Abstract: A system of apparatus for use in a coring tool measures the height of a core sample being recovered and transmits data relative thereto to the surface of a formation concurrently during the coring operation. A transmitter of an electromagnetic ranging system rides atop a core sample being formed in the barrel chamber and a receiver member of the electromagnetic ranging system is fixed at a top end of the barrel it known distance above the transmitter. During the coring operation the transmitter transmits a fixed frequency signal to the receiver through drilling fluid disposed therebetween. The distance between the transmitter and receiver decreases and the amplitude of the transmitted signal changes as a function of the separation distance between the transmitter and receiver as the core sample enters the inner barrel and the height of the core sample within the barrel is determined as a function of time and depth.

Abstract: A downhole buried utility sensing and data transmission system for connection at the lower end of a drill string has sensors capable of detecting the existence of various different types of buried utilities and objects and making calculations as to the radial separation distance between the detected utilities and the drill head and transmitting data between the down hole drill head to the surface. The sensors respond to material properties used to construct the utility lines or the energy fields created by the operation of these lines (pipes and cables) or from the energy associated with transmission of the particular utility service, including sound energy resulting from fluid flow and electromagnetic energy from electric currents.

Abstract: A deviated wellbore drilling system suitable for drilling curved wellbores which have a radius of curvature of approximately 10 to 1,000 feet relative to a vertical or near vertical wellbore comprises a drill string, a drill bit, and a fluid-operated drill motor having a curved or bent housing section for rotating the drill bit independently of the drill string. The drilling motor has an elongate tubular rotor/stator drive section containing a rubber stator and a steel rotor and the housing is bent or curved intermediate its ends. A straight or bent universal section below the bent or curved rotor/stator section contains a universal joint for converting orbiting motion of the rotor to concentric rotary motion at the bit, and a bearing pack section below the universal section contains radial and thrust bearings to absorb the high loads applied to the bit.

Abstract: A system of apparatus for the controlled directional drilling of a deviated well bore into the earth has a fluid operated drilling motor and drill bit secured on the bottom end of a drill string. The drill bit is supported for angular drilling relative to a substantially vertical well bore by either using a bent sub for supporting the drilling motor or by using a drilling motor with a bent housing or a combination of the two. A bypass tool is connected to the bent sub or motor housing, an orienting sub and mule shoe keying sub are connected to the bypass tool, and a surveying tool is connected in the drill string above the orienting sub and mule shoe sub. The bypass tool is in fluid connection with the motor and has a telescopic housing and a valve for circulating fluid into the bore hole to flush cuttings and debris therefrom. The surveying tool determines and controls the direction of drilling.

Abstract: A deviated wellbore drilling system suitable for drilling curved wellbores which have a radius of curvature of approximately 200 to 1,000 feet relative to a vertical or near vertical wellbore comprises a drill string, a drill bit, and a fluid-operated drill motor having a curved or bent housing section for rotating the drill bit independently of the drill string. The drilling motor has an elongate tubular rotor/stator drive section containing a rubber stator and a steel rotor and the housing is bent or curved intermediate its ends. A straight or bent univeral section below the bent or curved rotor/stator section contains a universal joint for converting orbiting motion of the rotor to concentric rotary motion at the bit, and a bearing pack section below the universal section contains radial and thrust bearings to absorb the high loads applied to the bit.

Abstract: A downhole motor and bearing assembly for high pressure operation has a tubular housing with an inlet and outlet for flow of drilling fluid. A stator is supported in the housing and a rotor is supported for rotary movement in the stator. An open tubular shaft is connected to the rotor for rotary movement in the housing. The bearing assembly has bearing members in the housing in fixed spaced relation for carrying downward and upward longitudinal thrust loads. Since the motor is designed for high pressure operation, conventional bearings tend to wear out rapidly. In this motor and bearing assembly, the pressure of drilling fluid passing through the motor is bled into the down hole side of the bearings where the pressure is applied against an upset on the bearings shaft having an exposed area on the lower side sufficient to produce an upward thrust partially or completely offsetting the downward thrust produced by the pressure drop across the drill bit.

Abstract: A turbodrill is disclosed which is connected to a string of drill pipe as a rotating shaft for driving a drill bit which may be a rotary bit or a high speed solid head diamond bit. The turbine section of the turbodrill has rotor and stator blades which are cresent shaped in cross section and are operated by drilling mud flowing therethrough to rotate the shaft. The shaft is provided with radial bearings which carry radial loads and thrust bearings which carry vertical or longitudinal loads. The thrust bearings, which carry the entire thrust load, consist of a pair of annular bearing plates each of which supports a plurality of friction bearing members, highly resistant to wear by the drilling mud flowing through the drill, consisting of cylindrical studs having flat faces with flat disc-shaped diamond bearing members supported thereon. There are preferably one more of the diamond bearing members on one of the annular bearing plates than on the other.

Abstract: In the manufacture of diamond bearings consisting of a supporting plate/ring having a plurality of recesses equally spaced therearound with insert members consisting of hardmetal or carbide studs, with planar faces of polycrystalline diamond, positioned therein, the diamond bearing faces are made co-planar by placing metal pads, preferably of brazing metal, in the bottom of each recess before insertion of the bearing studs, placing the assembly with the bearing faces on a smooth planar support, heating the assembly to a temperature at which the metal pads soften or melt and allowing the metal pads to extrude around and braze the bearing inserts in place. When the assembly has cooled, the bearing inserts have their diamond bearing faces locked in co-planar relation by the extruded metal from the metal pads.

Abstract: A turbodrill is disclosed for connection to a drill string and has a rotating shaft for turning a drill bit. The turbodrill has rotor and stator blades operated by drilling mud flowing therethrough to rotate the shaft. The shaft is provided with radial/thrust bearing consisting of a pair of annular plates, each of which has conical surfaces supporting a plurality of friction bearing members of polycrystalline diamond. The radial and thrust loads are carried by the wear-resistant diamond bearing surfaces. The bearing members are preferably cylindrical studs having flat faces with flat disc-shaped diamond bearing members supported thereon around the adjacent surfaces of the supporting plates. The faces of the diamond bearings will wear into smoothly mating conical bearing surfaces with use. There are two or more pairs of diamond radial/thrust bearings to handle longitudinal as well as radial loads.

Abstract: A turbodrill which is connected to a string of drill pipe as a rotating shaft for driving a drill bit which may be a rotary bit or a high speed solid head diamond bit. The turbine section has rotor and stator blades which are cresent shaped in cross section with each blade having an exit angle of 14.degree.-23.degree. for maximum turbine efficiency. The bearing shaft is provided with chevron rotary seals positioned below the rotary bearings carrying both radial and vertical thrust. Fluid lubricant fills the space from the rotary seals to a predetermined level above the bearings. A piston seals the lubricant chamber and is pressurized by drilling fluid (i.e. mud) flowing through the tool. A layer of lubricant fluid overlies the first piston and has a second piston covering said fluid and transmitting pressure from the drilling fluid to the lubricant fluid surrounding the bearings.

Abstract: A downhole drilling motor, e.g. a turbodrill, which is connected to a string of drill pipe has a rotating shaft for driving a drill bit which may be a rotary bit or a high speed solid head diamond bit. The turbine section has rotor and stator blades which are crescent shaped in cross section for maximum turbine efficiency. The drilling motor may alternatively be a positive displacement motor. The bearing shaft is provided with suitable rotary seals positioned below the rotary bearings carrying both radial and vertical thrust. Fluid lubricant fills the space from the rotary seals to a predetermined level above the bearings. A piston seals the lubricant chamber and is pressurized by drilling fluid (i.e. mud) flowing through the tool. The bearing shaft, which conducts drilling mud from the turbine section and exhausts the same at the drill bit, is provided with a radially extending passage which communicates with a labyrinth seal positioned below the lower rotary seal.

Abstract: A down hole drilling motor, e.g. a turbodrill, which is connected to a string of drill pipe has a rotating shaft for driving a drill bit which may be a rotary bit or a high speed solid head diamond bit. The turbine section has rotor and stator blades which are crescent shaped in cross section with each blade having an exit angle of 14.degree.-23.degree. for maximum turbine efficiency. The bearing shaft is provided with chevron rotary seals positioned below the rotary bearings carrying both radial and vertical thrust. Fluid lubricant fills the space from the rotary seals to a predetermined level above the bearings. A piston seals the lubricant chamber and is pressurized by drilling fluid (i.e. mud) flowing through the tool. A layer of lubricant fluid overlies the first piston and has a second piston covering said fluid and transmitting pressure from the drilling fluid to the lubricant fluid surrounding the bearings.

Abstract: A downhole drilling motor, e.g. a turbodrill, which is connected to a string of drill pipe has a rotating shaft for driving a drill bit which may be a rotary bit or a high speed solid head diamond bit. The turbine section has rotor and stator blades which are crescent shaped in cross section with each blade having an exit angle of 14.degree.-23.degree. for maximum turbine efficiency. The drilling motor may alternatively be a positive displacement motor. The bearing shaft is provided with chevron rotary seals positioned below the rotary bearings carrying both radial and vertical thrust. Fluid lubricant fills the space from the rotary seals to a predetermined level above the bearings. A piston seals the lubricant chamber and is pressurized by drilling fluid (i.e. mud) flowing through the tool. A layer of lubricant fluid overlies the first piston and has a second piston covering said fluid and transmitting pressure from the drilling fluid to the lubricant fluid surrounding the bearings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for connecting a flowline having a major portion adapted to lie along the floor of a body of water to an offshore connection point. The method and apparatus are designed to compensate for the difficulty encountered in laying and maintaining an underwater flowline in a body of water having a substantial current running in substantially a single direction. The flowline is fed from a flowing support and drawn by a cable into an alignment funnel. Means are provided to bow the leading flowline in a lateral non-vertical direction by a predetermined amount such that the end of the leading flowline may enter the alignment funnel without any lateral or angular displacement. The bowing may be done at the surface prior to submersion of the flowline or may be done after the flowline is submerged. Several means for bowing the flowline are disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for directional drilling in the earth comprises a down hole motor having a stator housing adapted to be connected to a string of drill pipe at one end and having a rotor shaft extending out the other end. The rotor shaft is adapted to receive and drive any suitable rotary bit. The stator housing is provided with fulcrum means in the form of a barrel member having arcuate longitudinal cross section. The fulcrum member is of substantially the same size as the hole being bored and is engageable with the side wall of the hole to provide a fulcrum about the drilling motor can be turned to change direction. A suitable deflection means is positioned at the end of the stator housing adjacent to the connection to the drill string and includes a laterally moveable thrust member which is operable to engage one side of the hole being drilled to deflect the stator housing in the opposite direction and pivot the same on the fulcrum point to change the direction of the hole being drilled.

Abstract: A shock sub for a well drilling string comprises a tubular housing adapted to be connected to one part of a drill string and a mandrel extending longitudinally into the housing and having an end portion adapted for connection to another part of the drill string. The mandrel and housing are shaped to define a non-circular annular cavity there between when assembled together. A compressible elastic metallic spring means is positioned in and substantially fills the non-circular annular cavity and is compressible longitudinally, radially and circumferentially to absorb longitudinal, radial and torsional vibration and impact loads and to transmit rotary movement between said housing and mandrel for imparting rotation from one part of the drill string to the other part connected by the drill sub. The spring means is preferably a knitted wire fabric or rope compressed into a compact mass capable of spring deflection in longitudinal, radial and circumferential directions relative to said shock sub assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed that includes a housing through which extends a shaft, such as a drill string. A body of wire mesh is carried by the housing and located between the housing and the drill string. The wire mesh is compressed to cause it to expand laterally into engagement with the housing and drill string to hold the housing from movement relative to the drill string, to attach, for example, a stabilizer to the drill string, or to support at least a portion of the weight of the drill string.

Abstract: A seal is disclosed for use in high ambient temperatures. The seal includes a plurality of V-shaped seal rings having opposite convex and concave sides that are stacked or rested in the annular space provided between a shaft and a housing through which the shaft extends. Each seal ring includes an annular body of self-lubricating, low-friction graphite, which is a very good conductor of heat. The outer and inner edges of the annular body of graphite are moved into sealing engagement with the shaft and housing when the annular body is subjected to a differential pressure. A ring of spring metal that is V-shaped in cross-section is embedded in the annular body of graphite to support the annular body of low-friction material and hold it in position to form a seal between the shaft and the housing against the differential pressure exerted across the seal.

Abstract: A turbo drill which is connected to a string of drill pipe as a rotating shaft for driving a drill bit which may be a rotary bit or a high speed solid head diamond bit. The turbine section has rotor and stator blades which are cresent shaped in cross section with each blade having an exit angle of 14.degree. - 23.degree. for maximum turbine efficiency. The bearing shaft is provided with chevron rotary seals positioned below the rotary bearings carrying both radial and vertical thrust. Fluid lubricant fills the space from the rotary seals to a predetermined level above the bearings. A piston seals the lubricant chamber and is pressurized by drilling fluid (i.e. mud) flowing through the tool. A layer of lubricant fluid overlies the first piston and has a second piston covering said fluid and transmitting pressure from the drilling fluid to the lubricant fluid surrounding the bearings.

Abstract: A turbo drill which is connected to a string of drill pipe as a rotating shaft for driving a drill bit which may be a rotary bit or a high speed solid head diamond bit. The turbine section has rotor and stator blades which are cresent shaped in cross section with each blade having an exit angle of 14.degree. - 23.degree. for maximum turbine efficiency. The bearing shaft is provided with chevron rotary seals positioned below the rotary bearings carrying both radial and vertical thrust. Fluid lubricant fills the space from the rotary seals to a predetermine level above the bearings. A piston seals the lubricant chamber and is pressurized by drilling fluid (i.e. mud) flowing through the tool. A layer of lubricant fluid overlies the first piston and has a second piston covering said fluid and transmitting pressure from the drilling fluid to the lubricant fluid surrounding the bearings.