Packer tool arrangement with rotating lug

Abstract

A packer assembly requires only forces applied axially along an actuating means such as production tubing (either pushing down or pulling up) to actuate it between its operational states, such as a set state, a bypassed state, and a released state. The packer includes a tubular member that has a lug guide formed substantially within its inner surface. The packer further includes a mandrel that can be coupled to an actuating means and disposed within the tubular member, the mandrel further comprising a lug ring having at least one lug disposed in the lug guide. The tubular member is held in a substantially fixed position relative to the mandrel once the packer is initially set within a well-bore. The lug ring is free to rotate in response to forces applied to the tubing once the packer tool assembly is initially set.

1 . A packer apparatus comprising: 
 a tubular member comprising a lug guide formed substantially within its inner surface;    a mandrel operative to be coupled to an actuating means and disposed within the tubular member, the mandrel further comprising a lug ring having at least one lug disposed in the lug guide;    means for maintaining the tubular member in a substantially fixed position relative to the mandrel once said packer is initially set within a well-bore; and    wherein the lug ring is operative to rotate in response to forces applied to the actuating means once the packer tool assembly is initially set.    
   
   
       2 . The packer apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lug guide comprises a plurality of state and intermediate positions sequentially connected through a plurality of guide segments, each of the state positions corresponding to an operational state of said packer, said packer operative in the one of the operational states corresponding to the state position currently occupied by the at least one lug.  
   
   
       3 . The packer apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the at least one lug is operative to be actuated from one state position to a next state position of the lug guide by first applying a downward axial force on the mandrel through the actuating means to urge the at least one lug into a next intermediate position of the lug guide, and then applying an upward axial force on the mandrel through the actuating means to urge the at least one lug into a next state position of the lug guide.  
   
   
       4 . The packer apparatus of  claim 3  wherein one or more of the state positions of the lug guide are each interconnected with an intermediate position through a declining guide segment, and one or more of the intermediate positions are each coupled to a state position through an inclining guide segment.  
   
   
       5 . The packer apparatus of  claim 4  wherein: 
 a first of the state positions of the lug guide corresponds to a set state wherein said packer is sealably anchored within the well-bore; and    a second of the state positions of the lug guide corresponds to a released state wherein said packer can be repositioned within the well-bore.    
   
   
       6 . The packer apparatus of  claim 5  wherein a third of the state positions of the lug guide corresponds to a bypassed state wherein said packer operates in a bypassed mode.  
   
   
       7 . The packer apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said packer remains sealably anchored within the well-bore while operating in the bypassed state.  
   
   
       8 . The packer apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the lug guide is circular and the plurality of state positions begins with the set state, then the bypassed state, then the released state, with intermediate states there between, and the released state connected with the set state.  
   
   
       9 . The packer apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said packer is initially disposed in the well-bore in an armed state, wherein the at least one lug is releasably restrained within a guide segment connecting the set state position to a previous intermediate position by frangible means to prevent the at least one lug from being urged into the set state until a triggering force applied to set said packer exceeds a predetermined threshold.  
   
   
       10 . The packer apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the triggering force is applied hydraulically.  
   
   
       11 . The packer apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the triggering force is applied by wireline.  
   
   
       12 . The packer apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the released state comprises a first released state position in the lug guide wherein said packer can be repositioned in an up-hole direction from its previous position in the well-bore; and a second released state position wherein said packer can be repositioned in a down-hole direction from its previous position in the well-bore.  
   
   
       13 . The packer apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the actuating means is a length of production tubing.  
   
   
       14 . A method of actuating a packer, said packer comprising a mandrel, the mandrel comprising a rotatable lug ring, the lug ring comprising at least one lug, the mandrel being disposed within a tubular member, the at least one lug being disposed within a lug guide formed substantially within the inner surface of the tubular member and having a plurality of state positions and a plurality of intermediate positions there between, each of the state and intermediate positions sequentially interconnected through a guide segment, said method comprising: 
 setting the packer within a well bore, said setting further comprising maintaining the tubular member in a fixed position relative to the mandrel;    applying a downward axial force on the mandrel to urge the at least one lug through a declining one of the guide segments into a next intermediate position of the lug; and    applying an upward axial force on the mandrel to urge the at least one lug through an inclining one of the guide segments into a next state position of the lug guide.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein: 
 a first of the state positions of the lug guide corresponds to a set state wherein the packer is sealably anchored within the well-bore; and    a second of the state positions of the lug guide corresponds to a released state wherein the packer can be repositioned within the well-bore.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a third of the state positions of the lug guide corresponds to a bypassed state wherein the packer operates in a bypassed mode while remaining sealably anchored within the well-bore.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said identifying further comprises arming the packer for deployment within the well-bore, said arming further comprising releasably securing the at least one lug within a declining one of the lug guides connecting a previous intermediate position with the set state position, preventing the at least one lug from being urged into the set state position in response to a triggering force that has not exceeded a predetermined threshold.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 deploying the armed packer within a well-bore; and    wherein said setting further comprises providing a triggering force to the packer that exceeds the predetermined threshold.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the applied upward and downward forces applied to the mandrel are applied through a length of production tubing coupled to the mandrel.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said providing further comprises pumping fluid into the packer through a length of production tubing coupled to the mandrel.