A deformable member can be used in a well tool for use in downhole oil/gas wells. In one embodiment, a deformable member (46) is described which is deformable between undeformed and deformed positions, and comprises a generally hollow cylindrical body (48) defining a wall (50). The wall (50) includes three circumferential lines of weakness in the form of grooves, with two grooves (52, 54) provided in an outer surface (56) of the member wall (50), and the other groove (58) provided in an inner surface (60). The member (46) is deformed outwardly by folding about the lines of weakness (52, 54, 56) and is used in particular to obtain sealing contact with a tube in which the member (46) is located.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a divisional patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/336,848, filed Jan. 6, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,049, which is a continuation under 35 USC .sctn.120 of PCT/GB01/03072, filed Jul. 9, 2001, which published in English as WO 02/04783 and corresponds to British Patent Application GB 0016595.1, filed Jul. 7, 2000 and whose contents are incorporated by reference.
A settable and unsettable seal arrangement includes a metal-to-metal seal element; a setting/releasing sleeve in operable communication with the seal element; a retraction ring fixedly attached to the setting/releasing sleeve; a load preservation and unsetting sleeve fixedly attached to the seal element; and a resilient member operably disposed between the setting/releasing sleeve and the load preservation and unsetting sleeve and method for setting and unsetting.
Disclosed herein is a downhole disconnectable and length compensatable tubular sealing system. The system includes, a seal connector having a first metal seal receptive of a separate seal nipple and pressure sealably engagable therewith and at least one expansion joint sealingly connected to the seal connector. The expansion joint includes, a section of metal tubing having a sealing surface thereon and a metal-to-metal seal slidably sealingly engaged with the sealing surface.
A seal assembly that is usable with a well includes a metal body that is adapted to expand radially inwardly and radially outwardly in response to the body being longitudinally compressed between compressing surfaces. The metal body includes first and second surfaces that do not conform to the compressing surfaces before longitudinal compression of the body and are adapted to contact the compressing surfaces.
