Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090095528 | Downhole Motor Assembly with Torque Regulation - A downhole motor assembly for driving a drill bit. The assembly includes a hydraulic drive section with a stator and a rotor located inside the stator to form a flow path between the stator and the rotor. Fluid flowing through the flow path in response to a pressure differential across the hydraulic drive section creates an operative force to rotate the drill bit. The assembly also includes a regulation mechanism that includes a valve and a fluid flow diversion bore for diverting at least some fluid from the flow path when the pressure differential across the hydraulic drive section is greater than or equal to a transition pressure differential. | 04-16-2009 |
20100108383 | Drilling Apparatus and Method - A drilling apparatus includes an upper drill string, a lower drill string including a rotary drilling motor, an orientable rotatable connection between the drill strings, a reactive torque control device associated with the orientable rotatable connection, an orientation sensing device for providing a sensed actual orientation of the lower drill string, and a feedback control system configured to actuate the control device in response to the sensed actual orientation to achieve a target orientation of the lower drill string. A drilling method includes actuating the control device to prevent relative rotation of the drill strings, providing a sensed actual orientation of the lower drill string, comparing the sensed actual orientation with a target orientation of the lower drill string, actuating the control device to allow the lower drill string to rotate to provide the target orientation, and actuating the control device to prevent relative rotation of the drill strings. | 05-06-2010 |
20100219646 | Apparatus and Method for Generating Power Downhole - A downhole power generator comprises a substantially tubular body. A cover surrounds at least a portion of the body. At least one piezoelectric element is disposed in a cavity in the body, the piezoelectric element acting cooperatively with the cover such that motion of the cover relative to the body causes the piezoelectric element to generate electric power. A method for generating power downhole comprises disposing a cover around at least a portion of a substantially tubular body; disposing at least one piezoelectric element in the body; and engaging the piezoelectric element with the cover such that motion of the cover relative to the body causes the piezoelectric element to generate electric power. | 09-02-2010 |
20110284292 | Apparatus and Method for Steerable Drilling - A method for drilling a wellbore comprises extending a rotatable drill string in the wellbore, where the drill string has a bottom hole assembly coupled to a bottom end thereof. A lower section of the bottom hole assembly comprising a steering apparatus is coupled to an upper section of the bottom hole assembly with a controllably adjustable clutch. A steering apparatus toolface angle is detected. The clutch is controllably adjusted to maintain the steering apparatus toolface angle within a predetermined range about a target steering apparatus toolface angle while rotating the upper section with the drill string. | 11-24-2011 |
20120061143 | Guide Wire for Ranging and Subsurface Broadcast Telemetry - A managed bulk drilling system that employs a guide wire for ranging and crosswell telemetry. Some system embodiments include multiple drilling assemblies operating in the vicinity of a reference well that contains an electrical cable. The electrical cable is coupled to a surface control system. The control system uses the electrical cable as part of an antenna to receive uplink signals from the drilling assemblies and to broadcast down-link signals to the drilling assemblies. The uplink signals can include position data and the downlink signals can include individual steering commands to adjust the trajectories of each drilling assembly. The cable can also generate a guidance field for the drilling assemblies to detect and follow. | 03-15-2012 |
20120139748 | Borehole Array for Ranging and Crosswell Telemetry - A borehole array for ranging and crosswell telemetry is disclosed along with certain methods for employing such a borehole array. Some embodiments of the borehole array include electrically coupled reference nodes distributed along the length of a reference well. Each reference node includes a solenoid operated by a control unit. The control unit employs the solenoid to generate a magnetic field for guiding a bottomhole assembly in a nearby well. The control unit further serves as a communications intermediary between the bottomhole assembly and a surface facility. The bottomhole assembly can be guided in turn by subsequent reference nodes of the array and employ the closest reference node as a communications link to the surface. Moreover, the use of multiple reference nodes offers greater precision in determining the bottomhole assembly's position relative to the reference well. The borehole array can be used to guide multiple drilling operations concurrently. | 06-07-2012 |
20130206396 | PISTON TRACTOR SYSTEM FOR USE IN SUBTERRANEAN WELLS - A piston tractor system can include at least two piston assemblies which sealingly engage a wellbore, and a pump which transfers fluid between an annulus isolated between the piston assemblies, and another annulus. A method of operating a piston tractor system can include sealingly engaging at least two piston assemblies with a wellbore, grippingly engaging one piston assembly with the wellbore, and then pumping a fluid from an annulus formed between the piston assemblies, while the other piston assembly is secured to a tubular string, thereby biasing the tubular string to displace through the first piston assembly. A method of advancing a tubular string through a wellbore can include sealingly engaging piston assemblies with the wellbore, each of the piston assemblies including a gripping device which selectively grips the wellbore, and one piston assembly including another gripping device which selectively grips the tubular string. | 08-15-2013 |
20130341092 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRILLING A WELL - A system for drilling at least one well of interest proximate a reference well comprises at least one sensor in a drill string in the at least one well of interest to detect at least one parameter of interest related to a distance and a direction to the reference well. A controller is operatively coupled to the at least one sensor to determine the distance and the direction from the sensor to the reference well based at least in part on the at least one detected parameter of interest. A steerable assembly is operatively coupled to the controller to receive commands from the controller to adjust the path of the at least one well of interest being drilled based at least in part on the distance and direction from the sensor to the reference well. | 12-26-2013 |
20140008125 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR KICKING-OFF A ROTARY STEERABLE - A method and system for steering a rotary steerable tool in a borehole. A method includes determining an azimuthal angle between a reference direction and a reference point on a direction determination component of a tool string. The direction control component is remote from the rotary steerable tool. The azimuthal angle and a time at which the angle was determined are communicated to a rotary steerable tool direction control system. A steerable shaft of the rotary steerable tool is deflected based on the azimuthal angle and the time at which the angle was determined, thereby directing the rotary steerable tool in a predetermined direction. | 01-09-2014 |
20140085099 | REDUNDANT WIRED PIPE-IN-PIPE TELEMETRY SYSTEM - A system and method for providing redundant wired pipe-in-pipe telemetry is described. The redundant wired pip-in-pipe telemetry system includes an outer pipe and an inner pipe disposed within the outer pipe. Within the outer pipe, two or more conductive elements may be provided as well as a wired path controller that may selectably switch between available conductive paths. The wired path controller may identify conductive paths with good electrical characteristics and select those paths for transmission. If a conductive path develops a fault, the wired path controller may select one of the alternative redundant conductive paths for transmission to avoid the fault. The wireless controller may further transmit information about the location of faults to a drill operator at the surface. | 03-27-2014 |
20140190747 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC WEIGHT-ON-BIT SENSOR CALIBRATION - A system and method for automatic weight-on-bit sensor calibration is described. Embodiments of the invention automatically compensate the measurements of a weight-on-bit sensor based on one or more of mass, hole inclination, buoyancy, drag, and mud flow, resulting in a more accurate axial force measurement below the weight-on-bit sensor at various hole inclinations. This measurement is observed by removing some of the effects masking the actual force being applied to the axial face of the drill bit. | 07-10-2014 |
20140231141 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATIC WEIGHT ON BIT SENSOR CALIBRATION AND REGULATING BUCKLING OF A DRILLSTRING - Disclosed are systems and methods for automatic weight on bit sensor calibration and regulating buckling of a drillstring. One method includes taking a first survey recording at a first depth within a borehole, the first survey recording providing inclination and azimuth of a drillstring at the first depth, measuring a weight on a drill bit at the first depth with a sensor sub arranged on a bottom hole assembly, the bottom hole assembly forming part of the drillstring and the drill bit being disposed at an end of the drillstring, calculating a predicted borehole curvature at a second depth within the borehole, the predicted curvature including a predicted inclination and a predicted azimuth of the drillstring at the second depth, calculating a weight correction value based on the predicted hole curvature, and calibrating the sensor sub with the weight correction value. | 08-21-2014 |
20140340520 | SYSTEMS AND TOOLS FOR DETECTING RESTRICTED OR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES - Systems and tools for detecting the presence of a substance of interest is presented. The system utilizes a hyperspectral imaging camera to obtain images of an enclosed area, such as a vehicle. Vehicles can include cars, trucks, trains, or boats. The system also includes a processor and storage device. The processor receives the images taken by the hyperspectral imaging camera. Next, the processor determines whether such images contain certain substances. These substances include alcohol, carbon monoxide, illegal substances, and hazardous chemicals. The storage device is electrically coupled to the processor, and is used to store certain data information such as detection events, substance detected, and the time of detection. Such information can be sent over the internet, or streamed live to a laptop at a remote location. The present embodiment can be used by law enforcement to monitor vehicles of interest, and become an important part of public safety. | 11-20-2014 |
20150008001 | Subsurface Well Systems with Multiple Drain Wells Extending from Production Well and Methods for Use Thereof - Drain wells can be used to direct a fluid to a central production well in a subsurface well system. Subsurface well systems can include a production well extending from the earth's surface, a collection region having a fluid connection to the production well and either being contiguous with the production well or comprising a collection well that intersects or is in fluid communication with the production well, and at least one branched drain well extending laterally from the production well and including one or more branches that extend from the at least one branched drain well, wherein at least one of the one or more branches intersects or is in fluid communication with the collection region. | 01-08-2015 |