Abstract: A swage is made from segments that slide relatively to each other to go from a run in dimension to a maximum or built dimension when the segments move into alignment. The angle of inclination of the sliding axis between the members is less than the swaging angle for the pipe on the exterior of the segments so that once the segments are aligned and driven into a tubular for swaging they are precluded from extending into misalignment to clear an obstruction. In this manner a minimum drift is provided or the swage simply stalls. To facilitate building the swage in a tubular to the predetermined maximum dimension, the sliding surfaces are configured at an angle to bear the radial reaction forces from the tubular more directly thereby reducing the contact forces and the resulting friction. The edge connections are also configured to reduce bending which can cause segment binding as the swage is built in the tubular.

Abstract: The expandable casing packing element systems for cased and open-hole wellbores include an expandable casing member having a sealing device comprising a sealing element disposed between at least two retainer rings. The retainer rings have flat cross-sections and the sealing element is forced radially outward by the expansion of the expandable casing against the two retainer rings such that the sealing element protrudes outwardly beyond the retainer rings and engages the wall of a wellbore in three locations. The retainer rings can also include flares that extend outwardly from the body of the expandable casing to which they are attached. As the expandable casing is expanded, the flares are forced inward to compress the sealing element which is then extruded radially outward through a gap between the two retainer rings to engage and seal off the wellbore.

Abstract: A tool for subterranean use envisions relative movement between a housing and a piston by pressurizing and removing pressure in a variable volume defined between them. The variable volume is sealed with packer cups preferably with one supported from the piston and the other off the housing and in opposed orientations so that the broad surface area on each packer cup abuts the surface where relative movement takes place. The downhole tasks accomplished with the relative movement can be varied and include tubular expansion, setting packers or shifting sleeves, for example. Alternative embodiments envision use of a single or multiple packer cups tied to a structure that needs to be driven and building pressure behind a packer cup or reducing pressure ahead of it to advance it.

Abstract: An apparatus to protect the mounting area of casing and a locating profile and optionally a sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus when subsequent attachment of an expanded liner is intended and the expanded liner is to be cemented in place. A barrier sleeve, nose, and outer sleeve define a sealed cavity having a loose incompressible material inside that covers the mounting location on the casing. A locating profile and an optional sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus can be provided. The cementing of the casing takes place through the barrier sleeve. After the cementing, the sleeve and nose are drilled out and the incompressible material is removed to the surface with the drill cuttings. A liner is inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact with the mounting location on the casing.

Abstract: An apparatus to protect the mounting area of casing and a locating profile and optionally a sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus when subsequent attachment of an expanded liner is intended and the expanded liner is to be cemented in place. A barrier sleeve, nose, and outer sleeve define a sealed cavity having a loose incompressible material inside that covers the mounting location on the casing. A locating profile and an optional sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus can be provided. The cementing of the casing takes place through the barrier sleeve. After the cementing, the sleeve and nose are drilled out and the incompressible material is removed to the surface with the drill cuttings. A liner is inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact with the mounting location on the casing.

Abstract: A first, expandable casing member, in an unexpanded state, is provided with a lower axial end that has a radially expanded upset or recess shoe and a locating profile. The first casing member is run into a wellbore, expanded, and secured in place within the wellbore. A second expandable casing member is then provided in an unexpanded state and disposed into the wellbore through the first casing member using a running tool. The second casing member is located with respect to the first casing member and expanded using an expansion member carried by the running tool.

Abstract: An apparatus to protect the mounting area of casing and a locating profile and optionally a sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus when subsequent attachment of an expanded liner is intended and the expanded liner is to be cemented in place. A barrier sleeve, nose, and outer sleeve define a sealed cavity having a loose incompressible material inside that covers the mounting location on the casing. A locating profile and an optional sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus can be provided. The cementing of the casing takes place through the barrier sleeve. After the cementing, the sleeve and nose are drilled out and the incompressible material is removed to the surface with the drill cuttings. A liner is inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact with the mounting location on the casing.

Abstract: The expandable casing packing element systems for cased and open-hole wellbores include an expandable casing member having a sealing device comprising a sealing element disposed between at least two retainer rings. The retainer rings have flat cross-sections and the sealing element is forced radially outward by the expansion of the expandable casing against the two retainer rings such that the sealing element protrudes outwardly beyond the retainer rings and engages the wall of a wellbore in three locations. The retainer rings can also include flares that extend outwardly from the body of the expandable casing to which they are attached. As the expandable casing is expanded, the flares are forced inward to compress the sealing element which is then extruded radially outward through a gap between the two retainer rings to engage and seal off the wellbore.

Abstract: The expandable casing packing element systems for cased and open-hole wellbores include an expandable casing member having a sealing device comprising a sealing element disposed between at least two retainer rings. In one embodiment, both retainer rings have flat cross-sections and the sealing element is forced radially outward by the expansion of the expandable casing against the two retainer rings such that the sealing element protrudes outwardly beyond the retainer rings and engages the wall of a wellbore in three locations. In another embodiment, both of the two retainer rings include flares that extend outwardly from the body of the expandable casing to which they are attached. As the expandable casing is expanded, the flares are forced inward to compress the sealing element which is then extruded radially outward through a gap between the two retainer rings to engage and seal off the wellbore.

Abstract: A well having a minimum drift between or among strings is provided using strings that have a recessed segment and a hanging segment. The length of the recessed segment in the lower end of the upper string is substantially longer than the hanging segment of the lower string that is passed through it. The hanging segments define the drift dimension. In the event the lower string gets stuck in the open hole before it is fully advanced, the hanging segment of the lower string may still be in the recess of the upper string so that the drift dimension can be preserved. Preferably the recess segment is the substantial length of the tubular string apart from its hanging segment near its top end. One or more laterals can be extended through the recessed segments while retaining the drift dimension.

Abstract: An expansion assembly is run into the well as the expandable liner is made up. A work string is tagged into the expansion assembly and run to depth. Pressure drives the swage to initially expand and move uphole with the attached work string until the liner is expanded to set at least one external packer. The balance of the expansion in the uphole direction is continued until the string is expanded into sealing support of a higher string in the wellbore and the variable swage comes out of the hole with the work string. A shoe is milled out and the process can be repeated.

Abstract: An expansion and cementing assembly is run into the well as the expandable liner is made up. A work string is tagged into the expansion assembly and run to depth. Pressure drives the swage to initially expand and move uphole with the attached work string until the liner is expanded above the location of the subsequent cement placement. The assembly is then lowered to engage the guide/float shoe to perform the cementing step. The swage assembly is then released from the guide/float shoe and the balance of the expansion is performed without further expansion against the recently placed cement. The expansion assembly can start at the guide/float shoe or higher, in which case expansion can occur initially in a downhole direction and later be completed in an uphole direction. Variations without cementing are also contemplated.

Abstract: An expandable tubular pin and box connection is described having a feature of trapping the pin nose after preferably deforming the pin nose plastically in an outward direction away from the longitudinal axis of the connection. The box end is held away from the pin wall before expansion so that its tendency to curl inwardly upon expansion causes it to bend against the pin wall for sealing with it. The thread profile is also optimized to reduce flank separation as a result of expansion.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a downhole actuator. The actuator includes, a discontinuous tubular being configured to restrict longitudinal expansion while longitudinally contracting in response to radial expansion.

Abstract: An apparatus to protect the mounting area of casing when subsequently attaching a tubular is disclosed. A sleeve that defines a sealed cavity having a loose incompressible material inside covers the mounting location on the casing. The cementing of the casing takes place through the sleeve. After the cementing, the sleeve is drilled out and the incompressible material is removed to the surface with the drill cuttings. A tubular is inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact with the mounting location on the casing. At the end of expansion, the run in shoe on the tubular is retrieved.

Abstract: Drilling a well to total depth without tripping the bit out of the hole despite encountering a troublesome zone is made possible by using a memory based composite material delivered with the drill pipe or advanced over it, as needed. The material can be activated as a troublesome zone is encountered and assumes as former configuration that places it in sealing relation to the troublesome zone in the bore hole while spacing it from the drill pipe so as to allow resumption of drilling with the troublesome zone isolated.

Abstract: A first, expandable casing member, in an unexpanded state, is provided with a lower axial end that has a radially expanded upset or recess shoe and a locating profile. The first casing member is run into a wellbore, expanded, and secured in place within the wellbore. A second expandable casing member is then provided in an unexpanded state and disposed into the wellbore through the first casing member using a running tool. The second casing member is located with respect to the first casing member and expanded using an expansion member carried by the running tool.

Abstract: The expandable casing packing element systems for cased and open-hole wellbores include an expandable casing member having a sealing device comprising a sealing element disposed between at least two retainer rings. In one embodiment, both retainer rings have flat cross-sections and the sealing element is forced radially outward by the expansion of the expandable casing against the two retainer rings such that the sealing element protrudes outwardly beyond the retainer rings and engages the wall of a wellbore in three locations. In another embodiment, both of the two retainer rings include flares that extend outwardly from the body of the expandable casing to which they are attached. As the expandable casing is expanded, the flares are forced inward to compress the sealing element which is then extruded radially outward through a gap between the two retainer rings to engage and seal off the wellbore.

Abstract: A liner is inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact with the mounting location on the casing. After expansion a cement retainer positioned at the bottom of the expanded liner and the sliding sleeve located either above the mounting location of the liner in the casing shoe or in the liner below the mounted top section allow cement to be delivered outside the expanded liner and the displaced wellbore fluid to return into the casing through so that the liner can be cemented. The cement retainer can be delivered with either the liner or the expansion tools to allow expansion and cementing in a single trip. A shifting tool can be run on the expansion string to actuate the sliding sleeve and if necessary to allow for cement to be pumped from the drill string into the annulus through the sliding sleeve. The cement retainer can be milled out in a separate trip.

Abstract: An apparatus protects the mounting area of casing and a locating profile and optionally a sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus when subsequent attachment of an expanded liner is intended and the expanded liner is to be cemented in place. A barrier sleeve, nose, and outer sleeve define a sealed cavity having a loose incompressible material inside that covers the mounting location on the casing. A locating profile and an optional sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus can be provided. The cementing of the casing takes place through the barrier sleeve. After the cementing, the sleeve and nose are drilled out and the incompressible material is removed to the surface with the drill cuttings. A liner is inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact with the mounting location on the casing. After expansion the liner can be cemented.