Apparatus and method for wellbore isolation

Abstract

An apparatus for isolating a selected leg of a wellbore from the remainder of the wellbore includes a packer positionable in the selected leg of the wellbore, a tube extending through the packer from an uphole side of the packer to a downhole side of the packer to permit a fluid flow communication to the selected leg of the wellbore past the packer and a valve positioned in the tube to control fluid flow through the tube. In a method for isolating a selected leg of a wellbore, the apparatus is positioned in the selected wellbore leg and the packer set to permit fluid flow communication past the apparatus only through the tube and the valve of the apparatus.

1 . A method for isolating a selected open hole wellbore leg from the remainder of the wellbore, the method comprising: providing an apparatus including a packer, slips in association with the packer, a tube extending through the packer from an uphole side of the packer to a downhole side of the packer and a valve positioned in the tube to control fluid flow through the tube; positioning the apparatus in the selected open hole wellbore leg such that the packer and the valve of the apparatus is positioned within the selected open hole wellbore leg such that the tube permits a fluid flow communication to the selected open hole wellbore leg of the wellbore past the packer as controlled by the valve; and expanding the slips and the packer to engage the wall of the selected open hole wellbore leg and to seal between the tube and the wall of the selected open hole wellbore leg. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising positioning the apparatus in the selected open hole wellbore leg such that the tube is within the selected open hole wellbore leg. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising opening the valve to permit fluid flow communication with the selected open hole wellbore leg. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising introducing wellbore treatment fluids through the valve into the selected open hole wellbore leg. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising deploying a tubing string from surface, connecting the tubing string to the tube of the apparatus and pumping wellbore treatment fluids down the tubing string and through the tube of the apparatus into the selected open hole wellbore leg. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising manipulating the tubing string to open the valve of the apparatus. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the packer is a solid body packer. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of expanding the slips, whickers on the slips are driven to bite into the wellbore wall. 
   
   
       9 . A method for isolating a selected wellbore leg from the remainder of the wellbore, the method comprising: providing an apparatus including a packer, a tube extending through the packer from an uphole side of the packer to a downhole side of the packer; positioning the apparatus in the selected wellbore leg downhole of a wellbore junction where the selected wellbore leg extends from the remainder of the wellbore, the packer and the tube of the apparatus being positioned within the selected wellbore leg; expanding the packer to engage the wall of the selected wellbore leg and to create a seal between the tube and the wall of the selected wellbore leg, wherein the apparatus is operable to isolate fluid flow communication with the selected wellbore leg of the wellbore past the packer except through the tube and access remains unimpeded to the remainder of the wellbore. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising, while the apparatus remains in the selected wellbore leg, accessing a second selected wellbore leg downhole of the wellbore junction. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising positioning the apparatus in the selected wellbore leg such that an uphole end of the tube is within the selected wellbore leg. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the selected wellbore leg is an open hole region. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising introducing wellbore treatment fluids through the tube into the selected wellbore leg. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the tube includes a valve therein to control fluid flow through the tube and the method further comprises opening the valve to permit fluid flow communication with the selected wellbore leg. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the valve of the apparatus is selected to permit one way fluid flow into the selected wellbore leg such that the wellbore treatment fluids are isolated in the selected wellbore leg. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising deploying a tubing string from surface, connecting the tubing string to the tube of the apparatus and pumping wellbore treatment fluids down the tubing string and through the tube of the apparatus into the selected wellbore leg. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the packer is a solid body packer. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the apparatus further includes slips in association with the packer and the method further comprises expanding the slips into engagement with the wall of the selected wellbore leg. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein expanding the slips includes driving whickers on the slips to bite into the wall of the selected wellbore leg.