Vallourec & Mannesmann Oil & Gas France

Albert Bruneau

Eric Verger

Antoine Durand

A tubular joint in which radial expansion caused by the passage of an expander, inclined shoulder fittings formed respectively on a peripheral surface of the female element facing radially inwards and on a peripheral surface of the male element facing radially outwards, are subjected to a relative axial displacement towards each other to be urged into sealed mutual contact with radial interference. The tubular joint is, for example, useful in hydrocarbon wells.

Sealed tubular joint with plastic expansion and at least one inclined surface

The invention relates to a high-performance threaded tubular joint comprising a first, male tubular element () and a second, female tubular element () made up together by screwing. One of the tubular elements () has a non-threaded lip () extending between its thread and its free end and having a sealing surface () in sealing-tight contact with the opposite surface () of the other element after screwing together, diametric expansion, and then generation of springback forces of the first and second tubular elements. The joint has a tubular sleeve () threaded over the second element () before screwing together and positioned to extend axially substantially opposite to the lip () and, after diametric expansion, generating a springback force which is added to that of the second element in order to counteract the springback force of the first element, thus effecting at least the shrink-fitting of the tubular sleeve over the second element.

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Boulogne Billancourt, France

Albert Bruneau