AN APPARATUS AND SYSTEM TO REMOVE DEBRIS FROM A LASER-EXTENDED BORE SECTION

摘要

An apparatus and a system to remove debris generated by using laser light to extend a bore section comprises a body (50) connected to an umbilical and a plurality of coolant injection ports (68) arranged about an inlet to a debris removal passage (67) through the body. The um¬ bilical is used to position the body adjacent a bore wall in a bore sec¬ tion to be extended, laser light is emitted from the apparatus to melt at least a component of a formation material in which the bore is to be extended and to generate globules of melted formation compo¬ nents. A gas is injected (78) into the bore section to disrupt and to sweep at least some of the molten material (81) from a laser path in¬ to the debris removal passage as an injected stream (71) of coolant within the passage intercepts the remnants of globules of molten ma¬ terial as they accelerate in the debris removal passage.