Patent ID: 7380593

Claim:
An expandable tubular element for use in a wellbore formed in an earth formation, the tubular element comprising a first radially expandable tube having a first inside diameter and a second radially expandable tube having an initial second inside diameter that is smaller than said first inside diameter, said tubes being arranged in a manner that an end portion of the second tube extends into an end portion of the first tube so as to form an overlapping portion, wherein a selected one of said end portions has a reduced resistance to radial expansion per unit length compared to a remainder portion of the tube to which the selected end portion pertains, said end portion of reduced resistance to radial expansion including at least one section of reduced resistance to stretching in circumferential direction compared to said remainder portion of the tube, wherein said at least one section of reduced resistance to stretching includes a foldable member, the foldable member being arranged to deform between a folded state and an unfolded state upon radial expansion of the selected end portion; wherein said second tube is expanded to have an expanded inside diameter that is apporximately the same as the first inside diameter, and wherein the end portion of the first tube is expanded to have an expanded inside diameter that is greater than the first inside diameter.