Apparatus for expanding a tubular member

1. An apparatus for radially expanding and plastically deforming a tubular member, comprising:

a support member comprising a fluid passage;

a mandrel for radially expanding and plastically deforming the tubular member slidingly coupled to the support member for longitudinal fluid pressure-driven displacement relative to the support member in successive strokes, wherein the mandrel comprises an expansion cone;

at least one pressure chamber defined by and positioned between the support member and mandrel fluidicly coupled to the fluid passage; and

one or more releasable supports coupled to the support member adapted to support the tubular member, the one or more releasable supports being movable longitudinally through the interior of the tubular member, between the successive longitudinal strokes of the mandrel, and operable to internally grip successive longitudinal portions of the tubular member respectively during the successive strokes of the mandrel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid passage includes a throat passage having a reduced inner diameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mandrel includes one or more tubular pistons.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the releasable supports are positioned below the mandrel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the releasable supports comprise drag blocks.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mandrel includes one or more annular pistons, and wherein the expansion cone is coupled to the annular pistons.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein one or more of the annular pistons include a second expansion cone.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure chamber comprises at least one annular pressure chamber.

9. An apparatus for expanding a tubular member, comprising:

a support member comprising a fluid passage;

a mandrel slidingly coupled to the support member comprising an expansion cone and one or more tubular pistons operably coupled to the expansion cone;

at least one pressure chamber defined by and positioned between the support member and the mandrel fluidicly coupled to the fluid passage; and one or more releasable supports coupled to the support member and operative to support the tubular member by sequentially gripping longitudinally successive interior surface portions of the tubular member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mandrel is movably coupled to the support member for longitudinal displacement relative to the support member.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the pressure chamber comprises an expandable pressure chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the releasable supports comprise releasable locking members for locking the tubular member to the support member.

13. An apparatus for expanding a tubular member, comprising:

a support member comprising a fluid passage;

an expansion device for expanding the tubular member slidingly coupled to the support member, wherein the expansion device comprises one or more tubular pistons;

at least one pressure chamber defined by and positioned between the support member and the expansion device fluidicly coupled to the fluid passage; and

one or more releasable supports coupled to the support member adapted to internally grip and support the tubular member at a plurality of locations thereon during operation of the expansion device.

14. An apparatus for radially expanding and plastically deforming an expandable tubular member, comprising:

an expansion device for radially expanding and plastically deforming the expandable tubular member;

a support member;

an actuator coupled to the expansion device and the support member for sliding the expansion device through successive first longitudinal strokes in a first longitudinal direction relative to the support member; and

a locking device for locking the position of the expandable tubular member relative to the support member against movement relative thereto in the first direction, wherein the locking device is mechanically movable by the support member, in the first direction, through successive second longitudinal strokes alternating with the first longitudinal strokes of the expansion device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the actuator comprises an expandable pressure chamber.

16. An apparatus for expanding a tubular member, comprising:

a support member comprising a fluid passage;

an expansion device for expanding the tubular member slidingly coupled to the support member for longitudinal displacement relative to the support member;

at least one expandable pressure chamber defined by and positioned between the support member and the expansion device fluidicly coupled to the fluid passage; and

one or more releasable supports coupled to the support member adapted to support the tubular member, the one or more releasable supports being mechanically movable by the support member to a plurality of longitudinal operative gripping positions on the tubular member.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the releasable supports comprise releasable locking members for locking the tubular member to the support member.

18. An apparatus for expanding a tubular member, comprising:

a support member comprising a fluid passage;

an expansion device for expanding the tubular member slidingly coupled to the support member for longitudinal displacement in a first direction relative to the support member;

at least one pressure chamber defined by and positioned between the support member and the expansion device fluidicly coupled to the fluid passage; and

one or more releasable locking devices coupled to the support member adapted to lock the tubular member to the support member against longitudinal movement in the first direction relative to the support member, at a successive plurality of longitudinal locations of the tubular member, in response to relative longitudinal movement between the support member and the tubular member.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the pressure chamber comprises an expandable pressure chamber.