A drill assembly has a stinger with downward oriented cups including an upper cup and a lower cup. The cups create a loss zone therebetween in a downhole environment. The downhole environment can be a shaft of a well. The loss zone can be filled with cement to plug the shaft. The downward oriented cups isolate the loss zone from the shaft and minimize the hydrostatic pressure above the upper cup.

A packer apparatus usable in a well casing to provide an annular seal in the well casing. The packer apparatus includes an activation member mounted to the body wherein the activation member is moveable relative to the body to deform an elastomeric packer element outwardly relative to the body to form an annular seal in the well casing. A plurality of pistons is arranged to move the activation member relative to the body, each piston being disposed in a respective pressure chamber arranged to be filled with fluid in response to an increase in fluid pressure in the body.

A packer apparatus usable in a well casing to provide an annular seal in the well casing. The packer apparatus includes an activation member mounted to the body wherein the activation member is moveable relative to the body to deform an elastomeric packer element outwardly relative to the body to form an annular seal in the well casing. A plurality of pistons is arranged to move the activation member relative to the body, each piston being disposed in a respective pressure chamber arranged to be filled with fluid in response to an increase in fluid pressure in the body.

A packer apparatus usable in a downhole well casing or an open borehole to provide an annular seal in the well casing or borehole. The packer apparatus includes an activation member disposed in body wherein the activation member is moveable relative to the body to deform an elastomeric packer element outwardly relative to the body to form an annular seal in a well casing in use. A plurality of pistons is arranged to move the activation member relative to the body, each piston being disposed in a respective pressure chamber arranged to be filled with fluid in response to an increase in fluid pressure in the body.

A packer apparatus usable in a downhole well casing or an open borehole to provide an annular seal in the well casing or borehole. The packer apparatus includes an activation member disposed in body wherein the activation member is moveable relative to the body to deform an elastomeric packer element outwardly relative to the body to form an annular seal in a well casing in use. A plurality of pistons is arranged to move the activation member relative to the body, each piston being disposed in a respective pressure chamber arranged to be filled with fluid in response to an increase in fluid pressure in the body.

A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method comprises conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT comprising a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further comprises delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.

A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method comprises conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT comprising a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further comprises delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.

A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method includes conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT including a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further includes delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.

A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method includes conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT including a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further includes delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.

A method includes deploying a tubing having a tubing bore in a casing in a wellbore, the tubing including a cup packer forming an annular barrier across a tubing-casing annulus separating the tubing-casing annulus into an upper annulus and a lower annulus, the cup packer having a fluid conduit extending substantially parallel to the tubing bore, and a barrier valve coupled with the fluid conduit to permit one-way fluid flow from the upper annulus to the lower annulus, communicating a fluid from the upper annulus through the barrier valve to the lower annulus, and closing the barrier valve in response to pressure in the upper annulus being less than pressure in the lower annulus.