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.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation-in-part application of now abandoned 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.
US Referenced Citations (23)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2191 803 |
Dec 1987 |
GB |
2291447 |
Aug 1995 |
GB |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Praful C. Desai and Charles H. Dewey; Smith International, Inc., Red baron Group; IADC/SPE 59237; Milling Variable Window Openings for Sidetracking; 2000 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, New Orleans, LA, Feb. 23-25, 2000; (9 p.). |
PCT Search Report for International Application No. PCT/US01/16442 Dated Aug. 28, 2001 (7 p.). |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/134799 |
May 1999 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/573584 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
09/860870 |
|
US |