Diamond coating on the cone for expandable tubulars

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022134410-A1
Application number	US-202017088179-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2020
Priority date	Nov 3, 2020
Publication date	May 5, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the expansion cone includes: a base material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; an intermediate buffering layer; and a coating deposited on an outer surface of the intermediate buffering layer; wherein the intermediate buffering layer is deposited between an outer surface of the steel alloy base material and the coating, wherein the intermediate buffering layer is one or more selected from a group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC), and wherein the coating is a diamond containing coating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the expansion cone comprising:
a base material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; an intermediate buffering layer; and a coating deposited on an outer surface of the intermediate buffering layer; wherein the intermediate buffering layer is deposited between an outer surface of the steel alloy base material and the coating, wherein the intermediate buffering layer is one or more selected from a group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC); wherein the coating is a diamond containing coating.

2 . The expansion cone according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is a diamond coating selected from a group consisting of nanocrystalline diamond, amorphous diamond, and a mixture thereof.

3 . The expansion cone according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is a diamond-like coating (DLC) made from diamond-like carbon.

4 . The expansion cone according to claim 1 , further comprising an upper cylindrical section, a lower cylindrical section and a tapered section intermediate the upper and lower cylindrical sections, wherein the intermediate buffering layer and the coating are deposited on an outer surface of at least the tapered section.

5 . The expansion cone according to claim 4 , wherein the coating has a coefficient of friction as measured against steel of between 0.02 and 0.25.

6 . The expansion cone according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is configured to flake during use, and the flakes of the coating are configured to act as dry lubricants.

7 . An expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the expansion cone comprising:
a base material having an upper cylindrical section, a lower cylindrical section, and a tapered section therebetween; a plurality of pockets formed in at least the tapered section of the steel alloy base material; a plurality of inserts disposed within the plurality of pockets, wherein the plurality of inserts comprise an outer surface layer or coating selected from a group consisting of nanocrystalline diamond, amorphous diamond, a diamond-like carbon, and mixtures thereof.

8 . The expansion cone according to claim 7 , wherein the inserts further comprise:
a base material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; and a buffering layer that deposited between the outer surface layer or coating and the insert base material, wherein the buffering layer is selected from a group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC).

9 . The expansion cone according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of inserts are selected from a group consisting of unleached diamond-cobalt compacts, leached diamond-cobalt compacts, diamond-silicon compacts, binderless diamond compacts, diamond-boron nitride composite compacts.

10 . The expansion cone according to claim 7 , wherein an upper surface of each of the plurality of inserts is 1-50 microns above an outer surface of the base material.

11 . A method for forming an expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the method comprising:
forming a base expansion cone from a material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; depositing a buffering layer on at least a conical portion of the base expansion cone; and depositing a coating on the buffering layer; wherein the buffering layer is formed from a material selected from another group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC).

12 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising depositing the buffering layer by physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the coating is a diamond coating selected from a group consisting of nanocrystalline diamond, amorphous diamond, and a mixture thereof.

14 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising depositing the coating by chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

15 . A method for forming an expansion cone useful for expanding an expandable tubular, the method comprising:
forming a base expansion cone having an upper cylindrical section, a lower cylindrical section, and a tapered section therebetween; forming a plurality of pockets within the base expansion cone tapered section; disposing a plurality of inserts within the plurality of pockets, wherein the plurality of inserts are selected from a group consisting of unleached diamond-cobalt compacts, leached diamond-cobalt compacts, diamond-silicon compacts, binderless diamond compacts, diamond-boron nitride composite compacts, and their combinations.

16 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming the plurality of inserts, forming the plurality of inserts comprising:
forming a base insert block from a material selected from a group consisting of alloyed steel, tungsten carbide coated alloyed steel, and cemented tungsten carbide; depositing a buffering layer on at least a portion of the base insert block; and depositing the outer surface layer or coating on the buffering layer.

17 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the buffering layer is formed from a material selected from another group consisting of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), and silicon carbide (SiC).

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of inserts are disposed within each of the plurality of pockets by press fitting.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of inserts are disposed within each of the plurality of pockets by brazing.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Xu Jianhui
• Zhan Guodong (David)

Classifications

• E21B43/105 Primary

  Expanding tools specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• C23C16/27

  Diamond only · CPC title

• C23C16/0272

  Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating · CPC title

• B21D41/026 Primary

  by means of mandrels · CPC title