Replacement Inflatable Packers and Elements (R.I.P.E) products

RIPE-Packers are manufacturers and suppliers of a wide range of down-hole tools and services for oil/ gas, water well developments, environmental/ geotechnical investigations. RIPE specialises in high pressure inflatable packers and replacement packer elements for open-hole hydraulic fracturing and block caving mining procedures.

RIPE works with their clients to ensure we provide the best inflatable packer elements for the job. If you want to work on making your existing tools better without replacing your entire tool string, we can also help you with that. RIPE’s cutting-edge core reinforced technology provides improved performance over other inflatable packer elements. RIPE supply custom-manufactured inflatable packer elements that are tailored to the unique requirements of your project. RIPE manufactures and stocks replacement packer elements for a wide range of already existing down-hole tools, including DST tools and water well hydraulic fracturing systems, both of which are typically in standard sizes for oilfield applications with a standard thread type. RIPE can also refurbish and modify existing packer elements to suit new or different applications.

RIPE’s Wireline Packer Testing Equipment System is the ideal tool for isolating sections of a borehole.  Once isolated, injection (Lugeon) testing can be conducted to determine hydraulic conductivity and the formations permeability. Our Wireline Packer Testing Systems are optimized for shallow as well as deep testing in conjunction with diamond core drilling. Available to suit NQ, HQ and PQ sized cored boreholes and can be deployed in single or straddle/double configuration to test formation transmissivity in large or more specific zones.

Decommissioning water well packers are used to plug or seal water well and boreholes. Deployed on wireline or drill rods with left hand back off thread or shear pin mechanism and inflated via a separate inflation tube which typically employs the use of check valves to prevent deflation.

Grouting is the process of injecting a material usually cement into a cavity or void to provide reinforcement. Injection grouting inflatable packers are a tool used to isolate that cavity or void, typically the lower section of a borehole for pressurized grouting to then take place. Used across a range of industries from geotechnical, construction, mining and even tunnelling, injection grouting packers have an extensive range of applications.

Grab Packer’s engineered and manufactured by RIPE are the ultimate downhole inflatable tool customised specifically for your project to maximize productivity and ensure your downhole operations run smoothly. Heavy duty in construction with external, high tensile, grit coated, steel strips running the effective length, RIPE’s Grab Packers are built with a high push-down or pull up capability of up to 45 ton. The Grab Packers two main uses are as a water bore construction tool for installation of well screens and also as a downhole fishing tool to assist when the unfortunate happens and dropped or stuck equipment needs to be retrieved.

When needing to create a temporary or permanent barrier in a well to seal off or isolate a chosen section downhole, inflatable Bridge Plugs are the go to tool! Used predominantly in oil and gas applications to block off unwanted flow from a reservoir or for well abandonment and decommissioning projects.

RIPE’s Mainstopper was developed for the water industry to provide a temporary shutdown solution for under pressure water and wastewater mains where it is not possible to turn off flow. The process starts with usually a 65mm under pressure tapping where a gate/ball valve is set at a 45 degree angle on a stainless steel tapping clamp. A RIPE Mainstopper can then be inserted into the live main and inflated with water to a predetermined pressure to seal the pipe, creating a shut off. This process allows for any main between 80mm – 150mm in diameter to be isolated.

When drilling a well the hole is lined with casing to prevent the walls of the hole from caving in but also for appropriate aquifer selection. Upper aquifers may contain poor quality water, or may be fully committed to other users. When this occurs bores are drilled through the upper aquifers to allow tapping of the better quality or under allocated lower aquifers. Any unsuitable waters are excluded from the bore with casing. Casing float shoes or float collars are used to facilitate pressure cementing the casing in place from the bottom of the hole back to the surface when constructing a well, the cement grout barrier also protects the casing from possibly corrosive waters.

RIPE Sealing Packers are the perfect aid when you need to provide a seal between a bore’s screen and casing when choosing not to artificially gravel pack. RIPE Sealing packers are far superior to the old K-rubber technology which was often secured only with glue or band-it straps and suctioned off during pumping, either when the bore was developed or later when in use.