The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 30, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1997
David M Haugen, League City, TX (US);
William A Blizzard, Jr, Houston, TX (US);
Mark W Schnitker, Friendswood, TX (US);
Steve R Delgado, Houston, TX (US);
Thurman B Carter, Houston, TX (US);
John D Roberts, Spring, TX (US);
Joseph D Mills, Houston, TX (US);
Frederick T Tilton, Spring, TX (US);
Paul J Johantges, Deer Park, TX (US);
Charles W Pleasants, Cypress, TX (US);
Weatherford/Lamb, Inc, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
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.