Patent ID: 9567809
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: E21B

Claim:
1. An apparatus for cutting laterally into an earthen formation from a wellbore comprising: a flexible tubular member having at least one inner passageway; the flexible tubular member being sized and configurable such that an attached cutting head assembly, the at least one inner passageway, and a fluid pumping source are in fluid communication; wherein the cutting head assembly further comprises a centering member sized and configured to retain the cutting head assembly substantially longitudinal about the axis of a substantially horizontal wellbore created by the apparatus when engaged in cutting laterally into the earthen formation and wherein the cuttings from the earthen formation may travel past the centralizing mechanism toward the wellbore; and wherein a first flexible tubular member end portion is sized and configured to be attachable to a rotation means and a second flexible tubular member end portion operatively coupled to the cutting head assembly such that torque applied to the first flexible tubular member end portion by the rotational source is translated to the cutting head assembly.