Method and system for radially expanding a tubular element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9303458-B2
Application number	US-201113990953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2011
Priority date	Dec 3, 2010
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for radially expanding a tubular element ( 8 ). The method comprises the steps of bending the tubular element ( 8 ) radially outward and in axially reverse direction so as to form an expanded tubular section ( 10 ) extending around an unexpanded tubular section ( 8 ) wherein bending occurs in a bending zone ( 14 ); and increasing the length of the expanded tubular section ( 10 ) by inducing the bending zone ( 14 ) to move in axial direction relative to the unexpanded tubular section ( 8 ). The method includes the further step of heating the bending zone. Several embodiments to enable heating are described.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method for radially expanding a tubular element, the method comprising the steps of:
bending the tubular element radially outward and in axially reverse direction so as to form an expanded tubular section extending around an unexpanded tubular section, wherein bending occurs in a bending zone;
increasing the length of the expanded tubular section by inducing the bending zone to move in axial direction relative to the unexpanded tubular section; and
heating the bending zone, wherein heating the bending zone includes activating a heating element which is arranged near the bending zone, wherein the heating element includes an electric coil arranged between the unexpanded section and the expanded section.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of increasing the length of the expanded tubular section comprises pushing the unexpanded tubular section into the expanded tubular section.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a drill string extends through the unexpanded tubular section, and wherein the drill string is operated to further drill the wellbore.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the unexpanded tubular section and the drill string are simultaneously lowered through the wellbore during drilling with the drill string.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electric coil is attached to the drill string.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a flux concentrator is arranged near the electric coil for concentrating an electromagnetic field.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein an annular space is formed between the unexpanded tubular section and the expanded tubular section, the method further comprising inserting a heat transfer fluid into the annular space.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the heat transfer fluid solidifies below a threshold temperature, thereby stopping the step of increasing the length of the expanded tubular section by inducing the bending zone to move in axial direction.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
axially extending the unexpanded tubular section at an upper end thereof.

10. A system for radially expanding a tubular element, comprising:
a tubular element being bent radially outward and in axially reverse direction so as to form an expanded tubular section extending around an unexpanded tubular section, wherein bending occurs in a bending zone;
a pipe pusher for increasing the length of the expanded tubular section by inducing the expanded tubular section to move in axial direction relative to the unexpanded tubular section; and
a heating element arranged near the bending zone for heating the bending zone, wherein the heating element includes an electric coil arranged between the unexpanded section and the expanded section.

Assignees

• Van Den Steen Leon
• Kriesels Petrus Cornelis
• Shell Oil Co

Inventors

• Van Den Steen Leon
• Kriesels Petrus Cornelis

Classifications

• B21D7/162

  Heating equipment · CPC title

• B21D7/00

  Bending rods, profiles, or tubes (B21D11/02 - B21D11/18 take precedence; using mandrels or the like B21D9/00) · CPC title

• E21B43/103

  of expandable casings, screens, liners, or the like · CPC title

• E21B7/20 Primary

  Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes · CPC title