Method of drilling and completing multiple wellbores inside a single caisson

• US 7,264,067 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Ferguson, Gerald M., Alvarez, Ralph A., Allen, Jack R., Glaser, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NEUDER, WILLIAM P
• Application Number:
  US10/956,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 166/313, 166/52, 175/61, 175/73
• US Class Current: 175/61
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/12 Tool diverters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/03 Well heads; Setting-up thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/047 for plural tubing strings
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0035 Apparatus or methods for multilateral well technology, e.g. for the completion of or workover on wells with one or more lateral branches
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/305 comprising at least one inclined or horizontal well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/061 the tool shaft advancing relative to a guide, e.g. a curved tube or a whipstock

Abstract

A method and apparatus for drilling and completing multiple wellbores from a single drilling rig and from within a single wellhead is provided. In one embodiment, a template is disposed at a predetermined location downhole within a casing. In one aspect, a first casing string is lowered with the template to the predetermined location and disposed within a first wellbore. A second wellbore may be drilled through a bore in the template. A second casing string may then be lowered through the bore into the second wellbore. In another embodiment, at least two wellbores are drilled and completed from a surface casing having a crossover portion.

Claims

1. A method for drilling multiple wellbores into an earth formation using one wellhead, comprising:

providing casing extending downhole from a surface of the earth formation;

drilling a first wellbore below the casing; and

lowering a template connected to a first casing string to a predetermined depth within the casing, the template having at least two bores therein.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising drilling a second wellbore below the casing through a second bore of the at least two bores in the template.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising altering the trajectory of at least one of the first and second wellbores while drilling at least one of the first and second wellbores.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising lowering a second casing string into the second wellbore through the second bore in the template.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one funnel guides the second casing string into the second wellbore.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is accomplished without moving a blowout preventer in a wellhead.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising drilling a third wellbore below the casing through a third bore of the at least two bores in the template.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second wellbores is deviated from vertical.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

drilling an extended wellbore below the casing prior to drilling the first wellbore below the casing; and

deviating at least one of the first and second wellbores from vertical by altering an orientation of a drill string within the extended wellbore, the drill string drilling at least one of the first and second wellbores.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising plugging the upper end of the first casing string prior to drilling the second wellbore below the casing.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising;

lowering a second casing string into the second wellbore through the second bore in the template; and

connecting the upper end of the first casing string to the surface to provide a fluid path from the surface to within the first wellbore.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined depth within the casing comprises a restricted inner diameter portion of the casing capable of preventing the template from further lowering within the casing.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein an anti-rotation device substantially prevents rotation of the template while lowering the template to the predetermined depth.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the anti-rotation device comprises at least one lug disposed near an outer diameter of the template.

15. A method for drilling multiple wellbores from a single wellhead, comprising:

providing a wellhead at a surface of an earth formation and a casing within the earth formation;

drilling a first wellbore below the casing;

lowering a template having a first casing string located therethrough from the wellhead to a predetermined depth within the casing while locating the first casing string within the first wellbore; and

drilling and casing a second wellbore below the casing through the template.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein drilling and casing a second welibore below the casing through the template comprises:

drilling the second wellbore through a first bore disposed in the template; and

inserting a second casing string through the first bore and into the second wellbore.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

drilling a third wellbore through a second bore disposed in the template; and

inserting a third casing string through the second bore and into the third wellbore without moving the wellhead.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising extending the first casing string to the surface by connecting a casing string to an upper end of the first casing string.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising activating a dual hanger connected to a welihead to grippingly engage the casing string connected to the first casing string and the second casing string, wherein activating is accomplished without moving the wellhead.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein casing the first wellbore further comprises:

introducing cement into an annulus between the first casing string and the first wellbore.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second wellbore are drilled using one or more drill strings.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the one or more drill strings is inserted through a bore in the template to drill the second wellbore.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second wellbores is deviated from vertical.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising altering a trajectory of the first wellbore while drilling the first wellbore.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising altering a trajectory of the second wellbore while drilling the second wellbore.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein drilling and casing the first wellbore and the second welibore is accomplished without moving the wellhead.

27. A method for drilling at least two wellbores into an earth formation from a casing within a parent wellbore using one wellhead, comprising:

providing the casing extending downhole from a surface of the formation, the casing having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion having a smaller inner diameter than the first portion;

forming a first wellbore in the formation from the second portion; and

forming a second wellbore from the first portion by drilling through a circumferential wall of the casing and into the formation.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising placing a first casing within the first wellbore.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising positioning a diverting mechanism above the first casing within the casing.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising forming the second wellbore by lowering a drilling mechanism into the casing and diverting the drilling mechanism into the second wellbore using the diverting mechanism.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising operatively connecting the first casing to a surface of the wellbore using a tie-back casing.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the tie-back casing comprises a deflector member operatively connected to its outer surface having a deflecting surface sloping towards the second wellbore.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising placing a second casing in the second wellbore by lowering the second casing into the casing and moving the second casing over the deflecting surface into the second wellbore.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising a deflector member extending from the casing wall below a desired location for the second wellbore.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the deflector member and the diverting mechanism together form a diverting surface.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising forming the second wellbore by lowering a drilling mechanism into the casing and diverting the drilling mechanism into the second wellbore using the diverting surface.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the deflector member and the diverting mechanism include mating profiles on outer surfaces thereof for preventing rotation of the deflector member relative to the casing.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein an outer surface of the diverting mechanism and the inner diameter of the casing comprise mating profiles thereon for preventing rotation of the deflector member relative to the casing.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the diverting mechanism includes an extending end for placement into the second portion to prevent rotation of the diverting mechanism relative to the casing.

40. The method of claim 30, further comprising guiding a first casing into the first wellbore using a guiding portion of the casing, the guiding portion connecting the first portion to the second portion.

41. The method of claim 28, further comprising plugging an inner diameter of the first casing.

42. The method of claim 28, further comprising placing a second casing within the second wellbore.

43. The method of claim 27, wherein the second portion is axially offset from the first portion.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second wellbores are formed from the same wellhead without moving the wellhead.

45. A method of forming first and second wellbores from a casing using a common wellhead, comprising:

providing the casing in a welibore, the casing comprising;

an upper portion having a first inner diameter;

a lower portion having a second, smaller inner diameter; and

a connecting portion connecting the upper and lower portions, the centerlines of the upper and lower portions offset;

forming the first welibore from the lower portion; and

forming the second wellbore into the formation through a wall of the upper portion, using the connecting portion as a guide.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising placing a first casing within the first wellbore prior to forming the second wellbore.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising placing a diverting mechanism having a sloped surface on the connecting portion after placing the first casing within the first wellbore.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising guiding a drilling tool along the sloped surface.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising drilling through the wall of the upper portion and forming the second wellbore using the drilling tool.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising tying back the first casing to the surface using tie-back casing.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the tie-back casing comprises a deflector member operatively connected to its outer surface.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising guiding a second casing into the second wellbore using the deflector member.