String Supported Whipstock for Multiple Laterals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for creating multiple laterals in a wellbore require multiple trips to deliver, orient, and set a whipstock, increasing rig time and cost, as existing systems rely on separate runs for each lateral and the use of anchors that complicate repositioning.
Innovation Solution
A whipstock is supported by a delivery string with an open lower end, allowing the bottom hole assembly (BHA) to be run through it for drilling, and then retracted and repositioned without an anchor, using gyroscopic tools for orientation and peripheral pads for stabilization, enabling multiple laterals to be drilled in a single trip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods are used to deliver, orient and set a whipstock for each lateral, then the whipstock can be properly positioned and anchored, but multiple trips are required increasing rig time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the whipstock from the anchor mechanism, allowing the whipstock to be independently repositioned multiple times while the anchor remains set in the borehole. This segmentation enables the whipstock to be removed and reinstalled at different locations without requiring complete system replacement, thus reducing trips and rig time.
Solution Approach 2:
The whipstock is designed to be dynamically repositionable along the delivery string, allowing it to be moved to different depths and orientations for creating multiple laterals. The flexible connection to the anchor enables the whipstock to be relocated without disturbing the anchored position, facilitating efficient multi-lateral drilling in a single trip.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple laterals are drilled using traditional whipstock methods, then each lateral can be created with proper orientation, but the process requires removing and replacing whipstocks multiple times
Solution Approach 1:
The whipstock is designed as a universal component that can be reused multiple times for creating different laterals. Instead of requiring specialized anchored whipstocks for each location, a single whipstock can be repositioned along the delivery string to target multiple lateral positions, simplifying the overall system while maintaining precise orientation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery string acts as an intermediary between the anchored whipstock and the borehole, allowing the whipstock to be moved to different positions. This intermediary mechanism enables precise positioning at multiple locations without requiring complex repositioning procedures or multiple anchored whipstocks.
3Reliability
If anchors are integrated into whipstocks for securing them in the borehole, then the whipstock can be held in position, but the anchor complicates repositioning and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the whipstock assembly into two separate functional components: an anchor that remains set in the borehole to provide stability, and a whipstock that can be independently repositioned. This segmentation allows the anchor to maintain whipstock stability while the whipstock itself can be easily moved to different locations along the delivery string.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor function is extracted from the whipstock and left behind in the borehole, allowing the whipstock to be removed and reinstalled at new positions without the complication of anchor repositioning. This extraction simplifies the repositioning operation while maintaining the stability provided by the anchored component.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces rig time and cost by allowing multiple laterals to be drilled efficiently in a single trip, eliminating the need for anchor repositioning and simplifying the design, while protecting the BHA and ensuring proper lateral orientation and tracking.
Implementation Method 1
The BHA is then removed from the lateral and into the delivery string and the delivery string is then moved and oriented at another location and the BHA is advanced and rotated and moves along the whipstock face for making another lateral in the same trip. The whipstock has no need for an anchor as the string from the surface suspends the whipstock at the needed locations and allows a gyroscopic tool in the BHA to properly orient the whipstock ramp.
Data Source
AI summary
A whipstock is supported adjacent the lower end of a string during the drilling of the lateral. It has no integrated anchor. The BHA is delivered through the string that supports the whipstock. After a lateral is drilled the BHA is retracted and the support string is manipulated to advance the whipstock to a new location for proper orientation with a gyroscopic tool. The BHA is then advanced through the support string for drilling of another lateral in the same trip in the hole. The process can be repeated as many times as needed. Peripheral pads on the lower end of the whipstock push the lower end of the whipstock ramp to the borehole wall for proper tracking of the lateral. The laterals can be in open or cased hole and the support string can have circulation ports near the whipstock to cool the BHA in geothermal wells.