A method of clearing well casing (3) or tubing from a target region of an oil/gas well (1) borehole is provided. The clearance of the oil/gas well bore hole being achieved by employing chemical agents (9) that consume, weaken or melt the well casing/tubing. In some aspects of the method the well casing is cleared to expose the rock formation within which the well borehole is formed so that the rock formation can be accessed from within the well casing/tubing. In other aspects of the method the removal of inner tubing structures is used to facilitate the unimpaired deployment of repair tools down the well borehole.

A method of clearing well casing (3) or tubing from a target region of an oil/gas well (1) borehole is provided. The clearance of the oil/gas well bore hole being achieved by employing chemical agents (9) that consume, weaken or melt the well casing/tubing. In some aspects of the method the well casing is cleared to expose the rock formation within which the well borehole is formed so that the rock formation can be accessed from within the well casing/tubing. In other aspects of the method the removal of inner tubing structures is used to facilitate the unimpaired deployment of repair tools down the well borehole.

A settable down hole tool is of increased drillability and/or of increased expansibility. The improvement in drillability can be caused by fracturing cast iron slips into a large number of small pieces that can be circulated out of a well without further reduction in size. The improvement in expansibility can be partially caused by providing an expander cone of increased hardness thereby allowing an increased angle on the expander cone and slips. The improvement in expansibility can be partially caused by increasing the thickness of the slips.

A clamp system for hot-tapping tubulars includes a saddle having a saddle body with an inner surface, an outer surface, and an opening extending from the inner surface to the outer surface, a metal protrusion extending from the inner surface of the saddle body to provide a metal seal, an elastomer seal coupled to the inner surface of the saddle body adjacent to the metal protrusion, and a nipple integrally formed with the saddle body and extending outwardly from the outer surface of the saddle body, the nipple positioned over the opening of the saddle body, and a clamp having a nipple opening configured to receive the nipple, the clamp formed separately from the saddle. A method includes positioning the saddle on a tubular and assembling the clamp around the saddle and the tubular including inserting the nipple through the nipple opening formed in the clamp.

A clamp system for hot-tapping tubulars includes a saddle having a saddle body with an inner surface, an outer surface, and an opening extending from the inner surface to the outer surface, a metal protrusion extending from the inner surface of the saddle body to provide a metal seal, an elastomer seal coupled to the inner surface of the saddle body adjacent to the metal protrusion, and a nipple integrally formed with the saddle body and extending outwardly from the outer surface of the saddle body, the nipple positioned over the opening of the saddle body, and a clamp having a nipple opening configured to receive the nipple, the clamp formed separately from the saddle. A method includes positioning the saddle on a tubular and assembling the clamp around the saddle and the tubular including inserting the nipple through the nipple opening formed in the clamp.

A method for lifting a first well tubular nested in a second well tubular from contact with the second well tubular includes moving a wellbore intervention tool to a location where the first well tubular is in contact with the second well tubular. The well intervention tool is operated to displace a wall of the first tubular until either (i) the wall of the first tubular contacts the second tubular and separates the first tubular from contact with the second tubular, or (ii) an opening is made in the wall of the first tubular. After the opening is made, an object is displaced from the wall of the first tubular until the object contact the second tubular and lifts the first tubular from the second tubular, wherein a circumferentially continuous annular space is opened between the first well tubular and the second well tubular.

A method for lifting a first well tubular nested in a second well tubular from contact with the second well tubular includes moving a wellbore intervention tool to a location where the first well tubular is in contact with the second well tubular. The well intervention tool is operated to displace a wall of the first tubular until either (i) the wall of the first tubular contacts the second tubular and separates the first tubular from contact with the second tubular, or (ii) an opening is made in the wall of the first tubular. After the opening is made, an object is displaced from the wall of the first tubular until the object contact the second tubular and lifts the first tubular from the second tubular, wherein a circumferentially continuous annular space is opened between the first well tubular and the second well tubular.

A casing patch system comprising a base tubular with two anchor/seals coupled to the base tubular and an expansion tool comprising two expansion devices positioned such that upon expansion of the first anchor/seal, the second expansion device engages the second anchor/seal, which allows reduction of the expansion forces due to sequential expansion and reduces the length of the displacement necessary for setting the casing patch, eliminating the need for resetting the thruster, which allows deployment and setting of the casing patch on a wireline. In another embodiment, the expansion device comprises two swages coupled to a shaft at a distance between them approximately equal to the length of the anchor/seal. The swage diameters are selected such that the expansion forces of the anchor/seal by front and back swages are approximately equal, resulting in significantly less expansion force compared to the expansion force necessary for expansion by a single swage, which allows a high degree of anchor/seal expansions unachievable by single swage expansion devices.

A casing patch system comprising a base tubular with two anchor/seals coupled to the base tubular and an expansion tool comprising two expansion devices positioned such that upon expansion of the first anchor/seal, the second expansion device engages the second anchor/seal, which allows reduction of the expansion forces due to sequential expansion and reduces the length of the displacement necessary for setting the casing patch, eliminating the need for resetting the thruster, which allows deployment and setting of the casing patch on a wireline. In another embodiment, the expansion device comprises two swages coupled to a shaft at a distance between them approximately equal to the length of the anchor/seal. The swage diameters are selected such that the expansion forces of the anchor/seal by front and back swages are approximately equal, resulting in significantly less expansion force compared to the expansion force necessary for expansion by a single swage, which allows a high degree of anchor/seal expansions unachievable by single swage expansion devices.

A downhole tool includes a top sub-assembly that couples to a downhole conveyance and a housing. The housing includes a bore that extends through the housing from the top sub-assembly to a downhole end of the housing opposite the uphole end, and a plurality of compartments fluidly coupled to the bore. The downhole end of the housing including a tapered portion. At least one of the plurality of compartments includes at least one piston configured to extend away from the housing to forcibly expand at least a portion of a wellbore tubular based at least in part on a fluid pressure in the at least one compartment. The tool includes at least one hydraulic swage coupled to the housing and configured to expand to forcibly expand at least the portion of the wellbore tubular based at least in part on a fluid pressure in the bore.