Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Camco Inc.

Other

Weatherford U.s., Inc.

Camco International, Inc.

William A Blizzard, Jr

Thurman B Carter

John Douglas Roberts

Guy LaMont McClung, Iii

Richard Michael Ward

Dale E Langford

Courtney W Adkins

David Michael Haugen

Frederick Thomas Tilton

Charles W Pleasants

Robert Eugene Robertson

Mark D Kuck

Paul J Johantges

Thurman B Caarter

Ronald E Pringle

Dwayne D Leismer

Timothy L Wilson

Mark W Schnitker

Douglas Glenn Durst

Steve R Delgado

Mark H Lee

Tom Unsgaard

James K Garner, Jr

Teme Forrest Singleton

William Alan Spielman

Jan Drechsler

Joseph D Mills

Tom Salversen

Eirik Enerstvedt

Thomas D Bailey

Andrew Berry

John D Anderson

A milling system has been invented for milling an opening in a tubular in a tubular string in a wellbore extending down from a surface of the earth, the milling system, in one aspect, has a whipstock connected to an anchor assembly and a mill apparatus releasably connected to the whipstock, the mill apparatus having auto fill apparatus therein. A mill has been invented with a mill body with a top end and a bottom end, a flow bore through the mill body, and an auto fill apparatus in the flow bore. A valve assembly has been invented for selectively controlling fluid flow through a hollow tubular in a string of hollow tubulars in a wellbore extending from a surface of the earth into the earth, the valve assembly in one aspect having positions limited to at rest, circulate, and anchor set positions so that a fluid pressure indicating at the surface indicates only either a pressured up position for anchor setting or a pressured up position for fluid circulation. A milling system has been invented with apparatus for releasably containing an isolated charge of fluid. A float valve for use in wellbore operations has been invented with a valve member having a vent hole for releasing fluid pressure build up beneath the valve member. A fill sub has been invented which uses such a float valve.

Valve assembly

A new wellbore apparatus has been invented which, in certain aspects, has anchor apparatus for anchoring the wellbore apparatus in a bore, the anchor apparatus actuated by fluid under pressure supplied thereto, and sealing apparatus selectively inflatable to close off the bore to fluid flow therethrough, and temperature compensating apparatus for maintaining a desired fluid pressure in the sealing apparatus to prevent it from bursting or deflating. A method for closing off a bore in a well has been invented which, in certain aspects, includes installing wellbore apparatus in the bore, the wellbore apparatus comprising anchor apparatus for anchoring the wellbore apparatus in a bore, the anchor apparatus actuated by fluid under pressure supplied thereto, and sealing apparatus interconnected with the anchor apparatus and selectively inflatable with fluid under pressure to close off the bore to fluid flow therethrough, and the wellbore apparatus upon anchoring in the bore and inflation of the sealing apparatus including a primary barrier in the bore.

Wellbore primary barrier and related systems

A wellbore mill has been invented having a flexible main body, and at least one milling apparatus secured on the flexible main body. A wellbore mill has been invented having a main body with a top end and a bottom end, at least one milling structure on the mill body, and a stinger projecting down from and releasably secured to the bottom end of the mill body. Methods have been invented for milling wellbore tubulars with such mills. A method for eliminating tubular offset in a wellbore has been invented, and the method includes positioning a wellbore mill in a tubular offset of a tubular string in a wellbore, the wellbore mill comprising a flexible main body and at least one milling apparatus secured on the flexible main body, and rotating the wellbore mill to mill at least part of the tubular offset.

Flexible wellbore mill

Wellbore mill system

Wellbore liner apparatus has been invented which, in one aspect, includes at least one tubular member for lining at least part of a lateral wellbore extending from a primary wellbore in the earth, at least one coupling bushing connected to the at least one tubular member and disposed in the primary wellbore, the coupling bushing having a bore therethrough from a top to a bottom thereof. In one aspect, the wellbore liner apparatus has two coupling bushings and a first tubular member and a second tubular member, the first tubular member secured to and extending down from the first coupling bushing to the second coupling bushing which is secured thereto, the second tubular member secured to and extending down from the second coupling bushing, with part of the second tubular member lining the lateral wellbore. Such systems are combinable with a wellbore milling system so that communication between the primary wellbore and the interior of the liner may be reestablished.

Wellbore milling

Wellbore apparatus has been invented that includes a whipstock with a top and a bottom, the whipstock disposed in a wellbore extending down from an earth surface into the earth, the wellbore having an inner surface, a mill guide with a body having an upper end, a lower end, and a channel therethrough from the upper end to the lower end, and a portion of the lower end of the mill guide disposed between and held between the inner surface of the wellbore and an outer surface of the top of the whipstock. A method for stabilizing a mill guide in a wellbore extending from an earth surface into the earth has been invented, the wellbore having an inner surface, the method including setting a whipstock at a location in the wellbore, the whipstock having a top and a bottom, moving a mill guide down into the wellbore to contact the whipstock, the mill guide having a body with an upper end, a lower end, and a channel therethrough from the upper end to the lower end, and positioning the mill guide so that a portion of the lower end of the mill guide is stabilizinglyconnected to and/or received and held between the inner surface of the wellbore and an outer surface of the top of the whipstock. A method has been invented for milling within a whipstock set in a wellbore extending from an earth surface down into the earth, the whipstock having a body with a top and a bottom, the method including introducing a mill guide into the wellbore above the whipstock, moving the mill guide into stabilizing contact with the whipstock, the mill guide having a top and a bottom and a channel therethrough from top to bottom, guiding a mill with the mill guide to mill down into the whipstock and through at least a longitudinal portion thereof, the mill having at least a portion thereof in contact with the mill guide while milling the at least a longitudinal portion of the whipstock.

Whipstock mill

A wellbore mill has been invented that has a body having a top and a bottom and a first fluid flow channel extending longitudinally therethrough from top to bottom, the first fluid flow channel having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the first fluid flow channel having an opening sized for receiving a core of material from a tubular member milled by the mill, and at least a portion of the first fluid flow channel offset from the remainder thereof to facilitate separation of the core from the tubular member. A wellbore milling method for milling an opening in a selected tubular of a tubular string in a wellbore has been invented that includes installing a mill on a working string into the wellbore at a selected desired point for milling the opening in the tubular, the mill comprising a body having a top and a bottom and a first fluid flow channel extending longitudinally therethrough from top to bottom, the first fluid flow channel having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the first fluid flow channel having an opening sized for receiving a core of material from a tubular member milled by the mill, and at least a portion of the first fluid flow channel offset from the remainder thereof to facilitate separation of the core from the tubular member, and rotating the mill to mill the selected tubular, create the core by thus milling the tubular and separating the core from the tubular being milled.

Wellborne mills & methods

Wellbore operations (e.g. for milling and/or drilling) are disclosed which require a reduced number of tool trips into a wellbore to create a cut-out pocket, opening, or window in a tubular such as casing in the wellbore; and, in some aspects, to continue into a formation adjacent a main wellbore forming a lateral wellbore in communication with the main wellbore. Preferably one trip is required to complete a window or a window and the lateral wellbore. In one aspect a full gauge tool body is used so that the completed lateral wellbore is of a substantially uniform diameter along its entire length, which, in one aspect is suitable for the passage therethrough of full gauge tools, pipe, devices, and apparatuses. In one aspect a cutting system has cutting apparatus initially covered with a wearable away material which is worn away by contacting a tubular to be milled, exposing the cutting apparatus for milling and/or for drilling formation adjacent the wellbore. In certain aspects the lateral wellbore is: about one foot long; two feet long or less; five feet long or less; between five feet and fifty feet long; one hundred feet long or less; between about one hundred and about two hundred feet long; or two hundred or more feet long. In one aspect mill-drill tools are disclosed that both mill tubulars and drill formation.

Wellbore milling and drilling

Wellbore operations (e.g. for milling and/or drilling) are disclosed which require a reduced number of tool trips into a wellbore to create a cut-out pocket or window in a tubular such as casing in the wellbore and, in some aspects, to continue into a formation adjacent a main wellbore forming a lateral wellbore in communication with the main wellbore. Preferably one trip is required. A milling apparatus has been invented with milling apparatus for milling a tubular member and a nose cone releasably connected to the milling apparatus and releasably connectible to a diverter that directs the milling apparatus toward the tubular member. A nose cone for a milling apparatus has been invented with a body member, the body member having a mid portion, a top portion and a lower nose portion, and the top portion releasably securable to the milling apparatus and the lower nose portion releasably securable to a concave of a whipstock. A whipstock has been invented with a body member having an upwardly extending concave portion with a concave surface, and at least a portion of the concave surface contactable by a milling apparatus during a milling procedure covered with armor material.

Wellbore single trip milling

A method for milling an opening in a tubular in a wellbore, the method comprising installing a mill guide in the tubular at a desired milling location, inserting milling apparatus through the tubular and through the mill guide so that the milling apparatus contacts the tubular at the desired milling location and contacts and is directed toward the tubular by the mill guide, and milling an opening in the tubular. In one aspect the method includes installing a whipstock in the tubular and disposing the mill guide adjacent the whipstock to protect a concave portion of the whipstock. In one aspect the method includes retrieving the mill guide from the wellbore and in another aspect includes retrieving the whipstock from the wellbore.

Sidetracking operations

The present invention, in one aspect, discloses a system for selectively anchoring a wellbore tool at a desired location in a wellbore or tubular member such as casing or tubing; such a system with a selectively settable anchor assembly that has a piston that is moved upwardly by fluid under pressure from the surface thereby moving one or more movable slips out from a body of the anchor assembly to set the anchor assembly in place; and such a system with a whipstock connected to the anchor assembly. Fluid under pressure pumped from the surface down a workstring to which the system is connected flows to the anchor assembly through or adjacent the whipstock. In one aspect a mill (or mills) is releasably connected to the whipstock. In one aspect, fluid under pressure flows through or adjacent the mill(s) to the whipstock. In one aspect a selectively actuable valve assembly is provided for selectively controlling the flow of fluid under pressure from an inlet end of the valve assembly out through an outlet end thereof for flow, e.g., to a mill, whipstock and/or anchor assembly. In one aspect such a valve assembly is used with a system as previously described to selectively provide actuating fluid under pressure to an anchor assembly as described to set the movable slip(s) thereof and, in one aspect, to then provide jetting fluid to jetting ports of the mill(s) upon release of the mill(s) from a whipstock.

Wellbore milling system

A method for milling an opening in a tubular in a wellbore, the method comprising installing a mill guide in the tubular at a desired milling location, inserting milling apparatus through the tubular and through the mill guide so that the milling apparatus contacts the tubular at the desired milling location and contacts and is directed toward the tubular by the mill guide, and milling an opening in the tubular. In one aspect the method includes installing a whipstock in the tubular and disposing the mill guide adjacent the whipstock to protect a concave portion of the whipstock. In one aspect the method includes retrieving the mill guide from the wellbore and in another aspect includes retrieving the whipstock form the wellbore.

Wellbore milling guide and method

A ported fluid flow member has been developed in which one or more ports each is lined with a metal tube which has a portion projecting into the body member. The projecting portion may be crushed shut forming a metal-to-metal seal to seal off the corresponding port to flow. Methods have been invented for using the items with one or more of the lined ports.

Metal-to-metal sealable port

A tool is disclosed, e.g. but not limited to a wellbore cementing stage tool, which has a hollow body member with one or more lined ports through which fluid can flow from an interior of the body member to space outside the body member, e.g. to the annulus of a wellbore between an exterior surface of the tool and an interior surface of the wellbore or vice versa. The port or ports are lined with a metal tube which has a portion projecting into the body member. The projecting portion may be crushed shut forming, preferably, a metal-to-metal seal to seal off the corresponding port to flow. A hollow member is disclosed with a port through it which has a metal liner with a portion projecting from the port. Methods are disclosed for using the items with one or more lined ports.

Stage tool

A well safety valve having a flow tube telescopically controlling the movement of a valve element. A coil spring yieldably moves the tube in a direction for opening the valve and a choke bean is connected to the flow tube for controlling the closure of the valve. A spring-loaded release latch engages the flow tube yieldably preventing the flow tube from moving to the closed position. The latch is adjustable and includes a belleville spring for providing a large restraining force without undue deflection.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

William A Blizzard, Jr