Claims
- 1. A method of expanding tubing downhole, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a section of expandable tubing of a first diameter; and axially compressing at least a portion of the tubing to induce buckling at said portion, such that said buckled portion describes a larger second diameter.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said portion of the tubing is slotted, and on expansion of the tubing the slots open.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said portion of the tubing defines apertures, and on expansion of the tubing the apertures at least partially close.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an expandable sleeve in combination with the tubing, the sleeve maintaining the wall of the tubing fluid-tight.
- 5. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing an expandable sleeve in combination with the tubing, the sleeve maintaining the wall of the tubing fluid-tight, and providing a support between the sleeve and the tubing to support the portions of the sleeve extending over the open slots in the expanded tubing.
- 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting the tubing on a mandrel.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tubing is mounted in sealing engagement with the mandrel.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the degree of expansion of the tubing is selected to provided engagement with a surrounding structure.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the degree of expansion is selected to anchor the tubing to the surrounding structure.
- 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the degree of expansion is selected to provide sealing engagement with the surrounding structure.
- 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the surrounding structure is liner.
- 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the surrounding structure is the wall of an open bore.
- 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the surrounding structure is a portal between a parent wellbore and a lateral wellbore.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the tubing is pre-expanded before application of the compressive force thereto.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pre-expansion takes place downhole.
- 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a compression tool within the tubing with portions engaging the tubing to either end of the portion to be compressed, and bringing said portions together to expand the tubing.
- 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the compression of the tubing is achieved by applying weight to the tubing from surface.
- 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the compression tool is fluid-pressure actuated.
- 19. The method of claim 1, comprising providing expandable tubing having a wall configured to induce buckling in a predetermined direction on the tubing wall experiencing compression.
- 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the expansion ratio achieved is in excess of 1.3.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the expansion ratio achieved is in excess of 1.4.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the expansion ratio achieved is in excess of 1.5.
- 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the expandable tubing is run in to an expansion location through production tubing.
- 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the tubing is plastically deformed.
- 25. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of axially extending said buckled portion of the tubing such that said extended portion describes a smaller diameter.
- 26. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of tubing is predisposed to induce buckling at the portion by heat treatment.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein axially compressing the at least a portion of the tubing to induce buckling at said portion comprises axially compressing the tubing between a means for pulling the tubing axially and a releasable connection located between the means for pulling the tubing axially and the tubing.
- 28. A method of expanding tubing downhole, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a section of expandable tubing of a first tubing diameter; running the tubing into a bore and through a bore restriction of a first bore diameter; locating the tubing in a section of the bore of a larger second bore diameter; and plastically expanding at least a portion of the tubing to a larger second tubing diameter, said larger second tubing diameter being larger than said first bore diameter.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein said plastic expansion of said portion of the tubing to said larger second tubing diameter is achieved in a single expansion step.
- 30. The method of claim 28, comprising:
axially compressing at least a portion of the tubing to induce buckling at said portion, said buckled portion then describing said larger second tubing diameter.
- 31. The method of claim 28, wherein the bore is defined, at least in part, by production tubing.
- 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the section of the bore of larger second bore diameter is defined, at least in part, by bore liner.
- 33. The method of claim 28, wherein said second tubing diameter corresponds to said second bore diameter.
- 34. The method of claim 28, wherein the expansion ratio achieved is in excess of 1.3.
- 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the expansion ratio achieved is in excess of 1.4.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the expansion ratio achieved is in excess of 1.5.
- 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the expansion ratio is in excess of 2.
- 38. Tubing running and expansion apparatus comprising:
a length of expandable tubing; and a running tool for supporting the tubing on a running string and including means for compressing the tubing to induce buckling and expansion thereof.
- 39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the compressing means comprises means for engaging two axially spaced portions of the tubing and means for bringing said portions together to compress the tube.
- 40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the compressing means is telescopic.
- 41. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising means for retaining compression of said tubing.
- 42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said means for retaining compression comprises a ratchet arrangement.
- 43. The apparatus of 38, wherein the compressing means is adapted to transfer weight applied to a running string to the tubing.
- 44. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the compressing means is fluid pressure actuated.
- 45. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising an expandable fluid-tight sleeve mounted on the tubing.
- 46. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising gripping means provided on an exterior face of the tubing for engaging a surrounding structure.
- 47. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein at least a portion of the tubing is slotted.
- 48. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein at least a portion of the tubing is slotted, and further comprising an expandable sleeve mounted on the tubing, the sleeve maintaining the wall of the tubing fluid-tight, and a support between the sleeve and the tubing to support the portions of the sleeve extending over the open slots in the expanded tubing.
- 49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the support comprises a matrix of fibres.
- 50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the support comprises a plurality of overlapping leaves mounted to the tubing.
- 51. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein at least a portion of the tubing is apertured.
- 52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the apertures in the tubing are initially diamond-shaped.
- 53. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising a mandrel.
- 54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the tubing is mounted in sealing engagement with the mandrel.
- 55. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the tubing is pre-expanded.
- 56. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the expandable tubing has a wall configured to induce buckling in a predetermined direction on the tubing wall experiencing compression.
- 57. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein a releasable connection supports the tubing on the running string.
- 58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the releasable connection is a collet.
- 59. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the releasable connection is a shearable connection.
- 60. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein means for compressing the tubing comprises a piston movable within a cylinder to compress the tubing between the running string and the releasable connection.
- 61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein at least a portion of the length of expandable tubing is heat treated to buckle at the portion.
- 62. A downhole anchor comprising a tubing section having a buckled and expanded portion for engaging a surrounding structure.
- 63. The anchor of claim 62, wherein said portion of the tubing section is plastically expanded.
- 64. A downhole packer comprising a tubing section having a buckled and expanded portion for engaging a surrounding structure.
- 65. The packer of claim 64, wherein said portion of the tubing section is plastically expanded.
- 66. A downhole anchor comprising a tubing section adapted to be axially compressed and to buckle and expand in response to such compression.
- 67. A downhole packer comprising a tubing section adapted to be axially compressed and to buckle and expand in response to such compression.
- 68. A junction between a parent wellbore and a lateral wellbore comprising a tubing section extending through a portal between a parent wellbore and a lateral wellbore, the tubing section being axially compressed and buckled and engaging the walls of the portal.
- 69. Tubing for location in a junction between a parent wellbore and a lateral wellbore comprising a tubing section adapted to extend through a portal between a parent wellbore and a lateral wellbore, the tubing section being axially compressible to buckle and expand in response to such compression to engage the walls of the portal.
- 70. An apparatus for anchoring an expandable tubular within a wellbore, comprising:
an expandable tubular having modified tensile strength along a portion of the expandable tubular; and means for axially compressing the expandable tubular so that the expandable tubular deforms radially according to the tensile strength of the portion to anchor the expandable tubular within the wellbore.
- 71. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the tensile strength is modified by heat treatment.
- 72. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein an outer diameter of the portion of the expandable tubular is altered to increase anchoring ability of the expandable tubular within the wellbore.
- 73. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein an outer diameter of the portion of the expandable tubular is knurled.
- 74. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein an outer diameter of the portion of the expandable tubular is rubber coated.
- 75. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein an outer diameter of the portion of the expandable tubular comprises spikes.
- 76. The apparatus of claim 70, further comprising an expander tool connected to the means for axially compressing the expandable tubular.
- 77. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the means for axially compressing the expandable tubular comprises a setting tool for applying a load on the expandable tubular through a releasable connection between the expandable tubular and the setting tool.
- 78. The apparatus of claim 77, wherein the load is applied by at least one piston movable within at least one cylinder through fluid pressure.
- 79. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the releasable connection comprises a collet.
- 80. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the releasable connection comprises a shearable connection.
- 81. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the releasable connection comprises a rotational connection.
- 82. A method for anchoring an expandable tubular in a wellbore, comprising:
modifying the tensile strength of a portion of the expandable tubular; running the expandable tubular into the wellbore; and compressing the expandable tubular axially so that an outer diameter of the portion of the expandable tubular grippingly contacts an inner diameter of the wellbore.
- 83. The method of claim 82, further comprising altering the outer diameter of the portion of the expandable tubular to increase gripping contact of the expandable tubular in the wellbore prior to running the expandable tubular into the wellbore.
- 84. The method of claim 82, wherein modifying the tensile strength of the portion of the expandable tubular comprises heat treating the portion of the expandable tubular.
- 85. The method of claim 82, wherein the tensile strength is modified to progress along the length of the expandable tubular.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
0111779.5 |
May 2001 |
GB |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/146,357, filed May 15, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of GB 0111779.5, filed May 15, 2001. Each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10146357 |
May 2002 |
US |
Child |
10458063 |
Jun 2003 |
US |