Abstract: A liner hanger uses a spirally shaped slip member that makes at least one revolution about the mandrel being expanded. The slip member is disposed in a groove with tapered end walls that approach each other during radial mandrel expansion due to shrinkage of said mandrel in the longitudinal direction. The shrinkage binds the slip to the mandrel as the slip member approaches the surrounding tubular. The tapered side walls of the groove moving together cam out the slip member into enhanced contact with the surrounding tubular to support the liner or other string below the hanger. The slip member and groove have preferably the same pitch to allow easy mounting with an applied rotational force.

Abstract: An expandable packer features a sealing element in an exterior recess that is straddled by projections or bumps. Upon expansion the bumps move out against the borehole wall as an anchor support. Optionally, the bumps may be covered with a sealing material and may be constructed to assist in their radial movement to the borehole wall as a result of expansion particularly if the mandrel is expanded in compression. The bumps are not necessarily expanded with the swage and their radial growth can be induced from longitudinal shrinkage resulting from radial expansion.

Abstract: A releasable locking system for a subterranean tool uses a split housing for a body lock ring that in one mode is retained for its normal locking function by a setting sleeve. The setting sleeve holds the potential energy in the housing that would otherwise cause the housing to grow radially and away from a locking function. The locking is defeated as a surrounding setting sleeve with a recess is moved to juxtapose the recess with the segmented housing allowing the housing to spring into the recess and away from lock ring engagement that previously maintained the locked position. The tool can be released and removed to a surface location.

Abstract: A plurality of zones are gravel packed together and then isolated from each other in the gravel annulus by formation of a barrier in the gravel annulus. The screen assembly carries a series of chambers internally that are located between the producing zones generally in the area of blank pipe between the zones. The wash pipe has a shifter associated with it so that extraction of the wash pipe after gravel packing will serially shift pistons that reduce chamber volume where the chemical is stored. The chemical will exit through a rupture disc and nozzle and will commingle with the gravel and make an impervious annular barrier.

Abstract: An openable port includes a body, a sleeve movable relative to the body, and a plug disposed at the sleeve that is extrudable through the sleeve. And the sleeve is substantially occluded to flow therethrough by the plug prior to extrusion of the plug and is open to flow therethrough after extrusion of the plug.

Abstract: A liner hanger uses a spirally shaped slip member that makes at least one revolution about the mandrel being expanded. The slip member is disposed in a groove with tapered end walls that approach each other during radial mandrel expansion due to shrinkage of said mandrel in the longitudinal direction. The shrinkage binds the slip to the mandrel as the slip member approaches the surrounding tubular. The tapered side walls of the groove moving together cam out the slip member into enhanced contact with the surrounding tubular to support the liner or other string below the hanger. The slip member and groove have preferably the same pitch to allow easy mounting with an applied rotational force.

Abstract: An expandable packer features a sealing element in an exterior recess that is straddled by projections or bumps. Upon expansion the bumps move out against the borehole wall as an anchor support. Optionally, the bumps may be covered with a sealing material and may be constructed to assist in their radial movement to the borehole wall as a result of expansion particularly if the mandrel is expanded in compression. The bumps are not necessarily expanded with the swage and their radial growth can be induced from longitudinal shrinkage resulting from radial expansion.

Abstract: One or more openings in a zone have an adjacent screen assembly that is axially movable to a position away from the port when pressure in the tubing exceeds the annulus pressure by a predetermined value. Upon the differential being reduced below a predetermined value or when annulus pressure exceeds the tubing pressure, the screen moves over the port to block at least some of the solids in the formation or the well fluids from entering the tubing string. The screen movement can be aided by a bias force and the movement can be locked in to prevent the screen that has moved to a position over the port from moving back away from the port.

Abstract: A load distributing apparatus including, a sleeve configured to be radially expandable, and a wedge in operable communication with the sleeve. The longitudinal movement of the wedge relative to the sleeve causes an increase in longitudinal load on the sleeve by the wedge until an expanded portion of the sleeve reaches a selected dimension of the wedge after which continued movement of the wedge relative to the sleeve maintains a substantially constant longitudinal load on the sleeve.

Abstract: A flapper in a subsurface safety valve has at least one magnet that comes in close proximity with another magnet mounted in a fixed position on the valve body. There is a fixed magnet on the body adjacent to the fully open and the fully closed positions of the flapper. In each case like poles on the flapper magnet and the housing magnet come in close proximity as the flapper reaches its fully open and fully closed positions. The orientation of like poles adjacent each other creates a repelling force that damps or eliminates shock loading.

Abstract: A releasable locking system for a subterranean tool uses a split housing for a body lock ring that in one mode is retained for its normal locking function by a setting sleeve. The setting sleeve holds the potential energy in the housing that would otherwise cause the housing to grow radially and away from a locking function. The locking is defeated as a surrounding setting sleeve with a recess is moved to juxtapose the recess with the segmented housing allowing the housing to spring into the recess and away from lock ring engagement that previously maintained the locked position. The tool can be released and removed to a surface location.

Abstract: A downhole sealing element includes, a malleable member having at least one closed wall cavity therein positionable downhole in a gap defined between downhole members, and a chemical disposed within the at least one closed wall cavity. The malleable member is deformable to fill variations in a dimension of the gap and the chemical is reactive to form a nonflowable element.

Abstract: An openable port includes a body, a sleeve movable relative to the body, and a plug disposed at the sleeve that is extrudable through the sleeve. And the sleeve is substantially occluded to flow therethrough by the plug prior to extrusion of the plug and is open to flow therethrough after extrusion of the plug.

Abstract: A plurality of zones is gravel packed together and then isolated from each other in the gravel annulus by formation of a barrier in the gravel annulus. The screen assembly carries a series of chambers internally that are located between the producing zones generally in the area of blank pipe between the zones. The wash pipe has a shifter associated with it so that extraction of the wash pipe after gravel packing will serially shift pistons that reduce chamber volume where the chemical is stored. The chemical will exit through a rupture disc and nozzle and will commingle with the gravel and make an impervious annular barrier.

Abstract: A crossover for gravel packing has multiple outlets that are selectively covered as they wear from erosion with the covering of an outlet exposing another for slurry flow to continue. Outlets are selected by a series of balls that get larger and land on progressively higher and larger seats on sleeves. As a sleeve shifts to cover a spent outlet it moves away from a new outlet for continuation of slurry flow to the outlet opened by virtue of the shifting sleeve.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a load distributing apparatus. The apparatus includes, a sleeve configured to be radially expandable, and a wedge in operable communication with the sleeve such that longitudinal movement of the wedge relative to the sleeve causes an increase in longitudinal load on the sleeve by the wedge until an expanded portion of the sleeve reaches a selected dimension of the wedge after which continued movement of the wedge relative to the sleeve maintains a substantially constant longitudinal load on the sleeve.

Abstract: A flapper in a subsurface safety valve has at least one magnet that comes in close proximity with another magnet mounted in a fixed position on the valve body. There is a fixed magnet on the body adjacent to the fully open and the fully closed positions of the flapper. In each case like poles on the flapper magnet and the housing magnet come in close proximity as the flapper reaches its fully open and fully closed positions. The orientation of like poles adjacent each other creates a repelling force that damps or eliminates shock loading.

Abstract: A selective plug including a body; and a rotator configuration in operable communication with the body capable of causing the plug to selectively pass a number of borehole restrictions to reach and engage a target restriction and method.

Abstract: A selective plug including a body; and an incrementing configuration in operable communication with the body capable of causing the plug to selectively pass a number of borehole restrictions to reach and engage a target restriction and method.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a downhole sealing element. The element includes, a malleable member having at least one closed wall cavity therein positionable downhole in a gap defined between downhole members, and a chemical disposed within the at least one closed wall cavity. The malleable member is deformable to fill variations in a dimension of the gap and the chemical is reactive to form a nonflowable element.