| 摘要 |
<p>The present invention provides an apparatus and methods for seating a whipstock. The apparatus comprises an expandable seat (10), or nipple, configured to receive a whipstock (30). The seat is run into a cased wellbore (40), and is set by expanding it into frictional contact with the inner surface of the casing. Thereafter, a whipstock is seated onto the seat. The seat includes a keyway (12) configured to receive an orientation member (38) extending from the whipstock. In this manner, the orientation of the seat can be determined. An orientation member of the whipstock can be adjusted to properly orient the face of the whipstock in the seat, and the whipstock lowered onto the seat so that it automatically seats in the proper direction. The whipstock then serves as a diverter tool for drilling a lateral wellbore such as a horizontal well.</p> |
