Patent ID: 7387174

Claim:
A device for lining the wall of a wellbore as it is being drilled through a subterranean formation using a drill string having a drill bit on the lower end thereof, said device comprising: (a) a receptacle for a cylindrically gathered pack of flexible tubing; (b) a radially expandable locking means having means for directly or indirectly attaching a first end of the tubing of the gathered pack; and (c) a plurality of bearings for supporting the receptacle for the gathered pack of flexible tubing around the outside of the drill string at or near the lower end thereof thereby allowing the receptacle to remain stationary while the drill string is rotated; wherein the radially expandable locking means is capable of being expanded against the wellbore wall thereby locking the first end of the flexible tubing in place in the wellbore such that in use movement of the drill string through the wellbore as it is being drilled causes the flexible tubing to be withdrawn from the cylindrically gathered pack and to be turned inside out thereby providing a liner for the wellbore wall with the outer surface of the tubing of the cylindrically gathered pack forming the inner surface of the liner.