Protective sleeve for threaded connections for expandable liner hanger

Abstract

A tubular sleeve is coupled to and overlaps the threaded connection between a pair of adjacent tubular members.

1 . A method of extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 drilling a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    positioning a first casing string within the borehole;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the first casing string within the borehole;    positioning a second casing string within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    overlapping a portion of the second casing string with a portion of the first casing string;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the second casing string within the borehole; and    extracting geothermal energy from the subterranean source of geothermal energy using the first and second casing strings.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise: 
 a tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member coupled to an end of the tubular sleeve comprising internal threads at an end portion; and    a second tubular member coupled to another end of the tubular sleeve comprising external threads at an end portion that engage the internal threads of the end portion of the first tubular member.    
     
     
         4 . A method of extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 drilling a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    positioning a first casing string within the borehole;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the first casing string within the borehole;    positioning a second casing string within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    overlapping a portion of the second casing string with a portion of the first casing string;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the second casing string within the borehole; and    extracting geothermal energy from the subterranean source of geothermal energy using the first and second casing strings;    wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an internal flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member received within an end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises internal threads; and    a second tubular member received within another end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member.    
     
     
         5 . A method of extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 drilling a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    positioning a first casing string within the borehole;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the first casing string within the borehole;    positioning a second casing string within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    overlapping a portion of the second casing string with a portion of the first casing string;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the second casing string within the borehole; and    extracting geothermal energy from the subterranean source of geothermal energy using the first and second casing strings;    wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an external flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member that receives an end of the tubular sleeve that abuts external flange that comprises internal threads; and    a second tubular member that receives another end of the tubular sleeve that abuts the external flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member.    
     
     
         6 . A method of extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 drilling a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    positioning a first casing string within the borehole;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the first casing string within the borehole;    positioning a second casing string within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    overlapping a portion of the second casing string with a portion of the first casing string; radially expanding and plastically deforming the second casing string within the borehole; and    extracting geothermal energy from the subterranean source of geothermal energy using the first and second casing strings;    wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an internal flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member received within an end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises internal threads; and    a second tubular member received within another end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member;    wherein the tubular sleeve is in circumferential tension;    wherein the first tubular member is in circumferential compression;    wherein the second tubular member is in circumferential compression;    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the tubular sleeve and at least one of the first and second tubular members; and    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the threads of the first and second tubular members.    
     
     
         7 . A method of extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 drilling a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    positioning a first casing string within the borehole;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the first casing string within the borehole;    positioning a second casing string within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    overlapping a portion of the second casing string with a portion of the first casing string;    radially expanding and plastically deforming the second casing string within the borehole; and    extracting geothermal energy from the subterranean source of geothermal energy using the first and second casing strings;    wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an external flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member that receives an end of the tubular sleeve that abuts external flange that comprises internal threads; and    a second tubular member that receives another end of the tubular sleeve that abuts the external flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member;    wherein the tubular sleeve is in circumferential compression;    wherein the first tubular member is in circumferential tension;    wherein the second tubular member is in circumferential tension;    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the tubular sleeve and at least one of the first and second tubular members; and    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the threads of the first and second tubular members.    
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    a first casing string positioned within the borehole; and    a second casing positioned within the borehole that overlaps with the first casing string that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    wherein the first casing string and the second casing string are radially expanded and plastically deformed within the borehole.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise: 
 a tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member coupled to an end of the tubular sleeve comprising internal threads at an end portion; and    a second tubular member coupled to another end of the tubular sleeve comprising external threads at an end portion that engage the internal threads of the end portion of the first tubular member.    
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    a first casing string positioned within the borehole;    a second casing string within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy that overlaps with the first casing string;    wherein the first and second casing strings are radially expanded and plastically deformed within the borehole;    wherein the inside diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an internal flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member received within an end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises internal threads; and    a second tubular member received within another end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member.    
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    a first casing string positioned within the borehole; and    a second casing string positioned within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy that overlaps with the first casing string;    wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an external flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member that receives an end of the tubular sleeve that abuts external flange that comprises internal threads; and    a second tubular member that receives another end of the tubular sleeve that abuts the external flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member.    
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    a first casing string positioned within the borehole;    a second casing string within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy that overlaps with the first casing string;    wherein the first and second casing strings are radially expanded and plastically deformed within the borehole;    wherein the inside diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an internal flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member received within an end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises internal threads;    a second tubular member received within another end of the tubular sleeve in abutment with the internal flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member;    wherein the tubular sleeve is in circumferential tension;    wherein the first tubular member is in circumferential compression;    wherein the second tubular member is in circumferential compression;    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the tubular sleeve and at least one of the first and second tubular members; and    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the threads of the first and second tubular members.    
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for extracting geothermal energy from a subterranean source of geothermal energy, comprising: 
 a borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy;    a first casing string positioned within the borehole; and    a second casing string positioned within the borehole that traverses the subterranean source of geothermal energy that overlaps with the first casing string;    wherein the interior diameter of a passage defined by the first and second casing strings is constant; and    wherein at least one of the first and second casing strings comprise:    a tubular sleeve comprising an external flange positioned between the ends of the tubular sleeve;    a first tubular member that receives an end of the tubular sleeve that abuts external flange that comprises internal threads;    a second tubular member that receives another end of the tubular sleeve that abuts the external flange that comprises external threads that engage the internal threads of the first tubular member;    wherein the tubular sleeve is in circumferential compression;    wherein the first tubular member is in circumferential tension;    wherein the second tubular member is in circumferential tension;    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the tubular sleeve and at least one of the first and second tubular members; and    wherein a fluid tight seal is provided between the threads of the first and second tubular members.