Granted Patent B2

US 12,371,963 · App. 18/650,597 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventor: Gerald J. Cronley (Gretna, LA)

E21B29/005E21B17/20

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A section mill comprising:

(a) a longitudinally extending tubular mill body having a mill body central fluid bore, an upper piston chamber, and a lower piston chamber;

(b) a translatable tubular piston mandrel positioned within said mill body central fluid bore, said tubular piston mandrel having an upper end, a lower end, and a piston mandrel central fluid bore, said upper piston chamber and said lower piston chamber in fluid communication with said piston mandrel central fluid bore;

(c) an upper piston attached to said tubular piston mandrel, said upper piston positioned within said upper piston chamber;

(d) a lower piston attached to said tubular piston mandrel, said lower piston positioned within said lower piston chamber;

(e) a plunger attached to said lower end of said tubular piston mandrel; and

(f) a longitudinally extending cutter shoe pivotally attached to said plunger and to said tubular mill body.

2. The section mill recited in claim 1 , wherein said cutter shoe has an upper end, said upper end of said cutter shoe pivotally attached to a yoke link that is pivotally attached to said plunger.

3. The section mill recited in claim 2 , further comprising a cutter shoe support link, said cutter shoe support link pivotally attached to said cutter shoe and pivotally attached to said tubular mill body.

4. The section mill recited in claim 3 further comprising upper fluid ports in fluid communication with said tubular piston mandrel central fluid bore and with said upper piston chamber and lower fluid ports in fluid communication with said tubular piston mandrel central fluid bore and lower piston chamber.

5. The section mill recited in claim 4 , wherein said tubular piston mandrel is configured to move upward and downward in response to fluid pressure generated by fluid flow through said upper and said lower fluid ports.

6. The section mill recited in claim 5 , wherein said cutter shoe includes cutter surfaces.

7. The section mill recited in claim 6 , wherein said yoke link is comprised of a pair of opposing yoke link segments and said cutter shoe support link is comprised of opposing support link segments.

8. The section mill recited in claim 7 , further comprising a first and a second carrier shoe, said first and said second carrier shoes staggered along the length of said tubular mill body.

9. The section mill recited in claim 8 , further comprising a carrier pipe string having a carrier pipe string central fluid bore and a tubular top sub having a top sub central fluid bore, said top sub attached between said tubular mill body and said carrier pipe string, said top sub central fluid bore in fluid communication with a carrier pipe string central fluid bore and said mill body central fluid bore.

10. The section mill recited in claim 9 , wherein said section mill is configured to rotate for milling by rotation of said tubular top sub.

11. The section mill recited in claim 10 , wherein said carrier pipe string is a coiled tubing string.

12. The section mill recited in claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of cutter shoe support links and a plurality of support posts on said first and said second carrier shoes, each said support post and each said cutter shoe support link having a bearing race having a bearing ball.

13. The section mill recited in claim 12 , further comprising an adjustment bolt attached to said tubular piston mandrel and said plunger whereby said plunger may be selectively positioned longitudinally within said tubular mill body with respect to said tubular piston mandrel.

14. A section mill for milling a wellbore tubular comprising:

(a) a carrier pipe string, said carrier pipe string having a carrier pipe string central fluid bore;

(b) a top sub, said top sub having an upper end, a lower end, and a top sub central fluid bore, said upper end of said top sub attached to said carrier pipe string whereby said top sub central fluid bore is in fluid communication with said carrier pipe string central fluid bore;

(c) a longitudinally extending tubular mill body, said tubular mill body having an upper end, a lower end, and a mill body central fluid bore, said upper end of said tubular mill body attached to said lower end of said top sub, whereby said top sub central fluid bore is in fluid communication with said mill body central fluid bore;

(d) a translatable longitudinally extending tubular piston mandrel positioned within said mill body central fluid bore, said tubular piston mandrel having an upper end, a lower end, and a piston mandrel central fluid bore in fluid communication with said mill body central fluid bore;

(e) an upper piston attached to said elongated tubular piston mandrel, said upper piston positioned within an upper piston chamber in said tubular mill body, said upper piston chamber in fluid communication within said piston mandrel central fluid bore;

(f) a lower piston attached to said elongated tubular piston mandrel, said lower piston positioned within a lower piston chamber in said tubular mill body, said lower piston chamber in fluid communication within said piston mandrel central fluid bore;

(g) a first plunger attached to said lower end of said tubular piston mandrel;

(h) a first longitudinally extending cutter shoe having at least one cutter surface, said first cutter shoe having an upper end and a lower end,

(i) a first cutter shoe yoke link pivotally attaching said upper end of said first cutter shoe to said first plunger; and

(j) a plurality of first cutter shoe support links pivotally attaching said first cutter shoe to said tubular mill body.

15. The section mill recited in claim 14 , wherein said carrier pipe string is comprised of a coiled tubing string.

16. The section mill recited in claim 14 , further comprising:

(a) a second plunger attached to said lower end of said tubular piston mandrel;

(b) a second longitudinally extending cutter shoe having at least one cutter surface, said second cutter shoe having an upper end and a lower end,

(c) a second cutter shoe yoke link pivotally attaching said upper end of said second cutter shoe to said second plunger; and

(d) a plurality of second cutter shoe support links pivotally attaching said second cutter shoe to said tubular mill body.

17. The section mill recited in claim 16 , wherein said section mill is configured to rotate for milling by rotation of said top sub.

18. The section mill recited in claim 17 , further comprising adjustment bolts attaching said first and said second plungers to said tubular piston mandrel whereby said first and said second plungers may be selectively positioned longitudinally along said tubular piston mandrel.

19. The section mill recited in claim 18 , wherein:

(a) said tubular piston mandrel is configured to provide said fluid pressure in said upper and said lower piston chambers;

(b) said tubular piston mandrel is configured to move upward and downward in response to fluid pressure in said upper and said lower piston chambers; and

(c) said first and said second cutter shoes are configured to pivot radially outward in response to upward movement of said tubular piston and radially inward in response to downward movement of said tubular piston mandrel.

20. The section mill recited in claim 19 , wherein said carrier pipe string is comprised of a coiled tubing string.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (29)