Expandable whipstock anchor assembly
AssigneeTIW Corporation
InventorBritt O. Braddick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A whipstock assembly includes a tubular anchor 36 which is expanded into engagement with the casing string 8, and a tubular expander 24 which is forcibly moved into the tubular anchor to expand the tubular anchor downhole into secure engagement with the casing string. The tubular anchor and tubular expander remain downhole. An orientation sleeve 18 at the upper end of the expander 24 includes an orientation surface 20. A whipstock 70 engages the sleeve 18 to orient the whipstock face for diverting a tool into a hole in the side of the casing string. Once the whipstock 70 is removed from the well, the orientation sleeve may receive a sealing nipple 130 at the lower end of a production tubing string.
Claims21
A whipstock assembly for use downhole in a wellbore to mill a hole or to divert a tool into the hole in a side of a casing string, the whipstock assembly comprising:
- a tubular anchor removably supportable on a running tool for positioning the tubular anchor downhole, the tubular anchor having an initial anchor inner diameter, and having an initial anchor outer diameter less than an inner diameter of the casing string, the tubular anchor being expandable by the running tool to seal with the casing string;
- a tubular expander removably supportable on the running tool, the tubular expander having an expander outermost diameter greater than the initial anchor inner diameter;
- the running tool including an actuator for forcibly moving the tubular expander axially from a position substantially axially spaced from the tubular anchor to a position substantially within the tubular anchor, thereby radially expanding the tubular anchor against the casing string to secure the tubular expander and the tubular anchor downhole;
- and
- a whipstock engageable with the tubular expander for orienting a whipstock face for milling the hole or diverting the tool into the hole in the side of the casing string.
A whipstock assembly for use downhole in a wellbore to mill a hole or divert a tool into the hole in a side of the casing string, the whipstock assembly comprising:
- a tubular anchor removably supportable on a running tool for positioning the tubular anchor downhole, the tubular anchor having an initial anchor inner diameter, and having an initial anchor outer diameter less than an inner diameter of the casing string, the tubular anchor being expandable by the running tool to seal with the casing string;
- a tubular expander removably supportable on the running tool, the tubular expander having an expander outermost diameter greater than the initial anchor inner diameters, the tubular expander having a generally cylindrical exterior surface along substantially an axial length of the tubular expander, such that the tubular anchor is expanded substantially the same amount along the axial length of the tubular expander;
- the running tool including an actuator for forcibly moving the tubular expander axially from a position substantially axially spaced from the tubular anchor to a position substantially within the tubular anchor, thereby radially expanding the tubular anchor against the casing string to secure the tubular expander and the tubular anchor downhole;
- an orientation sleeve secured to an upper end of the tubular expander and having an upper orientation surface for engagement with the whipstock;
- and
- a whipstock engageable with the upper orientation surface for orienting a whipstock face to mill the hole or divert the tool into the hole in the side of the casing string.
A method of setting a whipstock assembly downhole in a wellbore to seal with a casing string and mill a hole or divert a tool into the hole in a side of the casing string, the method comprising:
- removably supporting a tubular anchor on a running tool for positioning the tubular anchor downhole, the tubular anchor having an initial anchor inner diameter, and having an initial anchor outer diameter less than an inner diameter of the casing string, the tubular anchor being expandable by the running tool to seal with the casing string;
- removably supporting a tubular expander on the running tool, the tubular expander having an expander outermost diameter greater than the initial anchor inner diameter;
- forcibly moving the tubular expander axially from a position substantially axially spaced from the tubular anchor to a position substantially within the tubular anchor, thereby radially expanding the tubular anchor against the casing string to secure the tubular expander and the tubular anchor downhole;
- and
- engaging a whipstock with the tubular expander for orienting a whipstock face for milling the hole or for diverting the tool into the hole in the side of the casing string.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.