Method and apparatus for lateral well drilling with enhanced capability for clearing cuttings and other particles

摘要

Apparatus for clearing particles from a lateral drilling operation in strata beside a well. The drilling apparatus is part of a down hole unit and is configured for extending from a lateral opening of the unit into a lateral passage in the adjacent strata, and the operation of the drilling apparatus discharges particles from the lateral passage toward the lateral opening. The invention deflects or redirects the particles discharged from the lateral passage, away from the lateral opening, to prevent clogging or blocking of an internal passage or elbow through the down hole unit, using a pressurized fluid such as a gas or an emulsion. The pressurized fluid can also be configured for carrying the particles upwardly through the well to the surface, and for reducing or removing a hydrostatic head in the well.

主权项

1. Apparatus for forming a lateral passage in earth strata beside a well, comprising:
a tubular element configured to extend downwardly within an interior cavity of the well, the tubular element including an internal passage therethrough; a down hole unit connected to the tubular element so as to be supportable thereby at a predetermined depth within the interior cavity of the well, the down hole unit including a lowermost kick-off shoe and a passage extending therethrough including through an elbow extending through the kick-off shoe between an upper opening connecting with the internal passage through the tubular element, and a sidewardly facing lateral opening on the kick-off shoe lower than the upper opening positioned and configured so as to face an interior side surface of the well when the down hole unit is positioned at the predetermined depth within the interior cavity of the well, and drilling apparatus disposed in the passage through the down hole unit including within the elbow, the drilling apparatus being configured and operable for extending sidewardly from the lateral opening of the kick-off shoe for forming the lateral passage in the earth strata beside the well; apparatus configured for carrying a pressurized fluid downwardly through the well and through the upper opening into the elbow of the kick-off shoe of the down hole unit, the elbow having a sectional extent larger than the drilling apparatus such that the pressurized fluid will flow through the elbow about the drilling apparatus toward the lateral opening, and the elbow being configured for discharging the pressurized fluid from the lateral opening into the interior cavity of the well and under a sufficient pressure for preventing particles generated by operation of the drilling apparatus discharged into the interior cavity of the well from entering the lateral opening; and a channel on a laterally facing external surface of the kick-off shoe including the lateral opening, extending away from the lateral opening and configured for guiding the pressurized fluid discharged therefrom and cuttings carried thereby, away from the lateral opening.