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US 12,607,096 B2Granted
Multilateral whipstock assembly employing degradable material
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsBrian Williams Cho, Jamie Revelle Weber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is a multilateral whipstock assembly, a well system, and a method. The multilateral whipstock assembly, in one aspect, includes a whipstock body, the whipstock body having a whipface and an opening extending therethrough, and degradable material located in the opening, the degradable material configured to axially fix a smaller assembly of a two part milling and running tool relative to the whipstock body, the degradable material configured to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body and axially slide relative to a larger bit assembly of the two part milling and running tool to form a combined bit assembly.
Claims25
A multilateral whipstock assembly, comprising:
- a whipstock body, the whipstock body having a whipface and an opening extending therethrough;
- and
- degradable material located in the opening, the degradable material configured to axially fix a smaller assembly of a two part milling and running tool relative to the whipstock body, the degradable material configured to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body and axially slide relative to a larger bit assembly of the two part milling and running tool to form a combined bit assembly, wherein the opening includes a first smaller width opening and a second larger width opening, and further wherein the degradable material is located in the second larger width opening, and further including a lock ring retaining the degradable material within the second larger width opening.
A well system, comprising:
- a main wellbore located within a subterranean formation;
- and
- a multilateral whipstock assembly located in the main wellbore proximate a junction between the main wellbore and where a lateral wellbore is to be formed, the multilateral whipstock assembly including:
- a whipstock body, the whipstock body having a whipface and an opening extending therethrough;
- and
- degradable material located in the opening, the degradable material configured to axially fix a smaller assembly of a two part milling and running tool relative to the whipstock body, the degradable material configured to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body and axially slide relative to a larger bit assembly of the two part milling and running tool to form a combined bit assembly, wherein the opening includes a first smaller width opening and a second larger width opening, and further wherein the degradable material is located in the second larger width opening, and further including a lock ring retaining the degradable material within the second larger width opening.
3 more elements
A method for forming a well system, comprising:
- forming a main wellbore within a subterranean formation;
- and
- positioning a multilateral whipstock assembly in the main wellbore proximate a junction between the main wellbore and where a lateral wellbore is to be formed, the multilateral whipstock assembly including:
- a whipstock body, the whipstock body having a whipface and an opening extending therethrough;
- and
- degradable material located in the opening, the degradable material configured to axially fix a smaller assembly of a two part milling and running tool relative to the whipstock body, the degradable material configured to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body and axially slide relative to a larger bit assembly of the two part milling and running tool to form a combined bit assembly, wherein the opening includes a first smaller width opening and a second larger width opening, and further wherein the degradable material is located in the second larger width opening, and further including a lock ring retaining the degradable material within the second larger width opening.
3 more elements
A multilateral whipstock assembly, comprising:
- a whipstock body, the whipstock body having a whipface and an opening extending therethrough;
- and
- degradable material located in the opening, the degradable material configured to axially fix a smaller assembly of a two part milling and running tool relative to the whipstock body, the degradable material configured to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body and axially slide relative to a larger bit assembly of the two part milling and running tool to form a combined bit assembly, wherein the degradable material includes one or more degradable material inner diameter slots, the one or more degradable material inner diameter slots configured to engage with one or more smaller assembly clutch ring portions of the smaller assembly to rotationally fix the smaller assembly relative to the degradable material.
A multilateral whipstock assembly, comprising:
- a whipstock body, the whipstock body having a whipface and an opening extending therethrough;
- and
- degradable material located in the opening, the degradable material configured to axially fix a smaller assembly of a two part milling and running tool relative to the whipstock body, the degradable material configured to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body and axially slide relative to a larger bit assembly of the two part milling and running tool to form a combined bit assembly, wherein the degradable material has one or more circulation flutes extending along a length thereof, the one or more circulation flutes configured to permit reactive fluid to circulate past the degradable material to permit the degradable material to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body.
A multilateral whipstock assembly, comprising:
- a whipstock body, the whipstock body having a whipface and an opening extending therethrough;
- and
- degradable material located in the opening, the degradable material configured to axially fix a smaller assembly of a two part milling and running tool relative to the whipstock body, the degradable material configured to degrade over time and allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body and axially slide relative to a larger bit assembly of the two part milling and running tool to form a combined bit assembly, the degradable material is an expandable metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis and then degrade to allow the smaller assembly to release from the whipstock body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.