Claims
- 1. A milling system for milling an opening in a tubular in a tubular string in a wellbore extending down from a surface of the earth, the milling system comprising
- an anchor assembly to set the milling system in the tubular,
- a whipstock connected to the anchor assembly,
- a mill apparatus releasably connected to the whipstock, the mill apparatus having auto fill apparatus therein that opens when the milling system is introduced into the wellbore to permit fluid in the wellbore to enter through the mill into the tubular string, and
- a valve assembly connected at a top end thereof to the tubular string and at a bottom end thereof to the mill apparatus for selectively controlling fluid flow from the surface to the anchor assembly.
- 2. The milling system of claim 1 further comprising
- the anchor assembly further comprising
- a body, a slip movably mounted to the body, the body having a fluid flow bore therethrough, the fluid flow bore having an enlarged cavity and a bottom cavity, a piston movably mounted in the fluid flow bore, the piston having a top and a bottom and with a piston flow bore therethrough from top to bottom through which fluid from the surface is flowable through the piston into the bottom cavity to force the piston upwardly in the enlarged cavity to move the slip from the body to set the anchor assembly in the tubular,
- a bar with a top end contacting the slip, a mid portion movably extending through a channel through the body of the anchor assembly, and a lower end extending into the enlarged cavity and contacting the piston so that upward movement of the piston moves the bar up and the slip upwardly and outwardly from the body of the anchor assembly,
- a hollow stem extending from an end of the fluid flow bore of the body of the anchor at a top of the enlarged cavity to a top of the piston so that fluid from the surface is flowable through the fluid flow bore of the body of the anchor, through the hollow stem into the piston flow bore, the hollow stem preventing fluid from flowing into the enlarged cavity above the piston, and
- the hollow stem movable up into the fluid flow bore of the body of the anchor as the piston moves upwardly in the enlarged cavity.
- 3. The milling system of claim 2 further comprising
- the mill apparatus having a fluid flow bore therethrough and exit ports therefrom so that fluid under pressure pumped from the surface is flowable into the mill apparatus from the valve assembly and out through the exit ports, and so that fluid in the wellbore is flowable into and up through the mill as the milling system is lowered into the wellbore, and
- a fluid flow line extending from the mill apparatus to a flow bore through the whipstock, the flow bore through the whipstock in fluid communication with the fluid flow bore of the anchor assembly so that fluid pumped from the surface is flowable to activate the anchor assembly.
- 4. The milling system of claim 1 further comprising
- the valve assembly further comprising
- a hollow body with a top and a bottom and a valve bore therethrough from top to bottom, the valve body having at least one valve flow port that allows the valve bore to communicate with space exterior to the hollow body,
- a valve piston sealingly and movably mounted in the valve bore, the valve piston having a piston body with a top and a bottom and a piston bore extending therethrough from top to bottom, the valve piston having at least one piston flow port that allows the valve bore to communicate with the at least one valve flow port so fluid is flowable through the piston, through the at least one piston flow port, and through the at least one valve flow port to the exterior of the hollow body,
- a ratchet sleeve connected to the piston body and having a branched slot, the branched slot with a plurality of position recesses,
- a lug projecting inwardly from an interior surface of the hollow body into the branched slot,
- the hollow body movable with respect to the ratchet sleeve and rotatable with respect to the ratchet sleeve so that the branched slot is selectively movable on the lug to any of a series of positions corresponding to various positions of the at least one valve flow port and the at least one piston flow port,
- a spring abutting a bottom of the ratchet sleeve and an inner surface of a bottom of the valve flow bore, the spring urging the ratchet sleeve and valve piston upwardly and thereby releasably maintaining the lug in one of the plurality of position recesses,
- the at least one valve flow port including at least one first valve flow port through the hollow body, and at least one second valve flow port through the hollow body, the at least one second valve flow port disposed below the at least one first valve flow port, and the hollow body having a body channel therethrough with a top end disposed above the at least one second valve port and a bottom end disposed at a level of the lug, and wherein the mill apparatus having a fluid flow bore therethrough and at least one jet port therethrough, and the milling system further comprising
- the plurality of position recesses including recesses corresponding to
- an at rest position of the system in which the at least one first valve flow port and the at least one piston flow port are aligned so that as the system is run into the wellbore fluid in the wellbore is permitted to fill the system,
- a circulate position of the system wherein the at least one piston flow port is aligned with the at least one second valve flow port so that fluid in the piston pumped down from the surface is flowable out from the hollow body, and
- a set anchor position of the system in which the at least one piston flow port is aligned with the top end of the body channel so that fluid pumped from the surface is flowable past the ratchet sleeve in a channel within the hollow body and out from the hollow body to the anchor assembly to set the anchor assembly.
- 5. The milling system of claim 4 further comprising
- the valve assembly further comprising
- the plurality of recesses consisting of four recesses in sequence, a first at rest recess corresponding to a first at rest position and mode of operation, a circulate recess corresponding to a circulation position and mode of operation, a second at rest recess corresponding to a second at rest position and mode of operation, and an anchor set recess corresponding to an anchor setting position and mode of operation.
- 6. The milling system of claim 5 wherein a fluid pressure level within the milling system indicates that the milling system is in either a pressured up status for anchor setting or at a pressure level for fluid circulation so that inadvertent anchor setting is avoided.
- 7. The milling system of claim 1 further comprising
- the auto fill apparatus further comprising
- the mill apparatus having a flow bore therethrough,
- a ball seat releasably secured in the flow bore of the mill apparatus by a shearable member, and
- a ball movably mounted in the flow bore of the mill apparatus, the ball movable by fluid pressure from above to seat on the ball seat and prevent fluid from flowing down past the ball seat, the ball movable by fluid pressure from below to permit wellbore fluid to enter the tubular string.
- 8. The milling system of claim 7 further comprising
- the mill apparatus having at least one jet port for the exit of fluid therefrom to facilitate circulation of debris from the wellbore,
- the shearable member shearable to release the ball seat in response to fluid pumped from the surface to the mill apparatus, such fluid passing through the valve assembly to shear the shearable member and force the ball seat and ball down into the flow bore of the mill apparatus so that fluid from above is flowable out through the at least one jet port, thereby opening the flow bore of the mill apparatus to fluid flow and releasing pressure of fluid on the anchor assembly.
- 9. A mill comprising
- a mill body with a top end and a bottom end,
- a flow bore through the mill body,
- at least one port in fluid communication with the flow bore and through which fluid is flowable from within the mill to an exterior thereof and from the exterior thereof to within the mill, and
- auto fill apparatus in the flow bore above the at least one port.
- 10. The mill of claim 9 further comprising
- the auto fill apparatus further comprising
- the mill apparatus having a flow bore therethrough,
- a ball seat releasably secured in the flow bore of the mill apparatus by a shearable member, and
- a ball movably mounted in the flow bore of the mill apparatus, the ball movable by fluid pressure from above to seat on the ball seat and prevent fluid from flowing down past the ball seat, the ball movable by fluid pressure from below to permit wellbore fluid to enter the tubular string.
- 11. The mill of claim 10 further comprising
- the mill apparatus having at least one jet port for the exit of fluid therefrom to facilitate circulation of debris from the wellbore,
- the shearable member shearable to release the ball seat in response to fluid pumped from the surface to the mill apparatus, such fluid passing through the valve assembly to shear the shearable member and force the ball seat and ball down into the flow bore of the mill apparatus so that fluid from above is flowable out through the at least one jet port, thereby opening the flow bore of the mill apparatus to fluid flow and releasing pressure of fluid on the anchor assembly.
- 12. A valve assembly for selectively controlling fluid flow through a hollow tubular in a string of hollow tubulars in a wellbore extending from a surface of the earth into the earth, the valve assembly comprising
- a hollow body with a hollow piston mounted for reciprocal up and down rotative movement therein, the hollow body having an inwardly projecting lug,
- the hollow piston having at least one piston fluid flow port therethrough and the hollow body having at least two body fluid flow ports therethrough,
- a ratchet sleeve connected to the piston, the ratchet sleeve having a branched slot therearound which is movable on the lug so that the ratchet sleeve and the piston are movable to a plurality of positions, the branched slot with a plurality of position recesses, at least one position in which fluid is flowable from within the hollow body to an exterior thereof and at least one position in which fluid is flowable from outside the hollow body thereinto,
- the positions limited to at rest, circulate, and anchor set positions so that a fluid pressure indication at the surface indicates only either a pressured up position for anchor setting or a pressured up position for fluid circulation.
- 13. The valve assembly of claim 12 further comprising
- the plurality of position recesses including recesses corresponding to
- a fill position so that as the valve assembly is run into the wellbore fluid in the wellbore is permitted to fill a system to which the valve assembly is connected,
- a circulate position so that fluid pumped down from the surface is flowable out from the hollow body, and
- a set anchor position so that fluid pumped from the surface is flowable past the ratchet sleeve within the hollow body and out from the hollow body to an anchor assembly to set the anchor assembly.
- 14. The valve assembly of claim 13 wherein the branched slot extends around the entire ratchet sleeve for cycling of the valve assembly.
- 15. A milling system comprising
- a mill having a top and a bottom and mill flow bore therethrough extending down from the top thereof,
- a sub with a top and a bottom and a sub bore therethrough connected at the top of the mill and in fluid communication therewith,
- a valve in the sub bore permitting fluid flow down through the sub and preventing fluid flow up through the sub,
- an exit hole in the mill body in fluid communication with the mill flow bore,
- a rupture disc closing off the mill flow bore and disposed beneath the exit hole so that a charge of fluid is disposable between the valve and the rupture disc.
- 16. The mill system of claim 15 wherein the charge of fluid is clean fluid and the milling system further comprising
- a wellbore device connected to the mill and in fluid communication with the exit hole so that the charge of clean fluid is movable down to the wellbore device to activate the wellbore device.
- 17. The milling system of claim 16 wherein the wellbore device is an anchor for anchoring the milling system in a tubular member in a wellbore and the milling system further comprising
- a whipstock with a top and a bottom, the mill connected to the top of the whipstock and the anchor connected to the bottom of the whipstock.
- 18. The milling system of claim 15 wherein the rupture disc is rupturable in response to fluid pressure at a known pressure level pumped into the mill.
- 19. The milling system of claim 18 further comprising
- at least one jet port in fluid communication with the mill flow bore for facilitating circulation of debris from the wellbore,
- the rupture disc disposed above the at least one jet port so that upon rupturing thereof fluid is flowable out from the at least one jet port.
- 20. The milling system of claim 15 further comprising
- the valve having a flapper urged shut by a spring, the flapper having a vent hole therethrough to relieve fluid pressure build up beneath the flapper.
- 21. A float valve for use in wellbore operations, the float valve comprising
- a body with a top and a bottom and a fluid flow bore therethrough,
- a valve seat on the body,
- a valve member movably secured to the body for movement to seat against the valve seat to close off flow through the float valve and for movement away from the valve seat to permit fluid flow through the float valve, and
- a vent hole through the valve member for releasing fluid pressure build up beneath the valve member.
- 22. The float valve of claim 21 further comprising
- a spring biased between the body and the valve member and urging the valve member against the valve seat.
- 23. A fill sub comprising
- a hollow body with a top, a bottom, a flow bore therethrough from top to bottom, and a fill port through the body permitting fluid communication from an exterior of the body into the flow bore,
- a fill valve assembly in the hollow body, the fill valve assembly having a first bore and a second bore,
- the first bore in fluid communication with the fill port and having a ball seat,
- a ball movably mounted in the first bore,
- an urging member mounted in the first bore in contact with the ball and releasably urging the ball against the ball seat,
- the ball movable away from the ball seat in response to fluid entering through the fill port and overcoming force of the urging member so that fluid from the exterior of the fill sub may enter and pass through the fill sub,
- the second bore in fluid communication with the flow bore so that fluid is flowable from the top of the body, through the flow bore, through the second bore, back into and through the flow bore and out from the bottom of the body,
- a float valve disposed in the flow bore below the fill valve assembly, the float valve comprising
- a body with a top and a bottom and a fluid flow bore therethrough,
- a valve seat on the body,
- a valve member movably secured to the body for movement to seat against the valve seat to close off flow through the float valve and for movement away from the valve seat to permit fluid flow through the float valve, and
- a vent hole through the valve member for releasing fluid pressure build up beneath the valve member.
- 24. The fill sub of claim 23 further comprising
- a spring biased between the body and the valve member and urging the valve member against the valve seat.
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/715,573 filed Sept. 18, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,331, entitled "Wellbore Milling System" co-owned with the present invention and incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
US Referenced Citations (32)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2302895 |
Jan 1996 |
GBX |
WO 9721020 |
Jan 1996 |
WOX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
"Multiple Activation Bypass System," PBL Drilling Tools, Ltd., 1995. |
"Casing Sidetrack Systems," AZ Grant Int'l, 1994. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
715573 |
Sep 1996 |
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