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US 2012/0067646 A1Published application
Apparatus and Method for Lateral Well Drilling
AssigneeNitro Drill Technologies, LLC
InventorJames M. Savage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downhole tool assembly for cutting laterally into an earthen formation from a wellbore. The downhole tool assembly includes a cutting head assembly and a flexible tubular shaft member, wherein the cutting head assembly includes a rotatable nozzle and a cutting head sized and configured to cut laterally into the earthen formation.
Claims31
An apparatus for cutting laterally into an earthen formation from a wellbore comprising:
- a flexible tubular member formed from a series of interconnectable drive segments, wherein the interconnectable drive segments collectively form at least one tubular member inner passageway,
- the flexible tubular member being sized and configurable such that an attached cutting head assembly, the at least one tubular member inner passageway, and a fluid pumping source may be in fluid communication,
- and wherein a first flexible tubular member end portion is sized and configured to be attachable to a rotation means and a second flexible tubular member end portion operatively coupled to the cutting head assembly such that torque applied to the first flexible tubular member end portion by the rotational source may be translated to the cutting head assembly.
A method for cutting laterally into an earthen formation from a wellbore comprising:
- guiding a downhole tool assembly comprising a series of interconnectable drive segments, defining at least one inner passageway, through a channel defined by a guide assembly and positioning the downhole tool assembly so that the downhole tool assembly contacts a portion of the earthen formation to be laterally cut, wherein the downhole tool assembly is coupled to a conduit, such that the conduit and downhole tool assembly are in fluid communication;
- pumping one or more fluids through the conduit and into the downhole tool assembly;
- rotating a cutting head of the downhole assembly;
- and
- cutting a borehole into the earthen formation with the cutting head in a direction lateral to the wellbore.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.