Apparatus and system to drill a bore using a laser

Abstract

A system to extend a lateral bore section using laser light comprises a first umbilical connected to a deflection member having a drive gear, a lateral exit port and at least one deployable seal intermediate a proximal end and the lateral exit port, and a second umbilical having an exterior movable by the drive member through a pathway of the deflection member ending at the lateral exit port to controllably advance a drill head connected to a leading end of the second umbilical. Optical fibers of the second umbilical transmit laser light from a surface end to optical elements in the drill head that condition laser light for heating a targeted portion of a bore wall. The first umbilical positions the deflection member within a primary bore section, and the second umbilical is controllably advanced to extend a lateral bore by the drive gear of the deflection member.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a first umbilical having an elongate fluid conduit having a leading end and a surface end;   a fluid source coupled to a surface end of the fluid conduit of the first umbilical;   a deflection member connected to a leading end of the first umbilical and having a drive gear, a proximal end, a distal end, a laterally directed exit port intermediate the proximal and distal ends, and at least one deployable seal having at least a portion disposed intermediate the proximal end and the laterally directed exit port;   a second umbilical having a plurality of elongate optically transmitting fibers and an exterior portion having sized and shaped to be engaged and moved by the drive gear of the deflection member in a direction generally coincident with a portion of an axis of the second umbilical adjacent to the drive gear;   a laser light power generator optically coupled to a surface end of the plurality of optically transmitting fibers; and   a drill head connected to a leading end of the second umbilical and having an optical element to condition laser light received through the optically transmitting fibers of the second umbilical;   wherein the deflection member is positionable within a primary bore using the first umbilical; and   wherein the second umbilical is receivable through an umbilical pathway adjacent the drive gear and through the lateral exit port of the deflection member, and movable through the pathway by operation of the drive gear to engage and advance the exterior portion of the second umbilical to advance the drill head to extend a lateral bore formed laterally adjacent to the lateral exit port.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one deployable seal is energized to a deployed condition using fluid pressure provided through the fluid conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the gear drive is operable using fluid pressure provided through the fluid conduit to move the second umbilical along the umbilical pathway of the deflection member. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second umbilical exterior portion comprises a series of radially-protruding corrugations sized and shaped to engage the drive gear of the deflection member;
 wherein the corrugations along the exterior portion of the second umbilical radially protrude in a plane generally perpendicular to the adjacent portion of an axis of the second umbilical. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second umbilical exterior portion comprises a spiraling thread sized and shaped to engage the drive gear of the deflection member;
 wherein the pitch and depth of the spiraling thread matches the pitch and depth of a mating thread on the drive gear. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a seal bypass conduit of the deflection member having an inlet distal to the lateral exit port and an outlet proximal to the at least one deployable seal. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the leading end of the fluid conduit discharges fluid provided into the surface end of the fluid conduit to a portion of the primary bore distal to the at least one deployable seal to displace fluid through the seal bypass conduit to a portion of the primary bore proximal to the at least one deployable seal to facilitate removal of laser-obstructing materials from a laser light path intermediate the laser emitting portion of the drill head and a targeted portion of a bore wall. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one deployable seal comprises:
 a proximal deployable seal intermediate the proximal end and the lateral exit port of the deflection member;   a distal deployable seal on the deflection member intermediate the distal end and the lateral exit port of the deflection member;   a distal deployable seal bypass conduit of the deflection member having an inlet intermediate the lateral exit port and the distal deployable seal and an outlet distal to the distal deployable seal; and   a deflection member bypass conduit of the deflection member having a first end distal to the distal deployable seal and a second end proximal to the proximal deployable seal to equalize pressure between the portion of the primary bore intermediate the deflection member and the surface and the portion of the primary bore opposite the deflection member thereto.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein fluid displaced from the surface through the fluid conduit and from the leading end of the fluid conduit after deployment of the proximal and distal deployable seals displaces at least some material captured by deployment of the proximal and distal deployable seals in an interval intermediate the proximal and distal deployable seals through the distal deployable seal bypass to the portion of the primary bore distal to the deflection member. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a check valve disposed within the distal deployable seal bypass conduit to prevent flow from the outlet of the distal deployable seal bypass to the inlet of the distal deployable seal bypass.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an elongate control conduit of the first umbilical;   a seal deployment valve positionable in response to an activation signal provided through the control conduit between a closed position and an open position to provide fluid to the proximal deployable seal.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid provided into the surface end of the fluid conduit is one of a pressurized gas and a non-laser-obstructing liquid. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the fluid is a pressurized gas comprising at least one of an inert gas, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the fluid is a non-laser-obstructing fluid comprising at least one of ionized water, deionized water, potassium chloride, inhibited glycol and water solutions, and a dielectric fluid. 
     
     
         15 . A drill head, comprising:
 an optical element connectable to an optically transmitting fiber to emit laser light to impinge on a targeted portion of a wall of an earthen bore section; and   a fluid nozzle positioned adjacent the optical element and directed to emit a stream of fluid anterior to and proximal to a laser emitting portion of the optical element to provide a protective fluid barrier.   
     
     
         16 . The drill head of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a second optical element connectable to a second optically transmitting fiber to emit laser light to impinge on the targeted portion of the wall of the bore section; and   a second fluid nozzle positioned adjacent the second optical element and directed to emit a second stream of fluid anterior to and proximal to a second laser emitting portion of the second optical element to provide a protective fluid barrier.   
     
     
         17 . The drill head of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a trailing end of the drill head opposite the laser emitting portion and connectable to an optically transmitting fiber of an umbilical to provide laser light from a laser light generator at the earth's surface to the optical element and to a fluid conduit to provide a fluid from a source at the earth's surface to the fluid nozzle.   
     
     
         18 . The drill head of  claim 15 , wherein the fluid nozzle is directed to impinge the fluid stream emitted therefrom onto an outer surface of the laser emitting portion of the optical element. 
     
     
         19 . The drill head of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a transparent barrier disposed anterior to the laser emitting portion of the optical element of the drill head to protect the optical element from contamination by elements present within an earthen bore section.   
     
     
         20 . The drill head of  claim 19 , wherein the transparent barrier comprises at least one of glass and a polycarbonate material. 
     
     
         21 . The drill head of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a fluid jumper conduit within the drill head and having a first portion connectable to a leading end of a fluid conduit to provide a stream of fluid flow through the fluid nozzle and onto the transparent barrier to remove heat generated by laser light emitted through the transparent barrier.   
     
     
         22 . The drill head of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 an outlet from the fluid jumper conduit connected to the fluid nozzle;   wherein the fluid nozzle provides a fluid barrier to protect the transparent barrier.