Abstract: An arrangement for guiding a drill crown or bit (8) (FIG. 4) in a given drilling path comprises an outer guide tube (7) in which a shaft (6) is rotatably arranged. The shaft is driven by a drive means (5) connected to one end of the shaft, while the bit (8) is mounted for rotation on and guided by the other end of said shaft. The axis of rotation (9) of the bit forms an angle (.alpha.) with the central axis (10) of the guide tube, said tube being non-rotatably, but axially displaceably connected to an axially feeding device through intermediate means (11).

Abstract: In the several representative embodiments of well bore apparatus disclosed herein adapted for releasable connection to a suspension cable, a cable-cutting member is arranged within an upper portion of the well bore apparatus for parting the lower end portion of the cable connected to the apparatus. In the disclosed embodiments of the invention, the cutting member is retained in an inactive position and chemically-degradable securing means are cooperatively arranged to fail only upon the elapse of a prolonged time interval so as to actuate the cable-cutting member should the apparatus have become stuck in a well bore. Provisions are also made for replacing the securing means upon return of the apparatus to the surface before the expiration of the predetermined time interval.

Abstract: A catalyst containing steam generator is lowered to the formation to be steamed. A packer is set at the upper extension of the generator to retain the steam. Fuel gas and oxidizing gas are passed through the catalyst which causes combustion within the catalyst bed. Water is passed over the heated tube retaining the hot catalyst bed or through the catalyst bed to produce steam.

Abstract: A column of elastic material such as steel is lowered into an oil well by means of a derrick to a position such that the end portion thereof is within a liner to be removed. The end portion of the column has clamping means thereon which are employed to tightly clamp the column to the liner. High level and variable resonant sonic energy is then applied to the column from the surface and transmitted along the column to the liner. The sonic energy operates to loosen the liner from the surrounding earthen material which usually has an adhesive tarry substance which tightly holds the liner. Vertical bias force, which may be varied from time to time to apply variable bias both upwardly and downwardly, as well as torsional bias in some instances are employed to aid in loosening the liner, the sonic energy operating to hysteresis heat the tarry adhesive until it softens and the liner can be removed by drawing the column upwardly with the derrick.

Abstract: A system for automatically opening and closing a valve located in a fluid delivery line of a gas well for starting and stopping the pumping action of the well when the pressure in the well is sufficient to enable gas and oil to be pumped therefrom. A pivotally mounted beam is engaged at opposite ends by a pair of pistons which are operatively connected to and actuated by the pressure in the well casing and in the well delivery tube, respectively. One end of the beam operates a first valve which is located in a pressure line communicating with the delivery line control valve for opening and closing the control valve. The beam opens the first valve when the pressure differential between the well casing and delivery tube reaches a preset, predetermined amount through the action of the pistons on the beam. Opening of the first valve also operates a third piston which sets a mechanical timer for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A rolling cone cutter earth boring bit is provided with a load carrying bearing surface that can be renewed during the earth boring operation. A canister bearing element is positioned between the bearing pin and the rolling cone cutter. The rolling cone cutter rotates about the canister bearing element in a first direction during normal drilling operations. The canister bearing element has directional stops on its inside surface. These directional stops engage directional stops on the bearing pin and prevent rotation of the canister bearing element during normal drilling operations. The bearing surface can be renewed by reversing the direction of cutter rotation thereby disengaging the canister bearing element from the directional stops and allowing it to rotate in the opposite direction until a new bearing surface is in the load area.

Abstract: A subsea test valve system for wells completed at the floor of the sea includes a safety valve and disconnect mechanism mounted in a blowout preventer at the bottom of the sea and having hydraulic fluid pressure operated means for opening the safety valve and controlling a latch in the disconnect mechanism. A tubing test string shut off valve is releasably latched in the disconnect mechanism and has a hydraulic fluid operated shut off valve and a valve for venting the test string to the riser pipe which extends from the blowout preventer to the vessel or platform at the surface of the sea. The subsea hydraulic pressure operated devices are supplied with pressure fluid from a subsea accumulator under the control of subsea pilot valves which are operated by small pressure differences, to accomplish rapid operation at great depth from a control console on the vessel or platform.

Abstract: A diamond drill bit for drilling bore holes in earth formations having a body connectible to a drilling string, and provided with a matrix portion of hard metals in which diamonds are surface set at the outer gage portion and adjacent to the bit axis, the hard metal matrix having preformed grooves in which preformed diamond impregnated segments are inserted, which are a mixture of diamonds and hard metals, and secured to the matrix portion by brazing material. During bit rotation in the bore hole, the segments cut the major portion of the hole, the diamonds being dispersed throughout the mass of each segment for selective release from the segment as the diamonds become damaged and lost, thereby exposing new diamonds in the segment at a controlled rate, and thereby producing continual resharpening of the segments. As a result, the drilling rate of the bit is increased, as well as the length of hole drilled.

Abstract: A pressure differential seafloor corer-carrier for obtaining long core samples of seafloor sediments. The corer-carrier is composed of two main components: The first component is a pump assembly that pumps seawater and sediment as to create a negative pressure differential; the negative pressure differential being the driving force that forces the corers into the seafloor such that cores of over 100 feet in length can be obtained. The second component is a space frame mounted and fastened to the pump and functions as a rack to which conventional corers are attached. Once the corers are embedded to their full length, the pump is used to create a positive pressure differential which helps remove the corer-carrier from the seafloor.

Abstract: An offshore marine structure for drilling wells into the ocean floor including a floating vessel which carries the necessary drilling equipment. A riser which extends from the vessel to a well head at the ocean floor, encloses a drill string and permits circulation of the drilling mud and fluids. The riser is comprised of at least two detachably connectable segments, one of which can be moved with the floating vessel, while the other remains buoyantly in place until such time as the two segments are reconnected.

Abstract: An in-hole motor drill assembly has the rotor of the motor connected to the drill bit by a slidable rotary drive connection, and normally disengaged torque transmitting members are engageable, if desired, to lock the bit and motor housing together for rotation of the bit by rotation of the motor housing. The torque transmitting members also interlock to prevent disengagement when an upward pull is applied during rotation of the bit.

Abstract: A novel way of maintaining a riser in the approximate center of a moon pool of a drilling barge operating in a shallow water. A single hydropneumatic cylinder is used to support the riser from the barge laterally at four points using a series of cables, sheaves, and a load cell.

Abstract: Drilling operations are run in a riser pipe, e.g., 20 inches in diameter, which extends from a ship to an anchored wellhead assembly on the ocean floor. Various strings of casing for lining the borehole wall are run down through the interior of the riser pipe. The first string of casing run is of relatively large diameter, e.g., 9-5/8 inches in diameter. Each successive string of casing which is run in this particular well is progressively smaller in diameter. Ideally, one would need a new and smaller riser in order to maintain about the same drilling fluid upward velocity. A high upward fluid velocity can be maintained by placing sleeve inserts in the annulus space between the drill string and the riser pipe interior wall. Additional strings of sleeves may be run inside the original sleeve to obtain a multiple effective sizing of the riser pipe.

Abstract: A system for testing and installing a blow out preventer on a floating vessel and offshore drilling rigs, although the system may be used on other rotary drilling rigs, is disclosed. Retractable rotary table supporting beams are disposed over the moon pool and the rotary table is releasably connected to them. Retractable sub-structure beams are provided below the rotary table so that means provided to move the assembled blow out preventer can move it through an opening in the derrick and over the moon pool when the rotary beams are retracted. Retractable moon pool skid beams are provided which support the blow out preventer when skidded through the moon pool opening in the sub-structure.In one aspect of the invention, the means connecting the rotary table to its support beams are self-aligning to that once the rotary table is aligned it can be removed and replaced without any further alignment.

Abstract: A machine for making underground excavations by compacting soil comprises an eccentric shaft having journals on which there are mounted for a free rotation in a sequence, beginning from the front end, a conical member and tapered rolls forming in combination a conically expanding body. The eccentric shaft is coupled to a drive for rotation. The conical member has a through longitudinal diffuser passage, and the eccentric shaft also has a through longitudinal diffuser passage of a cross-sectional area enlarging in the direction away from the face of the excavation being made. The cross-sectional area of the passage of the conical member is smaller than the smallest cross-sectional area of the passage of the eccentric shaft by an amount such that the inside cross-sectional area of the passage of the conical member is substantially within the limits of the inside cross-sectional area of the passage of the eccentric shaft.

Abstract: A simplified subsea production wellhead which permits (1) pump-down tool operations for routine well maintenance and (2) vertical entry to the wellbore for major workover operations. The wellhead can be lowered by the production pipeline to a wellhead site on the sea floor. The production wellhead includes a diverter spool for releasably attaching to a subsea well. Pump-down tools can be used with the diverter spool. If vertical entry of the subsea well is required, the diverter spool can be released, raised and moved horizontally to one side of the subsea well, giving vertical entry. After workover operations, the diverter spool is again moved over the subsea well and reattached.

Abstract: A well valve for use in a tubing string in a well bore of an oil or gas well to isolate a lower portion of the well bore below a packer including a body having a longitudinal bore therethrough connectible in a well tubing string, a lower annular valve seat supported in the body for limited sliding movement, fluid seal means between the lower valve seat and the body, an upper annular valve seat supported in longitudinal spaced relation from the lower valve seat within the body, a ball valve member supported for rotation between opened and closed positions between the valve seats, pivot members secured with the ball valve member for rotating the valve member, and a longitudinally movable operator member coupled with the pivot members for moving the pivot members longitudinally while permitting the members to traverse an arcuate path as the ball valve member rotates between open and closed positions.

Abstract: An improved rotary drill bit comprised of two or more elongated generally cylindrical drill members the lower ends of which form a cutting face. Each of the drill members includes a plurality of vertically spaced rows of diamond-shaped openings disposed, or formed, in the sides, or wall, thereof, the openings in adjacent rows being offset from each other and overlapping at their upper and lower ends whereby as the lower ends of the drill member wear away, cutting edges are continuously formed thereon by the diamond-shaped openings.

Abstract: A plurality of wells are clustered around a central riser which is maintained under tension from a floating platform. A plurality of spiders on the riser carry funnels in vertical alignment with the wells. The funnels are sufficiently large to permit the passage of wellhead connectors and master block valves, and the production risers include centralizers which brace the production riser from the funnels through a limited vertical range. Tensioning of the production riser is with a lower force and through a limited range which precludes disengagement of the centralizers from the funnel. Some centralizers are located to facilitate entry and attachment to the wellhead.

Abstract: An improved downhole system for operating a drill bit around a small radius of bend in the directional drilling of curved holes from a vertical well hole in an oil or gas formation. The system is comprised of a plurality of double shaft downhole motors assembled in line and their shafts are connected by a flexible coupling. A flexible assembly encloses the area between the motors and provides a means for drilling fluids to be pumped through the system to a drill bit. The system can be constructed of either electrical motors or fluid turbine motors which can operate from drilling fluids pumped down a drill pipe string.