Wells – Processes – Repairing object in well
Patent
1998-05-21
2000-01-11
Bagnell, David
Wells
Processes
Repairing object in well
166207, 166381, E21B 2900
Patent
active
060125233
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to downhole apparatus and in particular to apparatus for use in expanding liner or tubing. The invention also relates to a method of expanding tubing.
WO-A-93/25800 (Shell Internationale Research) describes a method of completing an uncased section of a borehole in an underground oil-bearing formation. A liner provided with overlapping longitudinal slots is fixed at a predetermined position in the borehole. A tapered expansion mandrel or cone is then moved through the liner and expands the liner to a diameter larger than the cone maximum diameter. Ideally, the liner is expanded to such an extent that it contacts the bore wall. In one application, the slotted liner supports the borehole wall while permitting oil to flow from the formation into the bore. In other applications the liner is expanded into soft cement, and after the cement has set the bore is drilled out to the diameter of the expanded liner.
The liner may be run into the borehole with the cone already positioned at the liner upper or lower end, or the cone may be run in after the liner is fixed in the borehole. The latter operation requires provision of a cone with a smaller diameter configuration such that the cone may be passed through the bore casing and then expanded to a larger diameter configuration before being pulled or pushed through the liner. WO-A-93/25800 discloses one form of expandable cone, however the disclosed arrangement produces an expanded cone with a non-continuous circumference, resulting in non-circular expanded liner. This reduces the effective diameter and surface area of the liner, and results in the liner being spaced from the bore wall at a number of locations around the liner circumference; all of these features of the liner tend to reduce its effectiveness in terms of formation control and subsequent management.
It is among the objects of embodiments of the present invention to provide an expansion mandrel or cone which may assume a smaller diameter first configuration to allow running in through an unexpanded liner but which, in a second configuration, will maintain a larger diameter for expanding liner to a substantially circular form.
According to the present invention there is provided downhole apparatus for use in expanding tubing, the apparatus comprising a body for connection to a string and an expansion portion on the body which may be arranged to define a smaller diameter first configuration for running in and a larger diameter second configuration for expanding the tubing, the expansion portion including a plurality of radially movable parts for defining an outer surface thereof and which parts are axially and circumferentially offset for movement between the first and second configurations, and are axially alignable in the second configuration to define a substantially continuous outer circumference.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of expanding tubing, the method comprising the steps of: expansion portion on the body, the expansion portion including a plurality of radially movable parts for defining an outer surface thereof; parts may assume a smaller diameter first configuration; tubing; the parts assume a larger diameter second configuration to define a substantially continuous outer circumference; and then
The present invention thus avoids the disadvantages of existing proposals, in which the expansion mandrel or cone is made up of solely radially movable parts, to allow the parts to assume a smaller diameter configuration the parts must be circumferentially spaced when in the larger diameter configuration. In the present invention the ability to axially offset the parts obviates the need for such spacing.
Preferably, two sets of expansion portion parts are provided, each set comprising a plurality of circumferentially aligned parts with spaces therebetween to accommodate the other parts when each set is in the larger diameter second configuration. The parts may be configured to allow one set of parts to be radially extended to the
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Campbell Alasdair
Metcalfe Paul David
Scott Brian
Bagnell David
Kang Chi H.
Petroline Wellsystems Limited
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