Method and apparatus for drilling and re-entering multiple lateral branched in a well

A method for drilling and reentering lateral branches within a well, comprising:

• (a) providing within a well casing a plurality of landing and orienting joints each being located at a desired well depth and each defining a predetermined internal profile therein differing from the internal profiles of the other landing and orienting joints, each of said landing and orienting joints having a mule shoe therein defining at least one helical guide ramp and defining an orientation slot in registry with the helical guide ramp for rotational tool orientation during running movement of a tool within the well casing;
• (b) running into the well casing a landing-orientation tool having in assembly therewith at least one landing dog having a matching profile with the predetermined internal profile of a selected one of said plurality of landing and orienting joints, the landing-orientation tool further having an orientation key for rotational orienting engagement with the helical guide ramps of said mule shoes and being adapted to enter said orientation slots when the landing-orientation tool is properly rotationally oriented, the landing-orientation tool further having a deflection whipstock defining an inclined deflection surface oriented relative to the orientation key for directional orientation of a lateral branch;
• (c) landing said landing-orientation tool in said selected one of said plurality of landing and orienting joints;
• (d) running a casing window mill into the well casing and in deflected contact with the inclined deflection surface of the deflection whipstock and milling an oriented window in the casing;
• and
• (e) running a branch wellbore drill through the well casing and deflecting the branch wellbore drill through the milled window of the casing by the deflection whipstock for drilling the lateral branch to the desired extent.

A landing-orientation system for wells comprising:

• (a) a well casing string having a plurality of landing and orienting joints connected therein, each of said landing and orienting joints having therein an internal profile differing from the internal profile of other landing and orienting joints of said well casing string;
• (b) a mule shoe located with each of said landing and orienting joints and defining an upwardly projecting point, orientation slot and guide ramp surfaces extending from said point to said orientation slot;
• and
• a landing-orientation tool comprising:
• (c) an elongate tool body mandrel;
• (d) at least one landing dog movably mounted to said elongate tool body mandrel and having a landing profile matching said internal profile of only one of said landing and orienting joints, said at least one landing dog having upper and lower inclined end surfaces for engagement with obstructions within said casing string and landing and orienting joints to cause obstruction induced movement of said at least one landing dog to a position for clearing the obstructions;
• (e) an orientation key in movable assembly with said elongate tool body mandrel and adapted for guiding engagement with said guide ramp surfaces and receivable within said orientation slot;
• and
• (f) an actuator element movable within said elongate tool body mandrel between a running position permitting radially inward movement of said at least one landing dog and said orientation key and a locking position securing said at least one landing dog within said matching profile and securing said orientation key within said orientation slot.

A method for selective positioning, orienting and locking objects at predetermined depths within a well casing, said method comprising:

• (a) providing within a well casing a plurality of landing and orienting joints each being located at a desired well depth, and each defining an internal landing profile therein differing from the internal landing profiles of the other landing and orienting joints, and each having a guide ramp therein for tool orientation during running movement within the well casing, said guide ramp having an upper end and extending from said upper end to an orientation slot;
• (b) running into the well casing a landing-orientation tool having in assembly therewith at least one landing dog having a matching profile with the profile of a selected one of said plurality of landing and orienting joints, the landing-orientation tool further having an orientation key for engagement with said guide ramp of the landing and orienting joint being entered for rotating said landing-orientation tool to a predetermined angular position in registry with said orientation slot;
• and
• (c) during said running of said landing-orientation tool, passing said landing-orientation tool through landing and orienting joints not having a matching internal landing profile and landing said landing-orientation tool within a landing and orienting joint having a matching profile.

A landing-orientation system for wells comprising:

• (a) a well casing string having a plurality of landing and orienting joints connected therein, each of said landing and orienting joints having therein an internal profile differing from the internal profile of other landing and orienting joints of said well casing string;
• (b) a guide ramp located with each of said landing and orienting joints, said guide ramp having an upper end and extending from said upper end to an orientation slot;
• and
• a landing-orientation tool comprising:
• (c) an elongate tool body mandrel;
• (d) at least one landing dog movably mounted to said elongate tool body mandrel and having a profile matching said internal profile of only one of said landing and orienting joints;
• and
• (e) an orientation key in movable assembly with said elongate tool body mandrel and adapted for engagement with said guide ramps and receivable within said orientation slots.

A method for drilling and reentering lateral branches within a well, comprising:

• (a) providing within a well casing a plurality of landing and orienting joints each being located at a desired well depth and each defining a predetermined internal profile therein differing from the internal profiles of the other landing and orienting joints, each of said landing and orienting joints having at least one guide ramp therein and defining an orientation slot in registry with the guide ramp for rotational tool orientation during running movement of a tool within the well casing;
• (b) running into the well casing a landing-orientation tool having in assembly therewith at least one landing dog having a matching profile with the predetermined internal profile of a selected one of said plurality of landing and orienting joints, the landing-orientation tool further having an orientation key for rotational orienting engagement with the guide ramps of said landing and orienting joints and being adapted to enter said orientation slots when the landing-orientation tool is properly rotationally oriented, the landing-orientation tool further having a deflection whipstock defining an inclined deflection surface oriented relative to the orientation key for directional orientation of a lateral branch;
• (c) landing said landing-orientation tool in said selected one of said plurality of landing and orienting joints;
• (d) running a casing window mill into the well casing and in deflected contact with the inclined deflection surface of the deflection whipstock and milling an oriented window in the casing;
• and
• (e) running a branch wellbore drill through the well casing and deflecting the branch wellbore drill through the milled window of the casing by the deflection whipstock for drilling the lateral branch to the desired extent .