Large bore packer and methods of setting same

Abstract

Devices and methods for setting a packer inside a wellbore with little appreciable reduction of the useable area of the wellbore. The outer casing or liner of the wellbore contains one or more integrated casing coupler joints having an increased diameter chamber portion. A large bore packing element is carried within the increased diameter chamber portion. The packing element may be selectively actuated to form a seal against an interior tubular member. Because the packing element is located within the chamber portion of the casing coupler, the packer may be set while saving useable cross-sectional area within the casing.

1 . A packer arrangement for forming a seal between an inner tubular string and an outer tubular string in a wellbore, the packer arrangement comprising:
 a outer tubular string member having a chamber portion; and   a packer device disposed at least partially within the chamber portion to form a seal against the inner tubular string.   
   
   
       2 . The packer arrangement of  claim 1  wherein the packer device comprises:
 a sealing element for forming a seal against the inner tubular string, the sealing element being actuatable between set and unset positions; and   a setting member for selectively actuating the sealing element from the unset position to the set position.   
   
   
       3 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the sealing element comprises an elastomeric seal. 
   
   
       4 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the sealing element comprises a non-elastomeric seal. 
   
   
       5 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the sealing element comprises a metallic seal. 
   
   
       6 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  further comprising a locking mechanism for securing the setting member such that the sealing element is maintained in the set position. 
   
   
       7 . The packer arrangement of  claim 6  wherein the locking mechanism comprises a body lock ring. 
   
   
       8 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the setting member comprises:
 a compression member that is axially moveable within the chamber portion; and   an engagement profile for selectively securing the compression member to a setting tool component.   
   
   
       9 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the setting member comprises a camming member that is axially moveable within the chamber portion between a first position wherein the sealing element is unset and a second position wherein the camming member urges the sealing element radially inwardly by camming toward the set position. 
   
   
       10 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the setting member comprises:
 a generally cylindrical compression member having a helical interface with the outer tubular string member such that rotation of the compression member results in movement of the compression member axially within the outer tubular string member.   
   
   
       11 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the setting member comprises a hydraulically-actuated setting piston. 
   
   
       12 . The packer arrangement of  claim 2  wherein the setting member is biased toward a set position for the sealing element by a spring, the spring being disposed within the chamber portion. 
   
   
       13 . The packer arrangement of  claim 12  wherein the setting member is initially retained against movement by a releasable lock. 
   
   
       14 . The packer arrangement of  claim 13  wherein the releasable lock comprises a split ring releasably disposed within a recess such that, upon the split ring being released from the recess, the setting member will actuate the sealing element to the set position. 
   
   
       15 . The packer arrangement of  claim 12  further comprising a trigger arrangement for selectively releasing the lock to permit the spring to move the setting member to actuate the sealing element to the set position. 
   
   
       16 . The packer arrangement of  claim 15  wherein the trigger arrangement comprises a transceiver that releases the lock upon receipt of a trigger signal. 
   
   
       17 . The packer arrangement of  claim 16  wherein the trigger arrangement further comprises a signal transmitter associated with the inner tubular string, the signal transmitter transmitting a trigger signal to the transceiver. 
   
   
       18 . The packer arrangement of  claim 17  wherein the signal transmitter comprises an RFID chip and the transceiver comprises an RFID reader. 
   
   
       19 . The packer arrangement of  claim 12  wherein the spring comprises a fluid spring. 
   
   
       20 . The packer arrangement of  claim 1  wherein:
 the packer device comprises a sealing element within the chamber portion; and   the inner tubular string includes a ductile tube that is expandable radially outwardly to form a sealing engagement with the sealing element within the chamber portion.   
   
   
       21 . The packer arrangement of  claim 20  wherein the sealing element comprises an elastomeric sealing element. 
   
   
       22 . The packer arrangement of  claim 20  wherein the sealing element comprises a metallic sealing element and the sealing engagement of the ductile tube and the sealing element forms a biting retention to withstand high axial tubing loads. 
   
   
       23 . The packer arrangement of  claim 20  wherein the ductile tube is expanded radially outwardly by hydraulic inflation. 
   
   
       24 . The packer arrangement of  claim 20  wherein the ductile tube is expanded radially outwardly by mechanical swaging. 
   
   
       25 . A wellbore production system comprising:
 an outer tubular string defining a central bore;   a packer device associated with the outer tubular string, the packer device being selectively moveable between an unset position and a set position, wherein a portion of the packer device is moved radially inwardly to engage an inner tubular string.   
   
   
       26 . The wellbore production system of  claim 25  wherein the packer device comprises:
 a sealing element for forming a seal against an inner tubular string, the sealing element being actuatable between set and unset positions; and   a setting member for selectively actuating the sealing element from the unset position to the set position.   
   
   
       27 . The wellbore production system of  claim 26  wherein the setting member comprises:
 a compression member that is axially moveable within the chamber portion; and   an engagement profile for selectively securing the compression member to a setting tool component.   
   
   
       28 . The wellbore production system of  claim 25  further comprising an inner tubular string for production of hydrocarbons against which the packer device is set. 
   
   
       29 . The wellbore production system of  claim 26  wherein the setting member comprises a generally cylindrical compression member having a helical interface with the outer tubular string member such that rotation of the compression member results in movement of the compression member axially within the outer tubular string member. 
   
   
       30 . The wellbore production system of  claim 26  wherein the sealing element comprises an elastomeric seal. 
   
   
       31 . The wellbore production system of  claim 26  wherein the sealing element comprises a non-elastomeric seal. 
   
   
       32 . The wellbore production system of  claim 26  wherein the sealing element comprises a metallic seal member. 
   
   
       33 . The wellbore production system of  claim 26  further comprising a locking mechanism for securing the setting member such that the sealing element is maintained in the set position. 
   
   
       34 . The wellbore production system of  claim 33  wherein the locking mechanism comprises a body lock ring assembly. 
   
   
       35 . The wellbore production system of  claim 26  wherein the setting member comprises a hydraulically-actuated setting piston. 
   
   
       36 . The wellbore production system of  claim 25  further comprising an energy source for moving the packer device to its set position, the energy source being associated with the outer tubular string. 
   
   
       37 . The wellbore production system of  claim 36  further comprising a trigger arrangement for selectively releasing the energy source to move the packer to its set position. 
   
   
       38 . A method of establishing a seal within a wellbore between an outer tubular string member and an inner tubular string member, comprising the steps of:
 disposing an outer tubular string within a wellbore, the outer tubular string containing an outer tubular string member having an enlarged diameter chamber portion with a packer device residing at least partially within the chamber portion, the packer device being actuatable between an unset position and a set position;   disposing an inner tubular string within the outer tubular string;   actuating the packer device from the unset position to the set position to create a seal between the outer and inner tubular strings.   
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the step of actuating the packer device comprises axially compressing a packer element to cause the packer element to be expanded radially inwardly against the inner tubular string. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the step of actuating the packer device comprises urging a compression member axially against a sealing member to cause the sealing member to expand axially inwardly against the inner tubular string. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the step of urging the compression member axially against the sealing member comprises:
 engaging an engagement profile on the compression member with a portion of the inner tubular string, and   moving the inner tubular string axially with respect to the outer tubular string to cause the compression member to be urged against the sealing member.   
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising securing the packer device in a set position with a locking mechanism.