Casing profiling and recovery system

Abstract

A casing cutting and recovery tool having a cutting assembly, an expansion assembly having one or more deforming members, and a recovery assembly is used to cut a window in wellbore casing, secure a removable segment of wellbore casing that was previously disposed within the window, and recover the removable segment of wellbore casing with the tool. One or more cutting assemblies provides one or more cuts in the wellbore casing. The deforming members of the expansion assembly then expand outwardly at least two portions of the wellbore casing shaped by the cut or cuts. The recovery assembly secures the removable segment of the wellbore casing to the tool so that the tool and the removable segment of wellbore casing can be recovered together from the wellbore.

1 . An apparatus for forming an opening in casing in a well, the apparatus comprising:
 a cutting assembly for lowering into a casing of a well, the cutting assembly having at least one cutting member for cutting at least one slot in the casing to define a segment for removal;   a deforming member carried with the cutting assembly, the deforming member being selectively actuated from a surface of the well for deforming outward at least two portions of the casing adjacent the slot; and   a recovery assembly carried with the cutting assembly for engaging and removing the segment from the casing.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting assembly is disposed above the deforming member. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the deforming member is disposed above the recovery assembly. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the deforming member comprises at least two rollers. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a secondary cutting assembly, wherein the cutting assembly and the secondary cutting assembly each include at least two linear charges. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the recovery assembly includes a magnet and an actuating member for moving the magnet radially outward to engage and remove the segment from the casing. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the deforming member is operatively associated with a piston disposed within a piston chamber, a lower portion of the piston being operatively associated with a conically shaped deforming member housing. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the lower portion of the piston includes a conically shaped drive wedge, the drive wedge being slidingly engaged with the conically shaped deforming member housing. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the piston and drive wedge include a bore, the bore having disposed therein a ball seat, a ball, and a ball release. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the piston chamber includes hydraulic fluid. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the piston chamber further includes a vent port. 
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for forming an opening in casing in a well, the apparatus comprising:
 a cutting assembly for lowering into a casing of a well, the cutting assembly having at least one linear shaped charge for cutting at least one slot in the casing to define a segment for removal;   a piston movable by high pressure against a wedge member to radially expand a deforming member carried with the cutting assembly, the deforming member being selectively actuated by the piston for deforming outward at least two portions of the casing adjacent the slot; and   a recovery assembly carried with the cutting assembly for engaging and removing the segment from the casing, the recovery assembly having a radially moveable magnet.   
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the piston and wedge member each include a bore, the bore having disposed therein a ball seat, a ball, and a ball release. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the piston is disposed within a piston chamber having an upwardly biased spring and hydraulic fluid. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the piston chamber further includes a vent port. 
   
   
       16 . A method of cutting and removing a segment of casing disposed in a well to form an opening in the casing, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) lowering a casing cutting tool into a bore of a casing;   (b) cutting at least one slot in the casing with the casing cutting tool to define a segment of casing to be removed;   (c) with the casing cutting tool, forcing outward at least two portions of the casing adjacent the slot, thereby freeing the segment from the casing; then   (d) removing the segment, thereby leaving an opening in the casing.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 (e) raising the casing cutting tool with the segment of the casing from the bore of the casing.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein step (c) is performed by applying downward pressure on a piston disposed within casing cutting tool causing the piston to move downward, the downward movement of the piston causing at least two expansion members to move radially outward to engage each of the at least two portions of the casing adjacent the slots to force outward each of the at least two portions of the casing against the slot. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the downward pressure is created by fluid pumped into a bore within casing cutting tool, the bore being in fluid communication with the piston. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein step (d) is performed by actuating an actuating member to move a magnet radially outward to engage the segment o the casing and withdraw the segment of casing into the bore of the casing.