Abstract: An apparatus for constructing a subsurface containment barrier under a waste site disposed in soil is provided. The apparatus uses a reciprocating cutting and barrier forming device which forms a continuous elongate panel through the soil having a defined width. The reciprocating cutting and barrier forming device has multiple jets which eject a high pressure slurry mixture through an arcuate path or transversely across the panel being formed. A horizontal barrier can be formed by overlapping a plurality of such panels. The cutting device and barrier forming device is pulled through the soil by two substantially parallel pulling pipes which are directionally drilled under the waste site. A tractor or other pulling device is attached to the pulling pipes at one end and the cutting and barrier forming device is attached at the other. The tractor pulls the cutting and barrier forming device through the soil under the waste site without intersecting the waste site.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting soil and constructing sub-surface containment barriers, such as for constructing subsurface containment walls or basins around and under contaminated soils, comprises an elongated beam for abutting an extended length of soil. The beam comprises a cutting assembly that creates a cutting action against the extended length of abutting soil. The cutting assembly preferably comprises a conduit containing a plurality of jet ports through which high pressure fluid is ejected to impact the soil to be cut. The cutting assembly is maintained adjacent to the face of the soil to be cut. A method of cutting soil comprises generating cutting action along an extended locus of soil, and advancing the cutting action along a descending locus of the soil in response to gravity, or along a path determined by pre-placed pulling assemblies. Subsurface containment barriers are formed by when a jetted slurry or other suitable material cuts and mixes with the soil.

Abstract: Surface packer and method for using the same. An annular body is mounted on the upper end of a string of casing which extends above a drilling rig platform. An annular seal is received within the body at the upper end thereof and may be sealed against the radially outer surface of a string of drill pipe which is lowered therethrough into the casing. A radial circulation port is formed in the body beneath the annular seal. In a cementing operation, a string of drill pipe is lowered in the casing to the lower end thereof and the annular seal is sealed thereagainst. The pipe-casing annulus is pressurized and cement is pumped into the drill pipe for cementing the casing into the well bore. In one embodiment, the annular seal is of the inflatable type which permits vertical and rotational manipulation of the pipe string while maintaining the seal thereagainst.

Abstract: An annulus pressure responsive sampler valve comprising a power section and a sampler section having an annular sample chamber therein; the sampler valve having a full bore therethrough.

Abstract: An inflatable packer assembly includes a cylindrical mandrel with a cylindrical valve body concentrically disposed about the mandrel. The valve body includes an inlet communicating with an interior of the mandrel and an outlet for directing fluid to an inflatable element of the packer assembly. First and second axial bores, containing first and second pistons, respectively, are disposed in said valve body and communicate with an end surface thereof. The first bore also communicates with said inlet. A first port connects the first and second bores. A second port connects the second bore and the outlet. The first piston which includes a check valve is held in a first position blocking said first port until a pressure differential across the first piston reaches a first level at which the first piston is released and is moved to a second position allowing fluid communication between the inlet and the first port.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an acoustic plug release indicator system. The acoustic plug release indicator system comprises a microphone, recording system and operator listening device.

Abstract: An inflatable packer element utilizing metal cable employed to reinforce the elastomeric packer bladder as an anchoring element. Steel cable is exposed along at least a portion of the packer element surface to engage a casing, liner or other conduit wall, or the wall of an open well bore. A seal may be effected at one or both ends of the packer element through use of a bonded elastomer cover which is pressed against the conduit wall by the expanded cable when the packer element is inflated.

Abstract: An inflation anchor for sealing a conduit bore. A tubular elastomeric bladder is attached to a shoe assembly, with two layers of calendered steel cable being fixed to the shoe assembly and surrounding the bladder. At the free end of the bladder, an elastomeric cup is bonded thereto and overlaps the layers of cable. In operation, a valve is closed between the interior and exterior of the anchor, and fluid pressure increased in the conduit. The initial seal is made by the trailing cup edge expanding to firmly contact the conduit wall, after which the remainder of the cup expands into contact with the wall, and the tubular bladder subsequently expands as pressure is further increased, pressing the cable into frictional engagement with the conduit wall.

Abstract: An hydraulically inflatable anchoring device for use in pipelines. A woven fabric of braided steel cable is employed as the outer cover of the device, being expanded and maintained against the inside of a pipeline by inflation of an elastomeric bladder within. The anchoring device is configured in the shape of a dumbbell, with a center section of lesser diameter than the ends, in order to facilitate movement through curved sections of pipe. The woven fabric is wrapped around the ends of the anchoring device and clamped in the interior thereof, so as to provide a greater length of fabric for frictional engagement with the wall of the pipe.

Abstract: An inflatable packer includes a reinforcing element constructed from first and second layers of alternately biased calendered steel cables. Fixed and sliding end shoes each are a single machined structure and include a roughened inner cylindrical surface disposed about an end of the reinforcing element. Upper and lower hardened rings, formed from a liquid adhesive, have the ends of the reinforcing element embedded therein and are bonded to the end shoes.

Abstract: A trap to catch knockout plugs or "pins" from casing inflation packers. The trap is mounted in the well casing above a float valve, and catches pins falling from casing inflation packers in the casing above it as these pins are broken off by a cementing plug descending into the well, thus preventing the loose pins from jamming the float valve open after cementing is completed. The trap comprises a generally cylindrical hollow body having rods extending laterally across its bore, and a collapsible pin guide mounted on top of the body to guide the pins into the body, where they are constrained above the float valve by the rods.

Abstract: A method is provided for cementing an annular cavity between a subsea well casing and a borehole from a floating vessel. A drill string is run into the casing. An opening positioner attached to the drill string is engaged with a valve in the casing. The drill string is lifted to open the valve. The drill string is positioned to align an isolation packer with the casing valve. An anchor attached to the drill string is set to provide sufficient resistance between the drill string and the casing to operate a motion compensator on the floating vessel. A cement slurry is then pumped into the drill string, out the isolation packer, through the open casing valve and into the annular cavity between the casing and the well bore-hole.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for cementing an oil well borehole from a floating vessel. A sliding sleeve cementing valve is adapted to be interconnected with a casing string. A drill string to be lowered into the casing string includes a drill pipe, an opening positioner connected to the drill pipe for opening the cementing valve, an anchor connected to the opening positioner to provide sufficient resistance between the drill string and casing string to operate a motion compensator on the floating vessel, and an isolation packer connected to the anchor.

Abstract: An inflatable packer assembly includes a cylindrical mandrel with a cylindrical valve body concentrically disposed about the mandrel. The valve body includes an inlet communicating with an interior of the mandrel and an outlet for directing fluid to an inflatable element of the packer assembly. First and second axial bores, containing first and second pistons, respectively, are disposed in said valve body and communicate with an end surface thereof. The first bore also communicates with said inlet. A first port connects the first and second bores. A second port connects the second bore and the outlet. The first piston is held in a first position blocking said first port until a pressure differential across the first piston reaches a first level at which the first portion is released and is moved to a second position allowing fluid communication between the inlet and the first port.

Abstract: An isolation packer extension doubles the distance between upper and lower packer assemblies of an isolation packer so that less accurate positioning thereof is required when performing cementing operations from a floating vessel.

Abstract: The extended length isolation packer of the present invention comprises upper and lower tubular body assemblies which are interconnected by a middle body. The upper tubular body assembly has an upper packer assembly and a closing positioner attached to its outer surface. The lower tubular body assembly has a lower packer assembly attached to its outer surface. An upper inner mandrel is concentrically disposed within said upper tubular body assembly and has a port disposed therein for communicating an inner cavity of said upper inner mandrel with the annular cavity between the isolation packer and an oil well casing. A lower inner mandrel is concentrically disposed within said lower tubular body assembly and communicates with said upper inner mandrel through said middle body. A fluid bypass is provided through annular cavities between the inner mandrels and the tubular body assemblies.

Abstract: An inflatable packer assembly includes a cylindrical mandrel with a cylindrical valve body concentrically disposed about the mandrel. The valve body includes an inlet communicating with an interior of the mandrel and an outlet for directing fluid to an inflatable element of the packer assembly. First and second axial bores, containing first and second pistons, respectively, are disposed in said valve body and communicate with an end surface thereof. The first bore also communicates with said inlet. A first port connects the first and second bores. A second port connects the second bore and the outlet. The first piston is held in a first position blocking said first port until a pressure differential across the first piston reaches a first level at which the first piston is released and is moved to a second position allowing fluid communication between the inlet and the first port.

Abstract: A port valve isolation packer comprises an upper body, a slip joint port valve, a positioner mandrel, a spacer coupling and a lower body, all of which make up a tubular body of the isolation packer. Said tubular body has upper and lower packer assemblies and a closing positioner attached to its outer surface. An inner mandrel is concentrically disposed within said tubular body. The slip joint port valve includes a slip joint mandrel having a port disposed therein, and a slip joint sleeve having a radial bore therethrough. When said port valve is in a first closed position, said port is blocked by said slip joint sleeve. When said port valve is in a second open position, said port is aligned with the radial bore of the slip joint sleeve. The inner bore of the inner mandrel communicates with said port. A fluid bypass is provided through an annular cavity between the inner mandrel and the tubular body.

Abstract: The inflatable packer element of the present invention includes an inflatable bladder means having a braided wire reinforcing element. An end of the reinforcing element is received between a tapered surface of an annular anchor means and a tapered surface of an annular wedge means. A threaded portion of the anchor means engages a threaded portion of an annular ring. The wedge means is slidably received within the annular ring and engages an abutment of the ring, so that when the threaded connection between the anchor means and the annular ring is made up the reinforcing element is clamped between the tapered surfaces. An additional clamping force is then applied by applying liquid epoxy under pressure against the wedge means to further drive it toward the anchor means and increase the clamping force on the reinforcing element. The pressure is maintained until the epoxy is hardened.