Expanding tubing

[0001] This invention relates to a method of expanding tubing, and in particular to the expansion of tubing downhole. Embodiments of the invention relate to methods of obtaining relatively high expansion ratios. Further embodiments of the invention relate to packers and anchors which utilise expandable tubing.

[0002] In recent years, the oil and gas exploration and production industry has made increasing use of expandable tubing for use as bore-lining casing and liner, in straddles, and as a support for expandable sand screens. Various forms of expansion tools have been utilised, earlier proposals including expansion dies, cones and mandrels which are pushed or pulled through tubing by mechanical or hydraulic forces. More recently, rotary expansion tools have been employed, these tools featuring rolling elements for rolling contact with the tubing to be expanded while the tool is rotated and advanced through the tubing.

[0003] Each of the these expansion apparatus offers different advantages, however there is a limit to the degree of expansion that is achievable using such expansion tools.

[0004] It is among the objectives of embodiments of the present invention to provide a method of expanding tubing downhole which permits a relatively large degree of expansion to be achieved.

[0005] According to the present invention there is provided a method of expanding tubing, the method comprising the steps of:

• • [0006] providing a section of expandable tubing of a first diameter; and
  • [0007] axially compressing at least a portion of the tubing to induce buckling at said portion, such that said buckled portion describes a larger second diameter.

[0008] The axial compression may be induced by application of a substantially axial force, or may be induced at least in part by torsion.

[0009] The invention also relates to apparatus for expanding tubing in this manner.

[0010] The invention has particular application for use downhole, that is in drilled bores extending through earth formations, but may also be utilised in subsea or surface applications, and of course may be utilised in applications other than those related to the oil and gas industry.

[0011] By utilising the buckling of the tubing to achieve expansion, the method obviates the requirement to provide an expansion tool capable of mechanically deforming the tubing to assume the larger diameter, which has conventionally required the provision of an expansion tool it self capable of assuming an external diameter which is at least close to the larger second diameter.

[0012] The method of the invention has also been found to facilitate the attainment of relatively high expansion ratios, for example the method may be utilised to achieve expansion ratios in the region of 1.5 to 2, that is the second diameter is 1.5 to 2 times the first diameter, and indeed expansion ratios in excess of 2 are readily achievable. This greatly increases the potential applications for expandable tubing. For example, using the invention it becomes possible to achieve the degree of expansion necessary to allow expandable tubing, or a tool or device including expandable tubing, to be run through production tubing and then expanded into engagement with significantly larger diameter liner.

[0013] The tubing may take any appropriate form, and may have a solid wall at said portion, however if it is desired to achieve elevated degrees of expansion, it has been found that this is more readily achievable using slotted or apertured tubing. Most preferably, the slots are substantially axial and the ends of circumferentially adjacent slots overlap, in a similar manner to the expandable tubing produced by the applicant under the EST trade mark. In such tubing an increase in diameter is achieved primarily by deformation or bending of the webs of metal between the overlapping slot ends as the slots open. If desired, the slotted tubing may be provided in combination with an expandable sleeve which maintains the wall of the tubing fluid-tight, in one or both of the unexpanded and expanded conditions; by mounting the tubing on an appropriate mandrel it is thus possible to utilise the present invention to provide a packer. It has been widely recognised by those of skill in the art that slotted tubing contracts axially when expanded, however this has previously been viewed as a disadvantage, and it has not been recognised that this feature of the tubing may be utilised positively to facilitate expansion.

[0014] Where an elastomeric or otherwise flexible fluid-tight sleeve is provided in combination with slotted or otherwise apertured tubing, it is preferred that the sleeve is provided in combination with a support; in the absence of such support, the unsupported portions of sleeve extending across open slots or apertures may fail when subject to a differential pressure. Such support may take any appropriate form, including overlapping circumferentially extending members, which may be in the form of “leaves”, arranged in an iris-like manner; the degree of overlap may reduce as the tubing is expanded, but preferably a degree of overlap remains in the expanded configuration. Alternatively, the support may take the form of structural fibres of aramid material, such as Kevlar (Trade Mark). The fibres may be provided individually, or more preferably as a weave or mesh which is capable of expanding with the tubing. Typically, the support will be provided between the tubing and the sleeve.

[0015] Of course, if the tubing initially features apertures, for example diamond-shaped apertures, axial compression of the tubing will tend to close the apertures, obviating the requirement to provide such a support arrangement.

[0016] When provided in combination with a mandrel, the tubing may be mounted in the mandrel to permit a degree of axial relative movement, to allow expansion of the tubing. Preferably, means is provided between the mandrel and the tubing for retaining said relative axial movement therebetween. Such means may take any appropriate form, for example a one-way ratchet ring. Alternatively, spaced portions of the tubing may be fixed to the mandrel and the mandrel may be telescopic or otherwise retractable to permit expansion of the tubing. A ratchet or other one-way movement retaining means may be provided in combination with such a mandrel. The mandrel may also be adapted to be extendable following retraction, to retract the extended tubing.

[0017] Preferably, a seal is provided between the mandrel and the tubing, to prevent passage of fluid between the tubing and the mandrel.

[0018] Preferably, the degree of expansion is selected to provide engagement with a surrounding structure, which may be a bore wall or existing tubing. In another embodiment, in a multilateral well, the surrounding structure may be an aperture in the wall of a parent wellbore, at the junction between the parent wellbore and a lateral wellbore; the tubing may be expanded to engage and form a snug fit with an opening in the parent wellbore casing. As the opening in the well will not be circular, and the tubing extends through the opening at an angle, it would be difficult if not impossible to achieve such a snug fit using conventional expansion techniques. Most preferably, the degree of expansion is selected to anchor or seal the tubing to the surrounding structure. To assist in anchoring the tubing, the outer surface of the tubing may carry or incorporate a gripping material or structure, such as sharp grains of relatively hard material held in a softer matrix. In one embodiment, a section of tubing may be provided with a gripping structure or arrangement, to provide an anchor, while another section of tubing is provided with a fluid-tight sleeve, to form a packer, straddle or the like.

[0019] The tubing may be pre-expanded or pre-formed before application of the compressive force thereto, the pre-expansion serving to ensure that the buckling of the tubing is initiated in the desired manner, and at a predetermined location. The pre-expansion or pre-formation may be carried out on surface, or downhole.

[0020] Alternatively, or in addition, the tubing wall may be formed or shaped in a manner to induce buckling in the desired manner. For example, a section of the wall may be relatively thin to create a recess in a wall surface, or indeed the wall may be thinned at a plurality of axially spaced locations to induce a couple in the wall on the wall experiencing axial compression.

[0021] Where the tubing is mounted on a close-fitting mandrel, it is of course not possible for the tubing to buckle to assume a smaller diameter configuration.

[0022] The portion of the tubing which is expanded may be of limited length, or may be of an extended length, although the buckling of the tubing generally becomes more difficult to control as the length of the portion to be buckled increases.

[0023] The compressive force may be applied to tubing by any convenient method, including simply applying weight to the tubing. Alternatively, a compression tool may be provided within the tubing and have portions engaging the tubing to either end of the portion to be compressed, which portions are brought together to expand the tubing; for simplicity, one portion is likely to be fixed and the other portion movable. This method offers the advantage that the tubing need not be anchored or otherwise fixed in the bore for the expansion process to be initiated. The compression tool may be actuated by any suitable means, and may be fluid pressure actuated or may be actuated by an electric motor rotating a screw which draws the engaging portions together. The tool and tubing may thus be mounted on a support which need not be capable of transmitting a substantive axial compression force, such as coil tubing.

[0033] Reference is first made to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, which illustrate the process of expanding a section of tubing downhole to create an anchor. The Figures show a number of elements of a lined oil or gas production bore (those of skill in the art will recognise that many other elements have been omitted, in the interest of clarity). In particular, the Figures show a 7″ liner 10 (internal diameter (i.d.) 6.2″) and the lower end of a string of production tubing 12 (i.d. 3.75″). A section of slotted tubing 14 (outer diameter (o.d.) 2.875″) has been run into the bore through the production tubing 12 and positioned within the liner 10. The wall of the tubing 14 includes a plurality of rows of axial slots 16, the ends of the slots 16 in adjacent rows overlapping such that there are relatively thin webs of material 18 between the slot ends.

[0034] The slotted tubing 14 is mounted to the end of a running string 20, and a telescopic running tool 22 extends through the tubing 14, the end of the tool 22 featuring a shoe 24 which engages and extends from the end of the tubing 14.

[0035] In use, the tubing 14 is run into the bore to the location as illustrated in FIG. 1, in which the shoe 24 engages the end of the bore. If weight is then applied to the running string 20, this weight is also applied to and tends to compress the slotted tubing 14. In response to this compression, the wall of the tubing 14 buckles, as illustrated in FIG. 2, this buckling being accommodated primarily by bending of the webs 18 between the slot ends, such that the slots 16 open to create diamond-shaped apertures 16a. The buckling of the tubing 14 results in the diameter described by the tubing increasing, as well as the length of the tubing 14 decreasing. Continued compression of the tubing 14 produces further buckling and expansion, until the initially buckled portion of the tubing 14 contacts and is restrained against further expansion by the liner 10. Still further compression of the tubing 14 results in adjacent portions of the tubing expanding until they too engage the liner 10. As may be seen from FIG. 3, this results in the tubing 14 engaging a section of the liner 10, of length “L”.

[0036] To minimise the possibility of relative axial movement between the expanded tubing 14 and the liner 10, the tubing 14 carries gripping elements in the form of small, sharp particles of relatively hard material, in the form of carbide chips 24.

[0037] It is apparent that the tubing 14 has undergone a significant degree of expansion, from an initial o.d. of 2.875″ to an expanded o.d. of 6.2″, that is an expansion ratio in excess of two. Clearly, it would be difficult to obtain such a degree of expansion utilising a conventional expansion tool.

[0038] To minimise the possibility of relative axial movement between the expanded tubing 14 and the liner 10, the tubing 14 carries gripping elements in the form of small, sharp particles of relatively hard material, in the form of carbide chips 26.

[0039] The running string 20 is then uncoupled from the tubing 14, which remains in the liner 10 to serve as an anchor for a tool or device subsequently run into the bore and coupled to the tubing 14.

[0040] If subsequently it is desired to remove the tubing 14 this may be achieved by running an appropriate tool into the tubing 14, and which tool may then be actuated to axially extend the tubing 14, such that the tubing 14 contracts radially, out of engagement with the liner 10.

[0041] Reference is now made to FIG. 4 of the drawings, which corresponds essentially to FIG. 1, but illustrates slotted expandable tubing 30 provided with an elastomeric sleeve 32 (shown in chain-dotted outline), which maintains the tubing 30 fluid-tight in both the expanded and unexpanded conditions. The expanded tubing may thus act as, for example, a straddle or even a packer, as described below.

[0042] As is apparent from FIG. 3 above, expanded slotted tubing features diamond-shaped apertures; the sleeve 32 extends across these apertures and, in the absence of internal support, an external pressure may result in failure of the sleeve. Accordingly, a support structure comprising an aramid weave 31 is provided between the tubing 30 and the sleeve 32. The weave 31 behaves in a somewhat similar fashion to the tubing 30 on expansion, in that as the weave diameter increases, the weave length decreases, in concert with the tubing 30. In other embodiments, the support may take other forms, for example of a somewhat similar form to the strips of metal featured on the exterior of inflated element packers.

[0043] Reference is next made to FIG. 5 of the drawings, which illustrates a sectional view of a wall of a section of expandable tubing 40 in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. It will be noted that the tubing wall 42 is relatively thin at three locations, that is a central location 44, and at locations 46, 48 above and below the central location 44.

[0044] On the wall 42 being subject to a compressive force, the wall configuration at the central location 44 creates a bias tending to induce radially outward buckling. Furthermore, the thinning at the upper and lower locations 46, 48 creates a bias inducing a couple further serving to induce radially outward buckling at the central location 44.

[0045] By providing tubing 40 with the illustrated wall configuration, the running tool for the tubing 40 may be simplified, as it is not necessary to mechanically induce the desired buckling configuration.

[0046] Reference is now made to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings, which are schematic sectional views of a packer arrangement 60 in accordance with a still further embodiment of the present invention. The packer 60 includes a section of expandable slotted tubing 62 having an elastomeric sleeve 64 mounted thereon, in a similar manner to the embodiment of FIG. 4. However, the tubing 62 is mounted on a tubular mandrel 66, with one end of the tubing 62a being fixed and sealed to the mandrel 66, and the other end of the tubing 62b being sealed to but axially movable relative to the mandrel 66. The tubing end 62b is in fact located in an annular chamber 68 which contains a piston 70 having one face in contact with the tubing end 62b and the other face exposed to Internal tubing pressure. The piston 70 carries a one-way ratchet ring 71, which engages a corresponding ratchet face on the mandrel 66.

[0047] The packer 60 may thus be run into a bore in the configuration as illustrated in FIG. 6. If an elevated pressure is then applied to the interior of the mandrel 66, the piston 70 is urged to compress and buckle the tubing 62, such that the sleeve 64 is brought into sealing contact with the surrounding bore wall.

[0048] As noted above, to assist in maintaining the extended form of the tubing 62, the piston 70 includes a ratchet ring 71, such that on bleeding off the internal pressure the piston 70 is retained in the advanced position. In addition, the packer is arranged such that the volume 72 between the extended tubing 62 and the mandrel 66 fills with incompressible bore fluid, via a flow port 74 provided with a one-way valve, such that the fluid becomes trapped in the volume 72 on the tubing 62 reaching its fully extended configuration. In another embodiment, the piston may be coupled to a sleeve which closes the port on the piston reaching its advanced position.

[0049] Reference is now made to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings, which are schematic sectional views of a packer arrangement 80 in accordance with a yet further embodiment of the present invention. The packer 80 comprises a telescopic mandrel 82 having mounted thereon a section of expandable slotted tubing 84 surrounded by an elastomeric sleeve 86, with sleeve-supporting strips of metal 88 provided between the tubing 84 and the sleeve 86.

[0050] As noted above, the mandrel 82 is telescopic and comprises two principal parts 82a, 82b, each end of the tubing 84 being fixed and sealed to a respective part. Further, a ratchet arrangement 86 is provided between the parts 82a, 82b, which arrangement 86 permits contraction of the mandrel 82, but resists extension of the mandrel.

[0051] Reference is now made to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings, which are schematic sectional views of a packer arrangement 80 in accordance with a yet further embodiment of the present invention. The packer 80 comprises a telescopic mandrel 82 having mounted thereon a section of expandable slotted tubing 84 surrounded by an elastomeric sleeve 85, with sleeve-supporting strips of metal 87 provided between the tubing 84 and the sleeve 85.

[0052] If it is subsequently desired to release the packer 80, the ratchet 86 may be sheared out, the mandrel 82 extended, and the tubing 84 returned to its original, cylindrical configuration.

[0053] Reference is now made to FIG. 10 of the drawings, which is a schematic sectional view of a multilateral well junction 100 comprising tubing 102 which has been expanded in accordance with a method of an embodiment of the present invention. The tubing 102 is mounted on a tubular mandrel 103.

[0054] The tubing 102 is slotted and positioned to extend between a parent wellbore 104 and a lateral wellbore 106. The parent wellbore 104 is lined with casing 108 which has been milled to create the exit portal 110 into the lateral wellbore 106.

[0055] The tubing 102 carries a supported and sheathed elastomeric sleeve 112 and is run into the junction 100 in unexpanded form. The tubing 102 is then axially compressed such that at least the portion of the tubing 102 located in the aperture 110 buckles and extends radially to engage the walls of the aperture 110. The resulting snug fit with the walls of the aperture serves to locate the tubing 102, and the mandrel 103 on which the tubing 102 is mounted, securely in the portal 110, and the nature of the expansion is such that the tubing 102 will tend to expand until the tubing engages the surrounding portal wall; it is immaterial that portal 110 is not truly circular (typically, the aperture will be oval).

[0056] The tubing 102 and mandrel 103 may then serve to assist in positioning and sealing casing which is subsequently run into and cemented in the lateral wellbore 106, and to assist in the creation of a hydraulic seal between the wellbores 104, 106.

[0057] Reference is now made to FIGS. 11 to 16 of the drawings, which relate to an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the expandable tubing 120, shown in unexpanded condition in FIG. 11, initially defines a plurality of diamond-shaped apertures 122. The illustrated tubing 120 is initially 3d″ diameter, and FIGS. 12 to 16 illustrate the tubing when subject to axial displacement of 1″, 2″, 3″, 4″ and 5″, respectively.

[0058] It will be observed that the diameter of the expanded tubing portion 124 of FIG. 16 is almost three times the diameter of the original tubing, but those of skill in the art will appreciate that an expansion ratio which is even a fraction of this may be useful in many applications.

[0059] Furthermore, the manufacture of the apertured tubing 120 is generally more straightforward than the manufacture of the slotted tubing: whereas the slots must be cut, typically by water-jetting or laser, the apertures may be punched from the tubing.

[0060] The apertured tubing 120 may of course be used in place of slotted tubing in any of the above-described embodiments of the invention.

[0061] It will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the above described embodiments of the invention provide significant advantages over the expansion methods of the prior art, facilitate achievement of expansion ratios hitherto unavailable, and provide alternative configuration anchors and packers. Furthermore, in addition to the applications described above, the invention may be utilised to, for example, anchor piles in bores drilled in the sea bed, for use in securing offshore structures. The above embodiments also relate solely to applications in which tubing is plastically deformed; in alternative embodiments, the invention may be utilised to provide only elastic deformation, such that release of the deforming force allows the tubing to return to its original form.