Method and system for lining a tubular
A liner having an outer surface coated with a fluid absorbing coating is cladded to a tubing string by inserting the folded liner into the tubing string and then unfolding the liner against the tubing string. The liner may be a long single thin foil corrosion resistant liner coated with a sticky glue and a hygroscopic and/or other fluid absorbing coating to absorb fluid pockets trapped between the tubing and liner and inhibit corrosion and leakage of, the elongate tubing string.
1. A method for lining a tubing string, comprises:
providing a reeled flat folded liner;
unreeling the reeled flat folded liner in a flat form;
folding the flat formed liner into a C-shape;
inserting the C-shaped liner into a tubing string; and
unfolding the C-shaped liner to expand the C-shaped liner against an inner surface of the tubing string;
wherein the step of unfolding the C-shaped liner to expand the C-shaped liner comprises:
unfolding an end of the C-shaped liner;
fixating the unfolded end of the C-shaped liner within the tubing string; and
pumping an expander tool and/or pressurized fluid through the C-shaped liner.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising expanding the C-shaped liner whereby the C-shaped liner expands from a partially expanded shape to a tubular shape.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein expanding the C-shaped liner partially occurs by elasticity of the C-shaped liner.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped liner is expanded by introducing pressurized fluid into the C-shaped liner.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped liner is expanded by moving an expander through the C-shaped liner.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a driving force for moving the expander through the C-shaped liner is hydraulic pressure.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C-shaped liner has one or more metallic layers.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reeled flat folded liner comprises a ductile corrosion resistant metal with a wall thickness less than 1 mm.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reeled flat folded liner has an outer surface which is at least partially coated with a fluid absorbing coating, which is induced to absorb fluid trapped between an inner surface of the tubing string and an outer surface of the expanded C-shaped liner.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubing string is a tubing or a casing string in an oil and/or a gas production well.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the reeled flat folded liner comprises:
providing a sheet material;
bending opposite sides of the sheet material toward each other into engagement;
interconnecting the opposite sides of the sheet material with each other; and
reeling the resulting reeled flat folded liner onto a reel.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said interconnecting the opposite sides of the sheet material is done by welding.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transporting the reeled flat folded liner to a wellbore.
14. A system for lining a tubing string, comprises:
a reeled flat folded liner;
a guiding structure configured to guide the reeled flat folded liner in a flat form to the tubing string after unreeling, said guiding structure comprising a folding mechanism to fold the flat formed liner into a C-shape prior to introducing the flat formed liner into the tubing string, wherein the C-shaped liner is inserted into the tubing string; and
means to unfold and to expand the C-shaped liner against an inner surface of the tubing string;
wherein the means to unfold and to expand the C-shaped liner comprises an expander tool comprising a front section, a middle section and an aft end, wherein the front section provides a nose or a tip to guide the expander through the C-shaped liner; and where the middle section is provided with a ridge having a diameter close to an inner diameter of the tubing string, wherein the aft end has a smaller diameter to allow retrieval of the expander tool, wherein the aft end is attached to a wireline tool to retrieve the expander tool.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the reeled flat folded liner is carried on a truck.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said truck further comprises a reeling mechanism.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the expander tool self-adjusts its outer circumference to variations in internal width of the surrounding tubing string.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the tubing string is a tubing or a casing string in an oil and/or a gas production well.
19. A method for lining a tubing string, comprising:
providing a reeled flat folded liner;
unreeling the reeled flat folded liner in a flat form;
folding the flat formed liner into a C-shape;
inserting the C-shaped liner into a tubing string; and
unfolding the C-shaped liner to expand the C-shaped liner against an inner surface of the tubing string;
wherein the folded liner has an outer surface which is at least partially coated with a fluid absorbing coating, which is induced to absorb fluid trapped between an inner surface of the tubing string and an outer surface of the expanded C-shaped liner.
20. A system for lining a tubing string, comprising:
a reeled flat folded liner;
a guiding structure configured to guide the reeled flat folded liner in a flat form to the tubing string after unreeling, said guiding structure comprising a folding mechanism to fold the flat formed liner into a C-shape prior to introducing the flat formed liner into a tubing string;
inserting the C-shaped liner into the tubing string;
means to unfold and to expand the C-shaped liner against an inner surface of the tubing string; and
connecting means to fixate an open end of the C-shaped liner within the tubing string;
wherein the means to unfold and to expand the C-shaped liner comprises:
an expander tool; and
a pump configured to pump the expander tool through the C-shaped liner.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the expander tool comprises a front section, a middle section and an aft end, wherein the front section provides a nose or a tip to guide the expander through the C-shaped liner; and where the middle section is provided with a ridge having a diameter close to an inner diameter of the tubing string.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the expander tool further comprises an aft end that has a smaller diameter than the middle section, to allow retrieval of the expander tool.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the aft end is attached to a wireline tool to retrieve the expander tool.
24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the tubing string is a tubing or a casing string in an oil and/or a gas production well.