Plugs, Packers, Retainers, Setting Tools
Upper Slips
Lower Slips
Bridge Plug Packer Cement Retainer 1
Plug
Comes in various Shapes and Sizes
depending on Casing ID.
Most common is Baker N1 Plug
Plugs are placed to permanently or
temporarily seal below
Upper Slips
If the Plug is to be permanent the after
setting the Plug it is recommended to
Sealing place some amount of cement above
Element the Plug, as the Rubber Sealing
Element of the Plug might degrade with
time and in contact with well fluids
Lower Slips Plugs are generally set by Wireline but
can be set by Tubing also
Plugs are normally set to either
abandon a well or move to a shallower
pay zone (after the deeper zone starts
producing water) 2
Packer
A Packer looks very much like a Plug but
has feed thru path. When set, it seals
the annular area between 2 strings of
pipe or a string of pipe and the open
hole.
A Packer is used when
Produce and control multiple intervals
Tubing
Separate production
Production testing
Casing Locating gas or water entry
Keep pressure off casing and well
head
Packer Keep corrosive fluids off casing
Well repair and stimulation
Cement Squeeze
Environmental protection
Reduce leak risks
3
Retainer
Retainer is a Packer with a one way Valve connected below
Retainers are generally set prior
to a Cement Squeeze operation
Tubing
Casing
Retainer
4
Setting principle
Plugs, Packers & Retainers have the same principle for setting
(In fact, most can be converted from one to another)
We basically need to move the Central Part (that is also
connected to the bottom) UP while holding or pressing
down the outer upper part
When the central part starts moving up w.r.t. the outer part
there is a overall effect of squeezing.
Depending on the model of plug / packer the most common
sequence is
a. The upper slips break and grip the inside of the Casing
b. This stops the upper outer part from moving any further
c. The lower part continues to move up, breaking the Lower
slips and extruding the Rubber seal
d. When the rubber extrusion hits the ID of casing and can’t
extrude any further, then force starts building
e. At a certain pre-determined force, shear pin or stud or 5
screw breaks, releasing the Setting Tool
Baker E4 Setting Tool
The most popular Setting Tool in the Industry,
considered a standard
Comes in 3 sizes---Size 20 used most of the time
Other options for Setting
1. Shorty Setting Tool (Gearhart, Owen, Titan)
2. Downhole Power Unit (DPU)*
3. Set by Tubing*
6
* No explosives
Sequence of events
1. FP sends power to BP3 Primary Electrical
Igniter
2. Primary Igniter shoots out a Flame to a
secondary Igniter
3. The secondary Igniter starts burning the
Power Charge
4. The Power Charge burns for about 30 secs
creating gases that are trapped
5. Trapping causes the pressure to increase
upto 16,000 psi
6. Initially both Top (Floating) piston and
Bottom (Power) piston are right on Top but
when enough pressure builds up the
Floating piston is pushed down
7. The Oil below the Floating piston is forced
out thru the small orifice and starts pushing
the Power Piston down
8. The Power piston is forced down at about
40,000 psi. The Setting sequence starts
9. The Power Piston can move down about
7
8.5 inches. Shear Stud MUST break before
Baker 20 Firing Head
8
Oil Levels are important
*Not enough oil shortens the setting stroke resulting in failure to
part the release stud
*Too much oil will result in presetting.
*Invert cylinder and push piston to bottom using wooden dowel.
Fill cylinder with SAE 10-40 weight oil to level "A" as shown in
chart according to maximum well temperature expected on run.
(Reprinted with permission of Baker Service Tools, Inc.)
Distance From End Of Cylinder To Oil
DIMENSION "A"*
Temperature (INCHES)
05 10 20
200°F or less 3-1/4 4 4
201°F - 275°F 3-1/4 4-1/8 4-1/2
276°F -350°F 3-1/2 4-3/8 5
350°F -400°F 3-5/8 4-5/8 5-1/2
Dimension "A" distance from end of cylinder to oil 9
