Abstract: A steerable drilling system comprises a rotary drill bit 14 secured to a housing 16, a secondary rotary drill component 22 carried by the housing and rotatable therewith, the second rotary drill component 22 having a gauge dimension greater than that of the rotary drill bit 14, and a drive arrangement operable to displace the secondary rotary drill component 22 relative to the housing 16 while maintaining an axis 24 of the secondary rotary drill component 22 substantially parallel to an axis 18 of the housing 16.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for lining a wellbore. In certain aspects, the systems and methods comprise providing a fluid composition that is solidifiable or gellable on exposure to actinic radiation of a predetermined wavelength at the wall of open-hole wellbore and providing actinic radiation at the predetermined wavelength to solidify or gel the composition.

Abstract: A steerable drilling system including a bias unit and a separator. The separator is arranged to remove particulate matter from the supply of pressurized drilling mud to the actuator of the bias unit. The separator includes a hydrocyclone located upstream of the actuators. The hydrocyclone includes a housing defining a substantially conical recess having a large diameter end and a small diameter end. An inlet is in fluid communication with the large diameter end for providing the drilling mud thereto. A first outlet is in fluid communication with the small diameter end for outlet of relatively dirty mud. A second outlet is in fluid communication with the large diameter end for outlet of a supply of relatively clean mud for the plurality of actuators.

Abstract: A method of sensing and transmitting hole depth information comprises monitoring, at the surface, the extension of the hole as drilling progresses, determining when the hole depth has extended by a predetermined distance, and sending an increment signal to a telemetry device.

Abstract: This disclosure relates in general to methods and systems for measuring multiphase flows in a pipeline using a combination of venturi, microwave and radiation techniques, where the pipeline is configured to transport hydrocarbons. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems in which low activity radiation sources may be used in combination with one or more microwave transmitter-receiver pairs and pressure differential sensors to measure the flow rates and fractions of phases in multiphase flows in a pipeline, such as may be encountered in producing hydrocarbon wells. Additionally, other embodiments of the present invention provide for the arrangement of one or more microwave transmitter-receiver pairs, one or more radiation source-detector pairs and/or one or more pressure sensor ports in the same cross-section of the throat of a venturi to measure multiphase flow in a hydrocarbon transporting pipeline.

Abstract: The invention relates to oil production stimulation methods and can be used for both reservoirs with fractures resulting from the fracturing procedure and reservoirs with naturally occurring fractures, for which the fracturing procedure is not mandatory. A material which expands while hardening or setting, is injected into the near-wellbore region of a cased well, into the space between the casing and the reservoir, and the wellbore is then perforated. A material having an expansion degree sufficient for application of pressure to the wellbore walls and for keeping at least one fracture open is used as the material which expands while hardening or setting. After the perforation has been done, the reservoir is hydraulically fractured. For naturally fractured reservoirs, the fracturing procedure is not mandatory.

Abstract: An electro-chemical sensor is described having two molecular redox systems sensitive to the same species and having an detector to detect relative shifts in the voltammograms of the two redox systems.

Abstract: The rotor of a downhole motor includes a mandrel having at least one radial lobe, and an elastomeric tubular sleeve compressed about the mandrel so as to establish frictional engagement therebetween. The sleeve is compressed about the mandrel through one of various processes, including heat shrinking, vacuum shrinking, and stretching.

Abstract: There is described a method of moveout or velocity analysis of seismic signals using the steps of obtaining such signals 5 from a plurality of receivers, identifying receiver functions within the acoustic signals, analyzing said receiver functions for velocity or moveout characteristics, using the result of said analyzing step to determine, properties of multiple layers of earth located below said 10 receivers. The analyses can involve the use of representation of the traveltime differences as approximated power series of slowness or horizontal distances. The method is the first to comprehensively deal with a multi-layered earth or velocity model.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving the determination of at least one multiphase flow parameter of an earth formation comprising propagating within the formation a first salinity front, determining a first value of the at least one multiphase flow parameter, propagating in the formation a second salinity front and improving the determination of the at least one multiphase flow parameter from the first value for the at least one multiphase flow parameter and a saturation profile associated with the first and second salinity fronts within the formation.

Abstract: Tubewaves are used to transmit an indication of the depth at which a condition is detected in a well. In particular, the depth is calculated based on the difference in arrival time at the surface of a first tubewave which propagates directly upward in the borehole and a second tubewave which initially travels downward and is then reflected upward. The tubewaves may be generated by a canister designed to implode at a certain pressure. The canister is carried downhole by gravity and the fluid being pumped. At a depth at which its pressure tolerance is exceeded, it implodes and generates the tubewaves. An analyzer at the surface detects the tubewaves and generates a pressure versus depth profile of the well. Canisters may be acoustically tagged in order to generate tubewaves having particular frequency and amplitude characteristics. Canisters may also be configured to produce multiple implosions.

Abstract: A microseismic method of monitoring fracturing operation or other passive seismic events in hydrocarbon wells is described using the steps of obtaining multi-component s-wave signals of the event; and using a linear derivative of S-wave arrival times of the signals in a first direction, an S-wave velocity and an s-wave polarization to determine at least two components of the S-wave slowness vector.

Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of interest of reservoir rock formation is described using the steps of measuring an x-ray attenuation or absorption distribution of a sample of said rock formation, identifying the mineral phase part of said distribution, and subdividing the mineral phase part of said distribution to derive classification or rock type information of said sample.

Abstract: A method for determining reservoir formation properties that consists of exciting the reservoir formation with an electromagnetic exciting field, measuring an electromagnetic signal produced by the electromagnetic exciting field in the reservoir formation, extracting from the measured electromagnetic signal a spectral complex resistivity as a function of frequency, fitting the spectral complex resistivity with an induced polarization model and deducing the reservoir formation properties from the fitting with the induced polarization model.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for real-time management of a guarded probe device down a wellbore that is being used for formation fluid sampling. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, embodiments of the present invention provide for operational management of the guarded probe device to provide for splitting a flowline coupled with the guarded probe into two separate flow lines after the sampling process has begun, wherein one of the two separate flow-lines is coupled with a sampling probe in the guarded probe device and the other flowline is coupled with a guard probe in the guarded probe device.

Abstract: A treatment of a subterranean formation which contains a hydrocarbon-bearing zone, is carried out using a hydrocarbon-responsive fluid thickened with an oligomeric surfactant consisting of from 2 to 8_linked surfactant monomer subunits. The process of treatment comprises (i) mixing a thickening amount of oligomeric surfactant with an aqueous liquid to make a viscoelastic treatment fluid, (ii) pumping said viscoelastic treatment fluid through a wellbore and into the subterranean formation, where (iii) contact with hydrocarbons within the formation dissipates the viscosity of the treatment fluid.

Abstract: A viscosifying agent for wellbore fluids is described including a polymer polymerized using at least two pre-polymers “A” and “B”, the polymer being capable of essentially fully degrading into soluble fragments after the initiation of a breaking process.

Abstract: The present invention recites a drill bit comprising a main body having an axis about which it is rotated in use, a cutting face, a connecting means for attaching the bit to a source of rotary motion, a gauge region intermediate said cutting face and the connecting means. Additionally the gauge region comprises at least one member movable between a first position in which the gauge region is bounded by an imaginary tubular surface of constant cross-section co-axial to the axis of rotation and a second position in which a portion of the member is located radially inwards, with respect to the axis of rotation, of its position when said member is in said first position. In accordance with the present invention, the gauge region whilst said member is in said second position being bound by an imaginary three dimensional conical sectional surface; and at least one actuator.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for drilling a wellbore. The wellbore is formed with a drilling tool that cuts through a formation. A pumping system removes cuttings from the drilling tool and also transports the cuttings along at least a portion of the wellbore formed behind the drilling tool.

Abstract: A drill bit system for a drilling assembly is disclosed. The drill bit system may include a chassis, a head, and a first plurality of gauge pads. The head may include a first plurality of cutters coupled with an end of the head, and the head may be movably coupled with chassis. The first plurality of gauge pads may include a second plurality of cutters, and the first plurality of gauge pads may be fixedly coupled with the chassis.