Method and apparatus for swarf disposal in wellbores

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450820-B2
Application number	US-201715471544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A milling apparatus for cutting a tubular in a wellbore includes a cutting element on a tool body configured to cut the tubular in a wellbore when the cutting element is activated when the tool is moving upward inside the tubular. The cutting element cuts the tubular to form cuttings that fall into an annulus between the tubular and the wellbore. An agitator below the cutting element agitates the cuttings in the annulus to aid the cuttings to move from the annulus into the wellbore below the milling apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A milling apparatus for cutting a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:
a cutting element on a tool body configured to cut the tubular in the wellbore when the cutting element is activated and moving upward inside the tubular, wherein the cutting element cuts the tubular to form cuttings;
a power unit for activating the cutting element from a retracted position to an expanded position to cause the cutting element to contact the tubular to cut the tubular into the cuttings, wherein the cuttings fall into an annulus between the tubular and the wellbore and;
an agitator below the cutting element that agitates the cuttings in the annulus to aid cuttings to fall from the annulus into the wellbore below the milling apparatus, the agitator including an extension member that extends beyond an inner diameter of the tubular.

2. The milling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the extension member rotates to contact the cuttings to guide the cuttings into the wellbore.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the extension member is selected from a group consisting of: a chain having a length that extends beyond the inside diameter of the tubular; and a flexible mechanical member that extends beyond the inside diameter of the tubular.

4. The milling apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the extension member rotates as the cutting element rotates.

5. The milling apparatus of claim 2 , wherein extension element is attached to a reduced diameter section at a bottom end of the body that rotates as the cutting element rotates.

6. The milling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power unit for activating the cutting element is selected from a group consisting of: a hydraulic unit; an electric motor; an electro-mechanical device; and a hydro-mechanical device.

7. The milling apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a channel device below the cutting element that directs the cuttings from the annulus to a location below the channel device.

8. The milling apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the channel device includes a channel along a surface thereof that is in communication with cuttings in the annulus and enables the cuttings to flow through the channel to the location below the channel device.

9. The milling device of claim 1 , wherein the milling device is configured to be connected to a drill pipe coupled to a rotary device at a surface location and wherein rotating the drill pipe at the surface rotates the milling device.

10. A method of milling a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:
positioning a milling device at a start location in the wellbore, wherein the milling device includes: a cutting element on a tool body configured to cut the tubular in the wellbore when the cutting element is activated and moved upward inside the tubular, wherein the cutting element cuts the tubular into cuttings that are disposed in an annular space between the tool body and a wellbore wall;
activating the cutting element to contact the tubular;
cutting the tubular by moving the cutting element from the start location to an end location; and
rotating an agitator to extend an extension member beyond an inner diameter of the tubular in order aid the cuttings to move from the annular space into the wellbore.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the extension member contacts the cuttings in the annular space to guide the cuttings into the wellbore.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the extension member is selected from a group consisting of: a chain having a length that extends beyond the inside diameter of the tubular; and a flexible mechanical member that extends beyond the inside diameter of the tubular.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein activating the cutting element incudes utilizing a power unit to activate the cutting element that is selected from a group consisting of: a hydraulic unit; an electric motor; an electro-mechanical device; and a hydro-mechanical device.

14. The method milling apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the extension member rotates as the cutting element rotates.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the extension element is attached to a reduced diameter section at a bottom end of the body that rotates as the cutting element rotates.

16. A milling apparatus for cutting a tubular in a wellbore, comprising:
a cutting element configured to cut the tubular in the wellbore when the cutting element is activated and moving upward inside the tubular, wherein the cutting element cuts the tubular to form cuttings;
a power unit for activating the cutting element from a retracted position to an expanded position to cause the cutting element to contact the tubular to cut the tubular into the cuttings;
at least one channel around an outer surface of a body of the milling apparatus below the cutting element to guide the cuttings to fall into the wellbore; and
an agitator rotatable to extend an extension member beyond an inner diameter of the tubular to agitate the cuttings in the annulus to aid cuttings to fall from the annulus into the wellbore below the milling apparatus.

17. The milling apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the cuttings are disposed in an annular space between the body of the milling apparatus and a wellbore wall.

18. The milling apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the at least one channel causes the cuttings to move from the annular space inside the wellbore below the cutting element.

19. The milling apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one channel is selected from a group consisting of: one or more helical channels; and one or more cross-channels.

20. The milling apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the power unit for activating the cutting element is selected from a group consisting of: a hydraulic unit; an electric motor; an electro-mechanical device; and a hydro-mechanical device.

21. The milling apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the cutting element is disposed on a housing having a nose at a bottom end thereof and wherein the cuttings accumulate in an annular space formed between the housing and the wellbore inside when the nose is below the annular space.

Assignees

• Hart Daniel R
• Ponder Andrew D
• Joppe Lambertus C
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Hart Daniel R
• Ponder Andrew D
• Joppe Lambertus C

Classifications

• E21B29/005 Primary

  with a radially-expansible cutter rotating inside the pipe, e.g. for cutting an annular window · CPC title

• E21B21/00

  Methods or apparatus for flushing boreholes, e.g. by use of exhaust air from motor (freeing objects stuck in boreholes by flushing E21B31/03) · CPC title