Abstract:
A packing unit for a blowout preventer includes an elastomeric, annular body configured to be disposed about a longitudinal axis of the blowout preventer and configured to be displaced radially inward towards the longitudinal axis upon actuation of the blowout preventer. The elastomeric, annular body includes a first section having a first set of material properties and a second section having a second set of material properties. The packing unit includes a plurality of rigid inserts distributed at equal radial distances from each other within the elastomeric annular body and about the longitudinal axis of the blowout preventer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This Application claims the benefit of the following provisional applications under 35 U.S.C. 119(e): U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/820,723 filed on Jul. 28, 2006; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/847,760 filed on Sep. 28, 2006; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/862,392 filed on Oct. 20, 2006; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/912,809 filed on Apr. 19, 2007, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to blowout preventers used in the oil and gas industry. Specifically, embodiments selected relate to an improved packing unit for use in an annular type blowout preventer.  
         [0004]     2. Background Art  
         [0005]     Well control is an important aspect of oil and gas exploration. When drilling a well, for example, in oil and gas exploration applications, safety devices must be put in place to prevent injury to personnel and damage to equipment resulting from unexpected events associated with the drilling activities.  
         [0006]     Drilling wells in oil and gas exploration involves penetrating a variety of subsurface geologic structures, or “layers.” Occasionally, a wellbore will penetrate a layer having a formation pressure substantially higher than the pressure maintained in the wellbore. When this occurs, the well is said to have “taken a kick.” The pressure increase associated with the kick is generally produced by an influx of formation fluids (which may be a liquid, a gas, or a combination thereof) into the wellbore. The relatively high pressure kick tends to propagate from a point of entry in the wellbore uphole (from a high pressure region to a low pressure region). If the kick is allowed to reach the surface, drilling fluid, well tools, and other drilling structures may be blown out of the wellbore. These “blowouts” may result in catastrophic destruction of the drilling equipment (including, for example, the drilling rig) and substantial injury or death of rig personnel.  
         [0007]     Because of the risk of blowouts, blowout preventers (“BOPs”) are typically installed at the surface or on the sea floor in deep water drilling arrangements to effectively seal a wellbore until active measures can be taken to control the kick. BOPs may be activated so that kicks are adequately controlled and “circulated out” of the system. There are several types of BOPs, one common type of which is an annular blowout preventer.  
         [0008]     Annular BOPs typically comprise annular, elastomeric “packing units” that may be activated to encapsulate drillpipe and well tools to completely seal about a wellbore. In situations where no drillpipe or well tools are within the bore of the packing unit, the packing unit can be compressed to such an extent that the bore is entirely closed, acting as a valve on the wellbore. Typically, packing units are used in the case of sealing about a drillpipe, in which the packing unit can be quickly compressed, either manually or by machine, to effect a seal about the pipe to prevent a well from blowing out.  
         [0009]     An example of an annular BOP having a packing unit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,836, (“Knox”) and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, the assignee of the present invention. The packing unit includes a plurality of metal inserts embedded in an elastomeric body. The metal inserts are typically spaced equal radial distances from one another about a longitudinal axis of the packing unit. The inserts provide structural support for the elastomeric body when the packing unit is radially compressed to seal against the well pressure. Upon compression of the packing unit about a drillpipe, or upon itself, to seal against the wellbore pressure, the elastomeric body is squeezed radially inward, causing the metal inserts to move radially inward as well.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1A  is an example of a prior art annular BOP  101  including a housing  102 . The annular BOP  101  has a bore  120  extending therethrough and is disposed about a longitudinal axis  103 . A packing unit  105  is disposed within the annular BOP  101  about the longitudinal axis  103 . The packing unit  105  includes an elastomeric annular body  107  and a plurality of metallic inserts  109 . The metallic inserts  109  are disposed within the elastomeric annular body  107  of the packing unit  105  and distributed at equal radial distances from one another about the longitudinal axis  103 . The packing unit  105  includes a bore  111  concentric with the bore  120  of the BOP  101 .  
         [0011]     The annular BOP  101  is actuated by fluid pumped into opening  113  of a piston chamber  112 . The fluid applies pressure to a piston  117 , which moves the piston  117  upward. As the piston  117  moves upward, the piston  117  translates force to the packing unit  105  through a wedge face  118 . The force translated to the packing unit  105  from the wedge face  118  is directed upward toward a removable head  119  of the annular BOP  101 , and inward toward the longitudinal axis  103  of the annular BOP  101 . Because the packing unit  105  is retained against the removable head  119  of the annular BOP  101 , the packing unit  105  does not displace upward from the force translated to the packing unit  105  from the piston  117 . However, the packing unit  105  does displace inward from the translated force, which compresses the packing unit  105  toward the longitudinal axis  103  of the annular BOP  101 . In the event a drill pipe is located along the longitudinal axis  103 , with sufficient radial compression, the packing unit  105  will seal about the drill pipe into a “closed position.” The closed position is shown in  FIG. 2B . In the event a drill pipe is not present, the packing unit  105 , with sufficient radial compression, will completely seal the bore  111 .  
         [0012]     The annular BOP  101  goes through an analogous reverse movement when fluid is pumped into opening  115  of the piston chamber  112 , instead of opening  113 . The fluid translates downward force to the piston  117 , such that the wedge face  118  of the piston  117  allows the packing unit  105  to radially expand to an “open position.” The open position is shown in  FIG. 2A . Further, the removable head  119  of the annular BOP  101  enables access to the packing unit  105 , such that the packing unit  105  may be serviced or changed if necessary.  
         [0013]     An example of the prior art packing unit  105  used in an annular BOP  101  is shown in  FIG. 1B . As before, the packing unit  105  includes an elastomeric annular body  107  and a plurality of metallic inserts  109 . The metallic inserts  109  are distributed equal radial distances from each other in the elastomeric annular body  107  of the packing unit  105 . The packing unit  105  includes a bore  111 .  FIG. 1C  shows an example of the prior art metallic insert  109 , in which the metallic insert may be disposed within the elastomeric annular body  107  of the packing unit  105 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  shows an example of the prior art packing unit  105  in the open position, where the packing unit  105  is disposed within an annular BOP. As before, the packing unit  105  includes an elastomeric annular body  107  and a plurality of metallic inserts  109 . The metallic inserts  109  are distributed equal radial distances from each other in the elastomeric annular body  107  of the packing unit  105 . The packing unit  105  includes a bore  111 . Further, a drill pipe  301  is located along the longitudinal axis  103  of the annular BOP. In the open position, the packing unit  105  does not compress to seal about the drill pipe  301 . Therefore, a gap is formed between the elastomeric annular body  107  of the packing unit  105  and the drill pipe  301 . The open position of an annular BOP is meant to allow pressure to pass through the annular BOP.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2B  shows an example of the closed position of the packing unit  105 . In the closed position, the elastomeric annular body  107  is compressed to seal about the drill pipe  301 , such that pressure is not allowed to pass through the annular BOP. In the event the packing unit  105  is sealing from a blowout, the BOP may seal against wellbore pressure from the blowout coming from below.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an example of a prior art spherical BOP  301  disposed about a longitudinal axis  103 .  FIG. 3  is taken from U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,721 (issued to Vujasinovic and incorporated by reference in its entirety). The spherical BOP  301  includes a lower housing  303  and an upper housing  304  releasably fastened together by a plurality of bolts  311 . Typically, the housing members  303  and  304  have a curved, semi-spherical inner surface. A packing unit  305  is disposed within the spherical BOP  301  about the longitudinal axis  103 . The packing unit  305  includes a curved, elastomeric annular body  307  and curved metallic inserts  309  to correspond to the curved, semi-spherical inner surface of the housing members  303  and  304 . The metallic inserts  309  are then distributed equal radial distances from one another within the curved, elastomeric annular body  307 . The spherical BOP  301  may be actuated by fluid, similar to the annular BOP  101  of  FIG. 1A  as described above.  
         [0017]     Increased demand for higher pressure containment and longevity make continued improvements to packing units desirable.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0018]     In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a packing unit for a blowout preventer. The packing unit comprises an elastomeric, annular body configured to be disposed about a longitudinal axis of the blowout preventer and configured to be displaced inwardly toward the longitudinal axis upon actuation of the blowout preventer. The elastomeric, annular body comprises a first section having a first set of material properties and a second section having a second set of material properties. The packing unit further comprising a plurality of rigid inserts distributed at equal radial distances from each other within the elastomeric annular body and about the longitudinal axis of the blowout preventer.  
         [0019]     In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method of designing a packing unit for a blowout preventer. The method comprises determining a strain state of an elastomeric, annular body at which the elastomeric, annular body is displaced inwardly towards a longitudinal axis upon actuation of the blowout preventer, and identifying a first section and a second section based upon the strain state of the elastomeric, annular body. The method further comprises selecting a first set of material properties for the first section based upon the strain state of the elastomeric, annular body, and selecting a second set of material properties for the second section based upon the strain state of the elastomeric, annular body.  
         [0020]     In another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a blowout preventer comprising a housing, a piston chamber formed in the housing, a piston disposed within the piston chamber, and a packing unit disposed in the blowout preventer. The packing unit comprises an elastomeric, annular body, wherein the elastomeric, annular body comprises a first section having a first set of material properties, and a second section having a second set of material properties. Upon actuation of the piston, the packing unit is displaced radially inward.  
         [0021]     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1A  is a cutaway view of a prior art annular blowout preventer,  
         [0023]      FIG. 1B  is a cutaway view of a prior art annular blowout preventer packing unit.  
         [0024]      FIG. 1C  is an isometric view of a prior art insert.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view of a prior art annular blowout preventer packing unit in the open position.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of a prior art annular blowout preventer packing unit in the closed position.  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a prior art spherical blowout preventer.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the strain state of an annular blowout preventer packing unit in the closed position in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an annular blowout preventer packing unit in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of an annular blowout preventer packing unit in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0031]     In a typical annular BOP arrangement, the compression of the packing unit from the open position to the closed position creates significant stress within the elastomeric body. The radial stresses attributed to compressing the packing unit with the BOP are distributed about the elastomeric body. In addition, in the closed position, the wellbore pressure may exert an upward force on the elastomeric body, resulting in further stress within the elastomeric body in the stretched and extended section of the elastomeric body. That is, on certain sections of the elastomeric body, there are significant forces acting on the packing unit in two directions, radially inward and axially upward.  
         [0032]     When an element is stressed, the element will undergo strain, or elongation, to accommodate the stress. The more stress exerted to an element, the more strain the element will undergo. Some of the principal characteristics of viscoelastic materials (such as the elastomeric body of a packing unit) include: if an applied stress is held constant, the strain within the material increases with time (referred to as creep) and conversely, if strain is held constant, the stress within the material decreases with time (referred to as relaxation); and higher strain and lower temperatures lead to increased yield strength and modulus of elasticity and decreased elongation of the material.  
         [0033]     The modulus of elasticity is the measure of the rate of change between stress and strain that may be described as a material&#39;s tendency to be deformed when force is applied to the material. A material with a high modulus of elasticity will undergo less strain than a material with a low modulus of elasticity when subjected to the same stress. In the case of the packing unit, as the packing unit is stressed, it will strain to accommodate the stress, such that the packing unit will stretch and extend around the drill pipe. Strain is then exerted in variable patterns across the packing unit. The largest amount of strain occurs at the section of the packing unit sealing the wellbore pressure. The smallest amount of strain occurs at the section of the elastomeric body that is physically constrained within the annular BOP.  
         [0034]     The elongation of a material refers to the percentage change in length of a material. The maximum amount of tensile strain to which a material can be subjected, or elongate, before failure (e.g. tearing, cracking, or breaking) of the material is referred to as the elongation at break. A material may have a high or low modulus of elasticity, but with a low elongation at break, the material will fail without undergoing much strain.  
         [0035]     The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress that a material may be subject to before failure. As stress is created within the material, the material will strain to accommodate the stress. The point at which plastic deformation begins to occur is referred to as the yield strength. Once the stress is too overbearing for the material, the material will no longer be able to strain to accommodate the stress, and the material will fail. The stress level at the failure point of the material is known as the tensile strength or ultimate strength.  
         [0036]     Furthermore, if cyclic loading is applied to an elastomeric material, hysteresis (a phase lag) may occur, leading to a dissipation of mechanical energy. Hysteresis may occur, in one instance, where there is stress-induced softening. This may be described as an instantaneous and irreversible softening for a material that occurs when an applied load increases beyond any prior maximum value, resulting in a shift of the stress-strain curve of the material. This stress-induced softening, which may also be referred to as the Mullin&#39;s effect, is thought to be at least partially attributed to the microscopic breakage of links in a material. This weakens the material during an initial deformation so that the material is, in turn, weaker in subsequent deformations of the material.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows the strain state of the packing unit  105  in the closed position in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The elastomeric annular body  107  of the packing unit  105  is subject to a variety of strains in the closed position, such that the strains vary in range from very high strains to relatively low strains. A high strain section  405  is in the lower portion of the elastomeric annular body  107  surrounding the drill pipe  301 . A medium strain section  403  surrounds the high strain section  405 . Further, a low strain section  401  sits above the medium strain section  403 . The arrangement of the high strain section  405 , the medium strain section  403 , and the low strain section  401  may be clearly seen in  FIG. 4 . The high strain section  405  of the elastomeric annular body  107  is the portion of the elastomeric annular body  107  that most effectively creates a pressure seal about the drill pipe  301  in the closed position of the packing unit  105 . The low strain section  401  undergoes the least amount of strain of the elastomeric annular body  107  because of the physical constraint of the low strain section  401  within the annular BOP.  
         [0038]     Such high strains may cause fatigue and weakening in the elastomeric body, especially after repeated closures of the packing unit, limiting the number of closures and the useful life of the packing unit. Strain acting in more than one direction may further contribute to the deterioration and rupture of the packing unit, such as the strain from compression of the packing unit and the strain from the wellbore pressure from below the packing unit.  
         [0039]     The embodiments disclosed herein provide a packing unit wherein large amounts of strain may be accommodated within the packing unit by varying the material properties between sections of the packing unit. The material properties of each section may be selected according to the anticipated stress and strain that the section will undergo in operation.  
         [0040]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a packing unit  105  in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The packing unit  105  is disposed within an annular BOP such that the packing unit  105  is seated against a piston  117  of the annular BOP. The packing unit  105  includes an elastomeric annular body  505 , a plurality of metallic inserts  109 , and a bore  111 . Generally, the metallic inserts  109  are distributed at equal radial distances from each other within the elastomeric annular body  505  about the bore  111 . Thus, equal portions of the elastomeric annular body  505  may be disposed between the metallic inserts  109 . As shown, the elastomeric annular body  505  includes a first section  507  and a second section  509  such that the first section  507  is located above the second section  509 . The first section  507  is made of a first elastomeric compound and the second section  509  is made of a second elastomeric compound. The first elastomeric compound and the second elastomeric compound have different material properties.  
         [0041]     Of the differing material properties of the elastomeric compounds, the first elastomeric compound may have a higher modulus of elasticity than the second elastomeric compound. The first elastomeric material, with a higher modulus of elasticity, will undergo less strain than the second elastomeric compound when the compounds are subjected to the same force or stress. When strained in the closed position, the second section  509  of the packing unit  105  typically experiences more strain than the first section  507 . Therefore, the second section  509 , made of the second elastomeric compound, maybe provided with a lower modulus of elasticity than the first section  507  in order to accommodate the higher strain.  
         [0042]     The first elastomeric compound may also have a lower elongation at break than the second elastomeric compound. Because the first section  507  does not undergo as much strain as the second section  509 , the first elastomeric compound of the first section  507  does not have to elongate as much as the second elastomeric compound of the second section  509 . Therefore, the elongation of the first elastomeric compound may be lower than the second elastomeric compound.  
         [0043]     Further, the first elastomeric compound may also have a higher tensile strength than the second elastomeric compound. As discussed above, as stress is exerted upon the material, the material will strain to accommodate the stress, and the maximum amount of tensile stress that a material may be subject to before failure is the tensile strength. The first elastomeric compound may therefore have a higher tensile strength than the second elastomeric compound to accommodate the stress with the lower amounts of strain to which the first section is subjected.  
         [0044]     Additionally, the first elastomeric compound may have a lower durometer than the second elastomeric compound. Durometer refers to a material&#39;s measured hardness or resistance to permanent indentation, which is measured as a depth of indentation of a material created by a given force on a standardized pressure foot. The depth of indentation is dependent on the hardness of the material, its viscoelastic properties, including those described above, the shape of the pressure foot, and the duration of the test. Thus, by varying any of the viscoelastic properties of a particular elastomeric compound, the durometer may be effected as well. Thus, because the second section  509  of the packing unit  105  typically experiences more strain than the first section  507 , the second section  509 , made of the second elastomeric compound, maybe provided with a higher durometer than the first section  507  in order to accommodate the higher strain and resist permanent indentation.  
         [0045]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a packing unit  105  in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The packing unit  105  is disposed within an annular B OP such that the packing unit  105  is seated against a piston  117  of the annular BOP. The packing unit  105  includes an elastomeric annular body  605 , a plurality of metallic inserts  109 , and a bore  111 . The metallic inserts  109  may be distributed at equal radial distances from each other within the elastomeric annular body  605  about the bore  111 . The elastomeric annular body  605  includes a first section  607 , a second section  609 , and a third section  611 . The first section  607  is located above the second section  609 , and the third section  611  is located between the first section  607  and the second section  609 . The first section  607  is made of a first elastomeric compound, the second section  609  is made of a second elastomeric compound, and the third section  611  is made of a third elastomeric compound. The first elastomeric compound, the second elastomeric compound, and the third elastomeric compound have different material properties.  
         [0046]     Similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the first elastomeric compound may have a higher modulus of elasticity and tensile strength, and a lower elongation and durometer than the second elastomeric compound. The third elastomeric compound may then vary in material properties such that the third elastomeric compound may have properties ranging from similar to that of the first elastomeric compound to that of the second elastomeric compound. With material properties similar to that of the first elastomeric compound, the third section  611  would not strain as much as the second elastomeric compound of the second section  609 . Therefore, the third section  611  would direct strain to the second section  609  of the packing unit. With material properties similar to that of the second elastomeric compound, instead of directing strain to the second section  609 , the third section  611  would absorb the strain, relieving some of the strain from the second section  609 . However, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the material properties used for the third elastomeric compound may vary without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0047]     The location and number of the sections within the packing unit may be varied and arranged in many different patterns for different applications and needs. For example, the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  may be arranged with more than three sections. An embodiment of four sections, five sections, and more, made from a variety of elastomeric compounds, could be easily shown without departing from the scope of the present invention. Further, the invention would include arrangements in which the first section of the elastomeric, annular body would align vertically about the drillpipe, and all subsequent sections of the elastomeric, annular body would extend radially outward from the first section. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the sections of the packing unit may be relocated to different areas, volumes, or locations, based upon design constraints, without departing from the scope of the present invention. As well, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the number of sections within the packing unit may vary, beginning with at least two sections, without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0048]     In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the sections of the elastomeric, annular body of the packing unit may be made from the same elastomeric compound, only with a variation in the manufacturing process. For example, two or more elastomeric compounds may be chemically identical, but the elastomeric compounds may be milled to have different material properties. One of the elastomeric compounds may be milled to be substantially isotropic such that the elastomeric compound will show the same material properties independent of the direction the elastomeric compound is tested in. Then another elastomeric compound may be milled to be substantially anisotropic such that the elastomeric compound has a flow direction and the elastomeric compound will show different material properties for the different directions the elastomeric compound is tested. The sections of the packing unit may be formed from a variation of the two differently milled elastomeric compounds, or only from the anisotropic elastomeric rubber compound such that the flow direction of the elastomeric compound is varied across the packing unit.  
         [0049]     All of the embodiments of the present disclosure up to this point have shown the packing unit to include at least two sections with a detectable separation between the sections. In another embodiment, the sections of the elastomeric, annular body of the packing unit may be molded together to form one monolithic mass, with no detectable separation between the sections. The “seam” between the sections would no longer be detectable. Instead, a smooth transition would occur from section to section. The sections of the packing unit would then provide a smooth continuous gradient of material properties, instead of separation of properties across the seams of the packing unit.  
         [0050]     Further, in another embodiment, all of the embodiments of the present disclosure up to this point have assumed the relative size and shape of the metallic inserts to be substantially the same. That is, the plurality of metallic inserts distributed and disposed within the elastomeric, annular body of the packing units disclosed herein have a consistent shape and size between them. However, in another embodiment, for example, larger metallic inserts of an I-beam shape, as shown in  FIG. 1C , may be alternated with smaller metallic inserts of a T-shape. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the metallic inserts remaining substantially the same in size and shape about the elastomeric, annular body of the packing unit.  
         [0051]     Furthermore, in another embodiment, the packing unit may be used in a spherical BOP, in addition to an annular BOP. All of the embodiments described up to this point have been shown for use within an annular BOP. However, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be used within a spherical BOP, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Thus, the present invention is not limited to only use within an annular BOP.  
         [0052]     Embodiments disclosed herein may have one or more of the following advantages. A packing unit in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein may be more adequately manufactured to accommodate the various levels of strain that occur in a particular area or volume of a packing unit. In one example, industry requirements, such as API 16A/ISO 13533:2001, may be used as specified criteria to compare and certify a seal model. In particular, API 16A, Section 5.7.2 references a “closure test” for ram-type blowout preventers, while API 16A, Section 5.7.3 references a closure test for annular-type blowout preventers. Under API 16A/ISO 13533:2001, a packing unit may be required to undergo six closures about the drill pipe and, on a seventh closure, be capable of effectively sealing against pressure of about 200-300 psi (1.4-2.1 MPa). Such a packing unit would have an increased service life, being a considerable economic advantage.  
         [0053]     Embodiments disclosed herein may also be designed to replace existing packing units in existing annular BOPs. For example, a BOP, similar to that shown in  FIG. 1A  and/or  FIG. 3 , may have the removable head or removable housing detached. A packing unit in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein may then be installed to replace an existing packing unit disposed within the BOP. Although such an embodiment may require modification to the BOP, significant savings may be achieved by reusing components. In some embodiments, the present invention may also replace prior art packing units without modification to the BOP.  
         [0054]     While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.