U.S. patent application number 15/740081 was filed with the patent office on 2018-07-05 for method and system for enhancing the performance of a well tubular expansion assembly.
The applicant listed for this patent is SHELL OIL COMPANY. Invention is credited to Djurre Hans ZIJSLING.
Application Number | 20180187525 15/740081 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56263713 |
Filed Date | 2018-07-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180187525 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ZIJSLING; Djurre Hans |
July 5, 2018 |
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE OF A WELL TUBULAR
EXPANSION ASSEMBLY
Abstract
The upward force exerted on an expansion cone (2), which is
pulled up by a drill string (3) to expand a well tubular (1), is
hydraulically enhanced by:--connecting a bottom plug (10) to a
carrier body (11) below the expansion cone (2);--lowering the drill
string (3), cone (2), carrier body (11), bottom plug (10) and
unexpanded well tubular (1) assembly into a well;--inducing the
drill string (3) to pull the expansion cone (2) through a lower
edge (13) of the unexpanded well tubular (1) to expand said edge
(13) and to subsequently pull the bottom plug (10) into sealing
engagement with the expanded edge (13);--releasing the bottom plug
(10) from the carrier body (11);--further pulling (F.sub.1) the
expansion cone (10) through the well tubular (1) and simultaneously
injecting fluid through the drill string (3) below the cone (2) to
hydraulically increase (F.sub.2) the upward force
(F=F.sub.1+F.sub.2) exerted on the expansion cone (2).
Inventors: |
ZIJSLING; Djurre Hans;
(Rijwsijk, NL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SHELL OIL COMPANY |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56263713 |
Appl. No.: |
15/740081 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
June 28, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2016/064977 |
371 Date: |
December 27, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 43/103 20130101;
E21B 23/01 20130101; E21B 43/105 20130101; E21B 29/00 20130101;
E21B 33/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E21B 43/10 20060101
E21B043/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 1, 2015 |
EP |
15174883.7 |
Jul 1, 2015 |
EP |
15174889.4 |
Claims
1. A method for pulling up an expansion cone by a drill string to
expand a well tubular, the method comprising: inserting the drill
string through the unexpanded well tubular; connecting the
expansion cone to a lower end of the drill string such that the
expansion cone engages a lower edge of the tubular; connecting a
bottom plug to a carrier body that is suspended below the expansion
cone; lowering the drill string, cone, bottom plug and the
unexpanded well tubular into a well until an upper end of the
unexpanded well tubular is co-axially arranged within a lower end
of a previously installed tubular; pulling the expansion cone by
drill string pull through the lower edge of the unexpanded well
tubular thereby expanding said lower edge; inducing the carrier
body to pull the bottom plug into the expanded lower edge and to
seal off said lower edge; inducing a release joint in the carrier
body to release the bottom plug from the carrier body; further
pulling the expansion cone by drill string pull through at least a
substantial part of the lower tubular; and simultaneously injecting
fluid through the interior of the drill string through a fluid
discharge opening below the expansion cone into a space between the
bottom plug and the expansion cone thereby hydraulically pushing
the expansion cone through the lower tubular and increasing the
upward force exerted to the expansion cone; and wherein the
expanded lower edge of the lower tubular has an inwardly curved
shape and the bottom plug comprises: a sealing ring that is
configured to sealingly engage said inwardly curved edge; and
self-locking teeth that snap into the inner surface of said
inwardly curved edge when the bottom plug is pulled into the lower
edge.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid injection through the
interior of the drill string is continued when the expansion cone
is pulled through the upper end of the lower tubular into the lower
end of the previously installed upper tubular.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the drill string pull and
pressure of the fluid injected through the drill string are
adjusted on the basis of a monitored longitudinal movement of the
expansion cone through the well tubular and a ration between
downward hydraulic force exerted on the bottom plug and upward
force exerted by the expansion cone on the tubular expanded
thereby.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising locking the upper end
of the unexpanded well tubular to the previously installed tubular
by a top anchor assembly and retracting the top anchor assembly
when the expansion cone reaches said upper end.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein after expansion of the well
tubular the bottom plug is drilled out and the expanded well
tubular forms the previously installed well tubular through which a
subsequent well tubular is inserted and expanded in accordance with
the method according to claim 1.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the process of expanding a
subsequent well tubular, drilling out the bottom plug and expanding
yet another subsequent well tubular is repeated several times to
generate a Mono Diameter wellbore with a substantially constant
internal diameter.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded and previously
installed well tubulars form part of a casing or liner assembly of
a hydrocarbon fluid production well through which, after completion
of the well, crude oil, natural gas and/or another hydrocarbon
fluid is produced.
8. A tubular expansion assembly, comprising: a drill string; a
bottom plug connectable to a carrier body below an expansion cone;
means for connecting the expansion cone to a lower end of a drill
string and to pull the expansion cone by the drill string pull into
a lower edge of an unexpanded well tubular thereby expanding said
lower edge; a release joint in the carrier body adapted to release
the bottom plug from the carrier body when the bottom plug is
pulled into the expanded lower edge of the lower tubular; and a
fluid discharge opening near a lower end of the expansion cone into
for injecting fluid through the drill string and expansion cone
into a space between the bottom plug and the expansion cone thereby
hydraulically pushing the expansion cone through the expanding well
tubular and increasing the upward force exerted the expansion cone;
and wherein the expanded lower edge of the well tubular has an
inwardly curved shape and the bottom plug comprises: a sealing ring
that is configured to sealingly engage said edge; and self-locking
teeth that snap into the inner surface of said inwardly curved edge
when the bottom plug is pulled into the lower edge.
9. Use of the tubular expansion assembly of claim 8 in the method
of claim 1.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a method and system for enhancing
the performance of a well tubular expansion assembly.
[0002] A known well tubular expansion assembly and method are
disclosed in International patent application WO2012104257.
[0003] In this known method a well tubular is expanded by pulling
an expansion cone therethrough by drill string pull.
[0004] A disadvantage of the known method is that, in particular in
deep and/or deviated wells, the drill string pull exerted to the
cone may be limited and insufficient to expand an upper end of the
tubular within a lower end of a previously installed well
tubular.
[0005] A further disadvantage of the known method is that it
requires use of a top anchor that fixes an upper end of the
expanded tubular within a previously installed tubular, which
anchor may slip if a large upward force is exerted by the expansion
cone to the expanding tubular.
[0006] There is a need for and improved method and expandable well
tubular wherein the upward force exerted on the expansion cone is
hydraulically increased and wherein upward motion of an upper end
of a partially expanded well tubular into a previously installed
well tubular is inhibited such that forces on a top anchor are
reduced.
[0007] A known method for placing an expandable bottom plug at the
bottom of an expandable well casing is expanded downhole is
disclosed in International patent application WO2004/027200. This
known method involves a two step installation and expansion process
which requires intervention by an operator. There is a need for an
improved bottom plug installation and subsequent expansion process
that can be performed in one step without intervention of an
operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the invention there is provided a method
for enhancing the upward force on an expansion cone which is pulled
up by a drill string to expand a well tubular, the method
comprising: [0009] inserting the drill string through the
unexpanded well tubular; [0010] connecting the expansion cone to a
lower end of the drill string such that the expansion cone engages
a lower edge of the tubular; [0011] connecting a bottom plug to a
carrier body that is suspended below the expansion cone; [0012]
lowering the drill string, cone, bottom plug and the unexpanded
well tubular into a well until an upper end of the unexpanded well
tubular is co-axially arranged within a lower end of a previously
installed tubular; [0013] pulling the expansion cone by drill
string pull through the lower edge of the unexpanded well tubular
thereby expanding said lower edge; [0014] inducing the carrier body
to pull the bottom plug into the expanded lower edge and to seal
off said lower edge; [0015] inducing a release joint in the carrier
body to release the bottom plug from the carrier body; [0016]
further pulling the expansion cone by drill string pull through at
least a substantial part of the lower tubular; and [0017]
simultaneously injecting fluid through the interior of the drill
string through a fluid discharge opening below the expansion cone
into a space between the bottom plug and the expansion cone thereby
hydraulically pushing the expansion cone through the lower tubular
and increasing the upward force exerted to the expansion cone; and
wherein the expanded lower edge of the well tubular has an inwardly
curved shape and the bottom plug comprises: [0018] a sealing ring
that is configured to sealingly engage said edge; and [0019]
self-locking teeth that snap into the inner surface of said
inwardly curved edge when the bottom plug is pulled into the lower
edge.
[0020] The fluid injection through the interior of the drill string
may be continued when the expansion cone is pulled through the
upper end of the lower tubular into the lower end of the previously
installed upper tubular and the drill string pull and pressure of
the fluid injected through the drill string may be adjusted on the
basis of a monitored longitudinal movement of the expansion cone
through the well tubular and a ration between downward hydraulic
force exerted on the bottom plug and upward force exerted by the
expansion cone on the tubular expanded thereby.
[0021] An advantage of the method according to the invention over
the method known from International patent application
WO2004/027200 is that the bottom plug is positioned in the bottom
of the expanded well tubular by letting it shoulder against the
bottom end face of the tubular whereby the bottom plug is
mechanically set by overpull to the expansion string. This enables
the setting of the plug while the tubular string is being expanded,
wherein the pipe expansion and shouldering, anchoring and sealing
of the plug is performed in a single operational step without
requiring intervention by an operator.
[0022] After expansion of the well tubular the bottom plug may be
drilled out and the expanded well tubular may then form another
previously installed well tubular through which a subsequent well
tubular is inserted and expanded in accordance with the method
according to the invention, which process may repeated several
times to generate a MOnoDiameter (MOD) well hydrocarbon fluid
production well with a substantially constant internal diameter
through which, after completion of the well, a larger flux of crude
oil, natural gas and/or another hydrocarbon fluid may be produced
than through conventional telescoping wells.
[0023] In accordance with the invention there is further provided a
tubular expansion assembly comprising [0024] a bottom plug
connectable to a carrier body below the expansion cone; [0025]
means for connecting the expansion cone to a lower end of a drill
string and to pull the expansion cone by drill string pull into a
lower edge of an unexpanded well tubular thereby expanding said
lower edge; [0026] a release joint in the carrier body adapted to
release the bottom plug from the carrier body when the bottom plug
is pulled into the expanded lower edge of the lower tubular; and
[0027] a fluid discharge opening near a lower end of the expansion
cone into for injecting fluid through the drill string and
expansion cone into a space between the bottom plug and the
expansion cone thereby hydraulically pushing the expansion cone
through the expanding well tubular and increasing the upward force
exerted the expansion cone, and wherein the expanded lower edge of
the well tubular has an inwardly curved shape and the bottom plug
comprises: [0028] a sealing ring that is configured to sealingly
engage said edge; and [0029] self-locking teeth that snap into the
inner surface of said inwardly curved edge when the bottom plug is
pulled into the lower edge.
[0030] These and other features, embodiments and advantages of the
method and expandable well tubular according to the invention are
described in the accompanying claims, abstract and the following
detailed description of non-limiting embodiments depicted in the
accompanying drawings, in which description reference numerals are
used which refer to corresponding reference numerals that are
depicted in the drawings.
[0031] Similar reference numerals in different figures denote the
same or similar objects. Objects and other features depicted in the
figures and/or described in this specification, abstract and/or
claims may be combined in different ways by a person skilled in the
art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] FIG. 1 shows how a well tubular is expanded by pulling an
expansion cone therethrough;
[0033] FIG. 2 shows how the upper end of the well tubular is
expanded within a lower end of an previously installed well tubular
after completion of the expansion process;
[0034] FIG. 3 shows that the expansion assembly according to the
invention is provided with a bottom plug suspended below the
expansion cone; and
[0035] FIG. 4 shows how the upward force exerted on the expansion
cone is increased by pumping fluid between the expansion cone an
bottom plug after pulling the bottom plug into sealing engagement
with a lower edge of the expanded well tubular.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPICTED EMBODIMENTS
[0036] FIG. 1 shows how a lower well tubular 1 is expanded by
moving an expansion cone 2 therethrough. The expansion cone is
connected to a drill string 3 that is pulled up, as illustrated by
arrow 4, whilst the upper end 1A of the lower tubular is maintained
in a fixed position within a previously installed upper well
tubular 5 by a radially expanded top anchor assembly 6.
[0037] When the expansion cone 2 reaches the top anchor assembly 6
the top anchor assembly needs to be retracted and pulled up by the
expansion cone as illustrated in FIG. 2 and then upward motion of
lower tubular 1 needs to prevented by friction between the outer
surface of the lower tubular an the inner surface of the upper
tubular 5. Such upward motion or slip may be inhibited by
roughening an upper section 8 of the outer surface of the lower
well tubular 1 and or providing said upper section with a high
friction coating 6.
[0038] Optionally an inner surface of the lower tubular 1 is coated
with a lubricating coating 7 to lubricate the longitudinal movement
of the cone 2 therethrough.
[0039] FIG. 3 shows that the expansion assembly according to the
invention is provided with an expandable bottom plug 10 suspended
at a carrier body 11 below the expansion cone 2. The lower end of
the carrier body 11 is provided with a self-releasing joint 12,
which disconnects the bottom plug 10 from the carrier body 11 when
the bottom plug is pulled into a lower edge 13 of the expanded
tubular as illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows how the upward force F exerted on the expansion
cone 2 is increased by pumping, as illustrated by arrows 14,
pressurized fluid through the drill string 3 and a fluid discharge
port 15 below the cone 2 into a space 16 between the expansion cone
2 and bottom plug 10 and into the bottom plug 10 to expand the plug
10 and simultaneously pulling the expanded bottom plug 10 into
sealing engagement with the lower edge 13 of the expanded well
tubular 1 to provide a hydraulic force F.sub.2 that supplements the
mechanical force F.sub.1 exerted by the drill string pull on the
cone 2. The hydraulic force F.sub.2 and mechanical force F.sub.1
jointly push the cone 2 up through the expanding tubular 1, which
is particularly relevant when the upper part of the expanding
tubular 1 is expanded within the lower end of a previously
installed tubular 5 in which case both tubulars 1 and 5 may be
expanded into a sealing engagement as illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0041] FIGS. 3 and 4 also show that a top anchor 17 may be expanded
against the inner surface of the previously installed tubular 5 to
inhibit upward movement of the lower tubular 1 during the expansion
process. It will be understood that if the downward force F.sub.2
exerted by the injected pressurized fluid 14 via the bottom plug 10
on the expanded tubular 1 is larger than the upward mechanical
force F.sub.1 exerted by drill string pull on the cone and
expanding tubular 1 there is no need to use a top anchor 17.
[0042] It will be understood from the foregoing that the method and
well tubular according to present invention are well adapted to
attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are
inherent therein.
[0043] The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative
only, as the present invention may be modified, combined and/or
practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those
skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein.
[0044] Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of
construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the
claims below.
[0045] It is therefore evident that the particular illustrative
embodiments disclosed above may be altered, combined and/or
modified and all such variations are considered within the scope of
the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
[0046] While any methods, systems and/or products embodying the
invention are described in terms of "comprising," "containing," or
"including" various described features and/or steps, they can also
"consist essentially of" or "consist of" the various described
features and steps.
[0047] All numbers and ranges disclosed above may vary by some
amount. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper
limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling
within the range is specifically disclosed. In particular, every
range of values (of the form, "from about a to about b," or,
equivalently, "from approximately a to b," or, equivalently, "from
approximately a-b") disclosed herein is to be understood to set
forth every number and range encompassed within the broader range
of values.
[0048] Also, the terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary
meaning unless otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the
patentee.
[0049] Moreover, the indefinite articles "a" or "an", as used in
the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the
element that it introduces.
[0050] If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or term in
this specification and one or more patent or other documents that
may be cited herein by reference, the definitions that are
consistent with this specification should be adopted.
* * * * *