Ultra-short slip and packing element system

Abstract

A packer device, with a commercial name called “Frac Disc” includes an interior packer mandrel and radially surrounding cone, slip and seal system that seals and engages the surrounding casing or other tubular member. The cones expand the slip system and the slips compress and expand the seal system, simultaneously. The slip system provides a means for supporting the seal system when pressure is applied from above or below the packer. The close proximity of the seal and slip system in combination with a separating packer body provides for a very short packer, or a “minimum material packer”, that offers lower cost, higher performance, and if required, faster mill-out.

1 ) A tool for sealing along a section of a wall of a subterranean well and carriable into said well on a conduit, and moveable from a run-in position to a set position by a setting tool manipulatable on said conduit, said well tool comprising:
 (1) a plurality of anchoring elements shiftable from a first retracted position when said well tool is in a run-in position to a second expanded position after manipulation of said setting tool;   (2) seal means contained within said anchoring elements for sealing engagement along the wall of the well; and   (3) cone means activatably receiving said anchoring elements in a retracted position during the run-in position and, upon manipulation of said setting tool, urging said anchoring elements in a direction toward the wall of the subterranean well, said anchoring elements being shiftable to said second expanded position, said seal means sealingly engaging said well wall, and said cone means urging said anchoring means in a direction toward the wall of said well, all in concert and substantially concurrently with one another.