Packer, setting tool for a packer and method for setting a packer

Abstract

The invention relates to a packer ( 7 ) to be included in a production tubing ( 4 ) in a well bore ( 1 ). The packer ( 7 ) comprises an expandable bag ( 11 ) located on the outside ( 56 ) of a packer body ( 9 ), the bag ( 11 ) having an outwardly facing semi-permeable wall ( 12 ) made from fabric. When setting the packer, a liquid curable resin is injected into the bag ( 11 ), which causes an expansion of the bag ( 11 ). The resin partly penetrates the outwardly facing fabric wall ( 12 ) and seals against the well bore wall ( 10 ), and after curing forms a packer seal ( 58 ). The invention also relates to a setting tool for setting the packer ( 7 ) in the well bore ( 1 ) and a method for setting a packer ( 7 ) in a well bore ( 1 ).

1 . A packer ( 7 ) to be included in a production tubing ( 4 ) in a well bore ( 1 ), for sealing against a wall ( 10 ) of the well bore ( 1 ), wherein the packer ( 7 ) comprises an essentially cylindrical packer body ( 9 ) with connections for connecting to the production tubing ( 4 ), characterised by 
 an expandable bag ( 11 ) located on the outside ( 56 ) of the packer body ( 9 ), the bag ( 11 ) having an outwardly facing semi-permeable wall ( 12 ) made from fabric,    at least one injection conduit ( 13 ) connecting the inside of the bag ( 11 ) and one or more resin supplies, whereby an injection of a liquid curable resin having an injection pressure from the resin supplies, through the injection conduit(s) ( 13 ) and into the bag ( 11 ), causes an expansion of the bag ( 11 ), the resin partly penetrates the outwardly facing fabric wall ( 12 ) and seals against the well bore wall ( 10 ), and after curing forms a packer seal ( 58 ).    
     
     
         2 . A packer ( 7 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised by that the resin supplies are formed by one ore more inlets ( 14 ,  15 ) on the inside ( 57 ) of the packer body ( 9 ), and that the injection of the liquid curable resin is done as an injection into the resin inlet(s) ( 14 ,  15 ).  
     
     
         3 . A packer ( 7 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised by that the resin supplies are formed by two or more resin storage chambers attached to or integral with the packer body, for storing two components of a two component resin, and that the injection of the liquid curable resin is done as emptying the resin storage chambers through the resin conduit(s).  
     
     
         4 . A packer ( 7 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised by that the resin supplies are formed by one or more resin storage chambers attached to or integral with the packer body, for storing one component of a two component resin, and inlets ( 14 ,  15 ) on the inside ( 57 ) of the packer body ( 9 ), and that the injection of the liquid curable resin is done as emptying the one resin component from the resin storage chamber(s), and injecting the other resin component into the resin inlet(s) ( 14 ,  15 ).  
     
     
         5 . A packer ( 7 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by a deformable packer mesh ( 16 ) located on the outside of the bag ( 11 ), whereby the expansion of the bag ( 11 ) deforms the mesh ( 16 ) and forces the mesh ( 16 ) against the well bore wall ( 10 ), whereupon the resin which penetrates the outwardly facing fabric wall ( 12 ) fills openings ( 17 ) in the mesh ( 16 ).  
     
     
         6 . A packer ( 7 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by that the bag ( 11 ) is essentially annular, and extends around the packer body ( 9 ).  
     
     
         7 . A packer ( 7 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by that the expandability of the bag ( 11 ) is achieved by the bag ( 11 ) being foldable and can assume a folded position in which the outwardly facing fabric wall ( 12 ) is proximal to the packer body ( 9 ) and an unfolded position in which the outwardly facing fabric wall ( 12 ) is proximal to the well bore wall ( 10 ).  
     
     
         8 . A packer ( 7 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by that the permeability of the fabric is dependent upon the differential pressure across the fabric.  
     
     
         9 . A packer ( 7 ) according  claim 8 , characterised by that the fabric comprises elastic-plastic strands with a long elongation before fracture, an increasing differential pressure across the fabric thereby causes an elongation of the strands and expansion of pores in the fabric and thus an increasing permeability of the fabric, an increasing internal pressure from the resin in the bag ( 11 ) thereby provides an increasing penetration of resin through the fabric.  
     
     
         10 . A packer ( 7 ) according to  claim 9 , characterised by that the fabric also includes stiff strands with a short elongation before fracture, the fabric is adapted in such a way that the stiff strands break when the bag ( 11 ) is subjected to an internal threshold pressure, causing a sudden increase in the permeability of the fabric.  
     
     
         11 . A packer ( 7 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by that a static mixer ( 18 ) for mixing a two-component resin is located in the injection conduit(s) ( 13 ).  
     
     
         12 . A packer ( 7 ) according  claim 11 , characterised by that the injection conduit(s) ( 13 ) is/are formed by one or more longitudinal channels of the packer body, and the static mixer(s) ( 18 ) comprise(s) a plurality of oblique surfaces ( 19 ).  
     
     
         13 . A setting tool for a packer according  claim 1  or  2  or any of the claims  5 - 12 , to be lowered into the packer ( 7 ) by a drill string or coiled tubing ( 20 ) when the packer ( 7 ) forms part of the production tubing ( 4 ), for injecting two different resin components into the resin inlet(s) ( 14 ,  15 ) of the packer body ( 9 ), characterised by 
 a connection ( 21 ) for connecting to the drill string or coiled tubing ( 20 ), for supporting the setting tool and supply of hydraulic control fluid from the drillstring or coiled tubing ( 20 ),  
 two resin chambers ( 23 ,  24 ) for storing two different components of a two-component resin, a resin channel ( 25 ,  26 ) extending from each resin chamber ( 23 ,  24 ) to a common or separate resin outlet(s) ( 27 ,  28 ) on the outside of the setting tool, one piston ( 29 ,  30 ) in each resin chamber ( 23 ,  24 ) and a piston rod ( 31 ) which connects the pistons ( 29 ,  30 ), the pistons and the piston rod are movable by the hydraulic control fluid, for a proportional ejection of the two resin components,  
 a positioning device ( 35 ,  36 ) for positioning the resin outlet(s) ( 27 ,  28 ) of the setting tool relative to the resin inlet(s) ( 14 ,  15 ) of the packer body ( 9 ) when the setting tool enters the packer ( 7 ),  
 radially expandable annular seals ( 32 ,  33 ,  34 ) located on each side of the resin outlet(s) ( 27 ,  28 ).  
 
     
     
         14 . A setting tool according to  claim 13 , characterised by that the radially expandable annular seals ( 32 ,  33 ,  34 ) are expandable by the hydraulic control fluid.  
     
     
         15 . A setting tool according to  claim 13  or  14 , characterised by a pressure sensitive control valve ( 37 ,  38 ) which prevents the hydraulic control fluid from moving the pistons ( 29 ,  30 ) and the piston rod ( 31 ) until the pressure of the hydraulic control fluid exceeds an opening pressure.  
     
     
         16 . A setting tool according to any of the claims  claim 13  to  15 , characterised by that the cylinders ( 45 ,  46 ,  63 ) of the resin chambers ( 23 ,  24 ), the resin channels ( 25 ,  26 ), the pistons ( 29 ,  30 ) and the piston rod ( 31 ) are disposable.  
     
     
         17 . A setting tool according to any of the claims  13 - 16 , characterised by that principal resin containing components ( 45 ,  46 ,  63 ,  29 ,  30 ) form part of a disposable cartridge.  
     
     
         18 . A method for setting a packer ( 7 ) comprising a body ( 9 ) which forms part of a production tubing ( 4 ) which is located in a well bore ( 1 ), characterised by 
 injecting a liquid curable resin having an injection pressure in an expandable bag ( 11 ) located between the packer body ( 9 ) and a wall ( 10 ) of the well bore ( 1 ), the bag ( 11 ) having an outwardly facing semi-permeable wall ( 12 ) made from fabric, the resin thereby fills and expands the bag ( 12 ) and partly penetrates the fabric and seals against the well bore wall ( 10 ),    essentially maintaining the injection pressure during curing of the resin, whereupon the resin after curing forms a packer seal ( 58 ).