Combined notching and jetting methods and related apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and several methods for forming one or more channels from an existing cased wellbore are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a notching device for forming an opening in the casing and having an integral guide shoe portion for guiding a nozzle to a position adjacent the opening to form the channel. The related method may involve lowering this apparatus into the well and then performing the notching or jetting operation, or separately lowering a notching device and a guide shoe, each carried on the end of a tubing, into the well. A guide shoe capable of positioning the nozzle close to the opening in the casing, such as one formed during the notching process, is also disclosed.

1 . A method of forming one or more channels from a well having a casing, comprising: 
 notching at least one opening in at least the casing using an abrasive fluid;    supplying a jetting fluid to a flexible hose carrying a nozzle positioned adjacent to the opening, said fluid issuing from said nozzle against any adjacent material to form at least one first channel;    advancing the nozzle and hose into the first channel.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to    claim 1   , wherein the step of notching the casing includes: 
 positioning a tubing including a notching device having at least one port in the well at a first location;    supplying the abrasive fluid under pressure to the notching device, the abrasive fluid issuing from the port to form the opening in at least the casing.    
     
     
         3 . The method according to    claim 2   , further including the steps of: 
 positioning a guide shoe including a passageway having an outlet adjacent to the opening, and    positioning the nozzle adjacent to the opening by passing the nozzle into the passageway and out the outlet.    
     
     
         4 . The method according to    claim 3   , wherein the passageway further includes an inlet and positioning the nozzle includes passing the nozzle through the inlet.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to    claim 3   , wherein at least a portion of the passageway is formed in a pivoting elbow for redirecting the nozzle toward the opening in the casing, and the method includes pivoting the elbow from a first retracted position to a second position when the outlet is adjacent to the opening in the casing.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to    claim 3   , wherein the guide shoe is carried on the tubing along with the notching device, a stopper is provided for blocking the passageway in the guide shoe, and the method further includes placing the stopper in an operative position prior to supplying an abrasive fluid to the notching device.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to    claim 6   , further including removing the stopper from the operative position after the opening in the casing is formed.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to    claim 7   , wherein the tubing and the casing together define an annulus and removing the stopper from the operative position comprises providing an ejecting flow of fluid in the annulus such that the fluid flows in the outlet of the passageway to remove the stopper from the operative position.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to    claim 8   , further including supplying a sufficient amount of ejecting fluid to return the stopper to the surface.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to    claim 1   , further including moving the nozzle through the opening and into engagement with any material surrounding the casing prior to supplying the jetting fluid to the hose.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to    claim 3   , wherein said at least one port in the notching device is upstream of the outlet of the passageway in the guide shoe, and said step of positioning the outlet of the guide shoe adjacent the opening includes raising the tubing.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to    claim 11   , wherein the raising of the tubing is for a predetermined distance.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to    claim 11   , further including biasing the outlet of the passageway toward the opening in a direction where the at least one channel is desired.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to    claim 13   , wherein the outlet of the passageway is formed in an outwardly projecting portion of the guide shoe, and the raising of the tubing is completed until the outwardly projecting portion is lodged in the opening as a result of the biasing step.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to    claim 14   , wherein the outwardly projecting portion includes a sloping nose adjacent to the outlet of the passageway in the guide shoe, and after at least one first channel is formed, the method further includes raising the tubing until the sloping nose engages an upper ledge of said opening to dislodge the guide shoe from the opening.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to    claim 2   , wherein the method further includes: 
 withdrawing the notching device from the well after a desired number of openings are formed; and    positioning a tubing carrying a guide shoe into the well having a passageway for redirecting the nozzle to a position adjacent a selected opening.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to    claim 16   , wherein the passageway is formed in a pivoting elbow, and the method includes pivoting the elbow from a first retracted position to a second position to place the outlet adjacent to the selected opening.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to    claim 16   , wherein the step of positioning the notching device includes positioning the tubing in the well at a first location and supplying the abrasive fluid to form the at least one opening, and then repeating the positioning of the notching device and supplying steps a plurality of times at a plurality of different locations to form a plurality of openings prior to withdrawing the notching device from the well.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to    claim 2   , further including rotating the notching device as the abrasive fluid issues from the port to form a semi-annular or annular window in the casing.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to    claim 2   , further including raising and lowering the notching device as the abrasive fluid issues from the port to increase the vertical dimension of the opening formed in the casing.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to    claim 1   , further including using the nozzle to form at least two channels extending in different directions from the at least one opening in the casing.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to    claim 1   , wherein the at least one opening is a first opening, and further including notching a second opening in the casing at a different location, positioning the nozzle adjacent to the second opening, and jetting into any material adjacent the second opening to form at least one second channel.  
     
     
         23 . A method of forming one or more channels from a well having a casing, comprising: 
 positioning a tubing carrying a notching device having at least one port and a guide shoe having a passageway with an outlet at one or more locations in the well;    positioning a stopper in the passageway;    supplying an abrasive fluid under pressure to the tubing, said abrasive fluid issuing from the port in the notching device to form at least one opening in at least the casing at each location where the notching device is positioned;    removing the stopper from the passageway;    aligning the outlet of the passageway with the opening;    passing a nozzle carried on a hose into the passageway to a position adjacent the opening; and    supplying a jetting fluid to said hose, said fluid issuing from the nozzle into engagement with any material adjacent the opening to form a first channel.    
     
     
         24 . The method according to    claim 23   , further including advancing the nozzle to form the first channel, retracting the nozzle once the first channel is formed, aligning the outlet of the passageway with an opening at a different location, and repeating the supplying and advancing steps to form a second channel.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for forming one or more channels from a well having a casing, comprising: 
 a tubing for lowering down the well;    a notching device carried on the tubing, said notching device including at least one port for issuing an abrasive fluid to form an opening in the casing;    a nozzle carried on a hose for jetting through the opening to form at least one channel in any material surrounding the casing;    a guide shoe carried on the tubing for receiving and positioning the nozzle adjacent to the opening.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to    claim 25   , wherein the guide shoe is carried on said tubing downstream of said notching device and includes an inlet and an outlet connected by a passageway, wherein said passageway redirects the nozzle out the outlet and towards the opening in the casing.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to    claim 26   , further including a stopper for initially blocking the inlet but allowing the abrasive fluid to pass through the at least one port in the notching device.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to    claim 27   , further including means for removing the stopper from the inlet after the opening is formed.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to    claim 28   , wherein an annulus is defined between the tubing and the casing, and the means for removing the stopper from the inlet comprises a fluid for passing through the annulus, in the outlet, and through the passageway to unseat the stopper from the inlet.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus according to    claim 26   , wherein said port is upstream of the outlet, and said apparatus further includes a lifter for raising said guide shoe such that the outlet of said passageway is substantially aligned with the opening in the casing.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus according to    claim 30   , wherein said tubing is provided with at least one centralizer for biasing said outlet toward said opening in said casing in a direction where the at least one channel is desired.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus according to    claim 3     1 , wherein the outlet is formed in an outwardly projecting portion of the guide shoe and said lifter raises said tubing until said outwardly projecting portion lodges in said opening.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus according to    claim 32   , wherein the outwardly projecting portion of the guide shoe includes a sloping nose adjacent to said outlet that engages an upper ledge of said opening to overcome the biasing force supplied by the centralizer and dislodge the outlet therefrom when the tubing is raised.  
     
     
         34 . An apparatus for attachment to a tubing for forming a channel from a cased well by using an abrasive fluid to form at least one first opening in the casing in combination with a nozzle attached to a hose for jetting out the first opening and into the material surrounding the casing, comprising: 
 a notching device including at least one port for issuing the abrasive fluid toward the casing to form the opening therein;    a guide shoe adjacent to said notching device, said guide shoe including at least one passageway having an outlet for directing the nozzle toward the opening in the casing once formed.    
     
     
         35 . The apparatus according to    claim 34   , wherein said guide shoe is positioned downstream of said notching device.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus according to    claim 34   , wherein said notching device and said guide shoe are integrally formed with each other.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus according to    claim 34   , wherein said notching device includes a plurality of ports, and said ports are either substantially vertically aligned or circumferentially disposed.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus according to    claim 34   , wherein the passageway of the guide shoe is provided in an elbow capable of pivoting between a first retracted position and a second position such that the outlet of the passageway is adjacent to the opening in the casing.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus according to    claim 38   , further including an actuator for pivoting the elbow between the first and second positions.