TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to packer installation systems and related methods of securing a packer within a pipe.

BACKGROUND

Setting of a packer within a pipe may be compromised due to debris that has accumulated along an interior surface of the pipe. The debris can sometimes reduce the quality of a seal between the packer and the pipe once the packer has been set. Accordingly, a scraper may need to be deployed to a pipe in a separate cleanout run that is dedicated solely to cleaning an interior surface of the pipe along a setting section before a packer can even be deployed and set within the pipe. Carrying out such a cleanout run can delay operations and also introduce additional costs associated with labor and equipment.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to packer installation systems that are designed to clean out a pipe along a setting section of the pipe and to set a packer along the setting section in a single run. An example packer installation system includes a pipe segment of a drill string, a packer that is secured to the pipe segment for sealing an annular region between the drill string and the pipe, and a brush assembly that is secured to the pipe segment for removing debris that has accumulated on the pipe along the setting section. The brush assembly may be located above or below the packer, depending on a configuration of the packer and the pipe segment. The pipe segment is formed as a tubular wall that defines a central channel through which a cleaning fluid can be pumped in a downhole direction towards the packer at a high flow rate. The pipe segment also defines multiple small, circumferentially distributed holes through which the cleaning fluid can flow radially outward from the pipe segment at a high jetting force toward the pipe. The brush assembly is axially positioned adjacent the holes in the pipe segment and includes multiple, circumferentially distributed brushes that can be activated to mechanically scrape the debris from an internal wall surface of the pipe as cleaning fluid is jetted towards the pipe and coats the brushes. Combined actions of scraping the pipe with the brush assembly and jetting the cleaning fluid toward the pipe along the setting section sufficiently cleans the pipe for adequate securely setting the packer within the pipe along the setting section.

In one aspect, a packer installation system includes a pipe, a packer that is secured to the pipe at a first axial position along the pipe, and a brush assembly that is secured to the pipe at a second axial position. The brush assembly includes brushes that are adjustable between a first configuration in which the brushes extend radially from the pipe by a first distance and a second configuration in which the brushes extend radially from the pipe by a second distance that is greater than the first distance.

Embodiments may provide one or more of the following features.

In some embodiments, the pipe defines multiple openings that are distributed about a circumference of the pipe and that are positioned adjacent the brush assembly.

In some embodiments, the first axial position is above the second axial position.

In some embodiments, the first axial position is below the second axial position

In some embodiments, the pipe is open at a bottom end of the pipe.

In some embodiments, the first configuration is a retracted configuration, and the second configuration is an extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the brushes are oriented horizontally in both the retracted and extended configurations.

In some embodiments, the brushes are biased to the extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the brush assembly includes an actuation system that is coupled to the brushes in the retracted configuration.

In some embodiments, the actuation system is configured to cause the brushes to move from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the actuation system includes a first support member, a second support member positioned axially below and spaced apart from the first support member, an actuation member that is supported by the first support member when the brushes are in the retracted configuration, pulling lines that connect the actuation member respectively to the brushes to secure the brushes in the retracted configuration, and a shear ball that is configured to move the actuation member.

In some embodiments, the first support member is movable in a downhole direction to abut the second support member.

In some embodiments, the shear ball is movable in the downhole direction from the first support member to the second support member to close a bottom end of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the actuation system is configured to cause breakage of the pulling lines to allow the brushes to move from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the actuation system is formed of one or more degradable materials.

In some embodiments, the pipe is closed at a bottom end of the pipe.

In some embodiments, the first configuration is a collapsed configuration, and the second configuration is an extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the brushes are configured to pivot radially outward from the collapsed configuration to the extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the brushes are oriented at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to a central axis of the pipe in the extended configuration, and the brushes are oriented at an acute angle with respect to the central axis of the pipe in the collapsed configuration.

In some embodiments, the brush assembly further includes stops that are positioned to prevent the brushes from swinging more than 90 degrees away from the pipe segment in the extended configuration.

In another aspect, a method of installing a packer within a pipe includes pumping cleaning fluid in a downhole direction into a pipe segment that is disposed within the pipe and that carries the packer and extending multiple brushes carried on the pipe segment in a radially outward direction, where the multiple brushes are spaced axially apart from the packer and are positioned along a setting section of the pipe. The method further includes flowing the cleaning fluid through lateral openings in the pipe segment adjacent the multiple brushes in the radially outward direction towards an internal wall surface of the pipe, cleaning the internal wall surface of the pipe with the multiple brushes and with the cleaning fluid, aligning the packer axially with the setting section of the pipe, and securing the packer to the pipe along the setting section.

Embodiments may provide one or more of the following features.

In some embodiments, the method further includes rotating the pipe segment while the multiple brushes clean the internal wall surface of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the method further includes moving the pipe segment axially while the multiple brushes clean the internal wall surface of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the method further includes moving the packer in the downhole direction to align the packer with the setting section of the pipe.

In some embodiments, the method further includes moving the packer in an uphole direction to align the packer with the setting section of the pipe.

In some embodiments, the method further includes scraping the internal wall surface of the pipe with the multiple brushes.

In some embodiments, the method further includes coating the multiple brushes with the cleaning fluid.

In some embodiments, the method further includes moving the multiple brushes from a retracted configuration in which the brushes extend across a wall of the pipe segment to an extended configuration in which the multiple brushes are positioned along an external wall surface of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the multiple brushes are biased to the extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the brushes are maintained in the retracted configuration with an actuator that is disposed within the pipe segment and is initially connected to the multiple brushes.

In some embodiments, the method further includes closing a bottom end of the pipe segment with the actuator.

In some embodiments, the method further includes degrading the actuator to reestablish access to the pipe surrounding the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the actuator includes a ball and a spring.

In some embodiments, the method further includes adjusting the multiple brushes from a collapsed configuration in which the multiple brushes are oriented at an acute angle with respect to a central axis of the pipe segment to an extended configuration in which the multiple brushes are oriented at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the central axis of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the method further includes pivoting the multiple brushes from the collapsed configuration into the extended configuration.

In some embodiments, the method further includes preventing the brushes from pivoting more than about 90 degrees with respect to the central axis of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the pipe segment is closed at a bottom end of the pipe.

In some embodiments, the method further includes sealing an annular region with the packer.

In some embodiments, the method further includes accumulating the cleaning fluid at a bottom end of the pipe segment.

In some embodiments, the method further includes forcing the cleaning fluid through the lateral openings in the pipe segment.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the embodiments will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

