Australian Water Management Review Vol. 1 2014 | Page 164

Inflatable Packers and Grouting Grouting with inflatable packers is an important part of the water well, oil & gas industries with a wide variety of uses including but not limited to cement grouting for structural reasons, to prevent exterior casing corrosion, well abandonment or to stabilise rock or soil formations. Cement is the most common type of grout used however other types are used such as bentonite, epoxy and other special agents used for waterproofing and greater penetrability etc. Grout may be pumped at low, medium or high pressures also other factors such as fluid used, ground conditions, injection depth will determine the pressure required and the type of grout used. Deployment of the inflatable packer is simple through the use of drill rods with an appropriate crossover thread to the packer. A wireline or crane may be used in conjunction with a grout hose (instead of rods) however; you are limited to shallow depths, grouting pressures, how self-supportive the hose/ fittings are. 158 | Australian water man age m e nt re v ie w Using drill rods or rigid pipe is a slower process but offers support for the running gear, push down force on the packers, support for the inflation tube and in most cases this is the most suitable option. Single packer systems employ one packer and once lowered to the desired depth and inflated grout can then be pumped through the centre of the packer. Grout exits out the bottom with no restriction or through a TAM valve to prevent back flow. The packer is then retrieved or abandoned down hole, this is completely application specific. Straddle packer systems sometimes referred to as a ‘double packer’ are a useful tool suitable for targeting specific zones downhole, high pressure grouting applications and casing installation in medium to deep bores. The zone between two packers is known as the ‘straddle zone’. The straddle zone is typically 1m in length ranging up to 6m, however all lengths may be manufactured for specific applications or on request. If you would like a quote or further information please send us an email. [email protected]