Claims
- 1. A method of creating a casing in a borehole located in a subterranean formation, comprising:
installing a tubular liner and a mandrel in the borehole; injecting fluidic material into the borehole; pressurizing a portion of an interior region of the tubular liner; and radially expanding at least a portion of the liner in the borehole by extruding at least a portion of the liner off of the mandrel; wherein an interface between the tubular liner and the mandrel does not include a fluid tight seal.
- 2. A method of creating a casing in a borehole located in a section of a subterranean formation, the borehole having an already existing casing, comprising:
drilling out a new section of the borehole adjacent to the already existing casing; placing a tubular liner and an expandable mandrel into the new section of the borehole; overlapping the tubular liner with the already existing casing; injecting a hardenable fluidic sealing material into an annular region between the tubular liner and the new section of the borehole; fluidicly isolating the annular region between the tubular liner and the new section of the borehole from an interior region of the tubular liner below the mandrel; injecting a non hardenable fluidic material into the interior region of the tubular liner below the mandrel; extruding the tubular liner off of the expandable mandrel; sealing the overlap between the tubular liner and the already existing casing; supporting the tubular liner with the overlap with the already existing casing; removing the mandrel from the borehole; testing the integrity of the seal of the overlap between the tubular liner and the already existing casing; removing at least a portion of the hardenable fluidic sealing material from the interior of the tubular liner; curing the remaining portions of the fluidic hardenable fluidic sealing material; and removing at least a portion of the cured fluidic hardenable sealing material within the tubular liner; wherein an interface between the tubular liner and the mandrel does not include a fluid tight seal.
- 3. A method of joining a second tubular member to a first tubular member, the first tubular member having an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the second tubular member, comprising:
positioning a mandrel within an interior region of the second tubular member; pressurizing a portion of the interior region of the second tubular member; and extruding the second tubular member off of the mandrel into engagement with the first tubular member; wherein an interface between the mandrel and the second tubular member does not include a fluid tight seal.
- 4. A wellbore casing, comprising:
a tubular liner, the tubular liner formed by the process of:
extruding the tubular liner off of a mandrel; and an annular body of a cured fluidic sealing material coupled to the tubular liner; wherein an interface between the tubular liner and the mandrel does not include a fluid tight seal.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the injecting includes:
injecting hardenable fluidic sealing material into an annular region located between the borehole and the exterior of the tubular liner; and injecting non hardenable fluidic material into an interior region of the tubular liner below the mandrel.
- 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
fluidicly isolating the annular region from the interior region before injecting the non hardenable fluidic material into the interior region.
- 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the injecting of the hardenable fluidic sealing material is provided at operating pressures and flow rates ranging from about 0 to 5,000 psi and 0 to 1,500 gallons/min.
- 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the injecting of the non hardenable fluidic material is provided at operating pressures and flow rates ranging from about 500 to 9,000 psi and 40 to 3,000 gallons/min.
- 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the injecting of the non hardenable fluidic material is provided at reduced operating pressures and flow rates during an end portion of the extruding.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluidic material is injected below the mandrel.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein a region of the tubular liner below the mandrel is pressurized.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the region of the tubular liner below the mandrel is pressurized to pressures ranging from about 500 to 9,000 psi.
- 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
fluidicly isolating an interior region of the tubular liner from an exterior region of the tubular liner.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the interior region of the tubular liner isolated from the region exterior to the tubular liner by inserting one or more plugs into the injected fluidic material.
- 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
curing at least a portion of the fluidic material; and removing at least a portion of the cured fluidic material located within the tubular liner.
- 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
overlapping the tubular liner with an existing wellbore casing.
- 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
sealing the overlap between the tubular liner and the existing wellbore casing.
- 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
supporting the extruded tubular liner using the overlap with the existing wellbore casing.
- 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
testing the integrity of the seal in the overlap between the tubular liner and the existing wellbore casing.
- 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
removing at least a portion of the fluidic material within the tubular liner before curing.
- 21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
lubricating the surface of the mandrel.
- 22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
absorbing shock.
- 23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
catching the mandrel upon the completion of the extruding.
- 24. The method of claim 1, further comprising expanding the mandrel in a radial direction.
- 25. The method of claim 1, further including:
drilling out the mandrel.
- 26. The method of claim 1, further including:
supporting the mandrel with coiled tubing.
- 27. The method of claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of an unexpanded portion of the tubular member is variable.
- 28. The method of claim 1, wherein the mandrel is coupled to a drillable shoe.
- 29. The method of claim 3, wherein the pressurizing of the portion of the interior region of the second tubular member is provided at operating pressures ranging from about 500 to 9,000 psi.
- 30. The method of claim 3, wherein the pressurizing of the portion of the interior region of the second tubular member is provided at reduced operating pressures during a latter portion of the extruding.
- 31. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
lubricating the surface of the mandrel.
- 32. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
absorbing shock.
- 33. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
expanding the mandrel in a radial direction.
- 34. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
positioning the first and second tubular members in an overlapping relationship.
- 35. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
fluidicly isolating an interior region of the second tubular member from an exterior region of the second tubular member.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the interior region of the second tubular member is fluidicly isolated from the region exterior to the second tubular member by injecting one or more plugs into the interior of the second tubular member.
- 37. The method of claim 3, wherein the pressurizing of the portion of the interior region of the second tubular member is provided by injecting a fluidic material at operating pressures and flow rates ranging from about 500 to 9,000 psi and 40 to 3,000 gallons/minute.
- 38. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
injecting fluidic material beyond the mandrel.
- 39. The method of claim 3, wherein a region of the tubular liner beyond the mandrel is pressurized.
- 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the region of the tubular liner beyond the mandrel is pressurized to pressures ranging from about 500 to 9,000 psi.
- 41. The method of claim 3, wherein the first tubular member comprises an existing section of a wellbore.
- 42. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
sealing the interface between the first and second tubular members.
- 43. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
supporting the extruded second tubular member using the first tubular member.
- 44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:
testing the integrity of the seal in the interface between the first tubular member and the second tubular member.
- 45. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
catching the mandrel upon the completion of the extruding.
- 46. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
drilling out the mandrel.
- 47. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
supporting the mandrel with coiled tubing.
- 48. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
coupling the mandrel to a drillable shoe.
- 49. The wellbore casing of claim 4, wherein the tubular liner is formed by the process of:
placing the tubular liner and mandrel within the wellbore; and pressurizing an interior portion of the tubular liner.
- 50. The wellbore casing of claim 4, wherein during the extruding, the interior portion of the tubular liner is fluidicly isolated from an exterior portion of the tubular liner.
- 51. The wellbore casing of claim 4, wherein the interior portion of the tubular liner is pressurized at pressures ranging from about 500 to 9,000 psi.
- 52. The wellbore casing of claim 4, wherein the annular body of a cured fluidic sealing material is formed by the process of:
injecting a body of hardenable fluidic sealing material into an annular region external of the tubular liner.
- 53. The wellbore casing of claim 4, wherein the tubular liner overlaps with an existing wellbore casing.
- 54. The wellbore casing of claim 53, further comprising a seal positioned in the overlap between the tubular liner and the existing wellbore casing.
- 55. The wellbore casing of claim 53, wherein the tubular liner is supported by the overlap with the existing wellbore casing.
- 56. A method of creating a casing in a borehole located in a subterranean formation, comprising:
installing a tubular liner containing a tubular expansion cone in the borehole; injecting fluidic material into the tubular liner through the tubular expansion cone; pressurizing an interior region of the tubular liner; and radially expanding and extruding the tubular liner off of the tubular expansion cone; wherein the interface between the tubular liner and the tubular expansion cone does not include a fluid tight seal.
- 57. A method of creating a casing in a borehole located in a subterranean formation, comprising:
installing a tubular liner containing a tubular expansion cone in the borehole, wherein the wall thickness of the tubular liner is reduced proximate the tubular expansion cone; injecting fluidic material into the borehole through the tubular expansion cone; pressurizing an interior region of the tubular liner; and radially expanding and extruding the tubular liner off of the tubular expansion cone.
- 58. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
equalizing the operating pressures on the interior and exterior surfaces of an end of the tubular liner.
- 59. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
equalizing the operating pressures on the interior and exterior surfaces of an end of the second tubular member.
- 60. The wellbore casing of claim 4, further comprising:
equalizing the operating pressures on the interior and exterior surfaces of an end of the tubular liner during the extruding of the tubular liner.
- 61. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
slowing the mandrel using an end of the tubular liner.
- 62. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
slowing the mandrel using an end of the second tubular member.
- 63. The wellbore casing of claim 4, further comprising:
slowing the mandrel during the extruding using an end of the tubular liner.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/454,139, attorney docket no. 25791.3.02, filed on Dec. 3, 1999, which claimed the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/111,293, attorney docket number 25791.3, filed on Dec. 7, 1998, the disclosures of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60111293 |
Dec 1998 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09454139 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
10199524 |
Jul 2002 |
US |