Apparatus for use in drilling oil and gas production wells or water injection wells
AssigneeChevron Nigeria Limited
InventorHenry Anthony Bergeron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for drilling two separate and independent wellbores through a single surface casing. According to one aspect of the invention, a drilling assembly guides a drill bit into one of two different directions through the use of a removable guide. In order to change wellbores, the removable guide is rotated which can be performed in a one step operation.
Claims26
An apparatus for use in drilling oil and gas production wells or water injection wells with a drill string including a drill bit, the apparatus comprising:
- a hollow body for receiving a drill bit;
- an adapter cooperatively joined to the hollow body;
- at least two tubes forming a first leg for drilling a first bore hole and a second leg for drilling a second bore hole, the at least two tubes having exits and extending from at least one of the hollow body and adapter to respective distal ends with the exits being sufficiently spaced and directed apart such that the first and second bore holes may be drilled there through without having to first complete one of the bore holes;
- and
- a removable guide positioned within at least one of the hollow body and adapter to direct a drill bit into one of the legs and being configured to engage the adapter in two positions for directing a drill bit into one of the legs.
A system for use in drilling oil and gas production wells or water injection wells, the system comprising:
- a drilling assembly having a hollow body and an adapter cooperatively joined to the hollow body;
- at least two tubes extending from the adapter, the tubes forming a first leg for drilling a first bore hole and a second leg for drilling a second bore hole;
- a removable guide positioned within one of the hollow body and adapter to direct a drill bit into one of the legs, and the removable guide being configured to engage the adapter in two positions for directing the drill bit into one of the legs, and the removable guide having an outside perimeter and an inside perimeter wherein the inside perimeter has at least one slot for accepting a latching tool;
- and
- a latching tool having a first end and a second end, the first end being attachable to a drilling string, and the second end configured to removably engage the slot in the removable guide.
A method of using a drilling assembly, the method comprising:
- drilling a main wellbore to a desired depth;
- installing in the main wellbore a drilling assembly including a hollow body for receiving a drill bit, an adapter cooperatively joined to the hollow body and at least a pair of first and second legs depending from at least one of the hollow body and adapter for drilling first and second wellbores;
- positioning a removable guide in the drilling assembly for directing a drill bit into the first leg of the drilling assembly;
- securing the drilling assembly to a casing string;
- cementing the drilling assembly into the hole;
- drilling a first wellbore through the first leg of the drilling assembly to a desired depth;
- removing the drill bit from the wellbore after drilling the first wellbore;
- running a latching tool into the main wellbore after removing the drill bit;
- and
- latching the removable guide with the latching tool by means of slots on the removable guide;
- wherein alignment of the removable guide is obtained by rotating the latching tool.
A method of using a drilling assembly, the method comprising:
- drilling a hole to a desired depth;
- securing a drilling assembly having a removable guide and a first leg and a second leg to a casing string;
- cementing the drilling assembly into the hole;
- drilling a first wellbore through the removable guide and the first leg of the drilling assembly to a desired depth, the removable guide directing a drill bit into the first leg;
- removing the removable guide from the hole;
- and
- drilling a second wellbore through the second leg of the drilling assembly to a second desired depth without the use of the removable guide to direct a drill bit into the second leg of the drilling assembly.
The method of claim 34 wherein:
- first and second production liners are installed in the respective first and second wellbores after both the first and second wellbores have been drilled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.