# US 11,905,832 B2 · Laser tool configured for downhole movement

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- Number: US 11,905,832 B2
- Document ID: US11905832B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/411,355
- Filed: 2021-08-25
- Published: 2021-12-09
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-29
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Sameeh Issa Batarseh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11905832B2

## CPC

- E21B 7/15: of electrically generated heat
- B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)}
- B23K 26/032: {using optical means}
- B23K 26/0648: {comprising lenses}
- B23K 26/0652: {comprising prisms}
- B23K 26/0673: {into independently operating sub-beams, e.g. beam multiplexing to provide laser beams for several stations}
- B23K 26/073: Shaping the laser spot
- B23K 26/0884: {in at least three axial directions, e.g. manipulators, robots}
- B23K 26/142: for the removal of by-products
- B23K 26/21: by welding
- E21B 7/06: Deflecting the direction of boreholes
- E21B 29/02: by explosives or by thermal or chemical means {(freeing stuck objects by explosives E21B31/002)}
- E21B 7/04: Directional drilling
- E21B 41/0035: {Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

## Abstract

An example system includes a laser tool configured for downhole movement. The laser tool includes an optical assembly configured to shape a laser beam for output. The laser beam may have an optical power of at least one kilowatt (1 kW). A housing contains the optical assembly. The housing is configured for movement to direct the output laser beam within a wellbore. The movement includes rotation of the laser tool around a longitudinal axis of the housing and tilting the housing relative to a longitudinal axis of the wellbore. A control system is configured to control at least one of the movement of the housing or an operation of the optical assembly to direct the output laser beam within the wellbore.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
lowering a laser tool downhole in a wellbore, wherein a housing of the laser tool is configured to tilt relative to a longitudinal axis of the wellbore and to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein the wellbore is a vertical wellbore, the laser tool for outputting a laser beam within the wellbore;
tilting at least the housing of the laser tool within the wellbore to direct the laser beam to a wall in the wellbore to form an inclined wellbore to a hydrocarbon deposit;
rotating at least the housing of the laser tool within the wellbore to form the inclined wellbore; and
extracting hydrocarbons through the inclined wellbore.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, where the hydrocarbon deposit is above a water deposit,
where the method further comprises extracting water from the water deposit via the vertical wellbore, and
where the laser tool moves rotationally and translationally to enlarge a diameter of the wellbore.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, where the hydrocarbon deposit comprises gas above a liquid deposit; and
where the method further comprises extracting liquid from the liquid deposit via the wellbore.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, where the liquid is extracted by a pump that is located downhole within the wellbore, the gas flowing through the inclined wellbore and bypassing the pump.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon deposit is above a water deposit; and
wherein the method further comprises extracting water from the water deposit via a second vertical wellbore that is separate from the wellbore.

### Claim 6

A method comprising:
lowering a laser tool downhole in a main inclined wellbore, wherein a housing of the laser tool is configured to tilt relative to a longitudinal axis of the main inclined wellbore, the laser tool for outputting a laser beam within the main inclined wellbore;
tilting at least the housing of the laser tool within the main inclined wellbore to direct the laser beam to a wall in the main inclined wellbore to form an inclined wellbore to a hydrocarbon well;
tilting at least the housing of the laser tool within the main inclined wellbore to direct the laser beam to a wall in the main inclined wellbore to form an inclined water wellbore to a water well;
extracting the hydrocarbons through the inclined wellbore; and
extracting the water via the inclined water wellbore.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, where a mixture of the hydrocarbons and the water is extracted via the main inclined wellbore and separates at the inclined wellbore and the inclined water wellbore so that the hydrocarbons are extracted via the inclined wellbore and the hydrocarbon well and so that the water is extracted via the inclined water wellbore and the water well.