Tubular Member Coupling and Lining Systems and Methods

Abstract

For use in assembling a tubing string for a production well, a rigid pre-formed liner is configured for simple drop-in place installation at each tubing joint during assembly of the tubing string in to protect the inside of the tubing string from wear caused by operation of a sucker rod inside the same. At a threaded connection in the finished tubing string, where an externally threaded top end of a section of production tubing is engaged with an internally threaded bottom end of a box coupler or collar, the tubular portion of a respective liner hangs downward from a larger-diameter collar portion of the liner that sits atop the annular top end of the section of production tubing. The liner is installed by simply dropping its tubular portion into the section of tubing and then threading the box coupler onto the section tubing around the upper end of the liner.

1 . Well tubular coupling and lining system comprising:
 a first tubular member having a first tubular member end with a first externally threaded portion adjacent the first tubular member end, said first externally threaded portion having an external diameter at the first tubular member end;   a second tubular member having a second tubular member end, internal threads engagable with the threaded portion of the first tubular member through the second tubular member end, and an internal surface spanning from the internal threads in a direction away from the second tubular member end;   a rigid pre-formed liner for insertion into the first tubing section through the first tubular member end, the pre-formed liner being a pre-formed unitary body comprising:
 a tubular portion of length less than the first tubular member and of outer diameter smaller than an internal diameter of the first tubular member; 
 a collar portion integrally formed with the tubular portion at an end thereof and having an outer diameter that is larger than the internal diameter of the first tubular member and smaller than both the external diameter of the of the externally threaded portion of the first tubular member at the first tubular member end and an internal diameter of the second tubular member at the internal surface thereof; and 
 an internal passage extending through the tubular and collar portions from a first end of the body at the tubular portion thereof to an opposite second end of the body defined at the collar portion thereof. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the internal passage of the liner is tapered at the second end of the body to narrow toward the tubular portion thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the internal passage of the liner is tapered at the first end of the body to narrow toward the collar portion thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the first externally threaded portion of the first tubular member with the internal threads of the second tubular member and the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained within the second tubular member past the first tubular member end, containment of the collar portion of the rigid liner alone acting to maintain the tubular portion of the rigid liner in a condition extending into the first tubular member. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the first externally threaded portion of the first tubular member with the internal threads of the second tubular member and the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained within the second tubular member past the first tubular member end, the outer diameter of the tubular portion of the rigid liner being smaller than the internal diameter of the first tubular member and a clearance thus existing between an outer surface of the tubular portion of the rigid liner and an inner surface of the first tubular member. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the first externally threaded portion of the first tubular member with the internal threads of the second tubular member and the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained within the second tubular member past the first tubular member end, the tubular portion of the rigid liner being maintained in a condition extending into the first tubular member independently of any contact between an outer surface of the rigid liner and an inner surface of the of the first tubular member. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the first externally threaded portion of the first tubular member with the internal threads of the second tubular member and the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained within the second tubular member past the first tubular member end, the tubular portion of the rigid liner being in a non-sealed condition with of the second tubular member. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained between the first tubular member end and a third tubular member end positioned within the second tubular member by engagement of a third tubular member into the second tubular member from an end thereof opposite the first tubular member, the third tubular member end jutting inward relative to the internal surface of the second tubular member. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first tubular member is a first tubing section and the second tubular member is a collar-shaped coupler of shorter length than the first section of tubing, the system comprises a second tubing section that is longer than the collar-shaped coupler and comprises a second externally threaded portion, and the internal threads of the collar include threads engagable with the threaded portions of the first and second tubing sections from opposite ends of said collar. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the collar with the externally threaded portions of the tubing sections so that the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained between the coupled-together ends of the first and second tubing sections and the tubular portion of the rigid liner extends into the first tubing section from the collar portion, containment of the collar portion of the rigid liner alone acting to maintain the tubular portion of the rigid liner in a condition extending into the first tubing section. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the collar with the externally threaded portions of the tubing sections so that the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained between the coupled-together ends of the first and second tubing sections and the tubular portion of the rigid liner extends into the first tubing section from the collar portion, the outer diameter of the tubular portion of the rigid liner being smaller than the internal diameter of the first tubing section and a clearance thus existing between an outer surface of the tubular portion of the rigid liner and an inner surface of the first tubing section. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the collar with the externally threaded portions of the tubing sections so that the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained between the coupled-together ends of the first and second tubing sections and the tubular portion of the rigid liner extends into the first tubing section from the collar portion, the tubular portion of the rigid liner being maintained in a condition extending into the first tubing section independently of any contact between an outer surface of the rigid liner and an inner surface of the of the first tubing section. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the first and second tubing sections are coupled together by engagement of the collar with the externally threaded portions of the tubing sections so that the collar portion of the rigid liner is contained between the coupled-together ends of the first and second tubing sections and the tubular portion of the rigid liner extends into the first tubing section from the collar portion, the tubular portion of the rigid liner being in a non-sealed condition with the first tubing section. 
     
     
         14 . Well tubular coupling and lining method comprising:
 providing first and second tubular members, the first tubular member having a first externally threaded portion and the second tubular member having internal threads engagable with the first externally threaded portion of the first tubular member;   providing a pre-formed rigid liner that has been pre-configured to have a tubular portion of outer diameter smaller than an internal diameter of the first tubular member and a collar portion integrally formed with the tubular portion at an end thereof with an outer diameter larger than the internal diameter of the first tubular member and smaller than the external diameter of the of the first externally threaded portion of the first tubular member;   without modifying the outer diameter of the tubular portion of the rigid liner, assembling the tubular members and the liner in a manner engaging the externally threaded portion of the first tubular member with the internal threads of the second tubular member and positioning and containing the rigid liner in a condition extending the tubular portion thereof into the first tubular member from the collar portion inside the second tubular member through an end of the first tubular member adjacent the first externally threaded portion;   whereby the rigid liner fluidly communicates the first and second tubular members via an internal passage extending through the rigid liner, and accommodates passage of a sucker rod string through the internal passage of the rigid liner to protect an inner surface of the first tubular member from contact with the sucker rod string.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  comprising connecting additional pairs of tubular members in a tubing string featuring the first and second tubular members in the same manner as the first and second tubing sections, whereby the rigid liners are suspended at respective tubular member couplings in the tubing string to protect a respective tubular member beneath each respective coupling. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the first tubular member is a tubing section, the second tubular member is a collar, and the system further comprises a second tubing section having a second externally threaded portion, the step of assembling the tubular members comprising inserting the tubular portion of the rigid liner into the first tubing section through the end thereof adjacent the externally threaded portion in order to seat a collar portion of the rigid liner against the end of the second tubing section, and coupling the first and second tubing sections together with the internally threaded collar. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  comprising connecting additional pairs of tubing sections in a tubing string featuring the first and second tubing sections by using respective collars and rigid liners of a same type used for the first and second tubing sections, whereby the rigid liners are suspended at the respective collars in the tubing string to protect a respective tubing section beneath each respective collar. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein a length of the tubular portion of the rigid liner is less than a length of the second tubular member. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a length of the tubular portion of each rigid liner is less than a length of the respective tubing section.