Metal Ring Sealing Assembly for Long-Life Well Annulus Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sealing methods in oil and gas wells, such as inflatable packers and elastomeric swelling packers, fail over time, leading to leaks and compromising well integrity, and are difficult and expensive to repair.
Innovation Solution
An annular sealing device with a fixed, movable, and expandable metal ring that forms metal-to-metal seals between pipe segments, eliminating the need for fluid ports and elastomeric materials, and can be easily installed using weight or tension-set operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional inflatable packers or elastomeric swelling packers are used to seal annular regions, then sealing function is provided, but reliability deteriorates over time due to material degradation and finite lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from elastomeric/ inflatable materials to metal materials, fundamentally altering the durability and reliability characteristics. The metal rings maintain their sealing properties throughout the well's expected life without the degradation issues of elastomeric materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts this principle by using expensive but long-lasting metal components instead of cheap but short-lived elastomeric materials, prioritizing long-term reliability over initial cost savings.
2Reliability
If conventional packers with fluid delivery ports are used, then sealing function is achieved, but reliability worsens due to port failure over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the fluid delivery port component entirely from the sealing system. By using a metal ring that expands mechanically to contact the outer pipe segment, the system removes the vulnerable port that was prone to failure in conventional packers.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable metal ring acts as an intermediary mechanism that translates axial movement into radial expansion, eliminating the need for fluid ports while achieving the same sealing function through mechanical means.
3Ease of repair
If casing strings are removed to access annular leak paths, then repair access is obtained, but device complexity and operation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is designed to be universally applicable within annular regions between casing strings, providing a standardized solution that can address leak paths without requiring complex case-by-case repair procedures or removal of casing strings.
4Reliability
If elastomeric swelling packers are used, then sealing function is provided, but reliability deteriorates due to finite lifespan of elastomeric materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the material parameter from elastomeric to metal, transforming the lifespan characteristic from finite to potentially indefinite, matching the expected life of the well itself.
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing device includes a first ring that is fixedly attached to a pipe segment, a second ring that is movably secured to the pipe segment and spaced axially apart from the first ring in an initial configuration of the sealing device, and a third ring that axially overlaps a first wall portion of the first ring and a second wall portion of the second ring, wherein the third ring is expandable radially to accommodate a third wall portion of the first ring and a fourth wall portion of the second ring within an interior region of the third ring.