Expandable connection for expandable tubulars
AssigneeOil States Industries, Inc.
InventorsRichard Murray Whiddon, Gary Michael Thigpen
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Abstract
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes positioning a first tubular adjacent a second tubular, wherein one of the first and second tubulars includes a plurality of radially deflectable fingers formed in an end thereof, mating the first and second tubulars into mated engagement with one another, wherein, during the mating of the first and second tubulars, the radially deflectable fingers deflect in a radial direction, and expanding the first and second tubulars by forcing an expansion mandrel through the mated first and second tubulars such that the expanded first and second tubulars have an expanded inside diameter that is greater than an initial inside diameter of the first and second tubulars.
Claims12
A method, comprising:
- positioning a first tubular adjacent a second tubular, each of the first and second tubulars having an initial inside diameter, one of the first and second tubulars comprising a plurality of radially-deflectable fingers formed in an end thereof;
- mating the first and second tubulars into mated engagement with one another, wherein, during the mating of the first and second tubulars, the radially-deflectable fingers deflect in a radial direction;
- expanding the first and second tubulars by forcing an expansion mandrel through the mated first and second tubulars such that the expanded first and second tubulars have an expanded inside diameter that is greater than the initial inside diameter of the first and second tubulars;
- and
- after mating the first and second tubulars into mated engagement with one another, and prior to expanding the first and second tubulars, positioning a protective ring around the mated first and second tubulars at an area of engagement between the first and second tubulars.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first tubular;
- a second tubular mated to the first tubular, wherein one of the first and second tubulars comprises a plurality of radially-deflectable fingers formed in an end thereof, and each of the first and second tubulars have an initial inside diameter and are adapted to be radially expanded such that, after the radial expansion, the expanded mated first and second tubulars have an expanded inside diameter that is greater than the initial inside diameter of the mated first and second tubulars;
- and
- a protective ring configured to be positioned around the mated first and second tubulars at an area of engagement between the first and second tubulars.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.