Wellbore sealing system and method
First Claim
1. A method for drilling wellbores, comprising:
- drilling a main wellbore;
disposing a casing string in the main wellbore, the casing string having a deflecting member and a sealing member coupled thereto;
disposing a drill string having a drill bit coupled at a lower end thereof in the casing string;
drilling, from the main wellbore, a first lateral wellbore at a first depth with the drill bit;
removing the drill bit from the first lateral wellbore;
transferring the casing string and the drill bit to a second depth that is higher than the first depth;
drilling, from the main wellbore, a second lateral wellbore at the second depth with the drill bit; and
preventing, using the sealing member, a fluid from the first lateral wellbore from flowing above approximately the second depth while drilling the second lateral wellbore.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method for drilling wellbores includes drilling a main wellbore and disposing a casing string in the main wellbore. The casing string has a deflecting member and a sealing member coupled thereto. The method further includes disposing a drill string having a drill bit coupled at a lower end thereof in the casing string and drilling, from the main wellbore, a first lateral wellbore at a first depth with the drill bit. The method further includes removing the drill bit from the first lateral wellbore, transferring the casing string and the drill bit to a second depth that is higher than the first depth, drilling, from the main wellbore, a second lateral wellbore at the second depth with the drill bit, and preventing, using the sealing member, a fluid from the first lateral wellbore from flowing above approximately the second depth while drilling the second lateral wellbore.
369 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for drilling wellbores, comprising:
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drilling a main wellbore;
disposing a casing string in the main wellbore, the casing string having a deflecting member and a sealing member coupled thereto;
disposing a drill string having a drill bit coupled at a lower end thereof in the casing string;
drilling, from the main wellbore, a first lateral wellbore at a first depth with the drill bit;
removing the drill bit from the first lateral wellbore;
transferring the casing string and the drill bit to a second depth that is higher than the first depth;
drilling, from the main wellbore, a second lateral wellbore at the second depth with the drill bit; and
preventing, using the sealing member, a fluid from the first lateral wellbore from flowing above approximately the second depth while drilling the second lateral wellbore. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for drilling wellbores, comprising:
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a casing string;
a deflecting member coupled to the casing string; and
a sealing member coupled to the deflecting member, the sealing member configured to seal a wellbore into which the casing string is inserted such that a fluid existing in the wellbore below the sealing member is prevented from flowing upward past the sealing member. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A sealing member, comprising:
a resilient plunger adapted to couple to an end of a casing string and operable to prevent a gas within a wellbore from flowing from a lower depth below the resilient plunger to a higher depth above the resilient plunger while a lateral wellbore is being drilled.
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18. A sealing member, comprising:
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a bolt adapted to couple to an end of a casing string;
a nut rotatably coupled to the bolt;
a washer engaged with the nut;
a plug surrounding the bolt and resting against the washer;
a spring member coupled to the washer, the spring member adapted to engage a wall of a wellbore to prevent the washer from rotating when the casing string is rotated in the wellbore such that the plug is longitudinally compressed and circumferentially expanded to engage the wall of the wellbore to prevent a gas within the wellbore from flowing from a lower depth below the plug to a higher depth above the plug while a lateral wellbore is being drilled. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification