Expandable Anchor Sleeve

Abstract

An expandable anchor sleeve system for use in a well comprising an expandable anchor sleeve and an expansion device. The sleeve has a sealing element, an anchoring element having a conical shape with the difference between front-end radial thickness and back-end radial thickness being not less than the difference between corresponding radii of maximum and minimum internal diameters of the well casing and a gripping element. The expansion device has a thruster, an expansion swage and a gripping element. The expansion device when actuated expands the sleeve to a set position in the well and disconnects from the sleeve so that the expansion device may be retrieved. The anchor sleeve may be configurable as a frac plug, a caged ball frac plug, a bridge plug or a packer.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An expandable sleeve comprising:
 a base casing;   a front end;   a back end;   a sealing element disposed at the back-end;   an anchoring element disposed in the expandable sleeve, wherein the anchoring element is a conical shape;   a gripping element disposed at the front-end; and   
       an expansion device comprising:
 a shaft; 
 an expansion swage slidably attached to the shaft; 
 a connecting device coupled to the shaft; and 
 a thruster. 
 
     
     
         2 . The expandable sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the anchoring element comprises a C-ring. 
     
     
         3 . The expandable sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a ball seat. 
     
     
         4 . The expandable sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a ball seat disposed in the front-end. 
     
     
         5 . The expandable sleeve of  claim 4 , wherein a frac ball is disposed between the ball seat and the connecting device. 
     
     
         6 . The expandable sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein a fluid disposed above the expandable sleeve engages the frac ball with the ball seat. 
     
     
         7 . The expandable sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a plug attached to the gripping element. 
     
     
         8 . The expandable sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a threaded portion at the front-end. 
     
     
         9 . A method for installation of an expandable anchor sleeve in a well comprising:
 (a) Connecting an expandable anchor sleeve to an expansion device wherein the expandable anchor sleeve comprises: a base casing; a front end; a back end; a sealing element disposed at the back-end; an anchoring element disposed in the expandable sleeve, wherein the anchoring element is a conical shape; a gripping element disposed at the front-end; and an expansion device comprising: a shaft; an expansion swage slidably attached to the shaft; a connecting device coupled to the shaft; and a thruster.   (b) Deploying the expandable anchor sleeve and the expansion device to a desired location in the well;   (c) Activating the expansion device, wherein activating the expansion device expands the anchor sleeve into interference contact with the base casing and disengages from the expansion device;   (d) Removing the expansion device from the well.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a ball seat in the front-end. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a frac ball is disposed between the ball seat and the connecting device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a plug attached to the gripping element. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a threaded portion at the front-end. 
     
     
         14 . A fracturing method for plurality of zone comprising:
 (a) Connecting an expandable frac sleeve to an expansion device, wherein the expandable frac sleeve comprises: a base casing; a front end; a back end; a sealing element disposed at the back-end; an anchoring element disposed in the expandable sleeve, wherein the anchoring element is a conical shape; a gripping element disposed at the front-end; and an expansion device comprising: a shaft; an expansion swage slidably attached to the shaft; a connecting device coupled to the shaft; and a thruster.   (b) Deploying the expandable anchor sleeve and the expansion device to a desired location in the well;   (c) Activating the expansion device, wherein activating the expansion device expands the anchor sleeve into interference contact with the base casing and disengages from the expansion device;   (d) Retrieving the expansion device from the well;   (e) Fracturing new perforated zone up-hole of the sleeve;   (f) Repeating steps (a)-(e) for fracturing desired number of zones.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the anchoring element having a conical shape with the front-end radial thickness being larger than the back-end radial thickness, providing that anchoring element comes in interference contact with the base casing upon radial expansion of the sleeve by an expansion swage propagating in the front-end direction. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  comprising a sealing element capable of providing a hydraulic seal between the expandable sleeve and base casing upon radial expansion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  comprising a sealing element disposed at the back-end portion. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  comprising a gripping element positioned at the front-end portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the anchoring element comprises a C-ring made from hardened material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a ball seat in the front-end portion.