Method and system for switching a functionality of a liner expansion tool

Abstract

The functionality of a downhole tubular expansion tool is switched by: -providing the unexpanded tubular with an oversized section ( 7 ) having a larger internal width than other (non-oversized) sections of the unexpanded tubular ( 6 );-providing the expansion tool with a control sub ( 1 ) comprising a trigger assembly ( 2 ) that is pushed outward within the oversized section and thereby switches the functionality of the tool, for example by contracting or expanding a collapsible expansion cone and/or opening a valve.

1 . A method for switching a functionality of a downhole tubular expansion tool that is longitudinally moved through an initially unexpanded well tubular to expand at least part of the length of the tubular, the method comprising:
 providing the unexpanded tubular with an oversized section having a larger internal width than other sections of the unexpanded tubular;   providing the expansion tool with a control sub comprising a trigger assembly that is pushed outward within the oversized section and thereby switching the functionality of the tool.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger assembly is spring, hydraulically and/or otherwise resiliently loaded and expanded within the oversized section and collapsed in the other sections of the unexpanded tubular. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion tool comprises a collapsible expansion cone and/or a valve, which is switched to a different operating mode by the trigger assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the trigger assembly comprises a trigger sleeve and expandable collet segments which axially move the sleeve relative to other parts of the expansion tool when the collet segments expand within the oversized section. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the unexpanded tubular comprises a plurality of oversized sections with different lengths, and the expansion tool comprises a plurality of control subs with expandable collet segments having corresponding lengths, thereby switching the functionality of the expansion tool at different longitudinally spaced locations along the length of the unexpanded tubular. 
     
     
         6 . A downhole tubular expansion tool that is longitudinally movable through an initially unexpanded well tubular to expand at least part of the length of the tubular, the downhole tubular expansion tool comprising a control sub comprising a trigger assembly that is pushed outward within an oversized section of an unexpanded well tubular and thereby switching the functionality of the tool. 
     
     
         7 . The expansion tool of  claim 11 , wherein the trigger assembly is spring, hydraulically and/or otherwise loaded and configured to be expanded in the oversized section and to be collapsed in other sections of the unexpanded tubular. 
     
     
         8 . The expansion tool of  claim 11 , wherein the expansion tool comprises a collapsible expansion cone and/or a valve, which is switched to a different operating mode by the trigger assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The expansion tool of  claim 8 , wherein the trigger assembly comprises a trigger sleeve and expandable collet segments which axially move the sleeve relative to other parts of the expansion tool when the collet segments expand within the oversized section. 
     
     
         10 . The expansion tool of  claim 11 , wherein the unexpanded tubular comprises a plurality of oversized sections with different lengths, and the expansion tool comprises a plurality of control subs with expandable collet segments having corresponding lengths, thereby switching the functionality of the expansion tool at different longitudinally spaced locations along the length of the unexpanded tubular. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising an unexpanded tubular with an oversized section having a larger internal width than other sections of the unexpanded tubular; and a downhole tubular expansion tool that is longitudinally movable through the unexpanded well tubular to expand at least part of the length of the tubular, wherein downhole tubular expansion tool has a switchable functionality and comprises a control sub comprising a trigger assembly that is pushed outward within the oversized section of the unexpanded well tubular to thereby switch the functionality of the tool. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the trigger assembly is spring, hydraulically and/or otherwise loaded and configured to be expanded in the oversized section and to be collapsed in other sections of the unexpanded tubular. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the expansion tool comprises a collapsible expansion cone and/or a valve, which is switched to a different operating mode by the trigger assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the trigger assembly comprises a trigger sleeve and expandable collet segments which axially move the sleeve relative to other parts of the expansion tool when the collet segments expand within the oversized section.