Claims
- 1. A system for making an opening in a tubular in a first wellbore in a formation, the system comprising
- milling means for milling the tubular, the milling means having a body and a lower nose, the lower nose having cutting apparatus at least a portion of which is covered with a bearing material to be worn away thereby exposing the cutting apparatus for cutting the tubular, the bearing material for facilitating movement of the milling means with respect to another member.
- 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising
- a sacrificial element releasably secured to the milling means and for directing the milling means against an inner surface of the tubular, the bearing material for facilitating movement of the lower nose with respect to the sacrificial element.
- 3. The system of claim 2 further comprising
- a whipstock to which is secured the sacrificial element, the whipstock for directing the milling means away therefrom toward the tubular.
- 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the lower nose is sized and positioned so that the lower nose does not cut the whipstock.
- 5. The system of claim 3 wherein the sacrificial element has at least a portion projecting upwardly beyond the whipstock so that the milling system initiates milling of the tubular prior to reaching a top of the whipstock.
- 6. The system of claim 2 wherein the sacrificial element has at least one recess therein for reducing the amount of the sacrificial element remaining following milling of the sacrificial element by the milling means.
- 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one recess is a series of a plurality spaced apart recesses.
- 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the series of a plurality of spaced apart recesses includes recesses at angles to each other forming a plurality of projections projecting from the sacrificial element.
- 9. The system of claim 1 further comprising
- a whipstock connected to the milling means for directing the milling means away therefrom toward the tubular.
- 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the milling means is suitable for cutting a completed window through the tubular in a single trip of the system into the wellbore.
- 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the cutting apparatus is also suitable for cutting a second wellbore beyond the window into the formation.
- 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the second wellbore is five feet or less in length.
- 13. The system of claim 11 wherein the second wellbore is two feet or less in length.
- 14. The system of claim 11 wherein the second wellbore is at least fifty feet in length.
- 15. The system of claim 11 wherein the second wellbore is at least one hundred feet in length.
- 16. The system of claim 11 wherein the milling means is a full gauge milling means so that the second wellbore is of a substantially uniform diameter along its entire length.
- 17. A system for making an opening in a tubular in a first wellbore in a formation, the system comprising
- milling means for milling the tubular, the milling means having a body and a lower nose, the lower nose having cutting apparatus covered with a bearing material to be worn away by contacting the tubular thereby exposing the cutting apparatus for cutting the tubular to form a window therethrough and a second wellbore there beyond,
- a sacrificial element millable by the milling means, the sacrificial element for directing the milling means against an inner surface of the tubular, the bearing material for facilitating movement of the milling means with respect to the sacrificial element,
- a whipstock to which is secured the sacrificial element, the whipstock for directing the milling means away therefrom,
- the milling means suitable for cutting a completed window through the tubular in a single trip of the system into the wellbore,
- the sacrificial element having at least one recess therein for reducing the amount of the sacrificial element remaining following milling of the sacrificial element by the milling means.
- 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the milling means is suitable for cutting a completed window through the tubular in a single trip of the system into the wellbore.
- 19. The system of claim 18 wherein the cutting apparatus is also suitable for cutting a second wellbore beyond the window into the formation.
- 20. A system for making an opening in a tubular in a wellbore in a formation, the system comprising
- a body,
- cutting apparatus on the body for cutting the tubular, and
- bearing material covering at least a portion of the cutting apparatus, the bearing material to be worn away by contacting the tubular thereby exposing the cutting apparatus for cutting the tubular, the bearing material for facilitating movement of the milling means with respect to another member.
- 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the cutting apparatus is suitable for cutting a completed window through the tubular in a single trip of the system into the wellbore.
- 22. The system of claim 21 wherein the cutting apparatus is also suitable for cutting a second wellbore beyond the window into the formation.
- 23. The system of claim 21 further comprising
- a sacrificial element releasably secured to the body and for directing the cutting apparatus against an inner surface of the tubular,
- a whipstock for directing the cutting apparatus away therefrom,
- the sacrificial element having at least a portion projecting upwardly beyond the whipstock so that the system initiates cutting of the tubular prior to reaching a top of the whipstock.
- 24. A method for forming an opening in a tubular in a first wellbore, the method comprising
- positioning a milling means in the tubular at a location at which an opening is desired in the tubular, the milling means for milling an opening through the tubular, the milling means having a body and a lower nose, the lower nose having cutting apparatus at least a portion of which is covered with a bearing material thereon to be worn away thereby exposing the cutting apparatus for cutting the tubular, the bearing material for facilitating movement of the lower nose with respect to another member in the tubular, and
- milling the opening in the tubular with the milling means.
- 25. The method of claim 24 further comprising
- exposing the cutting apparatus of the milling means by wearing away the material on the cutting apparatus so that the cutting apparatus assists in formation of the opening.
- 26. The method of claim 25 further comprising
- cutting a second wellbore beyond the opening in the tubular with the milling means.
- 27. The method of claim 26 wherein the second wellbore is five feet or less in length.
- 28. The method of claim 26 wherein the second wellbore is two feet or less in length.
- 29. The method of claim 26 wherein the second wellbore is at least fifty feet in length.
- 30. The method of claim 26 wherein the second wellbore is at least one hundred feet in length.
- 31. The method of claim 24 wherein the cutting apparatus includes wellbore drilling apparatus.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/673,791 filed on Jun. 27, 1996 entitled "Wellbore Securement System," now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/210,697 filed on Mar. 18, 1994 entitled "Milling Tool & Operations" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,187 issued Jul. 4, 1995 and is a division of application Ser. No. 414,201 filed on Mar. 31, 1995 entitled "Whipstock Side Support" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,271 issued Jul. 2, 1996, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/300,917, filed on Sept. 6, 1994 entitled "Wellbore Tool Setting System" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,417 issued Jun. 20, 1995 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/225,384, filed on Apr. 4, 1994 entitled "Wellbore Tool Orientation," now U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,060 issued on Apr. 25, 1995 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/119,813 filed on Sep. 10, 1993 entitled "Whipstock System" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,759 issued on Sep. 26, 1995. This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/642,118 filed May, 2, 1996 entitled "Wellbore Milling System" and of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/752,359 filed Nov. 19, 1996 entitled "Multi-Face Whipstock With Sacrificial Face Element" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,978 which is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/655,087 filed Jun. 3, 1996 entitled "Whipstock" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,051 which is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/414,338 filed Mar. 31, 1995 entitled "Mill Valve" issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,461 on Jun. 4, 1996, and a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/542,439 filed Oct. 12, 1995 entitled "Starting Mill and Operations" now U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,349. All applications cited above are co-owned with the present invention and incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes.
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Related Publications (2)
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642118 |
May 1996 |
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752359 |
Nov 1996 |
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Divisions (1)
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414338 |
Mar 1995 |
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Continuation in Parts (6)
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673791 |
Jun 1996 |
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655087 |
Jun 1996 |
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210697 |
Mar 1994 |
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300917 |
Sep 1994 |
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225384 |
Apr 1994 |
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119813 |
Sep 1993 |
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