Abstract: A drill bit for drilling a borehole in an earthen formation has a central axis and a cutting direction of rotation. The bit includes a bit body configured to rotate about the axis in the cutting direction of rotation. The bit body includes a bit face. The bit also includes a blade extending radially along the bit face. In addition, the bit includes a first cutter element mounted to a cutter-supporting surface of the blade and a second cutter element mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of the blade. The first cutter element has a central axis and includes a first forward-facing cutting face including a first cutting tip distal the cutter supporting surface and a first planar surface extending radially from the first cutting tip toward the central axis of the first cutter element. The first planar surface is oriented at a first effective backrake angle measured between the cutter supporting surface and a surface vector of the first planar surface.

Abstract: A valve for a well system including a valve housing including a first housing port, a second housing port, and a bore, a piston received in the bore and including a first end, a second end, and an annular flange including a first annular surface and a second annular surface both of which are in fluid communication with the second housing port, a piston seal disposed in the outer surface of the piston and in sealing engagement with an inner surface of the bore, and a cage assembly that includes a cage including a bore, a first cage port, a second cage port, and a third cage port, and a spool disposed in the cage and coupled to the piston, the spool including a throughbore.

Abstract: A method for downhole event detection includes measuring a parameter of a wellbore using a first sensor of a drill string, and measuring the parameter of the wellbore using a second sensor of the drill string. The method also includes detecting, by surface equipment, an event in the wellbore based on a first set of measurements provided by the first sensor, and detecting, by the surface equipment, the event in the wellbore based on a second set of measurements provided by the second sensor. The method further includes assigning, by the surface equipment, a probability value to the event based on the event as detected in the first set of measurement values and the event as detected in the second set of measurement values.

Abstract: A method of joining a steel first member to a stainless steel second member includes buttering a first joint surface on the first member, the buttering including: preheating the first joint surface; welding a border layer of weld material to the first joint surface; and heat treating the border layer and the first joint surface after welding the border layer. A weld is formed between the first and second members after heat treating the border layer and the first joint surface. The border layer and a second joint surface on the second member are preheated; and a body of weld material is added between the border layer and the second joint surface.

Abstract: A drilling fluid conditioning system for a well system includes a return conduit configured to receive drilling fluid recirculated from a wellbore of the well system, a drilling fluid pre-chilling system in fluid communication with and downstream from the return conduit, wherein the drilling fluid pre-chilling system includes a cooler configured to transfer heat from the drilling fluid to a heat sink, a solids separator in fluid communication with and upstream from the cooler, and a fluid powered jet pump for pumping the drilling fluid from the solids separator to the cooler of the drilling fluid pre-chilling system, a solids control system in fluid communication with and downstream from the drilling fluid pre-chilling system, wherein the solids control system is configured to separate at least some solids from the drilling fluid.

Abstract: A downhole mud motor includes a driveshaft rotatably disposed in a driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the driveshaft, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a first configuration that provides a first deflection angle between the driveshaft housing and the bearing mandrel, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a second configuration that provides a second deflection angle between the driveshaft housing and the bearing mandrel, and a locking assembly including a locked configuration configured to lock the bend adjustment assembly into one of the first configuration and the second configuration until the downhole mud motor has at least one of reached a predefined depth in the wellbore, and a mud weight has reached a predefined mud weight threshold at a given depth, in response to which the locking assembly is configured to actuate from the locked configuration to an unlocked configuration.

Abstract: An end effector (400) for a robotic arm, the end effector (400) comprising: two pipe engaging jaws (404), each jaw comprising an inner contour configured for engaging a pipe section, wherein at least one jaw (404) is a fixed jaw; wherein the end effector (400) is configured to restrict radial movement of the pipe section while permitting axial movement.

Abstract: A downhole mud motor includes a driveshaft housing, a driveshaft rotatably disposed in the driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the driveshaft, and a bend adjustment assembly including a first position, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a second position, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes an adjustment mandrel having a first axial position corresponding to the first position of the bend adjustment assembly and a second axial position which corresponds to the second position of the bend adjustment assembly, and wherein the bend adjustment assembly is prevented from actuating from the first position to the second position when the adjustment mandrel is in the first axial position, and wherein the bend adjustment assembly is permitted to actuate between the first position and the second position when the adjustment mandrel is in a second axial position that is axially spaced from the first axial position.

Abstract: A system for storing materials in an earthen subterranean formation includes a wellbore extending from a terranean surface into the subterranean formation, the wellbore extending from an uphole end at the terranean surface to a longitudinally opposing downhole end, a casing string extending through the wellbore, wherein the casing string is cemented in place in the wellbore, a subterranean storage chamber formed in a salt deposit of the subterranean formation and fluidically connected to the wellbore, the storage chamber at least partially filled with brine and having a lateral width that exceeds a vertical height of the storage chamber, wellbore-transportable foreign material that is stored in the storage chamber.

Abstract: A rotary steerable drilling assembly includes a driveshaft rotatably disposed in a driveshaft housing, a bend adjustment assembly coupled to the driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the bend adjustment assembly, and a torque control assembly including a rotor configured to couple with a drill string; a stator assembly coupled to a downhole motor; and a torque control actuator assembly configured to control the amount of torque transmitted between the rotor and the stator assembly, wherein the torque control actuator assembly includes a spool valve including a cylinder including a port and a hydraulically actuatable piston slidably disposed in the cylinder.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fixed cutter drill bit for drilling an earthen formation includes (a) providing a mold including a rigid body and a cavity extending from an upper end of the rigid body. The cavity includes a bit body recess, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced blade recesses extending from the bit body recess, and a tool cutting structure recess extending from each blade recess. In addition, the method includes (b) placing a first binder in each tool cutting structure recess. Further, the method includes (c) filling each blade recess and the bit body recess with a powdered matrix material comprising tungsten carbide after (b). Still further, the method includes (d) placing a second binder on top of the powdered matrix material after (c). The method also includes (e) heating the mold, the first binder and the second binder after (d) to melt the first binder and the second binder.

Abstract: A valve lock for a linear valve system includes a housing including a passage configured to receive a rod of a linearly extendable valve member of the linear valve system, and a collet assembly received in the housing, wherein the collet assembly has a central axis extending parallel the rod of the valve member, a radially inner configuration with respect to the central axis of the collet assembly, and a radially outer configuration relative to the central axis of the collet assembly, wherein the lock includes an unlocked configuration associated with the radially outer configuration of the collet assembly, and a locked configuration associated with the radially inner configuration of the collet assembly and which locks against the rod of the valve member and thereby prevent the rod from travelling in at least one axial direction.

Abstract: An agitator deployable in a wellbore includes a housing, a valve disposed in the housing and including a first valve body and a second valve body permitted to rotate relative to the first valve body, a first valve adapter coupled to the housing and which includes a first receptacle which receives at least a portion of the first valve body, wherein the first receptacle includes a cylindrical inner surface and an annular shoulder projecting radially inwards from the cylindrical inner surface, and a flexible valve seat positioned in the first receptacle of the first valve adapter between the first valve body and the first valve adapter, wherein the flexible valve seat has a cylindrical portion and an annular shoulder extending radially inwards from the cylindrical portion.

Abstract: A downhole tool includes a housing configured to be connected between two tubular members. The housing includes a chamber and a plug assembly is disposed in the chamber and divides the chamber into an up-hole portion and a downhole portion. The plug assembly includes a glass member having a predetermined residual surface compression, at least a first face, and at least one strength-reducing surface feature on the first face. The strength-reducing surface feature is configured to cause the glass member to disintegrate when the glass member is exposed to a pressure in the up-hole portion of a magnitude that creates a tensile stress on the first face that exceeds the predetermined residual surface compression.

Abstract: A wellsite monitoring system includes a base station, a plurality of access points, and a wellsite communication interface. The base station is configured to provide communication between the wellsite and a remote system. Each of the access points is configured to communicate with base station. The wellsite communication interface is interfaced to well service equipment, and is configured to communicate with the access points via a wellsite protocol used by the base station, and to present an authentication credential to the base station. The base station is also configured to verify an identity of the wellsite communication interface via the authentication credential, and to enable communication with the wellsite communication interface based on verification of the identity of the wellsite communication interface.

Abstract: A drilling fluid conditioning system for a well system includes a return conduit configured to receive drilling fluid recirculated from a wellbore of the well system, a drilling fluid pre-chilling system in fluid communication with and downstream from the return conduit, wherein the drilling fluid pre-chilling system includes a cooler configured to transfer heat from the drilling fluid to a heat sink, and a solids control system in fluid communication with and downstream from the drilling fluid pre-chilling system, wherein the solids control system is configured to separate at least some solids from the drilling fluid.

Abstract: A threaded connection between an end of a first tubular member having a central axis and an end of a second tubular member having a central axis coaxially aligned with the central axis of the first tubular member includes a threaded box connector disposed at the end of the first tubular member. The threaded box connector includes a box external shoulder, a box internal shoulder axially spaced from the box external shoulder, a plurality of internal threads axially positioned between the box external shoulder and the box internal shoulder, and a box seal surface axially positioned between the internal threads and the box internal shoulder. In addition, the threaded connection includes a threaded pin connector disposed at the end of the second tubular member and threadably coupled to the threaded box connector.

Abstract: A particle impact drill bit for a well system includes a central axis, a longitudinal first end, a longitudinal second end opposite the first end, and a feed passage extending into the drill bit from the first end, a pilot section located at the second end, the pilot section including one or more converging nozzles in fluid communication with the feed passage, and a reamer section located between the first end and the second end and including one or more reamer blades extending radially outwards from the central axis of the drill bit, and wherein the reamer section defines a maximum width of the drill bit.