Claims
- 1. An apparatus serving as a reference within a casing, comprising:
a body having an engaging surface and a slot; a wedge member mounted within said slot; said wedge member having a first position within said slot with said engaging surface in a contracted position and a second position within said slot with said engaging surface in an expanded position engaging the casing.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body further includes an orientation surface.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said orientation surface is a mule shoe surface.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body and wedge member are the only two parts making up the apparatus.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said slot includes a V-shape with said V-shape and wedge member having complimentary tapered surfaces.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said surfaces are cut on a radius of said body forming inner and outer edges, said inner edges having a chord which is smaller than a chord formed by said outer edges.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body has a thin wall whereby an inside diameter of said body is less than 70% of an inside diameter of the casing.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body is generally tubular and has an inner and outer diameter, said outer diameter in said contracted position being less than said inner diameter in said expanded position.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said engaging surface is roughened to frictionally engage the casing in said expanded position.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said engaging surface has teeth adapted to bite into the casing in said expanded position.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said teeth are uniformly disposed around said body.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said slot extends a longitudinal length of said body forming a C-shaped cross sectional body.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1 further including an actuating member for moving said wedge member from said first position to said second position.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said actuating member engages one end of said body and said wedge member and forces said wedge member into said slot.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said actuating member is releasably attached to said wedge member.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body has first and second ends and further including a setting tool releasably engaging said ends.
- 17. An apparatus to locate a well tool in a cased borehole, comprising:
an engaging member having a longitudinal slot and adapted to engage the cased borehole; a wedge member disposed within said slot of said engaging member to force said engaging member against the cased borehole; an orientation member disposed on said engaging member; and said engaging member, wedge member, and orientation member forming a bore through the apparatus.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus provides no sealing engagement with the cased borehole.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus has no setting mechanism.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus has no latch.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the cased borehole has a diameter and said bore has a diameter which is at least 70% of the diameter of the cased borehole.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said engaging member locates the depth of the well tool in the cased borehole.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said orientation member includes a surface which angularly orients the well tool within the cased borehole.
- 24. A method of installing a reference member in a cased borehole, comprising:
lowering the reference member into the cased borehole; and setting the reference member within the cased borehole by driving a wedge into a longitudinal slot in the body of the reference member.
- 25. The method of claim 24 comprising:
lowering a reentry tool into the cased borehole; and engaging orientation surfaces on the reentry tool and reference member to orient the reentry tool in the cased borehole.
- 26. A method for setting a marker in the borehole of a well, comprising:
running a reference member and orientation tool into the borehole; determining the orientation of the reference member; rotating the reference member; repeating the determining and rotating steps until the reference member is properly oriented in the borehole; permanently setting the reference member within the borehole by expanding the body of the reference member into engagement with the casing; lowering a locator member with well tool into the borehole; orienting the locator member on an orientation member on the reference member; and performing a well operation with the well tool.
- 27. A method for milling a window in a cased wellbore, comprising:
disposing into the wellbore a reference member, a reference member setting tool, a sidetracking assembly, whipstock and a mill adapted to mill the window in the cased wellbore; determining the orientation of the reference member within the cased wellbore; operating the setting tool, either before or after determining the orientation of the reference member, to drive a wedge into a slot in the reference member causing the reference member to engage the cased wellbore; and milling the window in the cased wellbore.
- 28. The method of claim 27 wherein the setting tool comprises actuating a piston assembly within the setting tool forcing the wedge member into the slot on the reference member to expand the reference member so that it engages the cased borehole.
- 29. The method of claim 27 further comprising
releasing the setting tool from the reference member; and removing the setting tool from the wellbore.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/573,584, filed May 18, 2000 and entitled “Well Reference Apparatus and Method,” which claims the benefit of 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/134,799, filed May 19, 1999 and entitled “Well Reference Apparatus and Method,” both hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60134799 |
May 1999 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09573584 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
09860870 |
May 2001 |
US |