Patent ID: 6554076
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
A packer for sealing an annular space in a wellbore, the wellbore having a string of casing therein, the packer comprising:a first tubular subunit; a second tubular subunit; an inner sleeve operatively connected to the second subunit, and slideably received within the first subunit; a flexible packing element disposed between the first subunit and the second subunit, and arranged such that mechanical compression of the first subunit towards the second subunit extrudes the flexible packing element into sealed radial engagement with the surrounding casing; and a releasable mechanical connection adapted to restrain the first subunit and the second subunit from compressing the flexible packing element until the releasable mechanical connection is released, wherein the temporary mechanical connection is hydraulically released before the flexible packing element is extruded.