# US 11,898,422 B2 · Diamond coating on the cone for expandable tubulars > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,422 B2 - Document ID: US11898422B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/088,179 - Filed: 2020-11-03 - Published: 2022-05-05 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-03 - Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Inventors: Jianhui Xu; Guodong (David) Zhan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898422B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/105: {Expanding tools specially adapted therefor} - C23C 16/0272: {Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating} - C23C 16/27: Diamond only - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) ## Abstract An expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the expansion cone includes: a base material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; an intermediate buffering layer; and a coating deposited on an outer surface of the intermediate buffering layer; wherein the intermediate buffering layer is deposited between an outer surface of the steel alloy base material and the coating, wherein the intermediate buffering layer is one or more selected from a group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC), and wherein the coating is a diamond containing coating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the expansion cone comprising: a steel alloy base material having an upper cylindrical section, a lower cylindrical section, and a tapered section therebetween; a plurality of pockets formed in at least the tapered section of the steel alloy base material; a plurality of inserts disposed within the plurality of pockets, wherein the plurality of inserts comprise an outer surface layer or coating selected from a group consisting of nanocrystalline diamond, amorphous diamond, a diamond-like carbon, and mixtures thereof; wherein an upper surface of each of the plurality of inserts is 1-50 microns above an outer surface of the steel alloy base material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The expansion cone according to claim 1, wherein the inserts further comprise: an insert base material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; and a buffering layer that deposited between the outer surface layer or coating and the insert base material, wherein the buffering layer is selected from a group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The expansion cone according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of inserts are selected from a group consisting of unleached diamond-cobalt compacts, leached diamond-cobalt compacts, diamond-silicon compacts, binderless diamond compacts, diamond-boron nitride composite compacts. ### Claim 4 A method for forming an expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the method comprising: forming a base expansion cone having an upper cylindrical section, a lower cylindrical section, and a tapered section therebetween; forming a plurality of pockets within the base expansion cone tapered section; disposing a plurality of inserts within the plurality of pockets, wherein the plurality of inserts are selected from a group consisting of unleached diamond-cobalt compacts, leached diamond-cobalt compacts, diamond-silicon compacts, binderless diamond compacts, diamond-boron nitride composite compacts, and their combinations; wherein an upper surface of each of the plurality of inserts is 1-50 microns above an outer surface of an insert base material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising forming the plurality of inserts, forming the plurality of inserts comprising: forming the insert base material from a material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; depositing a buffering layer on at least a portion of the base insert block; and depositing the outer surface layer or coating on the buffering layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the buffering layer is formed from a material selected from another group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC). ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of inserts are disposed within each of the plurality of pockets by press fitting. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of inserts are disposed within each of the plurality of pockets by brazing.