Main bore isolation assembly for multi-lateral use

Abstract

An assembly, mountable below a whipstock, for engagement into an anchor packer is disclosed which has a valve member as a principal component. The assembly is stabbed into the anchor packer in a manner that isolates the main wellbore from the lateral to be created using the whipstock. An equalization feature facilitates the stabbing in of the assembly into the anchor packer. Upon concluding the stabbing in, the equalization opening closes and locks in the closed position. Thereafter, the lateral is created by milling a window (in the case of a cased wellbore) and drilling the lateral. Liners may be used within the lateral and are insertable by use of the whipstock. At any desired time when production is to resume from below the whipstock, the valve member is actuated while the anchor packer remains in position to hold the whipstock. The valve member can be actuated by mechanically shifting a sleeve or by dissolution with chemical attack of a dissolvable plug or by other techniques. The opening of the valve member can also be accomplished by a signal from the surface which travels through the wellbore, such as an acoustic signal, which is received downhole which ultimately actuates the valve member to the open position. Provisions can also be made to subsequently close the valve should it become necessary to isolate the main wellbore below the whipstock at a future time. This can be accomplished with the use of previously mentioned methods or the use of battery-powered activated memory metal technology.