Abstract: A heavy-duty lubricating grease is shown which includes a synthetic fluid base and a thickener system. The heavy-duty grease can be used in both rolling element and journal type rock bit bearings to drill in heavy-duty, high temperature applications, such as in the bearing structures of rock bits used to drill hot subterranean formations.

Abstract: A wellbore remote control system is disclosed which includes (1) a transmission apparatus for generating at least one acoustic transmission having a particular transmission frequency, (2) a reception apparatus which includes an electronic circuit (preferably digital) which detects and identifies the acoustic transmissions, and which provides an actuation signal to an electrically-actuated wellbore tool if a match is detected.

Abstract: A method for scavenging mercaptans in a hydrocarbon fluid is disclosed. According to the method, an effective mercaptan-scavenging amount of an aqueous scavenging composition is added to the fluid. The composition comprises a quaternary ammonium hydroxide of the formula R.sup.1 R.sup.2 R.sup.3 R.sup.4 NOH. R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are, independently, alkyl groups of from one to about eighteen carbon atoms, aryl groups of from six to about eighteen carbon atoms or alkylaryl groups of from seven to about eighteen carbon atoms. R.sup.3 is an alkyl group of from two to about eighteen carbon atoms, an aryl group of from two to about eighteen carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group of from four to about eighteen carbon atoms. R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be joined to form a heterocyclic ring including the N and optionally an oxygen atom. R.sup.4 is --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n H, wherein n is an integer from one to about eighteen, or --CHR.sup.5 CHR.sup.6 Y, wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for communicating a control signal in a wellbore between a transmission node and a reception node through an acoustic transmission pathway which extends between the transmission node and the reception node. A transmission apparatus is provided at the transmission node which is in communication with the acoustic transmission pathway. The transmission apparatus generates a serial acoustic transmission which includes a control signal. A reception apparatus is provided at the reception node. The reception apparatus includes a sensor assembly which detects the serial acoustic transmission. Furthermore, the reception apparatus includes a means for decoding the control signal from the series acoustic transmission.

Abstract: In drilling equipment having at least one remote assembly (62) attached to a drill string (12), an electrically actuated disconnect apparatus and method (10) for releasing the remote assembly (62) has an electric signal transmitter electrically connected to a release device (16). The release device (16) operates a retaining device (22) holding strainer blocking devices (24) therein. A strainer (56) is connected to the drill string (12) after the retainer (22) and through which drilling fluid flows until blocked by the strainer blocking devices (24).

Abstract: A bit body has at least one cantilevered bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. A cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft and includes a plurality of cutting elements arranged in generally circumferential rows on the cutter, the rows including a heel row. The cutting elements in the heel row include at least one chisel-shaped cutting element having a crest oriented transversely to the axis of rotation of the cutter. The remainder of the cutting elements in the heel row have a configuration different from the chisel-shaped elements. All of the cutting elements have approximately the same projection from the surface of the cutter.

Abstract: A feed accelerator system for use in a centrifuge, the system comprising a conveyor hub rotatably mounted substantially concentrically within a rotating bowl, the conveyor hub including at least one passageway connecting an inside surface of the conveyor hub to an outside surface of the conveyor hub for a feed slurry exiting the conveyor hub. The passageway may be associated with a variety of feed slurry accelerator enhancements such as a baffle extending into a slurry pool formed on the inside of the conveyor hub, a divider, a U-shaped channel, an extension tube, and/or a flow directing and overspeeding member. These accelerator enhancements may be combined within the passageway or incorporated into a feed slurry accelerating nozzle apparatus remoyably secured to the passageway. The passageway and/or the nozzle apparatus may include a cross-sectional area having a longer axis approximately parallel to the conveyor hub axis of rotation.

Abstract: A hardfacing composition comprises at least 60% by weight of hard metal granules including a quantity of sintered carbide pellets and a quantity of cast carbide pellets. The cast and sintered carbides are selected from the group of carbides consisting of chromium, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, and vanadium carbides and alloys and mixtures thereof. The balance of the hardfacing composition is matrix metal with traces of flux or deoxidizer, and alloying elements. All percentages given are pre-application ratios.

Abstract: A feed accelerator system for use in a centrifuge, the system comprising a conveyor hub rotatably mounted substantially concentrically within a rotating bowl, the conveyor hub including at least one passageway connecting an inside surface of the conveyor hub to an outside surface of the conveyor hub for a feed slurry exiting the conveyor hub. The passageway may be associated with a variety of feed slurry accelerator enhancements such as a baffle extending into a slurry pool formed on the inside of the conveyor hub, a divider, a U-shaped channel, an extension tube, and/or a flow directing and overspeeding member. These accelerator enhancements may be combined within the passageway or incorporated into a feed slurry accelerating nozzle apparatus removably secured to the passageway. The passageway and/or the nozzle apparatus may include a cross-sectional area having a longer axis approximately parallel to the conveyor hub axis of rotation.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit is provided with hard gage inserts that protrude from the gage surface of the cutter to engage the side of the borehole for holding gage. The cutting end of the gage insert has a cutting end defining at least one sharp cutting edge and at least one cutting surface that define a negative rake angle with respect to the sidewall of the borehole that is being sheared by the gage insert. The cutting end, cutting edge, and cutting surface of the gage insert are formed of a super-hard and abrasion-resistant material such as polycrystalline diamond or cubic boron nitride. The body of the insert is formed of a hard, fracture-tough material such as cemented tungsten carbide. The improved gage inserts provide an actively cutting gage surface that engages the sidewall of the borehole to promote shearing removal of the sidewall material. Such an improved gage insert provides an earth-boring bit with improved gage-holding ability, and improved steerability in directional drilling operations.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a bit body and at least one bearing shaft depending inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. The bearing shaft has a base and a generally cylindrical bearing surface and at least one cutter is mounted for rotation on the bearing shaft. A bearing seal recess is formed generally at the base of the bearing shaft and defines a cylindrical seal face radially recessed from the journal bearing surface. A cutter seal recess is formed in the cutter generally opposite the bearing seal recess and defines a bearing cylindrical seal face. The cutter and bearing seal recesses define a seal gland including a pair of opposed radial seal surfaces. A resilient seal ring is disposed in the seal gland and compressed between the cylindrical seal faces.

Abstract: A drilling apparatus having cuttings removal structure to reduce balling thereof comprising an apparatus body having a connection thereon, and structure for contacting cut potions of the earth formation. The contacting structure may include chip breakers, flexible cables, rotating nozzle assemblies, rotating turbine wheel assemblies, rotating vane assemblies, flails or combinations of these. The apparatus may include elastomeric portions and/or movable potions. The drilling apparatus may comprise a drill bit, drilling stabilizer, drill collar, reamer, downhole motor, etc.

Abstract: A feed accelerator system for use in a centrifuge, the system comprising a conveyor hub rotatably mounted substantially concentrically within a rotating bowl, the conveyor hub including at least one passageway connecting an inside surface of the conveyor hub to an outside surface of the conveyor hub for a feed slurry exiting the conveyor hub. The passageway may be associated with a variety of feed slurry accelerator enhancements such as a baffle extending into a slurry pool formed on the inside of the conveyor hub, a divider, a U-shaped channel, an extension tube, and/or a flow directing and overspeeding member. These accelerator enhancements may be combined within the passageway or incorporated into a feed slurry accelerating nozzle apparatus removably secured to the passageway. The passageway and/or the nozzle apparatus may include a cross-sectional area having a longer axis approximately parallel to the conveyor hub axis of rotation.

Abstract: A feed accelerator system for use in a centrifuge, the system comprising a conveyor hub rotatably mounted within a rotating bowl, the hub including an inside surface and an outside surface. At least one feed slurry passageway is disposed between the inside surface of conveyor hub and the outside surface of the conveyor hub, and at least one helical blade having a plurality of turns is mounted to the outside surface of the conveyor hub. A vane apparatus is associated with the passageway and is disposed between two adjacent turns of the helical blade. The vane apparatus may include an inwardly extending baffle and/or an outwardly extending accelerator vane. Alternatively, a U-shaped channel may be associated with the passageway, the U-shaped channel including a plurality partitions attached to the discharge end of such channel so as to form a plurality of discharge channels and a flow directing and overspeeding vane disposed within each channel, each vane having a different forward discharge angle.

Abstract: An oil-based fluid system has been discovered using a distribution of salt particle sizes, an oil or water/oil emulsion, a suspending agent for suspending the salt particles in the oil and a filtration control agent. It is important that the salt particles be distributed across a wide size range to effectively prevent filtration or fluid loss into the formation. Since the filter cake particles do not invade the well bore, no high pressure spike occurs during the removal of the filter cake. This high pressure spike indicates damage to the formation and well bore surface, which damage typically reduces overall permeability of the formation. The rheological properties of the fluid allow it to be used in a number of applications where protection of the original permeable formation is desirable. The applications include, but are not limited to, drilling fracturing and controlling fluid losses during completion operations, such as gravel packing or well bore workovers.

Abstract: The invention involves an assembly, specifically beneficial in deviated well-bores, which allows running into the wellbore with the complete completion assembly. The completion assembly includes one or more screens which may be pre-packed. Initially, a material which sets to form a permeable mass is deposited in the annular space outside the screens. After such material is deposited, cement or other sealing material is pumped into the annular space above the screens to complete the completion process. As a result, in one trip the deviated wellbore is completed with the permeable material deposited outside the screen or screens and cement being disposed in the annular space above the permeable material. Production can then begin.

Abstract: A one-trip system for milling a window using a whipstock is disclosed. The whipstock can be set on a packer or anchor which can be an electric line-type packer which, without modifications, can be set with the hydraulic mechanism disclosed so as to avoid the need for running a wireline rig. The assembly of the packer or anchor and whipstock is run into the wellbore in a single trip, with a mill or mills capable of milling a window. At the conclusion of the milling, the mill or mills are retrieved. Thereafter, a retrieving tool is attached to the whipstock and facilitates a release of the setting tool from the packer so that the setting tool and the whipstock are retrieved together.

Abstract: A drill bit for boring an earth formation is designed for rotation in a given direction. The bit body includes an operating face with at least one cutting element formed thereon. A cutting surface formed on the cutting element faces in a forward direction with respect to the direction of rotation. A cutting edge is formed on the cutting surface and is embedded in the earth formation during boring so that the formation is received against a portion of the cutting surface. The cutting element creates successive formation chips during boring which grow in length during bit rotation. A chip breaker formed adjacent the cutting surface imparts a strain to the chip by bending and/or twisting the chip and thereby increases the likelihood that it will break off. In one aspect, fluid flows in a fluid course formed in front of the cutting element during boring. Twisting increases the surface area of the chip presented to fluid in the fluid course which further increases the likelihood that the chip will break.

Abstract: A full cutting element including a substantially cylindrical backing and cutter mounted thereon is cut generally along the length thereof to produce a pair of semicylindrical partial cutting elements. In the case of an unused cutting element, each partial cutting clement is mounted on a different semicylindrical tungsten carbide base to produce a substantially cylindrical unit which is mounted on a bit using a low temperature braze. In the case of a used full cutting element, the cutting clement is cut to separate the worn portion from the remainder of the bit and only the unused portion is used to form a cylindrical unit with a corresponding semicylindrical tungsten carbide base. In another aspect, a partial cutting element is received in a pocket formed on a bit body. The pocket includes a pair of opposed side surfaces which substantially flushly abut the curved surfaces of the backing on the partial cutter.

Abstract: A wave propagation measurement-while-drilling system is used to determine selected formation and borehole properties. One or more transmitter-receiver pairs are utilized with the transmitter components operating at one or more frequencies to provide a measured data set. A model relating the borehole instrument response to a wide range of formation and borehole conditions is also utilized. Inversion techniques are employed to determine selected formation and borehole parameters of interest and to simultaneously correct the selected formation parametric measurements for the adverse effects of the borehole and formation bed boundaries thereby avoiding serial type corrections which can yield erroneous results in certain frequency ranges.