Method for drilling and lining a wellbore

摘要

A method of drilling a second wellbore section ( 12 ) from a first wellbore section ( 10 ) that is lined with a tubular liner ( 11 ) using a remotely controlled electrically powered drilling assembly that is suspended from a cable ( 1 ) and of periodically interrupting the drilling operation to extend the tubular liner into the second wellbore section without having to pull the assembly from the wellbore. The drilling assembly comprises an expansion means ( 2 ), a traction means ( 3 ), and an electrically actuated drill bit ( 6 ). An expandable liner pipe ( 19 ) is introduced into the wellbore by disconnecting a cable connection means ( 15 ) at the surface to separate the upper ( 13 ) and lower ( 14 ) lengths of cable, arranging the expandable liner pipe ( 19 ) concentrically about the upper ( 13 ) or lower ( 14 ) length of cable, reconnecting the cable connection means ( 15 ) to rejoin the upper ( 13 ) and lower ( 14 ) lengths of cable and running the expandable liner pipe ( 19 ) into the wellbore supported on a cable traction means ( 20 ) that is moveable along the cable.