Through-tubing bridge plug having covered expansible packer

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein a predetermined amount of said is dumped onto the top of said expanded packer before said cement slurry is dumped thereonto.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein water is allowed to seep from said cement slurry through water-permeable walls of a bag around said expansible packer for effecting cement of improved physical properties.

Claim 5

Apparatus for emplacing a bridge plug in a wellbore penetratIng subterranean formations, said wellbore having casing and tubing therein, comprising: a. a cable for running into said wellbore; b. a collapsed packer for receiving a cement slurry; said packer being suspended from said cable during run-in and being extensible radially outwardly into contact with said casing; c. a vent tube having upper and lower vent apertures and providing an open passageway through said packer for bypassing fluid during curing of a cement slurry in said packer after said packer has been extended outwardly into contact with said casing and had said cement slurry dumped thereonto; d. vent plug carried by said vent tube and movable to a closed position for plugging said vent tube when said vent plug is subjected to a seating force; e. lock means for locking said vent plug into its closed position when moved thereinto; said lock means being connected with said vent tube and said packer; f. closure means for effecting said seating force for moving said vent plug into its closed position; said closure means being connected with said vent plug; g. actuator means for actuating said closure means; said actuator means having a portion that is disposed intermediate and adapted to establish fluid communication between said closure means and said wellbore; h. dog means connected with said vent tube for engaging said casing to hold said vent tube and said packer in place against respective forces upwardly and downwardly; said dog means being connected with said packer and said vent tube; i. cover tube covering said packer, said vent tube and said vent plug in a run-in configuration for being run into said wellbore; said cover tube having an outside diameter less than the internal diameter of said tubing so as to move longitudinally therefore; and j. dog release means adapted to release said dog means for engaging said casing to hold against a first upward force sufficient to move said cover tube from around said packer and said vent tube; said release means being operable by an operator at the surface.

Claim 6

Apparatus for emplacing a bridge plug in a wellbore penetratIng subterranean formations, said wellbore having casing and tubing therein, comprising: a. a cable for running into said wellbore; b. a collapsed packer for receiving a cement slurry; said packer being suspended from said cable during run-in and being extensible radially outwardly into contact with said casing; c. a vent tube having upper and lower vent apertures and providing an open passageway through said packer for bypassing fluid during curing of a cement slurry in said packer after said packer has been extended outwardly into contact with said casing and had said cement slurry dumped thereonto; d. vent plug carried by said vent tube and movable to a closed position for plugging said vent tube when said vent plug is subjected to a seating force; e. lock means for locking said vent plug into its closed position when moved thereinto; said lock means being connected with said vent tube and said packer; f. closure means for effecting said seating force for moving said vent plug into its closed position; said closure means being connected with said vent plug; g. actuator means for actuating said closure means; said actuator means having a portion that is disposed intermediate and adapted to establish fluid communication between said closure means and said wellbore; h. dog means connected with said vent tube for engaging said casing to hold said vent tube and said packer in place against respective forces upwardly and downwardly; said dog means being connected with said packer and said vent tube; i. cover tube covering said packer, said vent tube and said vent plug in a run-in configuration for being run into said wellbore; said cover tube having an outside diameter less than the internal diameter of said tubing so as to move longitudinally therefore; and j. dog release means adapted to release said dog means for engaging said casing to hold against a first upward force sufficient to move said cover tube from around said packer and said vent tube; said release means being operable by an operator at the surface.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said dog release means comprises a releasable stud; a compressed spring means; a shaft and thrust tube holding said spring means compressed as long as said stud retains said shaft; and means for releasing said stud to allow said spring to kick said shaft and said thrust tube downwardly; and, consequently, said dog means out of the bottom of said cover tube.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said vent plug is located at the top portion of said vent tube above the upper vent apertures to allow said vent tube to have a larger inside diameter

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said closure means comprises a chamber at a reduced pressure and a piston disposed therewithin and having its upper side in fluid communication with said actuator means so it may be subjected to wellbore fluid pressure; said piston being connected with said vent plug so as to move it to its closed position when said piston is subjected to wellbore pressure.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said actuator means comprises a well pressure inlet aperture; a poppet valve and sealing seat for blocking said well pressure inlet aperture against flow of fluid therethrough; said poppet valve being connected with a shaft portion of said actuator means and being movable into an open position to cause application of well fluid pressure to the one side of said piston of said closure means for generating said sealing force and moving said vent plug to its closed position.

Claim 11

The appartus of claim 7 wherein said apparatus also includes a tattle-tail release means connected with said actuator means and adjacent said closure means such that said shaft portion of said actuator means is released only after said closure means operates properly; and a tattle-tail connected with said shaft portion of said actuator means such that said tattle-tail can be brought to the surface completely intact only if released by said tattle-tail release means; wherein said tattle-tail release means comprises an immobilized sleeve with apertures; a recessed portion on said shaft portion of said actuator means; ball means disposed in said apertures about said recessed portion so said recessed portion can slide with respect to said balls but said balls will not be released until they are able to be moved radially outwardly through said apertures; and a skirt disposed about said sleeve and connected with said piston of said closure means so as to move downwardly with said piston when subjected to said well pressure such that said apertures are opened and said balls can move radially outwardly to free said shaft portion.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said lock means comprises a plurality of expanded chucks; biasing means tending to force said chucks radially inwardly; and wherein said piston comprises an annular recess for receiving said chucks when moved adjacent; said chucks being fixed longitudinally with respect to said vent tube such that when moved radially inwardly into said recess, said piston is immobilized against longitudinal movement with respect to said vent tube and said packer.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said packer comprises a pair of packers that, in their extended position, comprise pseudo-frusto-conically shaped packers, one opening upwardly for receiving sand and cement and one opening downwardly for directing fluid flow through said vent tube.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said packers comprise a plurality of inner radially and peripherally extensible fan-shaped leaves connected to said vent tube near their small end and a bag disposed over said leaves so as to expand therewith.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each said leaf of said packer contains a spring member that is connected to said vent tube at one end and biased radially outwardly at the other end and a fan-shaped piece attached to said spring member, said fan-shaped piece having an arcuate portion extending from the edge opposite said spring member and along the radially outermost portion of the edge; said arcuate portion increasing monotonically in lateral dimensions from a straight line tangent at the beginning of said arcuate portion and substantially aligned with said edge opposite said spring member before said arcuate portion begins, such that said packer operates more effectively and satisfactorily, particularly in large diameter casing.

Claim 16

Apparatus for emplacing a bridge plug in a wellbore penetrating subterranean formations, said wellbore having casing and tubing therein, comprising: a. a cable for running into said wellbore; b. a collapsed packer for receiving cement slurry for forming a bridge plug; said packer being suspended from said cable during run-in and being extensible radially outwardly into contact with said casing; said packer comprising in its extended position a pseudo-frusto-conically shaped packer opening upwardly for receiving sand and cement; c. a vent tube providing an open passageway through said packer for bypassing fluid during curing of a cement slurry in said packer after said packer has been extended outwardly into contact with said casing and had said cement slurry dumped thereonto; d. vent plug carried by said vent tube and movable to a closed position for plugging said vent tube when said vent plug is subjected to a seating force acting to move said vent plug into its sealingly closed position; e. means for effecting said seating force for moving said vent plug into its sealingly closed position; said means being connected with said vent plug; f. lock means for locking said vent plug into its sealingly closed position; said lock means being connected with said vent tube and said vent plug; g. dog means connected with said vent tube for engaging said casing to hold said vent tube and said packer in place against respective forces upwardly and downwardly; h. cover the covering said packer, saId vent tube, said vent plug and said dog means in a run-in configuration for being run into said wellbore; said cover tube having an outside diameter less than the internal diameter of said tubing so as to move longitudinally thereof; said cover tube holding said dog means retracted in said run-in configuration; and i. dog release means disposed at least partly within said cover tube and adapted to release said dog means for engaging said casing to hold against a first upward force sufficient to move said cover tube from around said packer and said vent tube; said dog release means being remotely operable by an operator at the surface.

Claim 17

Apparatus for emplacing a bridge plug in a wellbore penetrating subterranean formations, said wellbore having casing and tubing therein, comprising: a. a cable for running into said wellbore; b. a collapsed packer for receiving cement slurry for forming a bridge plug; said packer being suspended from said cable during run-in and being extensible radially outwardly into contact with said casing; said packer comprising in its extended position a pseudo-frusto-conically shaped packer opening upwardly for receiving sand and cement; c. a vent tube providing an open passageway through said packer for bypassing fluid during curing of a cement slurry in said packer after said packer has been extended outwardly into contact with said casing and had said cement slurry dumped thereonto; d. vent plug carried by said vent tube and movable to a closed position for plugging said vent tube when said vent plug is subjected to a seating force acting to move said vent plug into its sealingly closed position; e. means for effecting said seating force for moving said vent plug into its sealingly closed position; said means being connected with said vent plug; f. lock means for locking said vent plug into its sealingly closed position; said lock means being connected with said vent tube and said vent plug; g. dog means connected with said vent tube for engaging said casing to hold said vent tube and said packer in place against respective forces upwardly and downwardly; h. cover the covering said packer, saId vent tube, said vent plug and said dog means in a run-in configuration for being run into said wellbore; said cover tube having an outside diameter less than the internal diameter of said tubing so as to move longitudinally thereof; said cover tube holding said dog means retracted in said run-in configuration; and i. dog release means disposed at least partly within said cover tube and adapted to release said dog means for engaging said casing to hold against a first upward force sufficient to move said cover tube from around said packer and said vent tube; said dog release means being remotely operable by an operator at the surface.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said packer also includes in its extended position a pseudo-frusto-conically shaped packer opening downwardly for directing fluid flow through said vent tube more effectively.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said packers comprise a plurality of inner radially and peripherally extensible fan-shaped leaves connected to said vent tube near their small end and a bag disposed over said leaves so as to expand therewith, yet catch sand, cement particles and the like.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said bag has walls that are permeable to water so as to allow water to seep from said cement slurry through sand emplaced immediately adjacent the bag for effecting a better set cement and said bag has a permeability less than that which would allow too much water to seep from said cement and adversely affect the set cement.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein each said leaf of said packer contains a spring member that is connected to said vent tube at one end and biased radially outwardly at the other end and a fan-shaped piece attached to said spring member, said fan-shaped piece having an arcuate portion extending from the edge opposite said spring member and along the radially outermost portion of the edge; said arcuate portion increasing monotonically in lateral dimensions from a straight line tangent at the beginning of said arcuate portion and substantially aligned with said edge opposite said spring member before said arcuate portion begins such that said packer operates more effectively and satisfactorily, particularly in large diameter casing.

Claim 22

A through-tubing bridge plug comprising: a. a vent tube; b. a collapsible and extensible packer basket carried by said vent tube, said basket being made up of a plurality of leaves; and c. a bag covering said packer basket; said bag being of loosely fitting sleeve-like configuration and extending over both the interiorly facing surfaces of said leaves and the exteriorly facing surfaces of said leaves so that the bag is expanded by said leaves when they expand.

Claim 23

A through-tubing bridge plug comprising: a. a vent tube; b. a collapsible and extensible packer basket carried by said vent tube, said basket being made up of a plurality of leaves; and c. a bag covering said packer basket; said bag being of loosely fitting sleeve-like configuration and extending over both the interiorly facing surfaces of said leaves and the exteriorly facing surfaces of said leaves so that the bag is expanded by said leaves when they expand.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said basket, when extended, has a downwardly facing conical or funnel-like configuration.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said basket, when extended, has an upwardly facing conical or funnel-like configuration.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said bag is made of a water permeable material.

Claim 27

A through-tubing bridge plug comprising: a. a vent tube; b. a collapsible and extensible packer basket carried by said vent tube, said basket made up of a plurality of leaves; said basket, when extended, having an upwardly facing conical or funnel-like configuration and in addition a downwardly facing conical or funnel-like configuration disposed beneath said upwardly facing configuration; and c. a bag covering said packer basket.

Claim 28

A through-tubing bridge plug comprising: a. a vent tube; b. a collapsible and extensible packer basket carried by said vent tube, said basket made up of a plurality of leaves; said basket, when extended, having an upwardly facing conical or funnel-like configuration and in addition a downwardly facing conical or funnel-like configuration disposed beneath said upwardly facing configuration; and c. a bag covering said packer basket.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said bag covers only said downwardly facing configuration.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein at least the portion of said bag covering said upwardly facing configuration is made of a water permeable material.