Modified whipstock design integrating cleanout and setting mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11933174-B2
Application number	US-202217652622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2022
Priority date	Feb 25, 2022
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A system includes a milling assembly with a mill bit and a drill string that mills a new wellbore section. The system further includes a whipstock assembly that is formed by a reamer shoe that reams an obstruction in a wellbore, a whipstock that deflects the milling assembly away from the wellbore, and a bypass valve mechanism that guides a fluid to circulate through the reamer shoe. Within the system, the milling assembly is fluidly connected to the whipstock assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a milling assembly comprising a mill bit and a drill string configured to mill a new wellbore section; and
a whipstock assembly comprising:
a reamer shoe configured to ream an obstruction in a wellbore;
a whipstock configured to deflect the milling assembly away from the wellbore; and
a bypass valve mechanism configured to regulate a fluid flowing from the whipstock to the reamer shoe, the bypass valve mechanism comprising:
a gate;
a spring; and
a plurality of valve openings;

wherein the milling assembly is fluidly connected to the whipstock assembly; and
wherein the gate of the bypass valve mechanism is configured to close the plurality of valve openings when a force caused by a pressure change of the fluid is applied on the spring.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the whipstock assembly comprises a turbine configured to rotationally actuate in response to the fluid flowing from the bypass valve mechanism to the reamer shoe.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the turbine is embodied as a helically shaped blade.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the turbine is directly connected to the reamer shoe by a turbine output shaft.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the bypass valve mechanism, the turbine, the turbine output shaft, and the reamer shoe are sequentially aligned on a same vertical axis.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the reamer shoe comprises a plurality of flow ports configured to facilitate the fluid exiting the system into the wellbore.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the reamer shoe further comprises a convex shaped nose configured to enable ledge-riding.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the whipstock assembly further comprises:
a whipstock anchor;
a whipstock packer; and
an anchor connection configured to connect the whipstock and the whipstock anchor.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the whipstock anchor is fluidly connected to the bypass valve mechanism.

10. A method comprising:
running a whipstock assembly fluidly connected to a milling assembly into a wellbore to a desired depth;
regulating, by a bypass valve mechanism of the whipstock assembly, a fluid flowing through the whipstock assembly, the bypass valve mechanism comprising:
a gate;
a spring; and
a plurality of valve openings;

reaming, by a reamer shoe of a whipstock assembly, an obstruction in the wellbore;
closing, by the gate of the bypass valve mechanism, the plurality of valve openings when a force caused by a pressure change of the fluid is applied on the spring;
deflecting, by a whipstock of the whipstock assembly, the milling assembly away from the wellbore; and
milling, by a mill bit of the milling assembly, a new wellbore section away from the wellbore.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising transporting the fluid from a surface of the wellbore to a plurality of flow ports of the reamer shoe by a drill string.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising controlling a pressure in the bypass valve mechanism by a variable pressure control nozzle.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein regulating the fluid flowing through the whipstock assembly further comprises transporting the fluid through the plurality of valve openings to a turbine when a pressure measurement of the fluid is above a specified threshold.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising rotationally actuating the reamer shoe via fluid flowing from the bypass valve mechanism to the reamer shoe.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein, subsequent to passing through the turbine, the fluid exits the whipstock assembly through the plurality of flow ports disposed in the reamer shoe.

16. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising lowering the gate to close the plurality of valve openings of the bypass valve mechanism when the pressure measurement of the fluid is below a specified requirement.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising creating a pressure reaction on a piston of a whipstock anchor and a whipstock packer of the whipstock assembly by closing the gate of the bypass valve mechanism, thereby setting the whipstock assembly in the wellbore.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein setting the whipstock assembly further comprises anchoring the whipstock assembly in the wellbore with the whipstock anchor and expanding the whipstock packer to seal the wellbore.

19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising milling the new wellbore section subsequent to setting the whipstock assembly, detaching the milling assembly from the whipstock assembly, and deflecting the milling assembly from a deflection surface of the whipstock.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Mousa Ahmed Abdulaziz
• Budair Saad M
• Wang Linlin

Classifications

• E21B7/061 Primary

  the tool shaft advancing relative to a guide, e.g. a curved tube or a whipstock · CPC title

• E21B10/26

  Drill bits with leading portion, i.e. drill bits with a pilot cutter; Drill bits for enlarging the borehole, e.g. reamers (percussion drill bits with leading portion E21B10/40) · CPC title

• E21B17/14

  Casing shoes {for the protection of the bottom of the casing} · CPC title

• E21B29/06 Primary

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

• E21B21/103

  Down-hole by-pass valve arrangements, i.e. between the inside of the drill string and the annulus (valves specifically for maintaining circulation of drilling fluid while connecting or disconnecting tubular joints E21B21/019) · CPC title