Method of Milling With Shifting Tool Capabilities

Abstract

A bottom hole assembly comprises a milling tool and associated drive motor with a shifting tool that is capable on deployment to selectively grab, shift and release from sliding sleeves when the bottom hole assembly is removed from the subterranean location. The shifting tool is preferably protected from the returning flow of cuttings to avoid erosion or clogging from the cuttings being circulated to the surface. The shifter tool can be of a known design to enable the milling of ball seats or entire plugs in the same trip as the operation of the sliding sleeve valves associated with the treatment operation so that the well can then be in position to commence production or injection once a suitable string and service packer are set in position. Typically the sleeves are open for the treatment and then closed after milling as the bottom hole assembly is removed.

1 . A completion method, comprising:
 running in a milling assembly and at least one valve tool into a borehole in a single trip;   milling at least one barrier in the borehole and operating at least one valve that provides formation access from the borehole in said single trip.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing a ball seat as said at least one barrier.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing a sliding sleeve valve as said at least one valve.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing as said at least one valve a plurality of sliding sleeve valves.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing as said at least one barrier a plurality of ball seats.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 performing a treating operation against said ball seats that comprises at least one of hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding and cementing.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 locating the at least one valve tool uphole of the milling assembly.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing as said at least one valve tool a plurality of shifting tools that are identical or different.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising:
 providing as said at least one valve a plurality of sliding sleeve valves;   operating all or less than all of said valves with one or more than one of said shifting tools.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing a mill driven by a fluid motor as said milling assembly.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 protecting said shifting tool from cuttings circulated to the surface during operation of said milling assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 using a protective sleeve to cover said shifting tool when cuttings are circulated to the surface during operation of said milling assembly.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising:
 removing said sleeve from said shifting tool by disintegration of said sleeve, fluid pressure or mechanical force.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising:
 making said sleeve of a controlled electrolytic material.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing as said at least one valve a plurality of sliding sleeve valves;   axially shifting said sliding sleeves against respective stops with said at least one said shifting tool for an automatic release of said sliding sleeves.