Hydrocarbon extraction well and a method of construction thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017022761-A1
Application number	US-201514968292-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for forming a leg junction in a well is provided. The method includes drilling a vertical leg upto a first predetermined depth to form a well bore. The method also includes underreaming the vertical leg at a junction location in the vertical leg to form a first junction section. The method further includes infusing a binding material in the first junction section. The method also includes drilling a lateral leg upto a first predetermined distance through a sidewall of the first junction section. The method further includes underreaming the lateral leg through the sidewall of the first junction section to form a second junction section. The method also includes infusing the binding material in the first junction section and the second junction section to form the leg junction between the vertical leg and the lateral leg.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
drilling a vertical leg upto a first predetermined depth to form a well bore; underreaming the vertical leg at a junction location in the vertical leg to form a first junction section; infusing a binding material in the first junction section; drilling a lateral leg upto a first predetermined distance through a sidewall of the first junction section; underreaming the lateral leg through the sidewall of the first junction section to form a second junction section; and infusing the binding material in the first junction section and the second junction section to form a leg junction between the vertical leg and the lateral leg.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising drilling the vertical leg to a second predetermined depth through the first junction section at the junction location, prior to drilling the lateral leg.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising installing a directional device in the first junction section at the junction location in the vertical leg prior to drilling the lateral leg.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing the directional device from the first junction section at the junction location and installing a retrievable bridge plug in the first junction section prior to infusing the binding material in the first junction section and the second junction section.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising removing the retrievable bridge plug and drilling the vertical leg to a second predetermined depth through the first junction section.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising drilling the lateral leg upto a second predetermined distance through the second junction section after infusing the binding material in the first junction section and the second junction section.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising installing a liner from the second junction section in the lateral leg.

8 . A well comprising:
a vertical leg; one or more lateral legs in fluid communication with the vertical leg; and one or more leg junctions formed using a binding material, wherein the one or more lateral legs are connected to the vertical leg at one or more leg junctions.

9 . The well of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more leg junctions comprise a first junction section and a second junction section.

10 . The well of claim 9 , wherein the first junction section is formed along the vertical leg and the second junction section is formed along the lateral leg.

11 . The well of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the one or more lateral legs, is a production leg.

12 . The well of claim 11 , wherein the vertical leg is a disposal leg coupled to a subterranean water disposal zone.

13 . The well of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the one or more lateral legs is a disposal leg.

14 . The well of claim 8 , further comprising a liner disposed extending from a second junction section of the leg junction within the lateral leg.

15 . The well of claim 8 , further comprising a casing installed within the vertical leg.

16 . The well of claim 8 , further comprising one or more downhole separators disposed in the one or more leg junctions.

17 . The well of claim 8 , further comprising a first isolation packer disposed at a first end and a second isolation packer disposed at a second end of each of the leg junctions in the vertical leg.

18 . The well of claim 17 , further comprising an electrical submersible pump provided above the first isolation packer, in the vertical leg.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Joshi Mahendra L
• Qi Xuele
• Murphy Raymond Patrick
• Parkey Jr Dewey Lavonne

Classifications

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• E21B7/06 Primary

  Deflecting the direction of boreholes · CPC title

• E21B33/13

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

• E21B33/12

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B43/128

  Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives · CPC title