Abstract: A system for detecting acoustic or vibration signals transmitted along a tubular string, the system can include a tool assembly with a sensor assembly configured to be removably attached to a sub, the sub being connected to the tubular string such that acoustic/vibration signals travel through the sub and the sensor assembly detects the signals, with the sensor assembly including sensors that are configured to contact the sub and detect the signals traveling through the sub.

Abstract: A method of identifying a steering command for a rotary steerable system (“RSS”) that includes identifying, by one or more processors, a solution arc for an upcoming drilling segment; automatically identifying, by the one or more processors and in response to the identification of the solution arc, the steering command for the RSS; and automatically identifying, by the one or more processor and in response to the identification of the steering command, downlink commands to be sent to the RSS. Automatically identifying, by the one or more processors and in response to the identification of the solution arc, the steering command for the RSS comprises: accessing a table that models a relationship between dogleg severity and a percentage of steering force; and identifying, using the table, the target steering force associated with the target dogleg severity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that can include operating a first rig component at a first location, capturing waste energy from the first rig component at the first location, and redirecting the waste energy to another rig component, another location, or a combination thereof. A method of operating a drilling rig can include operations of determining a power usage profile for a rig based on a digital rig plan; predicting waste energy to be generated during execution of the digital rig plan; and modifying the power usage profile for the rig and the digital rig plan based on the predicted waste energy.

Abstract: A system including a spinner assembly that includes a spinner subassembly which includes a spinner configured to engage a tubular, and a drive gear coupled to the spinner, with the drive gear configured to drive rotation of the spinner, and the encoder configured to count teeth of the drive gear as the drive gear rotates. A controller configured to determine a number of revolutions of a tubular that are needed to thread the tubular to a tubular string based on data from the encoder. The controller is also configured to determine when the tubular is unthreaded from the tubular string based on data from the encoder.

Abstract: A system including a logging tool that can detect gamma rays in a wellbore, where the logging tool can have a window formed in an outer surface of a drill collar that allows increased sensitivity of a gamma ray detector assembly housed within the drill collar, with a body of the drill collar radially surrounding the gamma ray detector assembly, where the window can be filled with a material, and where the windows provide increased sensitivity to gamma rays in a wellbore in an azimuthal direction allowing azimuthal mapping of the gamma rays in formation surrounding the wellbore.

Abstract: A method of building and operating a land-based drilling rig with a high-capacity mast include providing a platform collapsed on a substructure over a proposed well drilling location and building the high-capacity mast in a horizontal condition by attaching a lower portion of the high-capacity mast to the platform. The high-capacity mast having an opening formed therein sized to accommodate four Range 2 pipes or three Range 3 pipes. The high-capacity mast may be raised from the horizontal condition to a vertical condition by pushing the side of the high-capacity mast to pivot the high-capacity mast about a pivot point on the platform. The platform may be raised from a collapsed condition to a raised condition over the substructure. Some implementations include dual racking boards on the high-capacity mast.

Abstract: A method that includes an electronic application identifying a downlink sequence for execution by a surface control system of a drilling rig, with the sequence including target output values of a mud pump system and/or a drive system. The method includes instructing the control system to operate in accordance with the sequence. The application receives measured output values of the mud pump system and/or the drive system and calculates differences between the target and measured output values. When the differences are within a level of tolerance, then the application identifies the control system as compliant; and when the differences are greater than the level of tolerance, then the application identifies the control system as non-compliant. The method also includes the application receiving data from a BHA of the drilling rig and determining, based on the data received, if a downlink to the BHA was successful.

Abstract: A system including a stabbing guide with a plurality of guide elements, an engaging element, and a linkage assembly that couples the plurality of guide elements to the engaging element, where rotation of the engaging element relative to the plurality of guide elements drives the linkage assembly and, via the linkage assembly, moves the guide elements radially relative to a center axis of the stabbing guide.

Abstract: A land-based drilling rig includes a drill rig floor and a subfloor, the subfloor supporting the drill rig floor. The land-based drilling rig also includes a plurality of substructure boxes, the substructure boxes supporting the subfloor, each substructure box including a lower substructure box and two upper substructure boxes, wherein there is a gap between the two upper substructure boxes. In addition, the land-based drilling rig further includes a mast, the mast mechanically coupled to the drill rig floor.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for measuring toolface angles on a drilling rig and calculating a slide stability score are provided. The slide stability score may represent an amount of consistency of the toolface angle of a bottom hole assembly (BHA) of the drilling rig during a slide drilling operation. Calculating the slide stability score may include measuring one or more toolface angles of the BHA during the slide drilling operation, comparing the measured one or more toolface angles, and calculating the consistency of the toolface angle using the measured one or more toolface angles.

Abstract: A method for performing a subterranean operation that can include operations of engaging a tubular with a pipe handler, calculating, via a processor, an internal volume of the tubular, determining, via the processor, a number of pump strokes required to fill at least a percentage of the internal volume with fluid, pumping the fluid to the tubular by running a pump the number of pump strokes, and filling the internal volume of the tubular to at least the percentage of the internal volume with the fluid.

Abstract: A mud bucket system including a base structure and a bellows with a longitudinal internal cavity, the base structure attached to one end of the bellows and a retention ring attached to another end, where the vertical movement of the retention ring lengthens or shortens the longitudinal internal cavity, and a method of using the system that can include coupling a mud bucket to a rig floor, raising a retention ring of the mud bucket, thereby elongating a longitudinal internal cavity of the mud bucket such that a connection of a tubular string is positioned within the longitudinal internal cavity, and unthreading the connection while the connection is positioned within the longitudinal internal cavity, where a tubular is connected to the tubular string at the connection and unthreading the connection disconnects the tubular from the tubular string and expels a fluid from the tubular into the longitudinal internal cavity.

Abstract: Method(s) and apparatus according to which: a bottom-hole assembly (“BHA”) and a drilling rig together attempt to drill a wellbore segment along a planned trajectory while a test scenario is executed on the drilling rig by varying operating parameter(s) of the drilling rig in a predetermined manner during a predetermined time interval; performance characteristic(s) monitored by sensor(s) of the BHA during the predetermined time interval are then received; the predetermined manner in which the operating parameter(s) of the drilling rig were varied during the predetermined time interval is/are then compared to the received performance characteristic(s) monitored by the sensor(s) of the BHA during the predetermined time interval; and based on said comparison, the operating parameter(s) of a drilling rig (e.g., another drilling rig) are controlled while a BHA (e.g., another BHA) operably associated with the drilling rig attempts to drill a wellbore segment along a similar planned trajectory.

Abstract: An apparatus for, and method of identifying a potential problem with a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) combination that is used in a drilling operation. The method includes monitoring, using a sensor, an actual drilling parameter; comparing the actual drilling parameter to a target drilling parameter to determine a deviation; creating, in response to the deviation and by a feedback control loop system that references an electronic database, instructions thereby omitting variability associated with human input in creating the instructions; monitoring, using the controller, a change in the deviation; determining that the change in the deviation is below a threshold; and determining, based on the change in the deviation being below the threshold, that there is a potential problem with the BHA combination. The BHA combination comprises a mud motor and a drill bit.

Abstract: A system comprising a rig, a fingerboard, a first sensor, and a second sensor, with the first sensor positioned on an opposite side of the entrance from the second sensor, where the first sensor and the second sensor are used to detect when a tubular enters or exits the fingerboard and to detect a parameter of the tubular, such as diameter of the tubular, speed of the tubular, and an angle of entry of the tubular. A method comprising sensing, via first and second sensors, when a tubular is entering a fingerboard through an entrance of the fingerboard, restricting movement of a top drive at an elevated position until the first and second sensors sense the tubular entering the fingerboard, and enabling movement of the top drive when the first and second sensors sense the tubular entering the fingerboard.

Abstract: A power system for an electrical system with highly fluctuating loads is powered by one or more power sources that are slow to react to load changes. The power sources are connected to electrical equipment used on the drill rig which provide active load to the generate. One or more load banks may be positioned to provide passive load to the generators to maintain generally constant generator load, while allowing for instant access to power as active load increases. Generators may be run at 100% capacity, a maximum efficient capacity, or at a high enough level to allow for a sufficiently rapid increase in power output. At least one parameter of a drilling operation may be utilized to anticipate load demand changes.

Abstract: A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”) by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on the received data; comparing the location of the BHA to a planned drilling path to identify an amount of deviation; automatically creating a modified drilling path based on the amount of deviation and a predicted trend of a downhole parameter; detecting a trend of the downhole parameter while drilling along the modified drilling path; and automatically creating a further modified drilling path when the trend of the downhole parameter is a reversal of the predicted trend of the downhole parameter. The predicted trend of the downhole parameter is an increase of a d-exponent factor or a d-exponent-corrected factor with an increase in depth.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to subterranean drilling, and more particularly to tools, systems, and methods used to measure torque applied by subterranean drilling machines, such as iron roughnecks, during the make-up and break out of drill pipe connections. Articles, systems, and methods herein relate to embodiments of a torque measuring tool including: a torque shaft; a torque sleeve; an upper torque arm; a lower torque arm; and a force sensor; wherein the torque shaft is disposed in the torque sleeve; wherein the upper torque arm is coupled to the torque sleeve; wherein the lower torque arm is coupled to the torque shaft; and wherein the force sensor is coupled to and disposed between the upper torque arm and the lower torque arm.

Abstract: A method is provided that can include collecting, via a processor, operational data about a subterranean operation being performed on a rig, determining, via the processor, a type of the subterranean operation based on the operational data, and automatically updating, based on the type, a user display with display elements associated with the subterranean operation.

Abstract: A pipe doping apparatus comprises a bucket assembly including a base and a bucket supported on the base and having an inside volume, a lubricating unit having at least one lubricant applicator inside the bucket; and a source of torque configured to rotate the bucket and/or the lubricating unit relative to a tubular. The apparatus may include a cleaning unit and/or a drying unit and the source of torque may be a fluid jet in either. At least one lubricant applicator may be retractable and may be actuated between a retracted position and an extended position by centripetal force. The apparatus may further include a positioning assembly supporting the base and the rotary bucket assembly and a controller connected to and controlling each of:—the positioning assembly, the cleaning unit, the drying unit, and the lubricating unit.