Downhole tool employing a whipstock assembly, packer assembly and downhole power unit

Abstract

Provided, in one aspect, is a downhole tool, a well system, and a method. The downhole tool, in one aspect, includes a whipstock assembly, the whipstock assembly including a whipface. The downhole tool, in one aspect, further includes a packer assembly coupled to the whipstock assembly, the packer assembly including a packer element configured to move between a radially retracted state and a radially expanded state. The downhole tool, in one aspect, may further include a downhole power unit coupled to the packer assembly, the downhole power unit configured to move the packer element between the radially retracted state and the radially expanded state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A downhole tool, comprising:
 a whipstock assembly, the whipstock assembly including a whipface;   a packer assembly coupled to the whipstock assembly, the packer assembly including a packer element configured to move between a radially retracted state and a radially expanded state; and   a downhole power unit coupled to the packer assembly, the downhole power unit configured to move the packer element between the radially retracted state and the radially expanded state.   
     
     
         2 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 1 , further including a ported sub coupled to the downhole power unit, the ported sub configured to hydraulically connect activation fluid to the downhole power unit. 
     
     
         3 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the ported sub is configured to hydraulically connect activation fluid from an annulus of a wellbore to the downhole power unit. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the downhole power unit has a pre-determined activation pressure, the downhole power unit configured to initiate a setting sequence of the packer assembly after receiving activation fluid having at least the pre-determined activation pressure from the ported sub. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the downhole power unit has a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor configured to sense for at least the pre-determined activation pressure before initiating the setting sequence. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the ported sub or the downhole power unit has a burst disc, the burst disc configured to burst upon receiving at least the pre-determined activation pressure before initiating the setting sequence. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the downhole power unit is configured to immediately initiate the setting sequence of the packer assembly after receiving the activation fluid having at least the pre-determined activation pressure from the ported sub. 
     
     
         8 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the downhole power unit is configured to start a pre-determined countdown to initiate the setting sequence of the packer assembly after receiving the activation fluid having at least the pre-determined activation pressure from the ported sub. 
     
     
         9 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the downhole power unit is positioned between the whipstock assembly and the packer assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 1 , further including a milling assembly removably coupled to the whipface. 
     
     
         11 . The downhole tool as recite in  claim 10 , wherein the milling assembly is removably coupled to the whipface using a shear feature. 
     
     
         12 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the packer assembly includes an inner mandrel, upper slips positioned about the inner mandrel, lower slips positioned about the inner mandrel, and the packer element positioned about the inner mandrel between the upper slips and the lower slips, wherein the inner mandrel is configured to axially slide to move the upper slips and lower slips toward one another to compress the packer element from its radially retracted state to its radially expanded state. 
     
     
         13 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the downhole power unit is configured to receive an activation signal along wired drill string. 
     
     
         14 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the activation signal is an acoustic signal. 
     
     
         15 . A well system, comprising:
 a main wellbore located in a subterranean formation;   a lateral wellbore extending from the main wellbore; and   a downhole tool positioned proximate an intersection between the main wellbore and the lateral wellbore, the downhole tool including:
 a whipstock assembly, the whipstock assembly including a whipface; 
 a packer assembly coupled to the whipstock assembly, the packer assembly including a packer element configured to move between a radially retracted state and a radially expanded state; and 
 a downhole power unit coupled to the packer assembly, the downhole power unit configured to move the packer element between the radially retracted state and the radially expanded state. 
   
     
     
         16 . The well system as recited in  claim 15 , further including a ported sub coupled to the downhole power unit, the ported sub configured to hydraulically connect activation fluid to the downhole power unit. 
     
     
         17 . The well system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the ported sub is configured to hydraulically connect activation fluid from an annulus of the main wellbore to the downhole power unit. 
     
     
         18 . The well system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the downhole power unit has a pre-determined activation pressure, the downhole power unit configured to initiate a setting sequence of the packer assembly after receiving activation fluid having at least the pre-determined activation pressure from the ported sub. 
     
     
         19 . The well system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the downhole power unit has a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor configured to sense for at least the pre-determined activation pressure before initiating the setting sequence. 
     
     
         20 . The well system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the ported sub or the downhole power unit has a burst disc, the burst disc configured to burst upon receiving at least the pre-determined activation pressure before initiating the setting sequence. 
     
     
         21 . The well system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the downhole power unit is configured to immediately initiate the setting sequence of the packer assembly after receiving the activation fluid having at least the pre-determined activation pressure from the ported sub. 
     
     
         22 . The well system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the downhole power unit is configured to start a pre-determined countdown to initiate the setting sequence of the packer assembly after receiving the activation fluid having at least the pre-determined activation pressure from the ported sub. 
     
     
         23 . The well system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the downhole power unit is positioned between the whipstock assembly and the packer assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The well system as recited in  claim 15 , further including a milling assembly removably coupled to the whipface. 
     
     
         25 . The well system as recite in  claim 24 , wherein the milling assembly is removably coupled to the whipface using a shear feature. 
     
     
         26 . The well system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the packer assembly includes an inner mandrel, upper slips positioned about the inner mandrel, lower slips positioned about the inner mandrel, and the packer element positioned about the inner mandrel between the upper slips and the lower slips, wherein the inner mandrel is configured to axially slide to move the upper slips and lower slips toward one another to compress the packer element from its radially retracted state to its radially expanded state. 
     
     
         27 . The well system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the downhole power unit is coupled to wired drill string, and further wherein the downhole power unit is configured to receive an activation signal along the wired drill string. 
     
     
         28 . The well system as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the activation signal is an acoustic signal. 
     
     
         29 . A method, comprising:
 positioning a downhole tool proximate an intersection between a main wellbore and where a lateral wellbore is to be located, the downhole tool including:
 a whipstock assembly, the whipstock assembly including a whipface; and 
 a packer assembly coupled to the whipstock assembly, the packer assembly including a packer element configured to move between a radially retracted state and a radially expanded state; and 
 a downhole power unit coupled to the packer assembly, the downhole power unit configured to move the packer element between the radially retracted state and the radially expanded state; and 
   moving the packer element from the radially retracted state to the radially expanded state to fix the downhole tool within the main wellbore.   
     
     
         30 . The method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein the downhole tool further includes a ported sub coupled to the downhole power unit, the ported sub configured to hydraulically connect activation fluid to the downhole power unit. 
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the ported sub is configured to hydraulically connect activation fluid from an annulus of the main wellbore to the downhole power unit. 
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein moving the packer element from the radially retracted state to the radially expanded state includes hydraulically connecting the activation fluid to the downhole power unit using the ported sub.