Through-mill wellbore optical inspection and remediation apparatus and methodology

Abstract

An optical inspection instrument includes a housing configured to move along the interior of a pipe string in a wellbore. The pipe has a cutting structure at its bottom end. The instrument includes a probe extending from a bottom end of the housing. The probe has an output from a light source and a light input to a video camera. The probe has a diameter selected to enable extension through an opening in the cutting structure. A method for inspecting a wellbore includes moving an instrument through an interior of a pipe string in the wellbore. The pipe has a cutting tool at its lower end. At least part of the instrument is moved outside the bottom end of the pipe through a port in the cutting tool. Optically transparent fluid is moved into the wellbore proximate an end of the instrument outside the pipe string. Objects proximate the fluid are inspected.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.