One-Trip Production Packer with Collapsible Locking Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Setting and unsetting production packers in wellbores is costly and time-consuming, requiring multiple trips and resource-intensive operations.
Innovation Solution
A packer assembly with a housing, packer slip, flexible sealing element, movable piston, and collapsible locking member, allowing for one-trip setting and unsetting by fluidic pressure activation and shear force disengagement, enabling efficient deployment and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional production packers are set and unset using conventional methods, then the packer can be deployed and retrieved, but multiple trips are required which increases time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The packer incorporates a movable piston that can dynamically change position within the housing to transition between set and unset states. The piston moves along a channel defined by the housing, enabling the packer to adapt its configuration based on operational requirements without requiring retrieval and redeployment
Solution Approach 2:
The packer components including the piston, locking members, slips, and sealing elements are nested within the housing in a compact arrangement. The piston is disposed within the housing and can move along a channel, while locking members are positioned to engage with the piston, creating a space-efficient one-trip mechanism
2Reliability
If the packer uses a locking member to constrain piston movement for reliable setting, then the packer remains securely set, but the locking member must be collapsed to enable unsetting
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism transitions from a permanent mechanical constraint to a controllable system. The collapsible locking member can be deactivated by applying a collapse force that causes it to move from a first position where it engages the piston to a second position where it disengages, allowing the piston to return to its initial position
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is designed to be collapsible rather than fixed, enabling it to dynamically change between engaged and disengaged states. This dynamic capability allows the same mechanism to provide reliable locking during production while enabling easy retrieval when needed
3Productivity
If the packer assembly allows one-trip setting and unsetting, then operational efficiency improves, but the mechanism requires precise coordination of multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The setting and unsetting functions are merged into a single operational sequence. The same piston movement that sets the packer by engaging slips and sealing elements can be reversed by collapsing the locking member, allowing both deployment and retrieval to be accomplished in one trip without requiring separate mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The piston serves as an intermediary component that coordinates the action between the locking member and the slips/sealing elements. When the piston moves along the channel, it simultaneously engages both the locking member for secure setting and activates the slips and sealing elements, ensuring synchronized operation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution saves rig time and resources by allowing for the setting and unsetting of production packers in a single trip, improving operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The movable piston is configured to move to activate the packer slip and the flexible sealing element to set the packer slip and the flexible sealing element on a wall of the wellbore
Implementation Method 2
The locking member is configured to engage the piston to constrain movement of the piston to keep the packer slip and the flexible sealing element set on the wall of the wellbore
Implementation Method 3
The locking member is collapsible to disengage the piston to unset the packer slip and the flexible sealing element responsive to shear force applied by the mandrel to the locking member
Data Source
AI summary
A packer assembly includes a tubing string disposed in a wellbore and a packer releasably coupled to the tubing string. The packer includes a housing releasably coupled to the tubing string, a packer slip, a flexible sealing element, a piston coupled to the housing, a locking member, and a mandrel disposed inside the housing. The piston moves to activate the packer slip and the flexible sealing element to set the packer on a wall of the wellbore. The locking member engages the piston to constrain movement of the piston to keep the packer set on the wall of the wellbore. The mandrel connects to the tubing string when the tubing string is released from the housing. The locking member is collapsible to disengage the piston to unset the packer slip and the flexible sealing element responsive to shear force applied by the mandrel to the locking member.