# US 7,607,486 B2 · One trip tubular expansion and recess formation apparatus and method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,607,486 B2
- Document ID: US7607486B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/830,330
- Filed: 2007-07-30
- Published: 2009-02-05
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2007-07-30
- Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated
- Inventors: Graham E. Farquhar; Robert C. Smith
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607486B2

## CPC

- E21B 43/106: {Couplings or joints therefor}
- E21B 43/105: {Expanding tools specially adapted therefor}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A one trip top to bottom expansion to form a lower end recess on a tubular is described using two swages of different dimensions. The smaller swage is run down hole with the larger swage behind it in a locked collapsed position. When the proper depth is reached the leading swage hits a no go. A pickup force with dogs engaged in a groove releases the lock on the larger swage at which point applied pressure sets an anchor, extends the larger swage to take over the expansion for the recess at the lower end of the tubular. An emergency release is provided to pull out of the hole if the swage cannot complete the task.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of creating a recess fully located at the lower end of a tubular string having an initial rounded internal diameter to accept another string to be expanded into the recess, comprising:
running in an expansion assembly into the string;
using a leading swage to expand said initial rounded internal diameter of the string as the assembly advances into the string;
releasing a trailing swage after said expansion with said leading swage; and
continuing expansion of the string to a larger size than said leading swage with said following swage moving in the same direction as said leading swage to form the recess adjacent the lower end of the string.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
locking said trailing swage in a dimension smaller than said leading swage as said leading swage substantially expands the tubular string.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, comprising:
unlocking said trailing swage to change in size after substantial expansion of the tubular string.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, comprising:
selectively engaging the assembly to the tubular string to perform said unlocking.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, comprising:
applying a force to said assembly while engaged to the tubular string.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, comprising:
locking said trailing swage to a mandrel;
undermining locking of said trailing swage to said mandrel from said applied force.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, comprising:
disabling a locking member by radial dimension change thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, comprising:
running a ramp against said locking member to change its dimension radially.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, comprising:
using a split ring as said locking member.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, comprising:
providing serrations on at least one of an inner and outer face of said split ring;
removing contact of said serrations by running said ramp within said split ring.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, comprising:
applying force to said trailing swage after said unlocking to increase its dimension to larger than said leading swage.

### Claim 12 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, comprising:
using a restriction in said tubular string to provide a surface signal to the surface that the leading swage is near the portion of the tubular string where the assembly can be engaged.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, comprising:
making the restriction removable.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, comprising:
providing a collet recess in the string for a spring loaded collet on said assembly to selectively engage.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising:
breaking at least one shear pin by applying a force to said collet when said collet is retained by the tubular string.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, comprising:
breaking said shear pin which unlocks said trailing swage to change radial dimension to a dimension larger than said leading swage.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, comprising:
providing an up front fixed diameter swage ahead of said leading swage.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, comprising:
reducing resistance to expansion by removal of said restriction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, comprising:
reducing the amount of inside diameter expansion by removal of said restriction.