Abstract: The present invention is a drilling tool including a telescoping assembly for transmitting hydraulic force to the drill bit at the bottom of the tool. The internal hydraulic characteristics of the tool may be varied to vary the force through extension and retraction of the telescoping assembly.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for orienting a drilling tool in a borehole, and which employs drilling mud pressure to selectively hydraulically move force-transmitting elements associated with pressure members on the exterior of the tool against the wall of the borehole, or to radially shift the drive shaft of the drilling tool in the tool casing. The tool may also include a drilling mud powered centering mechanism for maintaining the tool or the drive shaft within the tool in a centered basic position. A tool may include both pressure members and a shiftable drive shaft, as well as centering mechanisms to act on both the pressure members and the drive shaft.

Abstract: A hydraulically controlled apparatus responsive to changes in well annulus pressure is disclosed. The apparatus is run into a well bore intersecting an oil and gas reservoir with perforations communicating the oil and gas reservoir with the well bore. The apparatus has an associated packer to effectively seal off the perforations in the well bore. The apparatus contains a cylindrical housing with ports on the top end and bottom end, and an operating mandrel is disposed therein. A disengaging sleeve operably connected with the operating mandrel allows the ports contained on the lower portion of the cylindrical housing below the packer to be opened and closed selectively, thereby allowing communication of the reservoir pressure through the apparatus. The disengaging sleeve and operating mandrel are activated by either an increase or decrease in annulus pressure.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for simultaneously drilling and casing a wellbore. More specifically, the apparatus comprises an outer conduit string containing an inner drill string carrying a bit capable of drilling a wellbore of greater diameter than the outer string. The drill string may be adapted to drill a nonlinear wellbore by offsetting the drill bit from the longitudinal axis of the outer string, and the drill bit is preferably retractable to permit withdrawal of the drill string after the wellbore is completed, leaving the outer string of casing or liner in place. The wellbore is drilled by rotating the drill bit and advancing the drill string by pushing from the surface, and the outer string is advanced by being pulled along by the drill string.

Abstract: The present invention is a multi-bank, transportable filter unit wherein all connections are mechanical and are isolated from the fluid being filtered.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for measuring the linear dimensions and determining the three-dimensional spatial volume of an object. In the preferred embodiment, all three linear dimensions are ascertained using the travel time of reflected ultrasonic waves. Measurements may be taken while the object is in motion, and the object may also be weighed.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a drilling tool including a retractable pilot drilling unit driven by a fluid operated motor, the motor comprising a stator mounted on the interior of a tubular outer housing and a rotor mounted on the exterior of a tubular inner housing axially supported in said outer housing and rotationally free with respect thereto. The pilot drilling unit is rotationally fixed within the inner housing, but axially moveable therewithin so that pressure of drilling fluid used to drive the motor will also act on reaction surfaces of the pilot drilling unit to urge it axially forward. The top of the pilot drilling unit includes a fishing head for retracting the pilot drilling unit from the drilling tool, and reinserting it therein.

Abstract: Drill bits may include cutting members which have cutting faces formed of segments of differing cutting materials. The faces of the cutting members may include two or more segments, with the segments formed from at least two different materials. For example, a first segment could be formed of a polycrystalline diamond compact surface while a second segment could be formed of a thermally stable diamond product material.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a rotary drill bit including a cutting structure comprising an array of cutting elements oriented and arranged to facilitate concentration of the load on bit on groups of cutting elements until the elements become dulled or worn, at which point fresh cutting elements are exposed to engage the formation and tube the concentrated bit loading. Preferably, the cutting elements are configured and/or supported to break away from the cutting structure when worn to a certain extent, thereby facilitating exposure of fresh cutting elements to engage the formation.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a safety inflation apparatus for preventing full inflation of a catheter balloon in a small body cavity of lesser internal diameter than that of the fully-inflated catheter balloon. The present invention includes a safety reservoir which inflates to absorb excess fluid volume from a catheter inflation device (such as a syringe) when the catheter balloon comes into contact with the wall of the small cavity, thereby preventing damage to the cavity wall and injury to the patient. In one embodiment of the invention, sensors and associated electronic displays are employed to provide an indication of the operating state of the system as the catheter balloon is inflated.

Abstract: In a wireline data transmission system for passing data between downhole and surface locations in a wellbore, a system for transmitting data at a frequency above the relatively low roll of frequency of a wireline permits higher data rates to be transmitted over the wireline than would be possible using standard digital data formats. The present system utilizes short duration pulses which are placed on the wireline in conformity to the transition edge between voltage levels in a typical digital data format, and thus transmits the digital data over the wireline in a manner which is not adversely affected by the phase shifting which normally occurs when bi-level voltage data formats are used for data transmission over a wireline.

Abstract: The flow rate of the drilling mud within a drill string is measured by measuring the doppler frequency shift in an acoustic signal propagated from a first acoustic transducer to a second acoustic transducer laterally separated from the first acoustic transducer. Each of the transducers are disposed within the principal flow of the drilling mud. The degree of doppler shift is a measure of the flow rate of the drilling mud between the two transducers. Variations in the flow rate of the drilling mud as measured by the transducers downhole are used to transmit information or commands from the well surface to a downhole microprocessor coupled to the output of the transducers.

Abstract: An improved diamond drill bit is provided which has a diamond film cutting surface. The drill bit comprises a body member and a plurality of cutting members, each including a diamond cutting face formed from a diamond substrate coated with a diamond film.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an improved method and apparatus for taking core samples, wherein a core drilling assembly driven by a downhole fluid motor is retrievably housed within a drilling tool of larger diameter, and wherein a plurality of cores may be cut and retrieved to the surface by withdrawal of the core drilling assembly by including an extender in the core drilling assembly each time it is brought to the surface and returned to the drilling tool, and sequentially cutting another core without postdrilling the previously cored formation section. The extenders may be included either above or below the motor used to drive the core drilling assembly, and are preferably of tubular configuration with screw-threaded connectors at their ends for rapid insertion in and removal from the core drilling assembly.

Abstract: An expanded range magnetic flowmeter is provided and includes an insertion device which can vary the velocity of a conductive fluid flowing therethrough. The insert expands the range of the flowmeter by maintaining a minimum fluid velocity through a flow tube. The flow tube includes diametrically opposed electrodes disposed therein which are connected to a voltage measuring device. A magnetic field is placed at a 90.degree. angle to the flow of the conductive fluid such that a voltage is generated and measured as the conductive fluid flows through the tube.

Abstract: A rotary drill bit and process of fabrication in which internal fluid passages and watercourses of the bit are lined with a hard metal matrix material which renders the fluid passages more resistant to the erosive forces of the drilling fluid is provided. Also, elements such as lands for cutter element mountings, sockets, ridges, shoulders and the like on the exterior surface of the bit can be fabricated of a hard abrasion and erosion resistant material and incorporated into the bit body during fabrication. The process includes the steps of providing a hollow mold for molding at least a portion of the drill bit and positioning one or more flexible or moldable tubular elements which correspond to the internal watercourses in the mold. The elements are fabricated of a hard metal powdered material dispersed in a polymeric binder. A bit blank is then positioned at least partially within the mold and the mold packed with a metal matrix material which forms the body of the bit.

Abstract: A process control system for mixing a proppant with a fluid includes a remote control computer located remotely from where the process is to be performed, and a monitor computer and a local control computer both located where the process is to be performed. An LAN cable connects the remote control computer to the monitor and local control computers. The desired concentration value of the proppant in the fluid is entered into the remote control computer. The monitor computer sends measured values to the local control computer which generates a control signal to a sand screw to provide the desired concentration value.

Abstract: An improved rotating drag bit for cutting plastic, sticky, water reactive and shale formations is devised by providing a plurality of large diamond cutters having a circular cutting face in excess of three quarter inch in diameter. Each large cutter is provided with at least one hydraulic nozzle which in turn provides a directed hydraulic flow at the corresponding cutter face. The directed hydraulic flow is positioned to apply a force to the chip which tends to peel the chip away from the cutter face. In addition, the hydraulic flow is positioned with respect to the chip so as to apply on off-center torque to the chip which is used to peel the chip away from the cutter face and toward the gage of the bit. In particular, the nozzle defines a jet which is characterized by a direction and velocity of hydraulic fluid determined by the jet characteristics. The core is generally symmetric about its longitudinal axis and has a length along the longitudinal axis and width perpendicular thereto.

Abstract: An articulated downhole surveying instrument and method for measuring parameters of a wellbore includes one or more laterally flexible coupling sections. The laterally flexible coupling sections are rigid in axial tension and axial compression, and are smaller in cross-section than the surveying instrument housing. A separate housing is used for each component of the surveying instrument, and each component housing is interconnected with the laterally flexible coupling. One or more flexible spacer bars are also provided. The spacer bars and coupling sections enable the assembly to be passed through a short-radius angle wellbore with greatly reduced risk of sticking or hanging up.

Abstract: The apparatus for the generation of pressure pulses in a drilling mud composition which flows downward in a drill string (1) is composed of a valve (V) inside the drill string (1), with a stationary, braced, tubular exterior housing (3), tubular primary valve (4) which can be translated from a lower starting position against the flow direction (2) of the drilling mud composition into an upper operational end position, a stationary, tubular support (5) in a coaxial position inside primary valve (4), and a pilot valve (13), (14) actuated by motor means (15). Exterior housing (3) and primary valve (4) define a constricted segment (29) whose flow cross section can be modified by the position of primary valve (4), and primary valve (4) and the support (5) surround an interior flow channel (21), (12) and (10), which can be opened and closed by outlet orifice (13) of pilot valve (13), (14).