Development of expandable pipe technology: double-acting expander

Abstract

Drilling wells presents a number of problems such as loss of circulation, wellbore instability, stuck pipe due to differential pressure or mechanical problems, and increased formation damage. Traditionally, these problems have been addressed by installing additional casing, resulting in a reduction in wellbore diameter. However, the use of expandable tubing technology within the wellbore can effectively mitigate these problems, potentially eliminating the telescoping effect associated with traditional well designs. This technology allows wells to be completed without reducing the planned diameter of the production string, which is critical for deepwater and highly deviated wells. The effectiveness of expandable tubing technology continues to evolve both offshore and onshore, offering solutions to a variety of operational challenges encountered during well construction. Steel pipe expanding requires specialized tools. During workover operations, these tools are used to isolate corroded or worn sections of casing, seal unwanted perforations and reinforce casing to stimulate flow and treat the wellbore. They also allow problem areas to be isolated without connecting to the previous casing string. However, dual-action expanders are required to drill constant-diameter wells. These expanders create sockets at the bottom of the large-diameter pipe and then expand the casing string to the smaller diameter. The paper describes the design and operating principle of a new expanding device that has been developed to solve the problems associated with efficiently expanding round steel casing and achieving double expansion in mono-diameter well construction. In conclusion, the developed new round steel casing expanding tool achieves double expansion, facilitating the construction of monodiameter oil and gas wells. Keywords: Well drilling; Mono-diameter technology; Steel pipe expanding; Double expansion; Expander.