Method for hydraulic communication with target well from relief well

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10125561-B2
Application number	US-201314899064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2013
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A system for establishing hydraulic communication between a relief well and a target well, wherein a relief well is drilled to include a portion of the target wellbore that is axially offset from and substantially parallel to a portion of the relief wellbore. Thereafter, a milling system is disposed in the relief well and utilized to mill a casing window that is facing the target well. The portion of the relief well is positioned so that fluid introduced into the relief well will flow through the formation to the target well. To enhance the flow, the formation and/or the casing of the target well may be perforated, milled or partially drilled. A latch coupling disposed in the relief well casing may be utilized to engage a latch on of the milling and or a perforating tool in order to ensure proper orientation relative to the target well.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of establishing fluid communication between a first well and a second well, the method comprising:
identifying a position of a first well in a formation;
drilling a second well in the formation so that at least a portion of a length of the second well is adjacent a portion of a length of the first well;
positioning a track-guided milling system adjacent the casing;
milling a window in a casing of the second well at the portion of the second well adjacent the first well, the milling further comprising:
supporting a milling blade with a bearing;
fixing the bearing to a track, thereby coupling the milling blade to the track; and
moving the bearing along the track, thereby guiding the milling blade along the track in order to mill the window; and

introducing a fluid into the second well and driving the fluid through the window of the second well, through the formation between the first and second wells and into the first well.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling comprises:
positioning a track-guided milling system adjacent the casing to be milled; and
utilizing the track-guided milling system to guide the milling blade into contact with the casing in order to mill the window.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
securing the milling blade within the track-guided milling system with a release mechanism;
running the milling blade and the track-guided milling system into the second well;
engaging a latch coupling in order to axially and radially orient the track-guided milling system at a predetermined location and a desired orientation in the second well; and
releasing the milling tool from the track-guided milling system.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
after milling the window, releasing the track-guided milling system from the latch coupling;
moving the track-guided milling system away from the window;
engaging the latch coupling with a perforating gun, thereby axially and radially orienting the perforating gun at the predetermined location and the desired orientation in the second well; and
perforating the first well through the window of the second well.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deploying a window casing section in the second well at the portion of the second well that is adjacent the first well; and
milling the window in the window casing section.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
perforating the formation between the window and the first well, wherein perforating includes:
once the window has been milled, positioning a perforating tool in the second well adjacent the window; and
actuating the perforating tool to perforate the formation.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the perforating includes perforating a casing of the first well.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein a discharge of the perforating tool is limited to discharge in a radial direction of the first well.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is pumped into the second well under pressure.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fluid is cement and/or weighted fluid.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
killing the first well by pumping the fluid into the second well and through the window of the second well.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deploying a casing string in the second well, wherein deploying comprises positioning at least one latch coupling in the casing string.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said milling comprises:
engaging the latch coupling with a latch of a milling tool in order to position a milling tool adjacent the casing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said engaging axially and radially positions the milling tool.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
engaging a first latch coupling with a latch of a milling tool;
milling the window;
withdrawing the milling tool from adjacent the window;
engaging a second latch coupling with the latch of the milling tool so as to position a perforating tool adjacent the milled window; and
discharging the perforating tool through the milled window to form perforations in the casing of the first well.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning an alignment sub in the casing string of the second well between a window casing portion and a latch coupling casing portion; and
utilizing the alignment sub to adjust relative axial positions of the window casing portion and the latch coupling casing portion of the casing string.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a location along the length of the first well for establishing hydraulic communication; and
drilling the second well so that the portion of the second well is adjacent the identified location.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the second well is drilled to be axially offset from and substantially parallel to the portion of the first well.

19. A drilling system comprising:
a first well;
a second well adjacent the first well along a portion of a length of the second well, the second well having casing disposed along said portion; and
a guided milling tool disposed in the second well adjacent the casing, the guided milling tool comprising a guide and a milling blade, wherein the guide is oriented to cause the milling blade to engage the casing of the second well at the portion of the length of the second well adjacent the first well, wherein a track is axially disposed along a length of the second well and the guided milling tool comprises a follower that engages the track and guides the guided milling tool along the track to mill the casing of the second well.

20. The drilling system of claim 19 , wherein the guided milling tool is a track guided milling tool that comprises a milling blade and the milling blade is radially oriented in the second well so that the milling blade extends radially towards the first well.

21. The drilling system of claim 19 , further comprising an elongated window formed in the casing, the elongated window radially disposed in the casing to face the first well.

22. The drilling system of claim 19 , further comprising a perforating tool.

23. The drilling system of claim 19 , further comprising a pipe string disposed in the second well and on which the guided milling tool is carried.

24. The drilling system of claim 19 , further comprising a pipe string disposed in the second well and on which a perforating tool is carried.

25. The drilling system of claim 19 , wherein the casing of the second well comprises a latch coupling and the guided milling tool comprises a latch for engagement with the latch coupling.

26. The drilling system of claim 19 , further comprising an alignment sub carried by a pipe string, the alignment sub securing the guided milling tool to the pipe string.

27. The drilling system of claim 19 , further comprising a hydraulic locking tool disposed around a portion of the guided milling tool.

28. The drilling system of claim 19 , further comprising a latch coupling disposed along the casing, a pre-formed window disposed in the casing along the casing and an alignment sub carried by the casing between the latch coupling and the pre-formed window.

29. The drilling system of claim 28 , further comprising a perforating tool carried by a pipe string.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Cramm Carl J
• Hess Joe E
• Cuthbert Andy J

Classifications

• E21B33/13

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• E21B29/002 Primary

  Cutting, e.g. milling, a pipe with a cutter rotating along the circumference of the pipe · CPC title

• E21B29/06 Primary

  Cutting windows, e.g. directional window cutters for whipstock operations ({E21B29/005 and} E21B29/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/11

  Perforators; Permeators · CPC title

• E21B43/30

  Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells · CPC title