Cementing whipstock apparatus and methods
AssigneeSmith International, Inc.
InventorDavid L. Ervin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique facilitates sidetracking by eliminating one or more trips downhole. The technique comprises delivering a sidetracking system downhole into a wellbore, and utilizing a component of the sidetracking system to grip a wall of the wellbore. The sidetracking system may comprise a whipstock assembly and a running/stinger assembly in which the stinger assembly is designed for disconnection from the whipstock assembly after delivery downhole. After disconnecting the stinger assembly, the sidetracking system enables delivery of cement slurry down through the stinger assembly to form a cement plug at a desired location.
Claims50
A sidetracking apparatus, comprising:
- a whipstock assembly in an open hole wellbore;
- an anchor assembly, the anchor assembly being a non-sealing anchor assembly configured to be actuated and set at a specific depth in a wellbore off the bottom of the wellbore;
- and
- a conduit through the sidetracking apparatus for the passage of cement;
- wherein the whipstock assembly and a cement plug can be set in the wellbore in a single trip.
A method of setting a sidetracking apparatus in a wellbore, comprising:
- running a whipstock assembly and an anchor assembly of the sidetracking apparatus into the wellbore in a single trip;
- setting the anchor assembly to locate the whipstock assembly at a desired location in the wellbore;
- after setting the anchor assembly, flowing cement below the anchor assembly to create a cement plug in a wellbore in the same trip downhole.
A sidetracking apparatus for setting a cement plug and for facilitating a sidetracking operation, comprising:
- a whipstock assembly;
- an expandable anchor assembly configured to be actuated and set in a wellbore wherein the expandable anchor assembly includes a pressure control sub for actuating the expandable anchor assembly;
- and
- a stinger assembly coupled to the whipstock assembly during running in hole, the stinger assembly having a stinger to convey cement through the sidetracking apparatus to a desired location of the wellbore;
- wherein during a single trip in hole, the whipstock assembly is set and the stinger assembly is disconnected from the whipstock assembly prior to delivering cement to form a cement plug.
A method for setting a cement plug and for providing a sidetracking operation thereafter, comprising:
- running a whipstock assembly, an expandable anchor assembly, and a stinger assembly into a wellbore in a single trip;
- orienting the whipstock assembly to a desired azimuth;
- actuating the anchor assembly and setting a plurality of slips;
- increasing bore pressure to open a fluid passage to the bottom;
- releasing the stinger assembly from the whipstock assembly;
- after releasing the stinger assembly, pumping cement through the stinger assembly;
- and
- retrieving the stinger assembly leaving the remaining components in the wellbore.
A sidetracking system, comprising:
- a running assembly;
- a whipstock assembly separably coupled to the running assembly;
- an expandable packer coupled to the whipstock assembly, wherein the expandable packer is set within a wellbore and the running assembly is released from the whipstock assembly prior to delivering a cement slurry down through the whipstock assembly to form a cement plug beneath a sidetracking region.
A method to facilitate sidetracking, comprising:
- running a whipstock assembly and an anchor assembly downhole on a stinger assembly in a single trip into a wellbore;
- setting the anchor assembly;
- releasing the stinger assembly from the whipstock assembly;
- and
- after releasing the stinger assembly, pumping cement through the stinger assembly to form a cement plug.
A method to facilitate sidetracking, comprising:
- delivering a sidetracking system downhole into a wellbore;
- gripping a wall of the wellbore with a component of the sidetracking system;
- disconnecting a stinger assembly from a whipstock assembly of the sidetracking system;
- and
- after disconnecting, pumping cement through the stinger assembly to form a cement plug designed to facilitate a sidetracking operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.