Cementing whipstock apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9206648-B2
Application number	US-201313772165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2013
Priority date	Apr 16, 2010
Publication date	Dec 8, 2015
Grant date	Dec 8, 2015

Abstract

A system and method facilitate sidetracking by eliminating one or more trips downhole. A sidetracking system includes a whipstock assembly and a stinger assembly. The stinger assembly has a stinger which extends at least partially through the whipstock assembly. The stinger is coupled to a sub of the sidetracking system by a releasable latch mechanism, such as a shear pin or collet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sidetracking system for forming a deviated wellbore, comprising:
a whipstock assembly having a whipstock;
a latch sub below the whipstock assembly;
a stinger assembly having a stinger extending fully through the whipstock assembly, a releasable connection between the stinger and the whipstock assembly consisting of a connection between a latch mechanism of the stinger assembly and the latch sub, the latch mechanism arranged and designed to allow the stinger assembly to translate axially while being held captive relative the whipstock; and
a ball seat carrier having an extended portion releasably coupled within an interior of the latch mechanism.

2. The sidetracking system of claim 1 , wherein the latch mechanism is arranged and designed to be releasable only when the ball seat carrier is not present in the interior of the latch mechanism.

3. The sidetracking system of claim 1 , wherein the ball seat carrier is coupled to the interior of the latch mechanism by a shear member.

4. The sidetracking system of claim 1 , further comprising an anchor assembly coupled to the whipstock assembly.

5. The sidetracking system of claim 4 , wherein the anchor assembly is arranged and designed to anchor the whipstock assembly in an open hole.

6. The sidetracking system of claim 1 , wherein the latch mechanism is a collet.

7. The sidetracking system of claim 1 , further comprising a debris screen positioned downhole of the ball seat carrier and configured to catch the ball seat carrier when released from the interior of the latch mechanism.

8. The sidetracking system of claim 1 , wherein the ball seat carrier is released after a ball launched from an uphole location seats on a ball seat disposed in the ball seat carrier.

9. A method of drilling a deviated wellbore, comprising:
deploying a sidetracking system downhole in a wellbore; the sidetracking system including a whipstock assembly and a stinger assembly; the whipstock assembly having a portion of the stinger assembly extending fully therethrough; the portion of the stinger assembly including a releasable connection with the whipstock assembly, the releasable connection consisting of a latch mechanism of the stinger assembly releasably coupling with a component of the sidetracking system that is below the whipstock assembly; the latch mechanism releasably housing a ball seat carrier in an interior thereof;
launching a ball into a central bore of the stinger assembly of the sidetracking system;
pumping fluid down through the central bore to drive the ball into engagement with a ball seat of the ball seat carrier; the ball seated in engagement with the ball seat at least partially occluding the central bore;
continuing to pump fluid down into the central bore to sufficiently increase fluid pressure therein to cause the ball seat carrier to be released from the latch mechanism; and
pulling on the stinger assembly after the ball seat carrier is released to disengage the latch mechanism from the component of the sidetracking system.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the latch mechanism is a collet.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein pulling on the stinger assembly after the ball seat carrier is released causes fingers of the collet to flex radially inward to disengage the latch mechanism from the component of the sidetracking system.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising pumping a cement-containing material into the central bore of the stinger assembly.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising anchoring the sidetracking system at a desired depth.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein anchoring the sidetracking system includes inflating a packer coupled to the whipstock assembly.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein anchoring the sidetracking system includes actuating at least one slip.

16. A method for sidetracking, comprising:
deploying a sidetracking system downhole in a wellbore; the sidetracking system including a whipstock assembly and a stinger assembly; the whipstock assembly having a portion of the stinger assembly extending fully therethrough; the portion of the stinger assembly including a releasable connection with the whipstock assembly, the releasable connection consisting of a latch mechanism of the stinger assembly releasably coupling with a component of the sidetracking system that is below the whipstock assembly; the latch mechanism releasably housing a ball seat carrier in an interior thereof;
anchoring the sidetracking system at a desired depth;
launching a ball into a central bore of the stinger assembly of the sidetracking system;
pumping fluid down through the central bore to drive the ball into engagement with a ball seat of the ball seat carrier; the ball seated in engagement with the ball seat at least partially occluding the central bore;
continuing to pump fluid down into the central bore to sufficiently increase fluid pressure therein to cause the ball seat carrier to be released from the latch mechanism;
pulling on the stinger assembly after the ball seat carrier is released to release the latch mechanism and axially raise the stinger assembly a short distance; and
pumping a cement-containing material into the central bore of the stinger assembly to perform a cementing operation in the wellbore.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the latch mechanism is a collet having a plurality of collet fingers.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein anchoring the sidetracking system includes at least one of:
actuating at least one slip; or
inflating a packer mounted to the whipstock assembly.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising withdrawing at least the portion of the stinger assembly from the wellbore.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the anchoring of the sidetracking system and the pumping of the cement-containing material into the central bore of the stinger assembly occur during a single downhole trip.

21. A method for drilling a deviated wellbore, comprising:
deploying a sidetracking system having a whipstock assembly and a stinger assembly; the whipstock assembly arranged and designed to receive a portion of the stinger assembly fully therethrough; the stinger assembly having a central bore therethrough; and
decoupling the portion of the stinger assembly from sidetracking system, the decoupling including releasing a connection consisting of an engagement of a releasable latch mechanism of the stinger assembly from a component of the sidetracking system located below the whipstock assembly, the releasable latch mechanism arranged and designed to releasably house a ball seat carrier in an interior thereof; the releasable latch mechanism permitting axial translational movement of the stinger assembly relative to the whipstock assembly while coupled to the component of the sidetracking system and permitting decoupling of the portion of the stinger assembly from the member of the sidetracking system when no ball seat carrier is housed in the interior of the latch mechanism.

Assignees

• Smith International

Inventors

• Dewey Charles H
• Campbell John E
• Swadi Shantanu N
• Gregurek Philip M

Classifications

• E21B23/0411

  specially adapted for anchoring tools or the like to the borehole wall or to well tube · CPC title

• E21B17/06

  Releasing-joints, e.g. safety joints · CPC title

• E21B23/04

  operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion (E21B23/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/13

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

• E21B7/061 Primary

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