Whipstock orientation method and system

Apparatus for use in forming a window at a selected azimuth through the wall of a well casing in a borehole so that a new borehole can be drilled through earth formations outside the casing, comprising:

• whipstock and anchor means adapted to be lowered into the casing on a running string, said whipstock means having a deflection surface, said anchor means being disposed below said whipstock when said whipstock and anchor means is lowered into the borehole on said running string, said anchor means including impacting means located at a bottom of said running string when said running string is disposed in said borehole for impacting an obstruction in said borehole when said whipstock and anchor means is lowered into Said borehole;
• means for adjusting the angular orientation of said deflection surface downhole;
• means for measuring the orientation of said deflection surface to determine when said deflection surface has achieved a selected azimuth;
• downhole means for transmitting the measurements of said measuring means to the surface during said orientation;
• and means responsive to the impact by said impacting means of said anchor means against said obstruction in said borehole for setting said anchor means to fix the position of said whipstock means when the orientation of said deflection surface measured by the means for measuring has achieved said selected azimuth.

Apparatus adapted for orienting a whipstock in a wellbore, comprising:

• a running string adapted to be disposed in said wellbore, said running string including,
• a whipstock,
• an anchor adapted to set disposed below said whipstock on said running string when said running string is disposed in said wellbore, said anchor including a shoe located at a bottom of said running string when said running string is disposed in said wellbore adapted for impacting an obstruction in said wellbore,
• means for rotating said whipstock through a plurality of azimuths,
• means for measuring the plurality of azimuths of said whipstock during the rotation of said whipstock by said means for rotating, and
• anchor setting means responsive to an impact by said shoe of said anchor against said obstruction in said wellbore for setting said anchor when the azimuth of said whipstock measured by said means for measuring is approximately equal to a particular value.

A method of orienting a whipstock in a wellbore, comprising the steps of:

• locating an anchor having a shoe, a whipstock, a measuring apparatus, and a rotating apparatus on a running string;
• lowering first said anchor of said running string into said wellbore, said shoe of said anchor being located at a bottom of said running string;
• further lowering in any order said whipstock, said measuring apparatus, and said rotating apparatus of said running string into said wellbore;
• rotating said whipstock through a plurality of azimuths using said rotating apparatus when said running string is disposed in said wellbore;
• measuring said plurality of azimuths of said whipstock during the rotating step using said measuring apparatus;
• and
• impacting said shoe of said anchor against an obstruction in said wellbore when the azimuth of said whipstock measured by the measuring apparatus during the measuring step is approximately to a particular value,
• said anchor being set against a casing in said wellbore when said shoe impacts said obstruction in said wellbore,
• said whipstock being oriented in said wellbore when said anchor is set.