Downhole hydraulic jetting assembly, and method for stimulating a production wellbore

摘要

A method for forming lateral boreholes from an existing parent wellbore is provided. The wellbore has been completed with a string of production casing. The method generally comprises providing a downhole tool assembly having a whipstock. The method also includes running the assembly down into the parent wellbore. A force is applied to the assembly to cause the whipstock to rotate within the wellbore into an operating position. In this position, a curved face of the whipstock forms a bend-radius substantially across the inner diameter of the casing. A jetting hose is run into the wellbore. Upon contact with the curved face of the whipstock, the jetting hose is re-directed through a window in the production casing. Hydraulic fluid is injected under pressure through the hose to provide hydraulic jetting. The hose is directed through the window and into the formation to create a lateral borehole extending many feet outwardly into a subsurface formation. A downhole tool assembly for forming lateral boreholes from a parent wellbore is also provided herein. The assembly utilizes substantially the entire inner diameter of the casing as the bend radius for a hydraulic jetting hose.

主权项

1. A downhole tool assembly for forming a lateral borehole within a subsurface formation from an existing wellbore using hydraulic forces that are directed through a jetting hose, the wellbore having been completed with a string of production casing defining an inner diameter, and the tool assembly comprising:
a whipstock member having a curved face, with the curved face creating a bend radius for the jetting hose; a pin, wherein:
the whipstock member is configured to rotate about the pin from a first run-in position such that the whipstock member may pass through a slim hole region along the wellbore, the slim hole region defining, an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the production casing, to a second set position below the slim hole region in response to a force applied to the tool assembly within the wellbore, andin the set position, the whipstock member is configured to receive the jetting hose from the surface and to direct the jetting hose across the entire inner diameter of the production casing to a window location in the production casing; and slips configured to pivot from a first run-in position to a second set position, wherein the slips pivot outwardly to engage an inner wall of the production casing and to anchor the tool assembly in the set position in response to the force applied to the tool assembly.