US 12,065,901 B1
Expanding and collapsing apparatus having bookend seal cartridges
Gareth Brown, Aberdeen (GB); and Oliver Fry, Aberdeen (GB)
Assigned to SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, Sugar Land, TX (US)
Appl. No. 18/696,220
Filed by Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Sugar Land, TX (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 18, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/055439
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 27, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/069069, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 27, 2023.
Int. Cl. E21B 33/129 (2006.01); E21B 23/01 (2006.01); E21B 33/12 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 33/1291 (2013.01) [E21B 23/01 (2013.01); E21B 33/12 (2013.01); E21B 33/129 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A downhole tool, comprising:
a combined seal and anchor assembly configured to anchor the downhole tool against a wellbore casing within which the downhole tool is disposed, and to provide a radial seal between the downhole tool and the wellbore casing only in compression, the combined seal and anchor assembly comprising:
a central slips cartridge comprising a plurality of slip elements disposed in a central ring structure and configured to move radially outward and slide circumferentially relative to each other to form a relatively constant outer diameter to enable the central slips cartridge to anchor the downhole tool against the wellbore casing;
a first seal cartridge disposed on a first axial side of the central slips cartridge, wherein the first seal cartridge comprises a first plurality of seal body elements disposed in a first ring structure and configured to move radially outward and slide circumferentially relative to each other to form the relatively constant outer diameter, wherein each seal body element of the first plurality of seal body elements has a seal element mounted to a first axial end of the seal body element, and wherein each respective seal element is configured to provide the radial seal between the downhole tool and the wellbore casing only in compression, and to provide a first axial seal between the respective seal body element and the central slips cartridge; and
a second seal cartridge disposed on a second axial side of the central slips cartridge opposite the first axial side, wherein the second seal cartridge comprises a second plurality of seal body elements disposed in a second ring structure and configured to move radially outward and slide circumferentially relative to each other to form the relatively constant outer diameter, wherein each seal body element of the second plurality of seal body elements has a seal element mounted to a first axial end of the seal body element, and wherein each respective seal element is configured to provide the radial seal between the downhole tool and the wellbore casing only in compression, and to provide a second axial seal between the respective seal body element and the central slips cartridge.