초록 ▼

A method for sealing boreholes in the earth and particularly around well casings extending into boreholes in the earth comprises the placement of a plurality of discrete, liquid-absorbing annular sealing elements or disks formed of relatively dry, solid, particulate or granular liquid-swellable clay

A method for sealing boreholes in the earth and particularly around well casings extending into boreholes in the earth comprises the placement of a plurality of discrete, liquid-absorbing annular sealing elements or disks formed of relatively dry, solid, particulate or granular liquid-swellable clay material, such as bentonite, or bentonite clay which swells in size upon contact with and absorption of liquid encountered in the borehole, The elements are characterized by a disk-like planar shape having parallel, flat opposing faces and a central hole slightly larger in diameter than the cross-section of a well casing when present in a borehole. The disks are placed successively on the well casing and move down into the borehole until a stack of disks of the desired height is formed to substantially fill the space or void between the well casing and the borehole wall. When liquid comes in contact with the disk in a stack, the particulate material of the disks begins to swell and enlarge to complletely fill the borehole or the space between the well casing and the borehole wall to provide a liquid-tight seal around the well casing within the borehole.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of sealing around the outside of an elongated casing extending into a larger borehole in the earth, comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of liquid-absorbing, discrete, annular sealing elements out of relatively dry material that is swellable in size upon contact with liquid, said ma

A method of sealing around the outside of an elongated casing extending into a larger borehole in the earth, comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of liquid-absorbing, discrete, annular sealing elements out of relatively dry material that is swellable in size upon contact with liquid, said material being pressed to form said discrete elements having an annular disk-like shape with a pair of flat, opposite faces and a central hole having a diameter larger than a cross-section of said casing and extending transversely between said faces and having an outer periphery having a diameter smaller than the interior diameter of said borehole; successively placing said sealing elements with said central hole around said casing; moving said elements in succession downwardly into said borehole to provide a stack of said sealing elements for substantially filling the existing space between said casing and said borehole, and expanding said sealing elements in said stack by the swelling action of said material upon contact with and absorption of liquid in said borehole to seal around said casing within said borehole.