of the present invention is not thereby limited.

[0022] Features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment can be used in the same or similar way in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0023] It should be emphasized that the term "comprising / including" as used herein refers to the presence of features, wholes, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps or components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram of an open-hole packer provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 For Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram of the open-hole packer during setting;

[0027] Figure 3 For Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram of the open-hole packer after setting;

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic structural diagram of a support block provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 For Figure 1 Enlarged view of the positional relationship among the mounting sleeve, piston, load-bearing block and support block in

[0030] Figure 6 For Figure 5 Example diagram when only one piston is provided in

[0031] Figure 7 For Figure 3 Enlarged view of the positional relationship among the mounting sleeve, piston, load-bearing block and support block in

[0032] Figure 8 For Figure 7 Example diagram when only one piston is provided in

[0033] Description of Reference Numerals

[0034] 1. Upper joint; 2. Compression cap; 3. Pipe body; 4. Sealing member; 5. Support block; 501. First surface; 502. Second surface; 503. Rotating edge; 504. Extension; 6. Load-bearing block; 7. Piston; 8. Mounting sleeve; 801. Second through hole; 802. Third through hole; 9. Locking sleeve; 10. Locking block; 11. Pin; 12. Retaining ring; 13. Liquid inlet hole; 14. Pressurizing chamber. Detailed Embodiment

[0035] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present invention, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can also be another intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be another intermediate element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation manner.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. The terms used in the description of the present invention herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0038] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 . The embodiment of the present invention provides a naked-eye packer, and the device may include a pipe body 3, a sealing member 4, a piston 7 and a support block 5. It should be noted that in Figures 1 to 3 , the direction facing up when the reader faces the accompanying drawings is defined as "up", and the direction facing down is defined as "down". When the naked-eye packer provided in this embodiment is applied to other non-vertical wells such as inclined wells and horizontal wells, the upper direction in the present invention can be the direction closer to the wellhead, and the lower direction can be the direction farther from the wellhead.

[0039] Among them, the pipe body 3 extends axially and has a first through hole axially. The pipe body 3 can be a central pipe. The seal 4 is sleeved around the pipe body 3 circumferentially. The seal 4 has a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end is fixed to the pipe body 3, and the free end can be in sealing contact with the open hole well to complete setting. A plurality of the pistons 7 are arranged circumferentially along the pipe body 3. Pressure can be applied to the pistons 7 through the first through hole so that the pistons 7 can move upward along the axis. The support block 5 is arranged between the seal 4 and the pistons 7 and is used to push the free end of the seal 4 to move, and finally be in sealing contact with the open hole well. The support block 5 has a first surface 501. The first surface 501 has a first position that fits the outer surface of the pipe body 3 and a second position that does not fit the outer surface of the pipe body 3. The pistons 7 moving upward along the axis can cause the support block 5 to switch from the first position to the second position. When the support block 5 is in the second position, the free end of the seal 4 can be in sealing contact with the open hole well.

[0040] The open hole packer provided by the embodiment of the present invention has a novel and unique structure, different from conventional compression packers and expansion packers. By arranging a plurality of pistons 7 circumferentially along the pipe body 3 to push the support block 5 to switch from the first position to the second position, the free end of the seal 4 can be in sealing contact with the open hole well circumferentially, making the present open hole packer have strong irregular deformation ability and good sealing performance.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 1 and Figure 4 shown, the support block 5 has a rotating edge 503 on the first surface 501. The support block 5 can rotate around the rotating edge 503 and switch from the first position to the second position, increasing the maximum expansion diameter of the seal 4. The support block 5 has a second surface 502, which intersects the first surface 501 at the rotating edge 503, and the second surface 502 is not perpendicular to the first surface 501. Specifically, the first surface 501 is an arc surface and can fit the outer wall of the pipe body 3. The second surface 502 can be a plane and the angle with the axis is an acute angle. One end of the support block 5 facing away from the pipe body 3 has an extension 504 upward along the axis, which is used to contact the seal 4 and push the free end of the seal 4 to expand outward. And one end of the support block 5 facing the pipe body 3 is not in contact with the outer wall of the pipe body 3 upward along the axis, only the first surface 501 is in contact with the outer wall of the pipe body 3, so that after the support block 5 is stressed, it can rotate around the rotating edge 503, as Figure 3 and Figure 7 shown, increasing the maximum expansion diameter of the seal 4. Moreover, different support blocks 5 in the circumferential direction can have different rotation angles, so that the expansion diameters at different places in the circumferential direction of the seal 4 are different, so as to better fit the irregularly shaped open hole well, making the present open hole packer have strong irregular deformation ability and good sealing performance.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, a load-bearing block 6 may be provided between the piston 7 and the support block 5. The load-bearing block 6 has one end connected to the piston 7 and one end connected to the rotating edge 503. Specifically, a groove for accommodating a part of the piston 7 may be provided at the end of the load-bearing block 6 connected to the piston 7, so that the piston 7 extends into the load-bearing block 6 and can push the load-bearing block 6. The end of the load-bearing block 6 connected to the rotating edge 503 is a plane perpendicular to the axis, and the edge of this plane in contact with the tube body 3 is the contact part between the rotating edge 503 and the load-bearing block 6. By converting the axial movement of the piston 7 into the rotation of the support block 5 through the load-bearing block 6, the maximum expansion diameter of the seal 4 can be increased.

[0043] In an embodiment of the present invention, an installation sleeve 8 may be fixedly sleeved on the tube body 3 in the circumferential direction. As Figure 6 and Figure 8 shown, the installation sleeve 8 is axially provided with a second through hole 801 and a plurality of third through holes 802. The second through hole 801 is used to accommodate a part of the tube body 3. The third through holes 802 are located in the circumferential direction of the second through hole 801 and are used to accommodate at least a part of the piston 7. The installation sleeve 8 provides an installation position for the piston 7. Preferably, the plurality of third through holes 802 are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction of the second through hole 801. The number of pistons 7 (i.e., the number of third through holes 802) is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention. The more pistons 7 there are, the greater the maximum expansion diameter that can be increased in the circumferential direction of the seal 4, and a better sealing effect can be obtained. For example, 12, 24 or other numbers of pistons 7 may be provided.

[0044] Furthermore, a locking block 10 is provided at the end of the piston 7 away from the support block 5 for preventing the piston 7 from moving downward. A groove for accommodating a part of the piston 7 may be provided at the end of the locking block 10 connected to the piston 7, so that the piston 7 extends into the locking block 10, and thus the locking block 10 can push the piston 7 upward. The piston 7 in this embodiment may be cylindrical and extend along the axis. Connecting parts with a diameter slightly smaller than the body of the piston 7 may be provided at both ends of the piston 7, and the two connecting parts extend into the grooves of the locking block 10 and the load-bearing block 6 respectively for better connection and force transmission.

[0045] A locking sleeve 9 that cooperates with the locking block 10 can be fixedly provided outside the tube body 3. When the piston 7 moves upward along the axial direction, the locking block 10 slides upward on the locking sleeve 9. A one-way limiting portion can be provided on the contact surface between the locking block 10 and the locking sleeve 9, which is used to limit the locking block 10 to only slide upward and not downward. Specifically, the one-way limiting portion can include a protrusion and a groove, with one of the protrusion and the groove located on the locking block 10 and the other located on the locking sleeve 9. Both the protrusion and the groove have a hypotenuse and a straight edge that are opposite to each other. The straight edge is perpendicular to the axial direction, and the included angle between the hypotenuse and the axial direction can be an acute angle. The protrusion and the groove allow the locking block 10 to slide upward relative to the locking sleeve 9, but do not allow the locking block 10 to slide downward relative to the locking sleeve 9. The embodiment of the present invention does not limit the only structure of the one-way limiting portion, and other structures with one-way limiting functions can also be used as the one-way limiting portion of this embodiment.

[0046] Furthermore, a pin 11 is provided on the tube body 3. The pin 11 fixes the locking sleeve 9 on the tube body 3. When it is necessary to release the open-hole packer, only need to lift the tool connected to the tube body 3 to cut the pin 11, so that the locking sleeve 9 is no longer fixed to the tube body 3, causing the locking block 10, the piston 7, the load-bearing block 6, and the support block 5 to lose the force to maintain the free end of the seal 4 in sealing contact with the open hole, so that the free end of the seal 4 contracts to complete the release.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present invention, a liquid inlet hole 13 is provided on the tube body 3. The liquid inlet hole 13 communicates the first through hole and one end of the piston 7 away from the support block 5. A pressurizing chamber 14 is provided at one end of the piston 7 away from the support block 5, and the liquid inlet hole 13 communicates the first through hole and the pressurizing chamber 14, so that the liquid can flow into the pressurizing chamber 14 through the first through hole and the liquid inlet hole 13 to pressurize the locking block 10 and the piston 7 to move them upward.

[0048] Specifically, an upper joint 1 can be provided at the upper end of the tube body 3 for connecting with other tool rods to realize the lowering and lifting of the open-hole packer. A compression cap 2 can be provided between the upper joint 1 and the seal 4 to fix the fixed end of the seal 4. A retaining ring 12 can be provided at the lower end of the tube body 3 to form the above-mentioned pressurizing chamber 14.

[0049] The seal 4 in the embodiment of the present invention can be a rubber cylinder or other seals, which is not uniquely limited. In the prior art, when the seal 4 is applied to an open-hole packer, the ratio of the maximum expansion diameter of the seal 4 to its diameter in the natural state is 1.1 - 1.15, while for the seal 4 in this embodiment, the ratio of the maximum expansion diameter to its diameter in the natural state can be 1.2 or more. The structure of this open-hole packer can increase the maximum expansion diameter of the seal 4, thereby improving the sealing effect, and through a plurality of pistons 7 arranged circumferentially without interference, this open-hole packer can have strong irregular deformation ability.

[0050] In a specific application scenario, when setting the packer, the open-hole packer is lowered to the working position through the tool, and the liquid enters the pressurizing chamber 14 through the liquid inlet hole 13 on the pipe body 3. As Figure 2 shown, the locking block 10 pushes the piston 7 to move upward, the piston 7 pushes the bearing block 6 to move upward, the bearing block 6 pushes the support block 5 to move upward, and the support block 5 pushes the free end of the seal 4 to expand. When a certain acting force is reached, as Figure 3 shown, due to the existence of a slope angle at the lower end of the support block 5 (the second surface 502 is not perpendicular to the first surface 501, and the included angle between the second surface 502 and the axis is an acute angle), the support block 5 can flip around the rotation edge 503, further increasing the maximum expansion diameter of the seal 4. At the same time, since the pistons 7 are circumferentially distributed along the pipe body 3 and each piston 7 is independent of each other, the ellipticity of the seal 4 after expansion can be adjusted automatically according to the ellipticity of the wellbore, so that the free end of the seal 4 fits well on the well wall to achieve the sealing effect. When it is necessary to release the packer, the tool connected to the pipe body 3 is lifted to cut the pin 11, so that the locking block 10, the piston 7, the bearing block 6, and the support block 5 lose the force to maintain the sealing contact between the free end of the seal 4 and the open hole well, so that the free end of the seal 4 shrinks and the release is completed.

[0051] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and to distinguish similar objects, and there is no sequence between the two, nor can it be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0052] Any numerical value cited herein includes all values from the lower value to the upper value increasing in increments of one unit between the lower limit value and the upper limit value, provided that there is an interval of at least two units between any lower value and any higher value. For example, if the value of the number of components or process variables (such as temperature, pressure, time, etc.) is stated as being from 1 to 90, preferably from 20 to 80, more preferably from 30 to 70, the intention is to illustrate that values such as 15 to 85, 22 to 68, 43 to 51, 30 to 32, etc. are also explicitly listed in this specification. For values less than 1, a unit is appropriately considered to be 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1. These are merely examples of what is intended to be clearly expressed, and it can be considered that all possible combinations of the numerical values listed between the lowest value and the highest value are explicitly set forth in this specification in a similar manner.

[0053] Unless otherwise indicated, all ranges include the endpoints and all numbers between the endpoints. The term "about" or "approximate" used in connection with a range is inclusive of the endpoints of the range. Thus, "about 20 to 30" is intended to cover "about 20 to about 30", including at least the specified endpoints.

[0054] All articles and references disclosed, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated herein by reference for various purposes. The term "consisting essentially of" describing a combination shall include the identified elements, ingredients, components or steps as well as other elements, ingredients, components or steps that do not materially affect the basic novel characteristics of the combination. The use of the terms "comprising" or "including" to describe the combinations of elements, ingredients, components or steps herein also contemplates embodiments consisting essentially of these elements, ingredients, components or steps. By using the term "may" herein, it is intended that any of the attributes described as "may" include be optional.

[0055] A plurality of elements, ingredients, components or steps can be provided by a single integrated element, ingredient, component or step. Alternatively, a single integrated element, ingredient, component or step can be separated into discrete plural elements, ingredients, components or steps. The disclosure of the articles "a" or "an" used to describe an element, ingredient, component or step is not intended to exclude other elements, ingredients, components or steps.

[0056] It should be understood that the above description is for purposes of illustration and not limitation. Many embodiments and many applications other than the examples provided will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of the present teachings should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents to which those claims are entitled. For completeness, all articles and references including patent applications and published disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. The omission of any aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein in the foregoing claims is not intended to forego that subject matter nor should the inventors be regarded as having not considered that subject matter to be part of the disclosed inventive subject matter.

Claims

1. A naked-eye packer, characterized in that, comprising: a tube body extending axially, having a first through-hole axially; a seal sleeved circumferentially outside the tube body, the seal having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end being fixed to the tube body, and the free end being capable of making a sealing contact with the open-hole well; a plurality of pistons arranged circumferentially along the tube body, and pressure can be applied to the pistons through the first through-hole so that the pistons can move upward along the axis; a support block arranged between the seal and the pistons, for pushing the free end of the seal to move; the support block has a first surface, the first surface has a first position fitting with the outer surface of the tube body, and a second position not fitting with the outer surface of the tube body; when the pistons move upward along the axis, the support block can be switched from the first position to the second position; when the support block is in the second position, the free end of the seal can make a sealing contact with the open-hole well; the support block has a rotating edge on the first surface, and the support block can rotate around the rotating edge to be switched from the first position to the second position; the support block has a second surface, the second surface intersects with the first surface at the rotating edge, and the second surface is not perpendicular to the first surface; an installation sleeve is fixedly sleeved circumferentially on the tube body, the installation sleeve is axially provided with a second through-hole and a plurality of third through-holes, the second through-hole is used for accommodating part of the tube body, and the third through-holes are located circumferentially of the second through-hole and are used for accommodating at least part of the pistons; the first surface is an arc surface and fits with the outer wall of the tube body; the second surface is a plane, and the included angle with the axis is an acute angle; one end of the support block facing away from the tube body has an extension part axially upward, for contacting with the seal and pushing the free end of the seal to expand outward; one end of the support block facing the tube body is not in contact with the outer wall of the tube body axially upward, and only the first surface is in contact with the outer wall of the tube body, so that after the support block is stressed, it can rotate along the rotating edge.

2. The naked-eye packer according to claim 1, characterized in that, a load-bearing block is arranged between the piston and the support block, the load-bearing block having one end connected to the piston and one end connected to the rotating edge.

3. The naked-eye packer according to claim 1, characterized in that, a locking block is arranged at one end of the piston away from the support block, and a locking sleeve cooperating with the locking block is fixedly arranged outside the tube body. When the piston moves upward along the axis, the locking block slides upward on the locking sleeve.

4. The naked-eye packer according to claim 3, characterized in that, a one-way limiting part is arranged on the contact surface between the locking block and the locking sleeve, for restricting the locking block to only slide upward and not downward.

5. The naked-eye packer according to claim 3, characterized in that, a pin is arranged on the tube body, and the pin fixes the locking sleeve on the tube body.

6. The naked-eye packer according to claim 1, characterized in that, a liquid inlet hole is arranged on the tube body, and the liquid inlet hole communicates the first through-hole with one end of the piston away from the support block.

7. The naked packer according to claim 1, characterized in that, an upper joint is provided at the upper end of the pipe body, and a compression nut is provided between the upper joint and the seal for fixing the fixed end of the seal; a retaining ring is provided at the lower end of the pipe body for forming a pressurizing chamber of the piston.

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