Dual position isolator seal
A wellbore isolation assembly includes an outer component and an inner component. The outer component is disposed at a first location in a wellbore. The inner component is disposed at a second location in the wellbore. The inner component is moved from the second location into engagement with the outer component at the first location to form a barrier within the wellbore. When deployed in the wellbore, the barrier inhibits passage of fluids. The wellbore isolation assembly is then retrieved from the wellbore.
1. A wellbore assembly for use in a wellbore extending through a subterranean formation, the assembly comprising:
a workstring;
a tubular releasably attached to a lower end of the workstring, the tubular for positioning at a selected location in the wellbore, the tubular defining an inner bore extending therethrough, the tubular having a seal bore defined in the inner bore;
an inner string having an inner bore extending therethrough for allowing fluid flow therethrough, the inner string extending through the inner bore of the tubular and defining an inner string annulus between the inner string and the tubular, the inner string annulus for allowing fluid flow therethrough;
an isolation packer releasably attached to a lower end of the inner string, the isolation packer having an inner bore and at least one port for selectively allowing fluid flow across the isolation packer,
the isolation packer movable, when the tubular is released from the workstring, to a position adjacent the seal bore, for sealingly engaging the seal bore to prevent fluid flow across an annulus between the isolation packer and the tubular; and
a fastener for coupling together the isolation packer and the tubular when the seal bore and isolation packer are sealingly engaged.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a tubular mandrel releasably attached to an interior wall of the tubular, and sealingly engaged with the interior wall of the tubular to prevent fluid flow along an annulus defined between the tubular mandrel and the tubular; and the fastener positioned on the tubular mandrel.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a circulation flow path through the workstring, the inner string, and an annulus defined around the tubular.
4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the circulation flow path further comprises an inner bore defined in the isolation packer and radial ports defined in the isolation packer, and wherein the circulation flow path is for placing cement in the annulus defined around the tubular.
5. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the tubular further includes sand screens, and wherein the circulation flow path is for gravel packing an annulus defined around the sand screens.
6. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the workstring further includes an annular packer or liner hanger for sealing an annulus between the tubular and the wellbore.
7. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the workstring further comprises a shoe positioned at the lower end of the tubular, the shoe having ports allowing fluid flow between the shoe and a wellbore annulus.
8. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the tubular is releasably detachable to the inner string.
9. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the tubular further includes a tubular mandrel positioned within the tubular and detachably coupled to the tubular; wherein the isolation packer is movable into the tubular mandrel; wherein the fastener is for coupling the isolation packer to the tubular mandrel; and wherein the seal bore is defined by the tubular mandrel.
10. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the releasably attached isolation packer is detachable from the inner string by defeating one or more fasteners coupling the isolation packer to the inner string.
11. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the isolation packer and tubular mandrel are retrievable from the wellbore using a retrieval tool.
12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the tubular mandrel is uncoupled from the tubular by sliding a sliding sleeve positioned in the tubular mandrel, thereby releasing a set of locking dogs from cooperating recesses defined in the tubular.
13. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the isolation packer further comprises a dump port for allowing fluid flow between the isolation packer and the wellbore during retrieval.