Wellbore milling guide and method
AssigneeWeatherford/Lamb, Inc.
InventorsWilliam A. Blizzard, Jr., Dale E. Langford
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for milling an opening in a tubular in a wellbore, the method comprising installing a mill guide in the tubular at a desired milling location, inserting milling apparatus through the tubular and through the mill guide so that the milling apparatus contacts the tubular at the desired milling location and contacts and is directed toward the tubular by the mill guide, and milling an opening in the tubular. In one aspect the method includes installing a whipstock in the tubular and disposing the mill guide adjacent the whipstock to protect a concave portion of the whipstock. In one aspect the method includes retrieving the mill guide from the wellbore and in another aspect includes retrieving the whipstock form the wellbore.
Claims20
A method for milling an opening in a tubular in a wellbore, the method comprising
- installing a mill guide in the tubular at a desired milling location, the tubular having a whipstock installed therein, the whipstock having a concave member with a slanted portion for diverting a milling apparatus or drilling apparatus in a desired direction, the mill guide having a lower end shaped to correspond to the slanted shape of the concave member, the lower end of the mill guide movable to contact the concave member and protect it
- inserting milling apparatus through the tubular and through the mill guide so that a milling portion of the milling apparatus contacts the tubular at the desired milling location while the milling apparatus contacts and is directed toward the tubular by the mill guide, and
- milling an opening in the tubular.
A method for milling an opening in a tubular in a wellbore, the method comprising
- installing a mill guide in the tubular at a desired milling location, the mill guide comprising a hollow straight cylindrical body having a top and a bottom with a bore therethrough from top to bottom, the bottom having an opening in communication with the bore, the opening defined by a longer portion of the hollow straight cylindrical body and by a shorter portion of the hollow straight cylindrical body, the longer portion having a straight inner surface parallel to a straight outer surface of the hollow straight cylindrical body,
- inserting milling apparatus through the tubular and through the bore of the mill guide so that the milling apparatus contacts the tubular at the desired milling location and simultaneously the milling apparatus contacts the straight inner surface of the longer portion of the hollow straight cylindrical body and is directed against the tubular by said contact, and
- milling an opening in the tubular.
A mill guide for use in a well bore, the mill guide comprising:
- a hollow straight cylindrical body with a bore therethrough, an upper end with an upper end opening and a lower end with a lower end opening,
- the lower end opening having a straight first side and a straight second side, the straight second side having a straight inner surface parallel to a straight outer surface of the hollow straight cylindrical body, the first straight side shorter than the straight second side so that a mill inserted through the bore and disposed at the lower end is free on one side thereof to mill a tubular adjacent the mill guide while simultaneously a portion of the mill in another side thereof is in contact with the straight inner surface of the second side, and
- anchor apparatus secured to the mill guide for anchoring the mill guide in the tubular.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.