Staged underreamer cutter block

• Main Author: Trunk, Philip G
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.05.2021
• Subjects: EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

A cutter block includes a formation facing surface having a staged cutting profile and one or more stabilizer pads may be located between reaming portions. A shorter stabilizer pad or no stabilizer pad may be at the gauge of the cutter block. A spline on the cutter block and used by a downhole cutting apparatus to move the cutter block may intersect the formation facing surface. The spline may form an extension that increases a width of the formation facing surface. The extension may be located at a stabilizer pad to expand the stabilizer pad, such that the extension rotationally leads or trails cutting structure of the cutter block. When the cutter block is expanded, a stabilizer pad may be at a pilot diameter of a wellbore, while some cutting elements may be radially outside, and others radially within, the pilot diameter of the wellbore.