Resilient Anchor
Methods and apparatus for radially expanding and plastically deforming an expandable tubular member using an expansion device for radially expanding and plastically deforming the expandable tubular member, an actuator coupled to the expansion device, and an anchor coupled to the actuator. The anchor includes a resilient member that is selectively deformable between a first position wherein the resilient member does not engage the expandable tubular member and a second position wherein the resilient member engages the expandable tubular member so as to releasably couple the anchor to the expandable tubular member.
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In the oil and gas industry, expandable tubing is often used for casing, liners and the like. To create a casing, for example, a tubular member is installed in a wellbore and subsequently expanded by displacing an expansion cone through the tubular member. The expansion cone may be pushed or pulled using mechanical means, such as by a support tubular coupled thereto, or driven by hydraulic pressure. As the expansion cone is displaced axially within the tubular member, the expansion cone imparts radial force to the inner surface of the tubular member. In response to the radial force, the tubular member plastically deforms, thereby permanently increasing both its inner and outer diameters. In other words, the tubular member expands radially. Expandable tubulars may also be used to repair, seal, or remediate existing casing that has been perforated, parted, corroded, or otherwise damaged since installation.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONIn one aspect, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for radially expanding and plastically deforming an expandable tubular member using an expansion device, an actuator coupled to the expansion device, and an anchor coupled to the actuator. The anchor includes a resilient member that is selectively deformable between a first position wherein the resilient member does not engage the expandable tubular member and a second position wherein the resilient member engages the expandable tubular member so as to releasably couple the anchor to the expandable tubular member.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for anchoring a workstring within a tubular member such that a process can be performed on the tubular member. In some embodiments, the anchored workstring is used to move the tubular member within a wellbore. In other embodiments, the anchored workstring includes an expansion apparatus operable to radially expand the tubular member within a wellbore.
Referring to
In one embodiment, the expansion apparatus 10 is positioned within a preexisting structure 30 such as, for example, a wellbore that traverses a subterranean formation 32. Once tubular member 12 and expansion apparatus 10 are disposed at a desired location within structure 30, anchor 16 is activated. The activation of anchor 16 causes resilient member 26 to deform and engage tubular member 12 so as to releasably couple anchor 16 to tubular member 12. As a result, the axial position of anchor 16 is fixed relative to tubular member 12, as shown in
Once actuator 20 has displaced expansion device 24, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, in the embodiments shown in
It is understood that expansion apparatus 10 is only one embodiment of a system utilizing an anchor, actuator, and expansion device and other such systems may be contemplated or are known in the art. For example, the expansion device may be a solid mandrel having a fixed outer diameter, an adjustable or collapsible mandrel with a variable outer diameter, a roller-type expansion device, or any other device used to expand a tubular. Still further, although illustrated in
The axial compression of resilient member 126 increases the outside diameter of the resilient member according to the material properties, such as Poisson's ratio, of the resilient material. For example, a urethane formulated for a downhole environment may have a Poisson's ratio of about 0.50. As a result of the axial compression, the outside of the resilient member 126 comes into contact with, and develops a normal force on, the inner diameter of the tubular member 132. Further axial compression of the resilient member 126 adds to the normal force, which provides the anchoring force for the anchor 112. The anchoring force is approximately the product of the normal force applied to the inner diameter of the tubular member 132 and the coefficient of friction between the tubular member 132 and the resilient member 126.
In certain embodiments, resilient member 126 may exert a force on tubular member 132 that is sufficient to cause deformation of the tubular member 132. This localized deformation of tubular member 132 may further increase the anchoring force generated by resilient member 126 as the resilient member would have to be sheared or compressed in order to exit the area that has been deformed.
The axial movement of tapered mandrel 228 forces resilient member 226 to radially expand outward over the tapered mandrel and into contact with tubular member 234. As a result of the radial expansion, the outside of the resilient member 226 comes into contact with, and develops a normal force on the inner diameter of the tubular member 234. Further radial expansion of the resilient member 226 adds to the normal force, which provides the anchoring force for the anchor 212. The anchoring force is approximately the product of the normal force applied to the inner diameter of the tubular member 234 and the coefficient of friction between the tubular member 234 and the resilient member 226.
In certain embodiments, resilient member 226 may exert a force on tubular member 234 that is sufficient to cause deformation of the tubular member. This localized deformation of tubular member 234 may further increase the anchoring force generated by resilient member 226 as the resilient member would have to be sheared or compressed in order to exit the area that has been deformed.
In
The form and function of the anchor shown in
The resilient members 702a and 702b are axially trapped by a top compression flange 720 and a bottom compression flange 721, respectively. The resilient members 702a and 702b are separated by a center wedge 715. The surfaces of center wedge 715 and compression flanges 720 and 721 that contact the ends of resilient members 702a and 702b are curved, which helps to force the resilient members radially outward as they are axially compressed by the compression flanges. The resilient members 702a and 702b may further include reinforcement members, such as anti-extrusion inserts 703a-d to reduce or eliminate axial extrusion. The anti-extrusion inserts 703a-d are formed from less flexible material, such as Teflon® or Nylon®, and may be separate or integrally bonded with the resilient members 702a and 702b.
In the embodiment shown in
Although a pressure actuated embodiment is shown in
Referring now to
The activation of anchor device 316 couples workstring 310 to tubular member 316. Workstring 310 can then be used to move tubular member 312 within wellbore 330. For example, workstring 310 may be installed within tubular member 312 at the surface and then be used to lower the tubular member into wellbore 330, such as during casing running or liner drilling operations. Workstring 310 may also be installed within a tubular member 312 that is already in wellbore 330 to enable the tubular member to be removed from the wellbore, such as during fishing operations. As described above in relation to
Anchors utilizing resilient members as disclosed herein provide an anchor that is less sensitive than other anchoring systems to variations in the inside diameter of the tubular member being expanded. Eccentricity and surface flaws are forgiven by the resilient members pressed against the inside of the tubular member because the resilient members conform to whatever surface they are pressed against. Additionally, the anchors can be configured to anchor within a range of internal diameters to take advantage of the range of radial strain tolerated by the resilient members. Unlike slips or pawls used in other anchoring systems, anchors utilizing resilient members do not gouge or otherwise damage the inside surface of the tubular member, which avoids creating stress concentrations in the tubular member when that portion is later expanded. Additionally, anchors utilizing resilient members are able to be constructed from a relatively few components, thus providing a less complicated and less expensive anchoring device.
Although this detailed description has shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention, this description contemplates a wide range of modifications, changes, and substitutions. In some instances, one may employ some features of the present invention without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that readers should construe the appended claims broadly, and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus for radially expanding and plastically deforming an expandable tubular member, comprising:
- an expansion device operable to radially expand and plastically deform the expandable tubular member as said expansion device is axially displaced relative to the expandable tubular member;
- an actuator coupled to said expansion device and operable to axially displace said expansion device relative to the expandable tubular member; and
- an anchor coupled to said actuator, wherein said anchor comprises a resilient member selectively deformable between a first position wherein said resilient member does not engage the expandable tubular member and a second position wherein said resilient member engages the expandable tubular member so as to releasably couple said anchor to the expandable tubular member.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said resilient member is deformed from the first position to the second position by axially compressing said resilient member.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said anchor further comprises a compression flange operable to axially compress said resilient member.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said resilient member is deformed from the first position to the second position by radial expansion.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said anchor further comprises a mandrel operable to radially expand said resilient member.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said resilient member further comprises reinforcement members embedded therein.
7. A method comprising:
- coupling an anchor comprising a resilient member to a first end of an actuator;
- coupling an expansion device to a second end of the actuator;
- disposing the anchor into an expandable tubular member;
- applying a force to the resilient member so as to deform the resilient member from a first position wherein the resilient member does not engage the expandable tubular member to a second position wherein the resilient member engages the expandable tubular member so as to releasably couple the anchor to the expandable tubular member; and
- radially expanding and plastically deforming the expandable tubular member by activating the actuator so as to axially displace the expansion device relative to the expandable tubular member.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
- removing the force from the resilient member so as to allow the resilient member to deform from the second position to the first position;
- axially displacing the anchor relative to the expansion device;
- applying a force to the resilient member so as to deform the resilient member from the first position to the second position; and
- radially expanding and plastically deforming the expandable tubular member by activating the actuator so as to axially displace the expansion device relative to the expandable tubular member.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the force applied to the resilient member is an axial compressive force.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the force applied to the resilient member is a radial expansion force.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the force applied to the resilient member is generated by a pressurized fluid.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein deforming the resilient member to the second position does not plastically deform the expandable tubular member.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein deforming the resilient member to the second position plastically deforms the expandable tubular member.
14. A method comprising:
- coupling an anchor and an expansion device to an actuator to form an expansion assembly, wherein the anchor comprises a resilient member;
- disposing the expansion assembly at least partially within an expandable tubular member that is disposed within a wellbore;
- deforming the resilient member from a first position wherein the resilient member does not engage the expandable tubular member to a second position wherein the resilient member engages the expandable tubular member so as to releasably couple the anchor to the expandable tubular member; and
- radially expanding and plastically deforming the expandable tubular member by activating the actuator so as to axially displace the expansion device relative to the expandable tubular member.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
- returning the resilient member to the first position from the second position;
- axially displacing the anchor relative to the expansion device;
- deforming the resilient member from the first position to the second position; and
- radially expanding and plastically deforming the expandable tubular member by activating the actuator so as to axially displace the expansion device relative to the expandable tubular member.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the resilient member is deformed from the first position to the second position by applying a force to the resilient member and returns to the first position when the force is removed.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the force applied to the resilient member is an axial compressive force.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the force applied to the resilient member is a radial expansion force.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein deforming the resilient member to the second position does not plastically deform the expandable tubular member.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein deforming the resilient member to the second position plastically deforms the expandable tubular member.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 13, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 14, 2010
Applicant: Enventure Global Technology, LLC (Houston, TX)
Inventors: Bruce H. Storm, JR. (Houston, TX), Harsh Chowdhary (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 12/422,603
International Classification: B21D 39/08 (20060101); B21D 41/02 (20060101);