US 12,305,459 B2
Sealing/anchoring tool employing an expandable metal circlet
Brandon T. Least, Carrollton, TX (US); Stephen Michael Greci, Carrollton, TX (US); Chris M. Pelto, Carrollton, TX (US); and Rutger Evers, Singapore (SG)
Assigned to Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/334,903.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/352,347, filed on Jun. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0407717 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 23/01 (2006.01); E21B 33/12 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 23/01 (2013.01) [E21B 33/12 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sealing/anchoring element for use with a sealing/anchoring tool, comprising:
a circlet having an inside surface having an inside diameter (di), an outside surface having an outside diameter (do), a width (w), and a wall thickness (t), the circlet having one or more geometric features that allow it to mechanically deform when moved from a radially reduced mechanical state to a radially enlarged mechanical state, the circlet comprising an expandable metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis to chemically deform the circlet from a radially reduced chemical state to a radially enlarged chemical state, wherein the one or more geometric features are a partial slot in the wall thickness (t) of the circlet including remaining material, the remaining material configured to snap when the circlet moves from the radially reduced mechanical state to the radially enlarged mechanical state.