Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Joseph DeWitt Parlin

John C Gano

John S Bowling

James R Longbottom

Jody Ray McGlothen

Dana R Dale

David Joe Steele

James H Dudley

Ronald Johannes Dirksen

Tommie Austin Freeman

Kenneth D Caskey

Russell Irving Bayh

Dan Parnell Saurer

Espen Dahl

William Wallace Dancer

Michael Wade Meaders

Mario Carlos Vento-Zegarra

Jody R Mcglothen

A method of completing or stimulating a portion of a wellbore comprising: introducing a treatment fluid into the wellbore, wherein the treatment fluid comprises a base fluid and an insoluble particulate, wherein the treatment fluid flows through a first tube or set of tubes of a multi-tube system during introduction, wherein the multi-tube system comprises multiple tubular members rigidly attached to each other along the axial lengths of the members, and wherein the attached tubular members complimentarily create a cross-sectional shape of a generally D- or wedge-shaped portion of a circle; possibly creating one or more fractures in a subterranean formation; depositing at least a portion of the particulate within the wellbore; and returning at least a portion of the base fluid to a wellhead of the wellbore, wherein the treatment fluid flows through a second tube or set of tubes of the multi-tube system during return.

Wellbore operations using a multi-tube system

In one example of forming multilateral wells in unconventional reservoirs, a subterranean zone is drilled using a drilling rig to form a main wellbore. Using the drilling rig, the subterranean zone is drilled to form a lateral wellbore off the main wellbore. The drilling rig is removed after forming a multilateral well including the main wellbore and the lateral wellbore. Using a fracturing system, a fracture treatment is performed on the lateral wellbore.

Forming multilateral wells

A well system can include a completion string adjacent to a target formation and a service tool extending within the completion string. When the service tool is in an aligned position with respect to the completion string, the service tool can prevent fluid communication between the target formation and a return conduit to facilitate fluid slurry injection. In such an alignment, a reader of the service tool is positioned within a threshold distance of a tag of the completion string to receive an indicator from the tag. From the tag, the reader receives confirmation that the service tool and the completion string are properly aligned. A pulser of the service tool transmits a signal to a surface location to convey the confirmation. A user may then pump the fluid slurry through an internal fluid flow passage of the service tool to the target formation.

Position tracking for proppant conveying strings

A liner assembly () includes a drill string () to drill a borehole () in a formation (). The liner assembly further includes a liner assembly releasably coupled to the drill string to move with the drill string in the borehole while the drill string drills, and to be released from the drill string in the borehole after the drill string drills to a depth.

Single trip liner setting and drilling assembly and methods

The present invention provides systems and methods for protecting the lower main wellbore of whipstocks and completion deflectors from debris accumulation. A well system subassembly includes a deflector tool arranged within a casing string and defining a deflector surface and an inner bore extending longitudinally from the deflector surface and one or more seal stacks disposed about the inner bore of the deflector tool. A wellbore barrier device is disposed about the inner bore uphole from the one or more seal stacks and is expandable from an unswelled configuration to a swelled configuration. When the wellbore barrier device is in the swelled configuration, it protects the one or more seal stacks from debris generated from milling and/or drilling operations.

Swelling debris barrier and methods

The lowside of a casing joint is protected from wear while milling a casing exit for a lateral borehole. The casing joint is coupled to a casing string and is made of a material that is softer than that of the casing string. A whipstock assembly is arranged within the casing joint and has a deflector surface operable to direct a drilling assembly into a sidewall of the casing joint to create the casing exit. A wear sleeve is coupled to and extends axially from the whipstock assembly, the wear sleeve defining a throat that extends axially along the axial length of the wear sleeve and transitions into the deflector surface. The axial length of the wear sleeve extends beyond a point of contact where the drilling assembly would otherwise engage the lowside of the casing joint.

Protection of casing lowside while milling casing exit

A method and system for intersecting a first, cased well bore, includes forming a second well bore that extends to a region of the first, cased well bore to be intersected. A mill guiding device is positioned in the second well bore and a milling assembly is inserted into the second well bore. The milling assembly is guided along the mill guiding device and contacts an upper external shoulder of a casing coupling of a casing in the first, cased well bore. The mill preferentially removes material from a convex portion of the casing above and adjacent to the upper external shoulder the casing coupling; and removes material from the casing coupling and the adjacent casing until the first, cased well bore and the second well bore are fluidly connected.

Method of intersecting a first well bore by a second well bore

A method of controllably milling a window in at least a portion of a cased wellbore comprises: interconnecting a mill advancing device and a mill; applying a pressure differential between the mill advancing device and the mill, wherein the application of the pressure differential causes a downward movement of the mill advancing device and the mill; and causing the mill to engage the at least a portion of the cased wellbore.

Methods of controllably milling a window in a cased wellbore using a pressure differential to cause movement of a mill

A casing exit joint with an easily milled and low density barrier. A casing exit joint for use in drilling a lateral wellbore outwardly from a parent wellbore includes a generally tubular window structure having a window formed through a sidewall of the structure. An outer sleeve is disposed external to the window structure, so that the sleeve overlies the window. A hardenable substance supports the sleeve against deflection toward the window. A method of drilling a lateral wellbore extending outwardly from a parent wellbore includes the steps of: providing a casing exit joint including a hardenable substance positioned in a sidewall of the casing exit joint; then installing the casing exit joint in the parent wellbore; and then cutting through the hardenable substance in order to provide access for drilling the lateral wellbore.

Casing exit joint with easily milled, low density barrier

A system and method for cutting windows for lateral wellbore drilling. A method of cutting a window through a sidewall structure for drilling a lateral wellbore through the window includes the steps of: providing an internal profile in the sidewall structure; then installing the sidewall structure in a parent wellbore; and then cutting the window through the sidewall structure, the cutting step including engaging a cutting tool with the internal profile. The cutting step may include resisting lateral displacement of the cutting tool due to engagement between the cutting tool and the internal profile.

Cutting windows for lateral wellbore drilling

Methods of operating a downhole tool comprise thermally-controlling the tool by sensing a temperature and controlling the tool in response to the sensed temperature. Thermally-controlled downhole tools comprise a control element responsive to a change in temperature that control flow into, out of, or through a wellbore. Methods and systems for servicing a wellbore comprise using a thermally-controlled tool comprising a thermally-controlled valve (TCV) in a wellbore. The TCV includes a valve body comprising an injection port for allowing material to flow into or out of the wellbore and an opening/closing mechanism for regulating flow of the material through the injection port in response to a change in temperature. The valve body may be coupled to a downhole conduit. A plurality of TCV's may be arranged in the wellbore to control the injection of steam into the wellbore or the recovery of oil from the wellbore.

Thermally-controlled valves and methods of using the same in a wellbore

A reduced debris milled multilateral window. In a described embodiment, a window joint is constructed in a manner which reduces debris created when a window is milled therethrough. The window joint includes a generally tubular body having a sidewall, a window portion of the sidewall being configured for forming a window therethrough, and a thickness of the sidewall being reduced in the window portion.

Reduced debris milled multilateral window

Apparatus and methods are provided for completing a wellbore junction. In one embodiment described herein, a lateral wellbore junction is sealed utilizing an apparatus assembled within the well. The apparatus may include multiple housings which are engaged with each other to form a sealed assembly with flow passages extending into the lateral wellbore, and upper and lower portions of a parent wellbore. Associated sealing devices and flexible couplings are also provided.

Sealed lateral wellbore junction assembled downhole

A lateral wellbore junction is formed by methods and apparatus described herein. In one described embodiment, an apparatus includes a section of casing and a sleeve axially reciprocably disposed relative to an opening formed through a sidewall of the casing. In one described method, the casing section is positioned within a parent wellbore, the sleeve is shifted to provide access through the opening, and a lateral wellbore is drilled by passing cutting tools through the opening.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Joseph DeWitt Parlin