In the process of sidetracking and drilling, a wedge experiences different loads: its own weight, the weight of drillstring when running in milling cutters and bits, the liner weight when casing laterals, tangential loads associated with drilling tools rotation. All these loads are working towards unsetting the wedge, rotating it around the horizontal axis and blocking the hole, which may, eventually, result in the wellbore loss. Analysis of these loads and their relationships allowed designing a wedge eliminating the risk of emergencies when sidetracking.
lateral
wedge
whipstock anchor
wedge head
wedge groove
torque
milling cutters
drill bit
liner
