IP Library Granted Patent US 9,260,926
Granted Patent B2
US 9,260,926 · App. 13/837,881 · Granted Feb 16, 2016

Seal stem

Inventors: George Givens (Spring, TX); Rocky A. Turley (Houston, TX)
Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
E21B17/08E21B33/1208E21B43/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,260,926
App. No.
13/837,881
Granted
Feb 16, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, the sealing apparatus includes a mandrel having at least two portions, a first portion having a seal ring disposed on an exterior surface and a second portion without a seal ring disposed on an exterior surface. In one embodiment, the seal ring is disposed around the first portion. In another embodiment, the burst and collapse integrity of the first portion is substantially the same as the second portion.

Claims (42)

1. A sealing apparatus for sealing against a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:

a mandrel having at least two portions, wherein the first portion includes a seal ring disposed on an exterior surface and the second portion without a seal ring disposed on an exterior surface, and wherein the seal ring is disposed in a gland of the first portion, a first band is embedded in the seal ring, the first band is within the gland at a first position, and at least a portion of the first band and a portion of the seal ring are out of the gland at a second position.

2. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seal ring is disposed around the first portion.

3. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular comprises a polish bore receptacle.

4. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first band is a spring.

5. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first band comprises a non-elastomeric anti-extrusion band.

6. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the seal ring includes a protrusion for contacting the tubular.

7. The sealing apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a second band embedded in the seal ring, wherein the protrusion is between the first band and the second band.

8. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first band moves from the first position to the second position while the seal ring redistributes in a gap between the mandrel and the tubular.

9. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a burst integrity of the first portion is substantially the same as the second portion.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a burst integrity of the first portion is substantially the same as the second portion.

11. A method of connecting to a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:

providing a sealing apparatus having:

a mandrel having at least two portions, wherein the first portion includes a seal ring disposed on an exterior surface and the second portion without a seal ring disposed on an exterior surface, and wherein the seal ring is disposed in a gland of the first portion, a band is embedded in the seal ring, the band is disposed within the gland in a first position, and at least a portion of the band and a portion of the seal ring are out of the gland at a second position;

engaging the seal ring to an interior of the tubular; and

moving the seal ring and the band from the first position to the second position by redistributing a portion of the seal ring along a gap between the mandrel and the tubular while urging at least a portion of the band out of the gland and into the gap.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tubular comprises a precise bore tubular.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the precise bore tubular comprises a polish bore receptacle.

14. A sealing apparatus for sealing against an inner surface of a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:

a mandrel having a first groove and a second groove;

a seal ring disposed in the first groove, the seal ring having one or more anti-extrusion bands embedded within the seal ring, the seal ring being configured to engage the inner surface of the tubular;

a wiper ring disposed in the second groove, the wiper ring being configured to wipe the inner surface of the tubular prior to the seal ring engaging the inner surface of the tubular; and

an o-ring disposed in the second groove between the wiper ring and a bottom wall of the second groove.

15. The sealing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a volume gap is defined between a side of the first groove and a side of the seal ring.

16. The sealing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the volume gap is configured to close when the seal ring engages the inner surface of the tubular.

17. The sealing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the volume gap is closed by filling the volume gap with a portion of the seal ring.

18. The sealing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the o-ring is configured to provide support to the wiper ring.

19. The sealing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the seal ring includes a protrusion for contacting the inner surface of the tubular.

20. The sealing apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the seal ring includes two anti-extrusion bands, and the protrusion is disposed between the two anti-extrusion bands.

21. A method of creating a seal between a first tubular and a second tubular, comprising:

positioning a portion of the first tubular within the second tubular, the first tubular having a seal ring disposed in a first groove and a wiper ring disposed over an o-ring disposed in a second groove, the seal ring having one or more anti-extrusion bands embedded within the seal ring;

cleaning an inner surface of the second tubular as the wiper ring contacts the inner surface of the second tubular; and

creating the seal between the first tubular and the second tubular as the seal ring engages the inner surface of the second tubular.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein a volume gap is defined between a side of the first groove and a side of the seal ring.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising closing the volume gap upon creating the seal between the first tubular and the second tubular.

24. A sealing apparatus for sealing against an inner surface of a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:

a mandrel having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the second portion disposed between the first portion and the third portion, the second portion having a greater wall thickness than the first portion and the third portion;

a first ring disposed in a first groove formed in the second portion of the mandrel, the first ring having one or more anti-extrusion bands embedded within the first ring, the first ring being configured to engage the inner surface of the tubular; and

a second ring disposed in a second groove formed in the second portion of the mandrel.

25. The sealing apparatus of claim 24 , wherein a volume gap is defined between a side of the first groove and a side of the first ring, and wherein the volume gap is configured to close when the first ring engages the inner surface of the tubular.

26. The sealing apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising an o-ring disposed between the second ring and a bottom surface of the second groove, wherein the second ring is configured to wipe the inner surface of the tubular.

27. The sealing apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the second ring includes one or more anti-extrusion bands embedded with the second ring, and the second ring is configured to engage the inner surface of the tubular.

Assignments (9)
PATENT SECURITY INTEREST ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 26, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 063470/0629 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2021
From: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC; WEATHERFORD NETHERLANDS B.V.; WEATHERFORD NORGE AS; HIGH PRESSURE INTEGRITY, INC.; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES, INC.; WEATHERFORD CANADA LTD.; WEATHERFORD SWITZERLAND TRADING AND DEVELOPMENT GMBH; WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 057683/0706 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC; WEATHERFORD NETHERLANDS B.V.; WEATHERFORD NORGE AS; HIGH PRESSURE INTEGRITY, INC.; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES, INC.; WEATHERFORD CANADA LTD; WEATHERFORD SWITZERLAND TRADING AND DEVELOPMENT GMBH; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES ULC; WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
Reel/Frame 057683/0423 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2020
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC; WEATHERFORD NETHERLANDS B.V.; WEATHERFORD NORGE AS; HIGH PRESSURE INTEGRITY, INC.; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES, INC.; WEATHERFORD CANADA LTD.; WEATHERFORD SWITZERLAND TRADING AND DEVELOPMENT GMBH; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES ULC; WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
Reel/Frame 053838/0323 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2020
From: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC; WEATHERFORD NETHERLANDS B.V.; WEATHERFORD NORGE AS; HIGH PRESSURE INTEGRITY, INC.; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES, INC.; WEATHERFORD CANADA LTD.; WEATHERFORD SWITZERLAND TRADING AND DEVELOPMENT GMBH; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES ULC; WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 054288/0302 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 26, 2019
From: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC; WEATHERFORD NETHERLANDS B.V.; WEATHERFORD NORGE AS; HIGH PRESSURE INTEGRITY, INC.; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES, INC.; WEATHERFORD CANADA LTD.; WEATHERFORD SWITZERLAND TRADING AND DEVELOPMENT GMBH; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES ULC; WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 051419/0140 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2019
From: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC; WEATHERFORD NETHERLANDS B.V.; WEATHERFORD NORGE AS; HIGH PRESSURE INTEGRITY INC.; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES INC.; WEATHERFORD CANADA LTD.; WEATHERFORD SWITZERLAND TRADING AND DEVELOPMENT GMBH; PRECISION ENERGY SERVICES ULC; WEATHERFORD U.K. LIMITED
To: WELLS FARGO BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 051891/0089 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 4, 2014
From: WEATHERFORD/LAMB, INC.
To: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 034526/0272 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2013
From: GIVENS, GEORGE; TURLEY, ROCKY A.
To: WEATHERFORD/LAMB, INC.
Reel/Frame 030328/0159 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61642340 · May 3, 2012
Related Publication 20130292138A1 · Nov 7, 2013