Multiple diameter expandable straddle system
View Patent ↗A tubular expansion system is configured to expand a tubular in a wellbore. The expansion system may include an expandable tubular having a lower section and an upper section; a first expansion member configured to expand the lower section; and a second expansion member configured to expand the upper section. The upper section may be expanded to have an inner diameter greater than an inner diameter of the expanded lower section. The second expansion member may be engaged and moved by the first expansion member and/or one or more support members to expand the upper section.
1. An expansion system for expanding a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:
an expandable tubular having a lower section and an upper section;
a first expansion member configured to expand the lower section; and
a second expansion member configured to expand the upper section to have an inner diameter greater than an inner diameter of the expanded lower section, wherein the first expansion member is moveable toward the second expansion member during expansion of at least a portion of the lower section while the second expansion member remains stationary, and wherein the first expansion member is moveable with the second expansion member during expansion of at least a portion of the upper section.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first expansion member includes a cone or cone segments.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second expansion member includes a cone or cone segments.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second expansion member is disposed within the expandable tubular above the lower section prior to expansion of the expandable tubular.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a jack configured to move the first expansion member through the lower section.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a work string configured to move the first and second expansion members through the upper section.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more seals or anchors coupled to an outer surface of the expandable tubular.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an anchor for securing the system within the wellbore.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more support members configured to engage and move the second expansion member through the upper section.
10. A method of expanding a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:
expanding a first section of the tubular using a first expansion member;
moving the first expansion member toward a second expansion member during expansion of at least a portion of the first section while the second expansion member remains stationary;
engaging the second expansion member to expand a second section of the tubular; and
expanding the second section of the tubular using the second expansion member, wherein the expanded second section includes an inner diameter greater than an inner diameter of the expanded first section, and wherein the first expansion member is moveable with the second expansion member during expansion of at least a portion of the second section.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first expansion member includes a cone or cone segments.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second expansion member includes a cone or cone segments.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first section is expanded into engagement with a tubular member having an inner diameter that is less than another tubular member that the second section is expanded into engagement with.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving the first expansion member through the lower section using at least one of a jack, a work string, and pressurized fluid.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving the first and second expansion members through the upper section using at least one of a jack, a work string, and pressurized fluid.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising anchoring the tubular within the wellbore.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving one or more support members into engagement with the second expansion member, and moving the second expansion member through the second section using the support members.
18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising expanding the tubular from the bottom up.
19. The method of claim 10 , further comprising expanding the tubular from the top down.