The invention relates to a method and system for enhancing the performance of a well tubular expansion assembly.
A known well tubular expansion assembly and method are disclosed in International patent application WO2012104257.
In this known method a well tubular is expanded by pulling an expansion cone therethrough by drill string pull.
A disadvantage of the known method is that, in particular in deep and/or deviated wells, the drill string pull exerted to the cone may be limited and insufficient to expand an upper end of the tubular within a lower end of a previously installed well tubular.
A further disadvantage of the known method is that it requires use of a top anchor that fixes an upper end of the expanded tubular within a previously installed tubular, which anchor may slip if a large upward force is exerted by the expansion cone to the expanding tubular.
There is a need for and improved method and expandable well tubular wherein the upward force exerted on the expansion cone is hydraulically increased and wherein upward motion of an upper end of a partially expanded well tubular into a previously installed well tubular is inhibited such that forces on a top anchor are reduced.
A known method for placing an expandable bottom plug at the bottom of an expandable well casing is expanded downhole is disclosed in International patent application WO2004/027200. This known method involves a two step installation and expansion process which requires intervention by an operator. There is a need for an improved bottom plug installation and subsequent expansion process that can be performed in one step without intervention of an operator.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a method for enhancing the upward force on an expansion cone which is pulled up by a drill string to expand a well tubular, the method comprising:
The fluid injection through the interior of the drill string may be continued when the expansion cone is pulled through the upper end of the lower tubular into the lower end of the previously installed upper tubular and the drill string pull and pressure of the fluid injected through the drill string may be adjusted on the basis of a monitored longitudinal movement of the expansion cone through the well tubular and a ration between downward hydraulic force exerted on the bottom plug and upward force exerted by the expansion cone on the tubular expanded thereby.
An advantage of the method according to the invention over the method known from International patent application WO2004/027200 is that the bottom plug is positioned in the bottom of the expanded well tubular by letting it shoulder against the bottom end face of the tubular whereby the bottom plug is mechanically set by overpull to the expansion string. This enables the setting of the plug while the tubular string is being expanded, wherein the pipe expansion and shouldering, anchoring and sealing of the plug is performed in a single operational step without requiring intervention by an operator.
After expansion of the well tubular the bottom plug may be drilled out and the expanded well tubular may then form another previously installed well tubular through which a subsequent well tubular is inserted and expanded in accordance with the method according to the invention, which process may repeated several times to generate a MOnoDiameter (MOD) well hydrocarbon fluid production well with a substantially constant internal diameter through which, after completion of the well, a larger flux of crude oil, natural gas and/or another hydrocarbon fluid may be produced than through conventional telescoping wells.
In accordance with the invention there is further provided a tubular expansion assembly comprising
These and other features, embodiments and advantages of the method and expandable well tubular according to the invention are described in the accompanying claims, abstract and the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings, in which description reference numerals are used which refer to corresponding reference numerals that are depicted in the drawings.
Similar reference numerals in different figures denote the same or similar objects. Objects and other features depicted in the figures and/or described in this specification, abstract and/or claims may be combined in different ways by a person skilled in the art.
When the expansion cone 2 reaches the top anchor assembly 6 the top anchor assembly needs to be retracted and pulled up by the expansion cone as illustrated in
Optionally an inner surface of the lower tubular 1 is coated with a lubricating coating 7 to lubricate the longitudinal movement of the cone 2 therethrough.
It will be understood from the foregoing that the method and well tubular according to present invention are well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein.
The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present invention may be modified, combined and/or practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein.
Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below.
It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be altered, combined and/or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
While any methods, systems and/or products embodying the invention are described in terms of “comprising,” “containing,” or “including” various described features and/or steps, they can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various described features and steps.
All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form, “from about a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and range encompassed within the broader range of values.
Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee.
Moreover, the indefinite articles “a” or “an”, as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces.
If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in this specification and one or more patent or other documents that may be cited herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with this specification should be adopted.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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15174883.7 | Jul 2015 | EP | regional |
15174889.4 | Jul 2015 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2016/064977 | 6/28/2016 | WO | 00 |