Abstract: The invention relates to a slip design with substantially longitudinally oriented wickers, which can be used alone or in combination with transversely oriented wickers, to secure a downhole tool, such as a bridge plug or packer, against rotational forces, such as those imparted from a whipstock, as well as longitudinal forces, such as those ultimately delivered by pressure fluctuations from uphole or downhole. The longitudinally oriented wickers are further cammed against the casing since any imparted torque on the packer body contacts a corner or edge of the slip, imparting to it a camming action making it dig further into the casing surface.

Abstract: A sealing system, particularly useful for packers and anchors, is disclosed. The sealing element or elements are of a nonelastomeric material and are configured with a feature that can add a biasing force on one or both sides of the nonelastomeric sealing element(s) to allow the sealing element(s) to maintain the seal despite temperature or pressure fluctuations in the wellbore. The apparatus allows a packer with a nonelastomeric seal to be set at a broad range of downhole temperatures. The system includes a biasing member in the form of a cylindrical element having narrow width and wider width openings.

Abstract: A packer or bridge plug is described which may be released by manipulation of the production tubing connected to it. If manipulation of the production tubing is unsuccessful in releasing the packer, the tensile strength of the production tubing need not be exceeded in attempting to remove the packer. Instead, the production tubing is removed along with certain internal components of the packer. Thereafter, heavy-wall tubing, with or without jars, can be lowered into the wellbore with a retrieving tool at the bottom of that string. The retrieving tool latches onto components of the packer to allow an alternative method of release which allows for use of significantly higher tensile loads to liberate the packer from the wellbore.

Abstract: A one-trip system for milling a window using a whipstock is disclosed. The whipstock can be set on a packer or anchor which can be an electric line-type packer which, without modifications, can be set with the hydraulic mechanism disclosed so as to avoid the need for running a wireline rig. The assembly of the packer or anchor and whipstock is run into the wellbore in a single trip, with a mill or mills capable of milling a window. At the conclusion of the milling, the mill or mills are retrieved. Thereafter, a retrieving tool is attached to the whipstock and facilitates a release of the setting tool from the packer so that the setting tool and the whipstock are retrieved together.

Abstract: A seal is provided for a connector which must be reliably sealed in applications where the connection is made and undone as part of the normal use of the connector. The seal is particularly well suited to on-off tools used in downhole applications. The seal comprises of a nonmetallic insert holding bonded seals, preferably made of rubber. The nonmetallic insert provides support against seal extrusion. It also does not damage the sealing surface if movement or flexing result in contact between the insert and the opposed sealing surface.

Abstract: A system for releasing a downhole tool such as a packer is revealed which allows the tool to retain its set position against a very high loading force which can occur during operations such as perforating or acidizing or other formation treatments. Subsequently, before environmental conditions can adversely affect the integrity of the locking mechanism which employs a movable sleeve or equivalent, the release mechanism involving such a sleeve or equivalent is actuated. This disables one of the locking mechanisms on the tool and enables a shear-release mechanism, which is preferably set at a fairly low shear force to facilitate simple removal of the downhole tool at a later time when it becomes necessary to retrieve it.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-bore packer that has an annularly shaped sealing element. The assembly has a series of strings that run continuously so that they can be supported from the surface. At least one hub segment straddles the strings and is sealed in between. The entire assembly features one of the hubs with a sealing element. The outer sealing element, when compressed, seals against a casing or wellbore as well as against one of the hubs through which the strings extend. A greater effective piston area allows setting with surface pressures below 2500 psig. A provision is made in the assembly of hubs to provide for an operating mechanism to compress the outer seal between the casing and the hub, by increasing the applied sealing forces on the outer seal, should well conditions apply greater differential pressures, in either direction, to the outer seal than the original setting pressure used.

Abstract: A mechanism for accurately positioning a well tool in axially concentric relationship to a well conduit comprises a housing having a plurality of peripherally spaced vertically extending slots therein. A stabilizer linkage is mounted in each slot, with one end of the linkage being pivotally secured in the slot and the other end free to move in an axial direction. Axially spaced anti-friction elements are carried on the linkage and are movable radially into engagement with the casing wall by axial movement of the other end of the stabilizer linkage. The other end of the stabilizer linkage is pivotally secured to a sleeve which is sealably and slidably mounted within the housing and defines a trapped fluid chamber which acts as a dashpot to delay radial expansion movement of the stabilizer linkage.

Abstract: A downhole safety valve for a subterranean well comprises an axially shiftable valve head which is movable between open and closed positions by an actuating member. The actuating member is axially shifted by a device mechanism which is manipulated by an electric motor. The electric motor is preferably actuated by downhole batteries and the energization and de-energization of the electric motor is preferably controlled from the well surface by electromagnetic waves. A locking mechanism engages the actuating member of the safety valve in its open position through the energization of an electric solenoid, also preferably controlled from the well surface by electromagnetic waves.