Method and apparatus for performing multiple operations in well bores

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF AN ELONGATED HOLE DRILLED IN AN EARTH FORMATION WITH A HOLLOW DRILL STRING WITH AN ELONGATED DRILLING TOOL ON THE LOWER END OF THE DRILL STRING, THE TOOL INCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL BORE OPENING INTO THE HOLLOW DRILL STRING, A LATERAL WASHING BORE OPENING FROM THE LONGITUDINAL BORE OUT THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE TOOL, AN ORIENTING BORE OPENING FROM THE LONGITUDINAL BORE THROUGH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TOOL AT AN ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TOOL, AND AT LEAST ONE CIRCULATING BORE OPENING FROM LONGITUDINAL BORE THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE TOOL, THE METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) DISPOSING THE DRILL STRING AND TOOL IN THE HOLE; (B) CIRCULATING FLUID DOWN THE DRILL STRING AND INTO THE LONGITUDINAL BORE OF THE TOOL; (C) INSERTING A FIRST CLOSURE MEANS INTO THE DRILLING TOOL TO INSERT FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE ORIENTING AND CIRCULATING BORES; (D) JETTING FLUID FROM THE WASHING BORE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE HOLE TO WASH THE FORMATION; (E) REMOVING THE FIRST CLOSURE MEANS AND THEN PUMPING CEMENT SLURRY DOWN THE DRILL STRING AND OUT AT LEAST THE CIRCULATING BORE TO PLACE A CEMENT PLUG IN THE HOLE; (F) INSERTING A SECOND CLOSURE MEANS INTO THE DRILLING TOOL TO RESTRICT FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE WASHING BORE AND THE CIRCULATING BORE WHILE LEAVING OPEN THE ORIENTING BORE; (G) JETTING FLUID FROM THE ORIENTING BORE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE HOLE TO FORM A CAVITY AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE HOLE; (H) FORCING THE DRILLING TOOL INTO THE CAVITY; (I) REMOVING THE SECOND ENCLOSURE MEANS AND INSERTING A THIRD ENCLOSURE MEANS INTO THE DRILLING TOOL TO RESTRICT FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE WASHING BORE AND THE ORIENTING BORE WHILE LEAVING OPEN THE CIRCULATING BORE; AND (J) JETTING FLUID OUT OF THE CIRCULATING BORE AS DRILLING EXTENDS THE LENGTH OF THE CAVITY.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF AN ELONGATED HOLE DRILLED IN AN EARTH FORMATION WITH A HOLLOW DRILL STRING WITH AN ELONGATED DRILLING TOOL ON THE LOWER END OF THE DRILL STRING, THE TOOL INCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL BORE OPENING INTO THE HOLLOW DRILL STRING, A LATERAL WASHING BORE OPENING FROM THE LONGITUDINAL BORE OUT THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE TOOL, AN ORIENTING BORE OPENING FROM THE LONGITUDINAL BORE THROUGH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TOOL AT AN ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TOOL, AND AT LEAST ONE CIRCULATING BORE OPENING FROM LONGITUDINAL BORE THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE TOOL, THE METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) DISPOSING THE DRILL STRING AND TOOL IN THE HOLE; (B) CIRCULATING FLUID DOWN THE DRILL STRING AND INTO THE LONGITUDINAL BORE OF THE TOOL; (C) INSERTING A FIRST CLOSURE MEANS INTO THE DRILLING TOOL TO INSERT FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE ORIENTING AND CIRCULATING BORES; (D) JETTING FLUID FROM THE WASHING BORE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE HOLE TO WASH THE FORMATION; (E) REMOVING THE FIRST CLOSURE MEANS AND THEN PUMPING CEMENT SLURRY DOWN THE DRILL STRING AND OUT AT LEAST THE CIRCULATING BORE TO PLACE A CEMENT PLUG IN THE HOLE; (F) INSERTING A SECOND CLOSURE MEANS INTO THE DRILLING TOOL TO RESTRICT FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE WASHING BORE AND THE CIRCULATING BORE WHILE LEAVING OPEN THE ORIENTING BORE; (G) JETTING FLUID FROM THE ORIENTING BORE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE HOLE TO FORM A CAVITY AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE HOLE; (H) FORCING THE DRILLING TOOL INTO THE CAVITY; (I) REMOVING THE SECOND ENCLOSURE MEANS AND INSERTING A THIRD ENCLOSURE MEANS INTO THE DRILLING TOOL TO RESTRICT FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE WASHING BORE AND THE ORIENTING BORE WHILE LEAVING OPEN THE CIRCULATING BORE; AND (J) JETTING FLUID OUT OF THE CIRCULATING BORE AS DRILLING EXTENDS THE LENGTH OF THE CAVITY.