Patent EA-004605-B1 (EA)
Title: Template and system for drilling and completing offsite well bores
Inventor: COLLINS GARY J
IPC: E21B33/14
Filed: 2001-03-15
Abstract: 1. A process for circulating a fluid through a template in a main well bore comprising: providing a template including a body, a tubular inlet leg, a tubular main outlet leg and a tubular offset outlet leg, said legs opening into said body; positioning said template in a main well bore to form an annulus between said template and a face of said main well bore; providing a straddle assembly including a straddle tube having proximal and distal ends mounting said straddle assembly in said template with said proximal end positioned in said inlet leg and said distal end positioned in said main outlet leg to provide a continuous straddle assembly flow path through said body and a continuous downhole flow path through said inlet leg, said straddle assembly, and said main outlet leg and injecting a fluid distally into said downhole flow path and displacing said fluid proximally into said annulus while maintaining sealing said offset outlet leg from said fluid. 2. The process of claim 1 further comprising providing at least one by-pass tube through said template and proximally displacing said fluid distally through said at least one by-pass tube past said template. 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said fluid is cement, said process further comprising setting up said cement in said annuls. 4. A process for circulating a fluid through a plurality of templates in a main well bore comprising: providing an initial template and a first additional template, each said initial and first additional templates including a body, a tubular inlet leg, a tubular main outlet leg and a tubular offset outlet leg, said legs opening into said body, serially positioning said initial and first additional templates in a main well bore with said main outlet leg of said initial template connected to said inlet leg of said first additional template; providing an initial straddle assembly and a first additional straddle assembly, each said initial and first additional straddle assemblies including a straddle tube having proximal and distal ends and proximal and distal seals; releasably mounting said initial straddle assembly in said initial template with said proximal seal positioned in said inlet leg and said distal seal positioned in said main outlet leg to provide a continuous straddle assembly flow path through said body and substantially prevent fluid flow from said inlet leg of said initial template into said offset outlet leg of said initial template; and releasably mounting said first additional straddle assembly in said first additional template with said proximal seal positioned in said inlet leg and said distal seal positioned in said main outlet leg to provide a continuous straddle assembly flow path through said body and substantially prevent fluid flow from said inlet leg of said first additional template into said offset outlet leg of said first additional template, such that a continuous downhole flow path is provided through said initial and first additional templates. 5. A template positionable in a main well bore and interchangeably configured for circulating fluids through the main well bore or for drilling an offset well bore from the main well bore, said template comprising: a fluid circulation configuration having a body, a tubular inlet leg, a tubular main outlet leg, a tubular offset outlet leg, said legs opening into said body, a straddle assembly including a straddle tube having proximal and distal ends and proximal and distal seals positioned substantially at said proximal and distal ends, wherein said proximal seal is mounted in said inlet leg and said distal seal is mounted in said main outlet leg to provide a continuous straddle assembly flow path through said body substantially preventing fluid flow from said inlet leg into said offset outlet leg, and a continuous downhole flow path through said inlet leg, said straddle assembly, and said main outlet leg; and an offset well bore drilling configuration having said body, said inlet leg, said main outlet leg, and said offset outlet leg, wherein said straddle assembly is removed from said body to provide a drill string path from said inlet leg to said offset outlet leg or said main outlet leg.