Patent ID: 6554073
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
A method of cutting a well casing located beneath a subsea wellhead, the method comprising the steps of:making up a cutting assembly by securing a body of a motor, without an intermediate drilling string extending from a drilling rig to said motor, to a motor mounting device and connecting a radially expandable cutter to an output shaft of the motor by means of a tubing string; lowering the cutting assembly into an operative position in which the cutter is located in the casing below the wellhead and the mounting device is located at or above the level of the wellhead and adjacent a surface of the wellhead, said surface extending radially of the longitudinal axis of the tubing string; securing the mounting device adjacent the wellhead with mounting means so as to transmit rotary reaction forces from the body of the motor to the wellhead and to transmit axial reaction forces from the body of the motor to said surface; radially expanding the cutter into engagement with the casing; and operating the motor to rotate the tubing string and thereby rotate the cutter to cut the casing.