System for expanding a tubular downhole

Abstract

A system for deploying a tubular in a well and expanding the tubular downhole uses a partially formable cone, a collapsible body, and/or a bridge plug. The cone comprises movable segments as well as a rigid, unitary portion that is stationary relative to the body. The movable segments are extended using a piston actuator. The body collapses so that the piston actuator can move the formed cone and expand a section of the tubular. The plug is set into the expanded section. Once set, the plug allows to built hydraulic pressure in the tubular. The hydraulic pressure pushes against the rigid, unitary portion of the cone, thus assisting with the expansion of the remainder of the tubular. An unexpanded section of the tubular that is located below the expanded section and the plug are millable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for expanding a tubular, comprising:
 a body;   a mandrel having a longitudinal axis, the mandrel including a straight portion slidably coupled to the body, a flared portion having a slopped outer surface, and an end portion having a shoulder, the flared portion being axially located between the straight portion and the end portion;   a partially formable cone, the partially formable cone including:
 a unitary cone ring disposed around an entire circumference of the mandrel, the unitary cone ring being fixedly coupled to the body, the unitary cone ring having an outer diameter larger than an innermost diameter of the tubular before the tubular is expanded, so that translation of the unitary cone ring through the tubular radially expands the tubular; and 
 a plurality of cone segments distributed around the circumference of the mandrel, the plurality of cone segments being axially located between the shoulder of the end portion and the unitary cone ring, the plurality of cone segments being slidably coupled to each other and to the flared portion of the mandrel so that the plurality of cone segments extend radially to form a portion of the partially formable cone when the mandrel slides relative to the plurality of cone segments, 
   a first seal between the straight portion of the mandrel and the body; and   a second seal between the unitary cone ring and the body,   wherein the unitary cone ring is capable of sealing against the tubular, and   wherein the mandrel includes a bore configured to flow wellbore fluid from surface to a volume located inside the tubular, the volume being at least partially sealed by the first seal, the second seal, and the unitary cone ring.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary cone ring includes a hardened metal capable of plastically deforming the tubular. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the unitary cone ring is capable of forming a metal-to-metal seal against the tubular. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein some of the plurality of cone segments are located less than one inch from the unitary cone ring. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein some of the plurality of cone segments abut against the unitary cone ring. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter of the unitary cone ring is larger than the innermost diameter of the tubular so as to cause between 0.1 and 5 percent of expansion strain in the tubular. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the outer diameter of the unitary cone ring is larger than the innermost diameter of the tubular so as to cause between 1 and 2 percent of expansion strain in the tubular. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular does not include a thread releasable upon expansion of the tubular. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a conical outer surface of each of the plurality of cone segments aligns with a conical outer surface of the unitary cone ring after the plurality of cone segments are radially extended. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein, after the partially formable cone is formed, a gap between the conical outer surface of each of the plurality of cone segments and the conical outer surface of the unitary cone ring is sufficiently small to prevent complete elastic spring-back of the tubular during expansion of the tubular. 
     
     
         11 . A method for expanding a tubular, comprising:
 providing a system comprising a body, a mandrel, a partially formable cone, a first seal, and a second seal,   the mandrel having a longitudinal axis, the mandrel including a straight portion slidably coupled to the body, a flared portion having a slopped outer surface, and an end portion having a shoulder, the flared portion being axially located between the straight portion and the end portion;   the partially formable cone including:
 a unitary cone ring disposed around an entire circumference of the mandrel, the unitary cone ring being fixedly coupled to the body, the unitary cone ring having an outer diameter larger than an innermost diameter of the tubular before the tubular is expanded, so that translation of the unitary cone ring through the tubular radially expands the tubular; and 
 a plurality of cone segments distributed around the circumference of the mandrel, the plurality of cone segments being axially located between the shoulder of the end portion and the unitary cone ring, the plurality of cone segments being slidably coupled to each other and to the flared portion of the mandrel so that the plurality of cone segments extend radially to form a portion of the partially formable cone when the mandrel slides relative to the plurality of cone segments, 
   the first seal providing sealing between the straight portion of the mandrel and the body; and   the second seal providing sealing between the unitary cone ring and the body,   wherein the unitary cone ring is capable of sealing against the tubular, and   wherein the mandrel includes a bore configured to flow wellbore fluid from surface to a volume located inside the tubular, the volume being at least partially sealed by the first seal, the second seal, and the unitary cone ring;   sliding the mandrel relative to the body and the plurality of cone segments;   extending the plurality of cone segments radially;   flowing the wellbore fluid from the surface to the volume;   translating the unitary cone ring through the tubular; and   expanding the tubular radially at least partially with the unitary cone ring.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the unitary cone ring includes a hardened metal capable of plastically deforming the tubular. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising forming a metal-to-metal seal against the tubular with the unitary cone ring. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein some of the plurality of cone segments are located less than one inch from the unitary cone ring. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein some of the plurality of cone segments abut against the unitary cone ring. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising causing between 0.1 and 5 percent of expansion strain in the tubular by translating the unitary cone ring through the tubular. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising causing between 1 and 2 percent of expansion strain in the tubular by translating the unitary cone ring through the tubular. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the tubular does not include a thread releasable upon expansion of the tubular. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising aligning a conical outer surface of each of the plurality of cone segments with a conical outer surface of the unitary cone ring after the plurality of cone segments are radially extended. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , comprising preventing complete elastic spring-back of the tubular located over a gap between the conical outer surface of each of the plurality of cone segments and the conical outer surface of the unitary cone ring during expansion of the tubular. 
     
     
         21 . A system for expanding a tubular, comprising:
 a body, the body being sized to be positioned at least partially inside the tubular; the body including:
 a housing; 
 a sleeve, the sleeve having a shoulder; and 
 a releasable retainer configured to hold the sleeve relative to the housing; 
   a mandrel having a longitudinal axis, the mandrel including a straight portion slidably coupled to the body, the mandrel having a shoulder;   an actuator disposed in the housing, the actuator being connected to the mandrel;   a cone, the cone including a plurality of cone segments distributed around a circumference of the mandrel, the plurality of cone segments being axially located between the shoulder of the sleeve and the shoulder of the mandrel, the plurality of cone segments being configured to extend radially to form at least a portion of the cone when the mandrel slides relative to the plurality of cone segments; and   a casing lock mounted to the body, the casing lock being movable between a first position wherein the casing lock engages the tubular and a second position wherein the casing lock is disengaged from the tubular;   wherein the releasable retainer is configured to release the sleeve from the housing after the cone is formed; and   wherein the sleeve can slide relative to the housing after it is released so that the cone expands a section of the tubular.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a plug releasably coupled to the mandrel, the plug having a first configuration wherein the plug is disengaged from an inner wall of the tubular and a second configuration wherein the plug is engaged to and seals against the inner wall of the tubular. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising a shear pin configured to release the plug from the mandrel after a force applied to the shear pin by the mandrel reaches a predetermined value. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the mandrel includes a bore configured to flow wellbore fluid from surface, the system further comprising a burst disk configured to rupture after a hydraulic pressure inside the bore reaches a second predetermined level and allow the wellbore fluid to flow into a volume sealed by the plug after the plug is engaged to and seals against the inner wall of the tubular. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mandrel includes a bore configured to flow wellbore fluid from surface, the plug includes a bore connected to the bore of the mandrel, the bore of the plug includes a seat configured to retain an obturator carried by flowing wellbore fluid through the bore of the mandrel, the system further comprising a piston that is in fluid communication with the bore of the plug, the piston being configured to set the plug. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the casing lock is configured to shift from the first position to the second position after the sleeve is released from the housing and has slid relative to the housing so that the plug is located in a section of the tubular that has been expanded with the cone. 
     
     
         27 . A method for expanding a tubular, comprising:
 providing a system comprising a body, a mandrel, an actuator, a cone, and a casing lock;   the body being sized to be positioned at least partially inside the tubular; the body including:
 a housing; 
 a sleeve, the sleeve having a shoulder; and 
 a releasable retainer configured to hold the sleeve relative to the housing; 
   the mandrel having a longitudinal axis, the mandrel including a straight portion slidably coupled to the body, the mandrel having a shoulder;   the actuator being disposed in the housing, the actuator being connected to the mandrel;   the cone being sized to be positioned inside the tubular before being formed, the cone including a plurality of cone segments distributed around a circumference of the mandrel, the plurality of cone segments being axially located between the shoulder of the sleeve and the shoulder of the mandrel, the plurality of cone segments being configured to extend radially to form at least a portion of the cone when the mandrel slides relative to the plurality of cone segments; and   the casing lock being mounted to the body, the casing lock being movable between a first position wherein the casing lock engages the tubular and a second position wherein the casing lock is disengaged from the tubular;   wherein the releasable retainer is configured to release the sleeve from the housing after the cone is formed; and   wherein the sleeve can slide relative to the housing after it is released so that the cone expands a section of the tubular;   holding the tubular on the system using the casing lock;   carrying an obturator by flowing wellbore fluid through a bore of the system;   landing the obturator on a seat of the system so that the bore of the system is sealed;   pumping the wellbore fluid to increase pressure in the bore of the system behind the obturator;   driving the actuator with the pressure;   expanding the cone with the actuator;   collapsing the body after the pressure has reached a first predetermined level so that the shoulder of the sleeve and the cone move inside the tubular and expand a section of the tubular; and   releasing the tubular from the casing lock at the end of a stroke of the actuator.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , the system further comprising a plug releasably coupled to the mandrel, the plug having a first configuration wherein the plug is disengaged from an inner wall of the tubular and a second configuration wherein the plug is engaged to and seals against the inner wall of the tubular, the method further comprising setting the plug in the section of the tubular that has been expanded. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , the system further comprising a shear pin configured to release the plug from the mandrel after a force applied to the shear pin by the mandrel reaches a predetermined value, the method comprising releasing the plug from the mandrel by shearing apart the shear pin after the pressure has reached a second predetermined level. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the mandrel includes a bore configured to flow the wellbore fluid from surface, the system further comprising a burst disk configured to rupture after the pressure reaches a third predetermined level and allow the wellbore fluid to flow into a volume sealed by the plug after the plug is engaged to and seals against the inner wall of the tubular, the method further comprising:
 flowing the wellbore fluid from the bore to the volume;   driving the cone with the pressure in the wellbore fluid to expand the tubular.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the mandrel includes a bore configured to flow the wellbore fluid from surface, the plug includes a bore connected to the bore of the mandrel, the bore of the plug including a seat configured to retain an obturator carried by flowing the wellbore fluid through the bore of the mandrel flowing through the bore in the mandrel, the system further comprising a piston located in a chamber of the plug that is in fluid communication with the bore of the plug, wherein setting the plug is performed by flowing the wellbore fluid through the bore of the mandrel, through the bore of the plug and into the chamber after landing the actuator. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , shifting the casing lock from the first position to the second position after the sleeve is released from the housing and has slid relative to the housing so that the plug is located in a section of the tubular that has been expanded with the cone.