A packer system includes a gauge ring, an expanding ring arranged adjacent to the gauge ring, a back-up ring, a packer element arranged adjacent to the back-up ring, and a support ring arranged between the back-up ring and the expanding ring. The support ring promotes radial outward expansion of the expanding ring.

An expandable packer assembly for coupling within a tool string deployable within a wellbore. The expandable packer assembly includes a guard inlet, a sample inlet surrounded by the guard inlet, and a sealing member surrounding the sample inlet and fluidly isolating the sample inlet from the guard inlet when the sealing member contacts a sidewall of the wellbore.

An inflating container filled with formation plugging fluid is deployed at the target zone by a rigless apparatus. The inflating container can be in valved fluid communication with an explosive filled container, the explosive being ignited using a firing mechanism that is attached to the explosive filled container. The explosion expands gases in the explosive filled container which pass into the inflation container and displace the formation plugging fluid into the balloon sections and through the weakened portions of the central balloon to penetrate the walls of the target zone. The expanded central balloon is melted by the heat of the chemical reaction and a portion adheres to the formation wall thereby sealing the undesirable target zone; thereafter, the remaining balloon sections are deflated or ruptured to permit the apparatus to be withdrawn through the production tubing.

An inflating container filled with formation plugging fluid is deployed at the target zone by a rigless apparatus. The inflating container can be in valved fluid communication with an explosive filled container, the explosive being ignited using a firing mechanism that is attached to the explosive filled container. The explosion expands gases in the explosive filled container which pass into the inflation container and displace the formation plugging fluid into the balloon sections and through the weakened portions of the central balloon to penetrate the walls of the target zone. The expanded central balloon is melted by the heat of the chemical reaction and a portion adheres to the formation wall thereby sealing the undesirable target zone; thereafter, the remaining balloon sections are deflated or ruptured to permit the apparatus to be withdrawn through the production tubing.

A wellbore self-retrievable tool for conveying and releasing a load in a well, the tool comprising: a floatation device; a load carrier; and a load release mechanism, the floatation device being configured to render the tool buoyant in a wellbore liquid.

An inflating container filled with formation plugging fluid is deployed at the target zone by a rigless apparatus. The inflating container can be in valved fluid communication with an explosive filled container, the explosive being ignited using a firing mechanism that is attached to the explosive filled container. The explosion expands gases in the explosive filled container which pass into the inflation container and displace the formation plugging fluid into the balloon sections and through the weakened portions of the central balloon to penetrate the walls of the target zone. The expanded central balloon is melted by the heat of the chemical reaction and a portion adheres to the formation wall thereby sealing the undesirable target zone; thereafter, the remaining balloon sections are deflated or ruptured to permit the apparatus to be withdrawn through the production tubing.

A down-hole packer is provided for positioning in a wellbore to establish a seal with a surrounding surface. The packer includes a sealing element that is responsive to compression by a setting piston to radially expand into the wellbore. An actuator is provided to longitudinally move the setting piston in response to a telemetry signal received by the down-hole packer. The actuator can include a hydraulic pump, an electromechanical motor or valves operable to control hydraulic energy to apply a down-hole force to the setting piston.

A down-hole packer is provided for positioning in a wellbore to establish a seal with a surrounding surface. The packer includes a sealing element that is responsive to compression by a setting piston to radially expand into the wellbore. An actuator is provided to longitudinally move the setting piston in response to a telemetry signal received by the down-hole packer. The actuator can include a hydraulic pump, an electromechanical motor or valves operable to control hydraulic energy to apply a down-hole force to the setting piston.

A packer system includes a gauge ring, an expanding ring arranged adjacent to the gauge ring, a back-up ring, a packer element arranged adjacent to the back-up ring, and a support ring arranged between the back-up ring and the expanding ring. The support ring promotes radial outward expansion of the expanding ring.

An inflating container filled with formation plugging fluid is deployed at the target zone by a rigless apparatus. The inflating container can be in valved fluid communication with an explosive filled container, the explosive being ignited using a firing mechanism that is attached to the explosive filled container. The explosion expands gases in the explosive filled container which pass into the inflation container and displace the formation plugging fluid into the balloon sections and through the weakened portions of the central balloon to penetrate the walls of the target zone. The expanded central balloon is melted by the heat of the chemical reaction and a portion adheres to the formation wall thereby sealing the undesirable target zone; thereafter, the remaining balloon sections are deflated or ruptured to permit the apparatus to be withdrawn through the production tubing.