An apparatus to protect the mounting area of casing and a locating profile
and optionally a sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of
the valve to the annulus when subsequent attachment of an expanded liner
is intended and the expanded liner is to be cemented in place. A barrier
sleeve, nose, and outer sleeve define a sealed cavity having a loose
incompressible material inside that covers the mounting location on the
casing. A locating profile and an optional sliding sleeve valve and a
flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus can be provided.
The cementing of the casing takes place through the barrier sleeve. After
the cementing, the sleeve and nose are drilled out and the incompressible
material is removed to the surface with the drill cuttings. A liner is
inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact
with the mounting location on the casing. After expansion a cement
retainer positioned at the bottom of the expanded liner and the sliding
sleeve located either above the mounting location of the liner in the
casing shoe or in the liner below the mounted top section allow cement to
be delivered outside the expanded liner and the displaced wellbore fluid
to return into the casing through so that the liner can be cemented. The
cement retainer can be delivered with either the liner or the expansion
tools to allow expansion and cementing in a single trip. A shifting tool
can be run on the expansion string to actuate the sliding sleeve and if
necessary to allow for cement to be pumped from the drill string into the
annulus through the sliding sleeve. The cement retainer can be milled out
in a separate trip.