System and methods for tubular expansion
AssigneeWeatherford/Lamb, Inc.
InventorsRichard Lee Giroux, Mike A. Luke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus enable expanding tubing in a borehole of a hydrocarbon well. According to some embodiments, an expander device includes a collapsible swage formed of collets, at least one slip arrangement and a hydraulic jack to stroke the swage through tubing to be expanded. In operation, expanding tubing may include securing an expansion tool to the tubing, lowering the tool and tubing into a borehole, actuating a collapsible expander of the expansion tool to an extended configuration, and supplying fluid pressure to a jack coupled to the expander thereby moving the expander through the tubing which is held by at least one of first and second tubing holding devices disposed respectively ahead of the expander and behind the expander.
Claims25
A system for expanding tubing, comprising:
- an expander disposed on a work string and having a first extended configuration capable of expanding the tubing and a second collapsed configuration with a smaller outer diameter than the first extended configuration;
- first and second tubing holding devices disposed on the work string and located respectively ahead of the expander and behind the expander;
- and
- a hydraulic operated jack coupled to the expander and configured to move the expander relative to the tubing holding devices.
A method of expanding tubing, comprising:
- securing an expansion tool to the tubing, wherein the expansion tool includes an expander, a jack, and first and second tubing holding devices;
- actuating the expander of the expansion tool to a first extended configuration from a second collapsed configuration having a smaller outer diameter than the first extended configuration;
- and
- supplying fluid pressure to the jack coupled to the expander thereby moving the expander through the tubing which is held by at least one of the first and second tubing holding devices disposed respectively ahead of the expander and behind the expander.
A method of expanding tubing, comprising:
- providing an assembly with an expansion tool, the tubing, and a boring tool, wherein the expansion tool includes an expander, a jack, and first and second tubing holding devices;
- running the assembly in a borehole;
- forming a borehole extension with the boring tool;
- disposing the tubing at least partially within the borehole extension;
- and
- supplying fluid pressure to the jack coupled to the expander thereby expanding the tubing as the expander moves through the tubing which is held by at least one of the first and second tubing holding devices disposed respectively ahead of the expander and behind the expander.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.