Method and apparatus for clearing a wellbore
AssigneeQuantum Downhole Systems Inc.
InventorsDean Fleischhacker, Mike Mazerolle, Steven Winkler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a downhole apparatus for clearing a wellbore are disclosed. The method locates a mill in the wellbore about the obstructions, introduces a driving fluid flow along a driving flow path from surface to the mill, and introduces a circulation fluid flow along a circulation flow path from surface into a wellbore annulus at a location in the wellbore above the mill. Then the mill is driven by the introduced driving fluid flow to mill the obstructions; and milled obstructions are circulated to the surface via the wellbore annulus using the introduced circulation fluid and gas flow. At least a portion of the circulation flow path is within the driving flow path.
Claims10
A downhole apparatus for clearing a wellbore, comprising:
- a first tubing forming a first flow path;
- a second tubing, the first tubing received in a bore of the second tubing, and forming a second flow path along the annulus formed therebetween;
- a flow diverter connecting distal ends of the first and second tubings;
- and
- a mill connected to a downhole end of the flow diverter;
- wherein
- the flow diverter comprises a driving flow path therethrough and in fluid communication with the mill, and a circulation flow path in fluid communication with an annulus of the wellbore.
A method of clearing obstructions in a wellbore, comprising:
- locating a mill in the wellbore about the obstructions;
- introducing a driving fluid flow along a driving flow path from surface to downhole for driving the mill;
- introducing a circulation fluid flow along a circulation flow path from surface into the wellbore annulus at a location in the wellbore above the mill;
- driving the mill using introduced driving fluid flow to mill the obstructions;
- and
- circulating milled obstructions to the surface via the wellbore annulus using the introduced circulation fluid flow;
- wherein
- at least a portion of one of the circulation and the driving flow paths is within the other one of the circulation and the driving flow paths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.