Methods and Apparatus for Expanding Tubular Members

a tubular member and expansion method technology, applied in the direction of fluid removal, borehole/well accessories, mining structures, etc., can solve the problems of tubular weakened, failure, and decrease in the thickness of the material forming the tubular,

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-04-19
SCHLUMBERGER TECH CORP
View PDF4 Cites 15 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026] A swelling material can be introduced between the tubular member and the well wall so as to fill voids remaining after deformation of the tubular member.

Problems solved by technology

Where expansion is achieved by simple stretching, the thickness of the material forming the tubular decreases and there is typically a limit of 20-30% expansion before plastic deformation of the material causes the tubular to become weakened (and failure occurs).
However, effective sealing against the borehole can be an issue.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Methods and Apparatus for Expanding Tubular Members
  • Methods and Apparatus for Expanding Tubular Members
  • Methods and Apparatus for Expanding Tubular Members

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0041] The fundamentals of expandable tubular in wells are well-known and will not be described in detail here. One such application comprises the expansion of a sleeve inside a casing to close off perforations that might be producing water. The use of an embodiment of the invention in such an application is shown schematically in FIG. 1. In use, a tool 10 according to one embodiment of the invention, is positioned in a well 12 through production tubing 16 located in the well 12 by means of a packer 14 and extending to the surface (not shown). The tool 10 is lowered through the tubing 16 by means of a wireline cable 18 which provides electric power and data to the tool 10. An expandable sleeve 20 is positioned on the tool 10 with a mandrel 22 positioned below the sleeve 20 and connected to the tool 10 through the centre thereof. In this example, the sleeve 20 is vertically corrugated as is shown in FIG. 2 so as to reduce its outer diameter and allow its installation through tubing. ...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

PUM

No PUM Login to view more

Abstract

A method for sealing a hole in a tubular in a wellbore comprising: (A) locating the tubular patch adjacent the hole; (B) (i) plastically expanding a first portion of the tubular patch above the hole into annular sealing engagement with the tubular to form a first annular seal and (ii) plastically expanding a second portion of the tubular patch below the hole in the tubular into annular sealing engagement with the tubular or the open hole to form a second annular seal thereby sealing the hole in the tubular. The patch may be a corrugated tube prior to expansion in order to pass through restrictions and may have a section with an increased wall thickness including a resilient seal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention relates to methods and apparatus for use in the expansion of tubular members. The invention find particular application to such operations conducted in underground well or boreholes such as are found in the oil and gas industry. BACKGROUND ART [0002] The use of expandable tubular members to seal or isolate portions of wells has been widely proposed. In one version, a simple tubular member is expanded against the borehole by stretching the wall of the tubular using an expanding tool. In another, the tubular member is positioned in the borehole in a vertically corrugated form and then expanded back to a circular cross-section against the borehole. [0003] Where expansion is achieved by simple stretching, the thickness of the material forming the tubular decreases and there is typically a limit of 20-30% expansion before plastic deformation of the material causes the tubular to become weakened (and failure occurs). For practical purposes, an upper l...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to view more
Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): E21D1/06
CPCE21B43/103E21B43/105
Inventor ORBAN, JACQUESVERCAEMER, CLAUDE
Owner SCHLUMBERGER TECH CORP
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Try Eureka
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap