Well conduit cutting and milling apparatus and method

• US 5,265,675 A
• Filed: 03/25/1992
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Testers, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company (BP PLC), Charles D. Hailey
• Inventors: Ward, Stephen L., Hearn, David D., Hailey, Charles D., Hightower, Charles M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry L.
• Application Number:
  US07/857,212
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 166/298, 166/297, 166/55.7, 166/55.8, 166/55.1, 166/55.6, 166/55
• US Class Current: 166/297
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/322 cutter shifted by fluid pressure E21B10/345 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/1021 with articulated arms or arcuate springs
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/002 Cutting, e.g. milling, a pipe with a cutter rotating along the circumference of the pipe
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 29/005 with a radially-expansible cutter rotating inside the pipe, e.g. for cutting an annular window

Abstract

A well conduit cutting and milling apparatus conveyable into and out of a well on coilable tubing using a tubing injection unit. The apparatus includes tubing or casing cutting arms which are radially extendable and retractable with respect to a cylindrical support body by pressure fluid operated pistons. The apparatus is made up of multiple end-to-end connected units including one which supports interchangeable cutting and milling arms and units which have radially extensible and retractable stabilizing arms which engage the inner wall of the tubing or casing to centralize and stabilize the apparatus during operation. The cutter and milling arms are modified for milling away a section of tubing by moving the apparatus in an upward or out of the well direction. The cutting elements are preferably cylindrical hard metal members which are supported on the arms for cutting away an end face of the tubing in a tangential direction of movement.

Claims

1. Apparatus for effecting sequential cutting and removal by milling of a section of well conduit and well casing wherein said well conduit is disposed in said well casing in a wellbore, said apparatus being adapted to be connected to the distal end of a tubing string for receiving pressure fluid through said tubing string, said tubing string including means for rotating said apparatus when disposed in said wellbore, said apparatus comprising:

a cutter unit including a body, a first pair of opposed cutting arms pivotally mounted on said body for movement between a retracted position and a working position for cutting through said well conduit, said first pair of cutting arms being interchangeable with a second pair of opposed milling arms which are pivotally mounted on said body in place of said first pair of cutter arms, said pair of milling arms each including cutting elements thereon for milling a downwardly-facing end of said well conduit whereby said apparatus is operable to remove a section of said well conduit by movement in a direction generally upward or out of said well conduit, said pair of milling arms being interchangeable with a second pair of opposed cutting arms operable to be pivotally mounted on said body for movement between retracted positions and a working position for cutting and milling a section of said well casing after removal of said section of well conduit, a first piston disposed in said body for moving said opposed pair of arms disposed on said body from said retracted position to a working position for cutting one of said well conduit and said well casing, a second piston disposed on said body and movable to a position for urging said opposed pair of arms into said working position and for holding said opposed pair of arms in said working position for cutting one of said well conduit and said well casing; and

a first stabilizer unit connected to said cutter unit including a body and at least one pair of opposed stabilizer arms pivotally mounted on said body and movable between radially retracted and extended positions, said stabilizer arms including first bearing surfaces thereon for engagement with said well conduit for stabilizing said apparatus when said apparatus is cutting and milling said well conduit and said stabilizer arms including second bearing surfaces thereon engageable with said well casing when said apparatus is disposed in a position in said wellbore from which said well conduit has been removed; and

a piston disposed on said body of said first stabilizer unit for urging said stabilizer arms to move from said retracted position to said extended positions, respectively.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including:

a second stabilizer unit connected to one of said first stabilizer unit and said cutter unit and having a pair of opposed stabilizer arms pivotally mounted thereon, said opposed stabilizer arms of said second stabilizer unit being radially extendable and retractable in a plane which intersects a plane in which the stabilizer arms of said first stabilizer unit are movable.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said milling arms each including plural cutting elements mounted thereon, respectively, for engagement with a surface on said well conduit for milling away said well conduit to effect removal of a section thereof.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said milling arms each include at least one radially projecting support portion for supporting a plurality of cutting elements forming cutting surfaces for milling an end of said well conduit.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said support portion is disposed for supporting said cutting elements to cut tangentially along a cylindrical part of said well conduit.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 including:

circumferentially spaced support portions on said millings arms for supporting separate sets of cutting elements for milling said conduit, said support portions forming a space therebetween for breaking chips formed by said cutting elements.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said cutting elements comprise generally cylindrical hard metal elements supported on said arms and forming a metal cutting surface.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 wherein:

said cutting elements comprise generally cylindrical members forming a circular cutting edge delimited by a chip relieving recess.

9. The apparatus set for in claim 8 wherein:

said cutting elements include a circumferential relief surface formed thereon and delimited by said cutting edge.