Expandable metal fishing tool

Abstract

Disclosed herein are aspects of an expandable metal fishing tool for use in a wellbore. The expandable metal fishing tool, in one aspect, includes a mandrel. The expandable metal fishing tool, according to this aspect, further includes one or more expandable members positioned at least partially along an interior surface or an exterior surface of the mandrel, wherein the one or more expandable members comprise a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis, and further wherein a combined volume of the one or more expandable members is sufficient to expand radially to engage a downhole tubular within a wellbore in response to the hydrolysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An expandable metal fishing tool for use in a wellbore, comprising:
 a mandrel;   one or more expandable members positioned at least partially along an interior surface or an exterior surface of the mandrel;   wherein the one or more expandable members comprise a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis; and   wherein a combined volume of the one or more expandable members is sufficient to expand radially to engage a downhole tubular within a wellbore in response to the hydrolysis.   
     
     
         2 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the mandrel is a tubular mandrel having the interior surface, and further wherein the one or more expandable members are positioned at least partially along the interior surface, such that the combined volume of the one or more expandable members is sufficient to expand radially inwardly to engage the downhole tubular. 
     
     
         3 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more expandable members is a single expandable sleeve lining at least a portion of the interior surface. 
     
     
         4 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the single expandable sleeve further includes one or more openings extending entirely through a wall thickness thereof for accepting one or more fasteners for fixing the single expandable sleeve to the interior surface. 
     
     
         5 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more expandable members are two or more separate expandable sleeves positioned at least partially along the interior surface. 
     
     
         6 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 5 , further including a pair of retaining rings positioned adjacent at opposing ends of the two or more separate sleeves for fixing the two or more separate expandable sleeves along the interior surface. 
     
     
         7 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the pair of retaining rings does not comprise the metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis. 
     
     
         8 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more expandable members positioned at least partially along the interior surface are two expandable members axially positioned along the interior surface. 
     
     
         9 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more expandable members positioned at least partially along the interior surface are three or more expandable members axially positioned along and substantially equally radially spaced about the interior surface. 
     
     
         10 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 2 , further including a seal positioned proximate the one or more expandable members, wherein the seal is configured to seal radially inward against the downhole tubular. 
     
     
         11 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the seal is a swellable rubber seal member positionable proximate the one or more expandable members, wherein the swellable rubber seal member is configured to swell in response to contact with one or more downhole fluids to seal radially inward against the downhole tubular and radially outward against the mandrel. 
     
     
         12 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the mandrel has a tubular receiving end for receiving the downhole tubular and a connector end for connecting to a downhole conveyance. 
     
     
         13 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the connector end is a first threaded connection for engaging with a second threaded connection on replacement production tubing. 
     
     
         14 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the one or more expandable members include one or more alignment ramps for directing the downhole tubular inside of the mandrel. 
     
     
         15 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more expandable members have a length (L) of at least about 5.3 cm. 
     
     
         16 . The expandable metal fishing tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the one or more expandable members are positioned at least partially along the exterior surface, such that the combined volume of the one or more expandable members is sufficient to expand radially outwardly to engage an opening in the downhole tubular. 
     
     
         17 . A well system, comprising:
 a wellbore positioned within a subterranean formation;   a downhole conveyance located within the wellbore, the downhole conveyance having an expandable metal fishing tool coupled to a downhole end thereof, the expandable metal fishing tool including;
 a mandrel; 
 one or more expandable members positioned at least partially along an interior surface or an exterior surface of the mandrel; and 
 wherein the one or more expandable members comprise a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis; and 
   a downhole tubular located within the wellbore, the one or more expandable members having expanded radially to engage the downhole tubular in response to the hydrolysis.   
     
     
         18 . The well system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the downhole conveyance is replacement production tubing and the downhole tubular is cut production tubing. 
     
     
         19 . The well system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the expandable metal fishing tool is an expandable metal plug and the downhole tubular is cut production tubing. 
     
     
         20 . The well system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the mandrel is a tubular mandrel having the interior surface, and further wherein the one or more expandable members are positioned at least partially along the interior surface, such that the combined volume of the one or more expandable members is sufficient to expand radially inwardly to engage the downhole tubular. 
     
     
         21 . The well system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the one or more expandable members are positioned at least partially along the exterior surface, such that the combined volume of the one or more expandable members is sufficient to expand radially outwardly to engage an opening in the downhole tubular. 
     
     
         22 . A method for setting an expandable metal fishing tool, comprising:
 positioning a downhole conveyance within a wellbore of a subterranean formation, the downhole conveyance having an pre-expansion expandable metal fishing tool coupled to a downhole end thereof, the expandable metal fishing tool including;
 a mandrel having a receiving end and a connector end; 
 one or more expandable members positioned at least partially along an interior surface or an exterior surface of the mandrel; and 
 wherein the one or more expandable members comprise a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis; 
   positioning the receiving end of the mandrel and the one or more expandable members of the pre-expansion expandable metal fishing tool around a downhole tubular or within an opening of the downhole tubular; and   subjecting the pre-expansion expandable metal fishing tool positioned around the downhole tubular or within the opening of the downhole tubular to a wellbore fluid, the one or more expandable members radially expanding to engage the downhole tubular in response to the hydrolysis.   
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the metal is configured to expand in response to one of magnesium hydrolysis, aluminum hydrolysis, calcium hydrolysis, and calcium oxide hydrolysis. 
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the hydrolysis forms a structure comprising one of a Brucite, Gibbsite, bayerite, and norstrandite. 
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the metal is a magnesium alloy or a magnesium alloy alloyed with at least one of Al, Zn, Mn, Zr, Y, Nd, Gd, Ag, Ca, Sn, and Re. 
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the mandrel is a tubular mandrel having the interior surface, and further wherein the one or more expandable members are positioned at least partially along the interior surface, and further wherein positioning the receiving end includes positioning the receiving end around the downhole tubular, and wherein subjecting the pre-expandable metal fishing tool includes subjecting the pre-expansion expandable metal fishing tool positioned around the downhole tubular to the wellbore fluid, the one or more expandable members radially inwardly expanding to engage the downhole tubular in response to the hydrolysis. 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the one or more expandable members are positioned at least partially along the exterior surface, and further wherein positioning the receiving end includes positioning the receiving end within the opening in the downhole tubular, and wherein subjecting the pre-expandable metal fishing tool includes subjecting the pre-expansion expandable metal fishing tool positioned within the opening of the downhole tubular to the wellbore fluid, the one or more expandable members radially outwardly expanding to engage the downhole tubular in response to the hydrolysis.