Methods and apparatus for removing sections of a wellbore wall

Abstract

A downhole tool may include an anchor coupled to a first portion of the downhole tool and configured to engage with a feature of a wellbore to affix the first portion to the feature. The downhole tool may also include a linear actuator coupled to the first portion and to a second portion of the downhole tool, where the linear actuator is configured to move the second portion relative to the first portion and the feature. The downhole tool may further include a cutting head coupled to the second portion and including one or more cutters configured to engage with the feature. The downhole tool may also include a control system configured to obtain remote commands to control the anchor, the linear actuator, the cutting head, or a combination thereof.

1 . A downhole tool, comprising:
 an anchor coupled to a first portion of the downhole tool and configured to engage with a feature of a wellbore to affix the first portion to the feature;   a linear actuator coupled to the first portion and a second portion of the downhole tool, wherein the linear actuator is configured to move the second portion relative to the first portion and the feature;   a cutting head coupled to the second portion and including one or more cutters configured to engage with the feature; and   a control system configured to obtain remote commands to control the anchor, the linear actuator, the cutting head, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of sensors configured to provide the control system with feedback indicative of operational parameters of the downhole tool in real-time. 
     
     
         3 . The downhole tool of  claim 2 , wherein the control system is configured to adjust operation of the anchor, the linear actuator, the cutting head, or a combination thereof, based on the feedback provided via the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole tool of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least two of:
 a torque sensor configured to monitor a torque applied to the cutting head via a motor of the downhole tool;   a speed sensor configured to monitor an operational speed of the motor;   a force sensor configured to monitor a force generated by the linear actuator;   a displacement sensor configured to monitor an extension length of a piston of the linear actuator; and   a displacement sensor configured to monitor an extension distance of the one or more cutters.   
     
     
         5 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , comprising a motor configured to drive rotation of the cutting head to enable the one or more cutters to remove material from the feature via a machining process to form a circumferential slot within the feature, wherein the feature is a casing positioned within the wellbore, a cement lining positioned within the wellbore, or both. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole tool of  claim 5 , wherein the linear actuator is configured to translate the second portion relative to the feature to enable the one or more cutters to remove additional material from the casing, the cement lining, or both, as the cutting head translates along the feature. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator includes a piston that couples the first portion of the downhole tool to the second portion of the downhole tool, wherein the piston includes a passageway that enables communication lines to extend through the piston between the first portion and the second portion. 
     
     
         8 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cutters include one or more cutting knives or one or more cement reamers. 
     
     
         9 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , comprising an additional cutting head coupled to the second portion and configured to engage with the feature to remove additional material from the feature. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole tool of  claim 9 , wherein a first motor of the downhole tool is configured to rotate the cutting head in a first direction relative to the feature, and a second motor of the downhole tool is configured to rotate the second cutting head in a second direction relative to the feature that is opposite to the first direction. 
     
     
         11 . A wireline system, comprising:
 a drum configured to spool or unspool a cable into a wellbore;   a downhole tool coupled to the cable, the downhole tool comprising:
 a linear actuator coupled to a first portion and a second portion of the downhole tool, wherein the linear actuator is configured to move the first portion and the second portion relative to one another; and 
 a cutting head coupled to the second portion and including one or more cutters configured to engage with a feature of the wellbore; and 
   a data processing system configured to provide instructions to control the linear actuator, the cutting head, or both.   
     
     
         12 . The wireline system of  claim 11 , wherein the data processing system is configured to cooperatively control the linear actuator and the cutting head to enable the cutting head to form an elongated circumferential cutout with the feature of the wellbore. 
     
     
         13 . The wireline system of  claim 12 , wherein the feature includes a casing disposed within the wellbore, a cement lining disposed about the casing, or both. 
     
     
         14 . The downhole tool of  claim 11 , comprising at least one centralizer coupled to the second portion of the downhole tool and configured to engage with the feature of the wellbore. 
     
     
         15 . The downhole tool of  claim 11 , wherein the downhole tool comprises one or more sensors configured to provide the data processing system with real-time feedback indicative of operational parameters of the downhole tool, and wherein the data processing system is configured to provide the instructions to control the linear actuator, the cutting head, or both, based on the real-time feedback. 
     
     
         16 . The downhole tool of  claim 11 , wherein the cutting head is configured to perform a machining operation on the feature to remove material from the feature, and wherein the downhole tool comprises a material collection bin configured to capture the material removed from the feature. 
     
     
         17 . The wireline system of  claim 11 , wherein the data processing system is configured to detect a fault condition of the downhole tool based on feedback from one or more sensor of the downhole tool and, in response to detecting the fault condition, instruct the one or more cutters of the cutting head to transition to a retracted position. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 disposing a downhole tool within a casing of a wellbore;   fastening the downhole to an interior surface of the casing through an anchor;   rotating a cutting head having one or more cutters relative to the casing; and   forcing the one or more cutters into the casing to machine the interior surface of the casing using the one or more cutters.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising:
 penetrating through the casing with the one or more cutters to form a circumferential slot within the casing; and   translating the cutting head along the casing via a linear actuator to enable the one or more cutters to extend the circumferential slot into an elongated cutout that extends along the casing.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising:
 forcing the one or more cutters into a cement lining positioned about the casing to machine the cement lining using the one or more cutters;   penetrating through the cement lining with the one or more cutters to form an additional circumferential slot within the cement lining; and   translating the cutting head along the cement lining via the linear actuator to enable the one or more cutters to extend the additional circumferential slot into an additional elongated cutout that extends along the cement lining.