In many wellbore operations an inflatable packer is positioned in a wellbore and retrieved. Examples of wellbores in which these operations are performed are oil well wellbores, gas well wellbores, and bores in coal beds. It can be difficult to drill or mill conventional packers which have various hard metal parts. This can be a serious problem, particularly if a retrievable inflatable packer cannot be retrieved and must be drilled through or milled out.

In drilling various wells, e. g. geothermal wells, it is common to encounter lost circulation zones that absorb drilling fluids. Prior to resuming normal drilling operations, lost circulation zones are plugged off. In one prior art plugging method, a retrievable packer is set above the zone, and cement is pumped through the packer and into the zone. If pumped cement flows in channels in the formation, routes around and above the packer, and sets, retrieval of the packer may not be possible. In certain prior art methods a non-retrievable packer and related apparatus are used so that, following successful plugging of a lost circulation zone, further wellbore operations conducted through the non-retrievable packer are limited by the restricted diameter of bores through the non-retrievable packer and related apparatus.

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides an inflatable packer comprising a packer body, an inflatable bladder mounted around the packer body, and a bladder support mounted around the inflatable bladder, wherein the packer body, the inflatable bladder and the bladder support are made of drillable material. A lower valve apparatus used with the packer may also be made of drillable material.

Further preferred features are set out in claims 2 to 7.

According to a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a packer system comprising the inflatable packer just described in the first aspect of the invention, and a valve apparatus connected with the packer body and in fluid communication with the fluid flow bore of the packer body for selectively controlling fluid flow from the packer to a space outside the packer system, wherein the valve apparatus is made of drillable material.

Further preferred features are set out in claims 9 to 13.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for installing a packer in a bore, the method comprising positioning a packer at a desired location in a bore, the packer comprising a packer body, an inflatable bladder mounted around the packer body, a bladder support mounted around the inflatable bladder, the packer body, the inflatable bladder and the bladder support made of drillable material, and inflating the inflatable bladder to set the packer at the desired location in the bore.

Further preferred features are set out in claims 20 to 31.

According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method for reclaiming a borehole extending from an earth surface into the earth, part of which is in a lost circulation zone, the method including closing off the borehole to fluid flow above the lost circulation zone by installing a packer system with an inflatable packer element and a valve apparatus in the borehole above the lost circulation zone, inflating the inflatable packer element with cement, and allowing the cement to set so that the inflatable packer and the valve apparatus effectively seal off the borehole to fluid flow.

Other aspects of the invention are set out in claims 14 to 18,33 and 34.

Thus, at least in its preferred embodiments, the invention provides a system which includes a selectively settable drillable inflatable packer and a running system with a valve assembly for controlling flow to the packer and to other parts of the system, and a lower valve through which cement is flowable into the annulus outside the system and below the packer. Initially fluid (e. g., but not limited to, water, brine, or cement) is pumped through the system and the valve assembly into the packer.

Following proper inflation of the packer to seal off the annulus in the borehole between the system's exterior and the borehole's interior, and following setting of the cement, fluid (e. g., but not limited to cement, brine, or water) is pumped through the system, through the packer, through the lower valve and into the formation to plug it off for further operations, e. g., but not limited to, drilling operations or operations above and/or below the lost circulation zone. Upon completion of the plugging operations, the running system is disengaged from the packer (and from associated apparatus) and the running system is then removed from the borehole, leaving the drillable inflated packer in place. Optionally, the borehole can then be reclaimed for operations below the packer by cutting through (e. g. by drilling or milling) the packer, cement, and lower valve apparatus.

Thus preferred embodiments of the invention provide a packer useful in well operations, including, but not limited to, cementing operations; such a packer that is easily drilled through or milled out from the borehole so that the entire diameter of the borehole can be reclaimed without an area limited by the restricted diameter of other wellbore apparatus such a packer useful in operations for plugging off a lost circulation zone; such a packer that is effective in open hole operations or within a tubular, e. g. in cased hole operations; such a packer useful in a cementing operation having a lower valve apparatus that can be selectively opened, cemented through, and selectively closed so that pressure is held both above and below it; and such a packer useful in operations in oil wells, gas wells, water wells, and bores in coal beds.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side cross-section view of a system according to the present invention with a packer according to the present invention; Figs. lA-lE are enlargements of parts of the system of Fig. 1; and Fig. 2 is a side cross-section view of a packer according to the present invention and associated apparatus.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a system 10 according to the present invention has a top sub or crossover sub 12 to which is threadedly connected a mandrel 20. A lower end of the mandrel 20 is threadedly connected to a top end of a valve sub 30. Threadedly connected within a lower end of the valve sub 30 is a top end of a dart seat member 50.

A dart seat sleeve 52 is sealingly held between the exterior of the dart seat member 50 and the interior of a packer mandrel 42. Any piece of the system 10 made of drillable material may be initially made as a single integral piece or a base piece (e. g. made of plastic fibreglass, etc.), may have portions on it that are built-up, e. g. by applying additional fibreglass, plastic, etc. With pieces made of e. g. fibreglass, for areas which will encounter relatively higher stresses, additional amounts of fibreglass may be applied. Fibre orientation may be selected to enhance strength.

A top end of a dart catcher 60 is threadedly connected to a lower end of the dart seat member 50. A top end of a crossover 180 is threadedly connected to a lower end of the dart catcher 60. A top end of a flow diverter 70 is threadedly connected to a lower end of the crossover 180. A lower end of the flow diverter 70 is threadedly connected to a top end of a stinger 80 whose lower end extends into a lower valve assembly 90.

The top sub 12, mandrel 20, valve sub 30, dart seat member 50, dart catcher 60, flow diverter 70 and stinger 80 are generally cylindrical hollow members each, respectively, with top-to-bottom flow bores 13,21,31,51,61,71 and 81; and the bore 13 is in fluid communication with the bore 21 ; the bore 21 in fluid communication with the bore 31 ; the bore 31 in fluid communication with the bore 51; and the bore 51 in fluid communication with the bore 61. The bore 71 of the flow diverter 70 is in fluid communication with the bore 80 of the stinger 80.

Referring now to Figs. 1A-IE, an o-ring 14 seals a top sub/mandrel interface.

Set screws 22 (one shown) extend through the top sub 12 and into recesses 23 in the mandrel 20 to hold the top sub 12 and mandrel 20 together and prevent their un- threading with respect to each other.

Mounted on a bearing retainer 24 is a bearing assembly 25 extending around the mandrel 20 with multiple balls 26. Everything above the balls 26 and everything connected to and below the mandrel 20 can rotate on the balls 26 with respect to the packer 40. As described below, this permits the"running"apparatus to be rotatively disengaged from the"packer"apparatus to remove the running apparatus from a wellbore while leaving the packer apparatus in position in the wellbore. As described below, movement of dogs 29 can also effect separation of the running apparatus from the packer apparatus. The bearing retainer 24 has a top end 201 that abuts a shoulder 202 of the mandrel 20 to hold the bearing retainer 24 on the mandrel 20. A port hole 9 through the bearing retainer 24 permits pressure equalisation between the outside and inside of the bearing retainer 24. The bearing retainer 24 may be made of drillable material, including, but not limited to, aluminium.

A lower end of the bearing retainer 24 rests on a top end of a thread bushing 27 and is secured to a packer mandrel 42. A dog retainer 28 disposed between the mandrel 20 and the bearing retainer 24 maintains the position of a plurality of movable dogs 29, each of which has an exteriorly threaded surface 15 that threadedly engages an interiorly threaded surface 16 of the thread housing 27. There are six movable dogs ( one shown) spaced apart around the generally cylindrical body of the mandrel 20.

A piston 17 is movably disposed in a space 18 and fluid flowing through a port 19 of sufficient pressure, (e. g. about 2000 psi) pushes down on the piston 17 to shear shear screws 101 (four shear screws 101 may be used, spaced apart 90E around the system) to permit the piston to move downwardly with respect to the mandrel 20. A plurality of spaced apart set screws 203 connect together the dog retainer 28 and the mandrel 20. One such set screw 203 is shown in dotted line in Fig. 1B to indicate that it has a vertical position at a level similar to that of the shear screws 101, but the set screws 203 are also spaced apart from the shear screws 101 and spaced so that the lower end of a piston 17 will abut the set screws 203 to limit its downward movement for correct positioning and alignment with respect to the dogs 29. The set screws prevent rotation of the piston 17 and dogs 29 with respect to the mandrel 20. An o-ring 116 seals a piston/dog retainer interface and an o-ring 115 seals a piston/mandrel interface.

A piston 114 seals a dog retainer/mandrel interface. Upon such downward movement of the piston 17, recess 102,103 of the piston 17 align with projections 104,105 of the dogs 29, and projection 106 of the piston 17 aligns with recesses 107 of the dogs 29, freeing the dogs 29 for inward movement, thereby freeing the running apparatus from the packer apparatus as described below (without the need for rotating the running apparatus with respect to the packer apparatus to separate the two). A port 204 in a lower end of the retainer 28 provides for the exit of fluid from a space between the mandrel 20 and the retainer 28 as the piston 17 moves downwardly therein.

The thread housing 27 is externally threaded to threadedly mate with internal threads of a packer mandrel 42. The packer mandrel 42 (and any or all other parts of the packer apparatus and lower valve apparatus) may be made of any suitable material, e. g., but not limited to metals (steel, bronze, brass, stainless steel); and, in certain aspects, to"drillable"materials, e. g. but not limited to aluminium, aluminium alloys, zinc, zinc alloys, cast iron, fibreglass, PEEK, drillable plastic, PTFE, composite, composite-coated fibreglass, resin-coated fibreglass, cement coated fibreglass and/or fibre reinforced resin materials.

A pin retainer 108 is positioned between an interior surface of the packer mandrel 42 and exterior surfaces 109,110 of the mandrel 20 to close off a space 111 into which a pin 112, or part (s) thereof, may move (as described below).

Threadedly engaged with a lower end of the mandrel 20 is a top end of the valve sub 30. An o-ring 113 seals a mandrel/valve sub interface and o-rings 117,118 seal a valve sub/packer mandrel interface. A valve assembly 120 (shown schematically) is housed in a channel 119 of the valve sub 30. Any suitable known valve assembly for inflatable packers may be used for the valve assembly 120, including but not limited to a valve assembly as disclosed in U. S. Patent 4,711,301; 4,653,588, or in any prior art cited in either of these patents.

A port 121 provides fluid communication between the mandrel bore 21 and the valve assembly 120. A port 122 provides fluid communication between the valve assembly 120 and a channel 126 between an exterior of the dart seat member 50 and an interior of a dart seat sleeve 52. A port 124 provides for pressure equalisation between the interior and exterior of the packer mandrel 42. A port 128 provides fluid communication between the valve assembly 120, via port 122, and a port 129 through the packer mandrel 42 which itself is in fluid communication with a space 131 in which is movably disposed a piston 130.

In those embodiments in which a shaft of the valve assembly 120 contacts a shaft 125 shear pinned to the valve sub 30 (or shear pinned to an insert in a recess 186 in the valve sub 30) by a shear pin 127, parts of the shear pin 127 may move out into the space 111 in which they are retained by the pin retainer 108.

An exterior of the piston 130 faces a piston housing 132 secured at its upper end to an exterior of the packer mandrel 42. A shoulder 133 of the piston 130 abuts a shoulder 134 of the piston housing 132 to limit upward movement of the piston 130 in the space 131.0-rings 135,136,137,138,139 seal the interfaces at which they are positioned. A hole 141 equalises pressure between the exterior and the interior of the piston housing 132 and in the space 131 below the piston 130 in the position of Fig. 1C.

The dart seat sleeve 52 prevents cement from contacting the interior of the packer mandrel 42. Such cement could inhibit separation of the dart seat member (and the running apparatus) from the packer mandrel.

An o-ring 142 seals a dart seal member/valve sub interface and an o-ring 143 seals a dart seat sleeve/valve sub interface.

An upper element draw sleeve 150 is disposed exteriorly of the packer mandrel 42 and may be made of any of the same materials and/or"drillable"materials as used for the packer mandrel 42. An o-ring 144 seals a sleeve/packer mandrel interface.

Shear pins (e. g. made of metal or fibreglass) 145 extending through the piston housing 132 and into the sleeve 150 releasably holds the sleeve 150 to the piston housing 132, thus initially preventing movement of the sleeve 150 with respect to the packer mandrel 42. Once the sleeve 150 is freed for movement, the bladder and bladder support are sufficiently freed to permit outward expansion in response to inflation fluid.

Mounted exteriorly of the sleeve 150 is a packer element 43 which may be any suitable packer element. In certain embodiments according to the present invention, the packer element 43 includes an inflatable bladder 44 and a bladder support 45. Top ends of the bladder support and bladder 46,47 extend up between the sleeve 150 and a transition member 160 and a pin 161 through the transition member 160 pushes against the end 46 and projects into a recess 151 of the sleeve 150 to maintain the position of the bladder and bladder support. Holes 146 are bleed holes for epoxy that is used to glue together the transition member 160, bladder and bladder support. Epoxy is injected through the port 187 which fills void areas between the transition member and the draw sleeve. Optionally, recesses 206 in the sleeve 150 and/or 207 in the transition member 160 may be shaped so that hardened epoxy therein, which upon hardening is secured to the end of the packer element, creates a solid with a wedge shape that assists in maintaining correct position of the packer element.

A compression ring 162 disposed between the transition member 160 and the sleeve 150, and between the bladder 44 and the bladder support 45, forces the bladder 45 sealingly against a lower end of the sleeve 150. Optionally, the exterior of the lower end of the sleeve 150 and the interior of the compression ring 162 may have an undulation shape, as shown, to enhance the holding and sealing of the bladder 44.

The bladder support 45, in certain aspects, is a flexible fabric made, e. g., of fabric material of sufficient strength to effectively support the bladder 44 during inflation and while it is in use in a wellbore. In certain embodiments the flexible fabric is made of material including, but not limited to, fibreglass, plastic, PTFE, rubber, and/or Kevlar J material. Any suitable fabric may be produced as a woven or air-laid fabric with fibres bonded together or not. Preferably the material expands to accommodate bladder inflation and, in certain aspects, retracts to correspond to bladder deflation. In one particular aspect, two layers or"socks"of a braided or woven fibreglass fabric are used for the bladder support 45 (e. g., in one particular aspect, fibreglass braid strands at 45E to each other to provide for expansion and contraction).

In one aspect, only one such"sock"or layer may be used and, in other aspects, three or more such"socks"are used. In one particular aspect instead of the bladder/bladder support combinations described above, a fabric of suitable strength and elasticity, e. g. one or more of the"socks"described above has a rubber, rubber-like, or elastomer coating applied thereto so that it can serve as both bladder and bladder support. In one aspect such an element is made by first expanding a sock, then applying the rubber, rubber-like, or elastomer material so that future expansion of the braided material does not result in a rupture of the material containing the inflating fluid. In another aspect, any sock (s) or element described above also has an expandable cover or sheath thereover to inhibit snagging of the sock (s) or element on an item in a bore as the system is passing through the bore. For example, as shown in Fig. 1C, a retaining member 210 releasably maintains the bladder support (and bladder) in position until the bladder is expanded. One or more retaining members (or bands) like the member 210 may be used or a cover or sheath over substantially all of the packer element may be used. In certain aspects the member 210 is made of drillable material and is sized and configured to break or tear upon expansion of the bladder. In one particular embodiment, rather than using a movable member to accommodate bladder expansion (e. g. as the movable draw sleeve 150) (or in addition to such a movable member) a sock or socks are used with one or more folds therein which, when unfolded, allow for bladder expansion. The fold or folds may be initially held against the packer mandrel by one or more bands (e. g. of rubber, elastomer, or fibreglass) and/or by a cover or sheath as described above. Folds can be oriented vertically, horizontally and/or at an angle.

The bladder 44 and bladder support 45 extend down the outside of the packer mandrel 42 to a lower mounting structure that is similar to the upper mounting structure.

A transition member 163 has an upper end outside the packing element 43 and packer mandrel 42 and a lower end 164 pushing against lower ends of the bladder 44, bladder support 45 and a shoulder 165 of a lower sleeve 170. A compression ring 166 functions as does the compression ring 162. A hole 167 through the transition member 163 is an epoxy bleed hole and a pin 168 functions as does the pin 161. A hole 169 is for epoxy injection. Recesses 171 and 209 function as the recesses 206,207.

Set pins 172 (two, three, four or more) hold the sleeve 170 to the packer mandrel 42, which two members may also be epoxied together.

The bore 51 of the dart seat member 50 has a lower portion 5 la into which a dart pumped from the surface moves to seal off the bore 51 to fluid flow. An o-ring 173 seals a dart sleeve/packer mandrel interface and an o-ring 174 seals a dart seat member/packer mandrel interface. Ports 175 are in fluid communication with a channel 176 defined by the interior of the dart sleeve 52 and the exterior of the dart seat member 50. The channel 176 is in fluid communication with the channel 122 so that fluid to inflate the bladder 44 is selectively flowable through the bore 31, through the valve assembly 120, through port 122, through the channel 176, through four ports 175, to inflate the bladder 44. Instead of a dart seat member and dart (s), any suitable bore obstructer which permits fluid pressure build-up and pressure control may be used, including, but not limited to ball/seat apparatuses, movable sleeves with alignable ports apparatuses, and/or restricted orifice devices.

The dart catcher 60 has a series of ports 62a, 62, and 63 for fluid flow. The dart catcher 60 is sized and the ports 62a, 62,63 are located so that fluid may flow out from it after a dart (or darts) has been pumped from the lower portion 5 la of the bore 51 into the dart catcher 60.

The plug or crossover 180 is threadedly connected to a lower end of the dart catcher 60 and seals off this end to fluid flow so that fluid flows out the ports 62,62a, 63. An upper end 72 of the flow diverter 70 threadedly engages a lower end of the crossover 180. Series of ports 73,74 permit fluid flow into the flow diverter 70. A lower end of the flow diverter 70 is threadedly engaged to an upper end of the stinger 80.

The lower valve assembly 90 has a body 95 with a portion threadedly engaging a lower end of the packer mandrel 42. The valve assembly 90 has fluid exit ports 92 (one shown; there are four spaced-apart ports) through which fluid from the surface may flow when ports 83 (one shown, there are three spaced-apart ports) of the stinger 80 is aligned with the port 92 and a sliding sleeve 94 is in the position shown in Fig. 1D in which it does not block fluid flow through the port 92. The ports 92 and/or 83 may have any suitable zig-zag, spiral, oval or other shape to ensure alignment of the ports 92 and 83 for fluid flow. A sliding sleeve mandrel 96 encompasses part of the stinger 80 and part of the sliding sleeve 94 and is threadedly engaged in the body 95.0-ring 93 seals the sliding sleeve/lower body 95 interface. Lower valve assembly 90 and all its parts, (including the sliding sleeve 94 and the sleeve mandrel 96), in certain embodiments, are made of drillable material. In one particular aspects, the mandrel 96 is made of aluminium.

As shown in Fig. 1D, three collet fingers 97 of the sliding sleeve 94 have been forced from corresponding collet recesses in the sliding sleeve mandrel 96, freeing the sliding sleeve 94 for downward movement pushed by the stinger 80 to the position of Fig. 1D in which fluid (e. g. but not limited to cement) is flowable out through the port 92 to the space below the system 10 in a wellbore and up the annulus between the system's exterior and the wellbore's interior (or tubular interior if the system 10 is used within a tubular).

As shown in Fig. 1D the collet fingers 97 are held in recesses 98 in the sliding sleeve mandrel 96. Upward movement of the stinger 80 will bring slanted shoulder 85 of the stinger 80's exterior into contact with slanted portion 99 of the collet fingers 97, forcing the collet fingers 97 from the recesses 98 and into recesses 86 of the stinger 80.

Further upward movement of the stinger 80 will align the collet fingers 97 with recesses 88 of the sliding sleeve mandrel 96 and then move the collet fingers 97 into the recesses 88. In this position the sliding sleeve 94 blocks fluid flow through the port 92 and the sliding sleeve is again releasably held to the sliding sleeve mandrel 96.

In one particular embodiment of a method according to the present invention using a system as described above, the system is run into a borehole (uncased) in the earth and located at a desired location in the borehole below which it is desired to place cement. In one aspect such a location is the location at which control of fluid circulation down the borehole has been lost, known as a lost circulation zone, and the purpose of the method in this aspect is to plug off the lost circulation zone, remove part of the system, leave part of the system cemented in place (e. g. a drillable inflatable packer and lower valve apparatus), and, following adequate setting of the cement, drill or mill ("cut") through the packer and lower valve apparatus to reclaim the bore for further operations, e. g. above and/or below the lost circulation zone e. g., but not limited to, further drilling.

Following location of the system at the desired area in the borehole, a first dart is dropped and falls into the dart seat member so that fluid under pressure may be pumped down the borehole to the system at sufficient pressure to shear the pin 127, of the valve assembly 120, thereby opening the valve assembly for fluid flow, e. g. cement, to inflate the inflatable bladder of the packer element. At this time, pressure of the pumped cement also forces the piston 130 down, shearing the shear pins 145 to release the draw sleeve 150 so that part of the packer element is free to move outwardly as it inflates with the cement.

Cement pressure builds up on the valve assembly to a level at which the packer element is sufficiently inflated and a closing valve in the valve assembly is activated to close off flow through the valve assembly, thereby closing off further flow to the packer element. Thus the inflating cement is held in the inflated packer element.

Further pumping pressure is now applied with fluid (e. g. water or brine) to the system above the first dart to pump it out from the dart seat member into the dart catcher. The first dart sits in the dart catcher without blocking the dart catcher's exit ports. The cement is allowed to set in the packer element so that the packer element, packer mandrel, lower valve assembly, and associated structure can seal off the borehole for further cementing.

Once the cement is set, a second dart is dropped into the dart seal member and fluid under pressure (e. g. at about 3000 psi) is then pumped down to the second dart to a pressure level sufficient to force the piston 28 to move to shear the shear screws 101 that releasably hold the dogs 29. Upon shearing of the shear screws 101, the dogs move inwardly, freeing the running apparatus from the packer apparatus. Then the running tool apparatus (top sub, mandrel, valve assembly housing, dart seat member, dart seat sleeve, dart catcher, and stinger) are raised to disengage the running tool apparatus from the packer apparatus (packer mandrel, packer element, lower valve, etc.). The running tool apparatus is raised (e. g. a few feet) to indicate that the running apparatus is disengaged from the packer apparatus. Optionally, if effective disengagement of the running apparatus from the packer apparatus does not occur, then the running apparatus is rotated (e. g. about 4 times) so that the threads 15 unscrew from the threads 16 to free the running apparatus from the packer apparatus, whether the dogs have moved inwardly or not (e. g. if the dogs do not move, e. g. if debris or other material prevents them from moving).

Once the running apparatus is freed from the packer apparatus and raised, the running apparatus is lowered down again so that flow through the ports 92 is again possible. Then the second dart is pumped through to the dart catcher (e. g. at about 4200 psi). Optionally, at this point a third dart may be dropped followed by cement and then forced through the dart seat member into the dart catcher. When the third dart seats in the dart seat member it provides positive indication at the surface (e. g. a pressure build- up indicated on a surface gauge) that the cement for the formation plugging step is at a desired location, i. e., that it has reached the borehole area of the packer and lower valve assembly. The third dart also isolates the cement behind it from whatever may be in front of it, including, but not limited to, fluid from the formation, drilling fluids, water, brine, etc.

Cement pumping now continues out through the ports 92. In certain aspects a pre-determined volume of cement is pumped and allowed to set. In other aspects, cement is pumped until a pressure build-up is indicated at the surface, indicating that the formation is being successfully plugged off.

Upon the cessation of cement pumping, the running apparatus is raised, bringing the collet fingers up to snap into the recesses in the lower valve mandrel 96, thereby closing off the ports 92 to further flow. Optionally, additional cement may be pumped on top of the lower valve apparatus and adjacent the packer as the running apparatus is raised. The running apparatus is then removed to the surface.

After the cement is set, and the borehole is effectively sealed off to fluid flow, operations may be conducted above the area of cementing and/or the borehole may be reclaimed for further operations, e. g. but not limited to, further drilling below the lost circulation zone by drilling or milling through the inflated packer and its lower valve apparatus, related structure, and cement. For this reason, in certain preferred embodiments, the inflated packer and lower valve apparatus and related structure remaining in the borehole following removal of the running apparatus is made of relatively easily drillable and/or millable material. If cement has channelled through the formation to an area above the packer and then back into the borehole, it too can be drilled or milled.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.