Patent ID: 9476288
Filing Date: 2016-10-25
CPC Classification: E21B

Claim Text:
1. A method for radially expanding a tubular in a subterranean well along a longitudinal length “L”, wherein the tubular has an internal diameter “D” along the longitudinal length “L”, the method comprising: inserting the tubular in the subterranean well; providing an expansion die with an outer diameter greater than the internal diameter “D”, the expansion die being operably connected to a hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly having a stroke length “S” that is less than the longitudinal length “L”; providing a ratchet assembly operably connecting the hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly to the expansion die, the ratchet assembly comprising an elongated annular member and a single-direction slip connection between the elongated annular member and the hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly, the elongated annular member extending between the expansion die and the hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly; and repeatedly actuating the hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly along the stroke length “S” so that the expansion die is forced to move longitudinally along the interior of the tubular in a first axial direction for a distance equal to the longitudinal length “L”, thus expanding the tubular along the longitudinal length “L”; wherein, when the hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly is repeatedly actuated along the stroke length “S”, the ratchet assembly prevents, or at least restricts, movement of the hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly relative to the expansion die in the first axial direction, and allows movement of the hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly relative to the expansion die in a second axial direction, which is opposite the first axial direction.