METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEPLOYING A WELL TOOL INTO A LATERAL WELLBORE

摘要

A deployment tool (42) for communicating a well tool from a generally vertical wellbore (12) to a lateral wellbore (14) includes a hollow tube (44) having a generally uniform inside diameter. The tube includes at least one flex portion (50) disposed intermediate a first end and a second end of the tube to allow for angular deflection of the second end (48) of the tube with respect to the first end (46) of the tube. The flex portion also maintains the generally uniform inside diameter of the tube during the angular deflection. The deployment tool also includes a locking device (64) attached to the first end of the tube for releasably securing the first end of the tube at a selected location in the vertical wellbore adjacent to the lateral wellbore. The tube of the deployment tool includes a length selected to allow the second end of the tube to extend into a portion of the lateral wellbore when the first end is releasably secured at the selected location in the vertical wellbore.