Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described to drill and complete wellbores. Such wellbores include extended reach horizontal wellbores, for example in shales, deep subsea extended reach wellbores, and multilateral wellbores. Specifically, the invention provides simple threaded subassemblies that are added to existing threaded tubular drilling and completion equipment which are used to dramatically increase the lateral reach using that existing on-site equipment. These subassemblies extract power from downward flowing clean mud, or other fluids, in an annulus to provide additional force or torque on tubular elements within the wellbore, while maintaining circulation, to extend the lateral reach of the drilling equipment and completion equipment. These added elements include combinations of The Leaky Seal™, a Cross-Over, The Force Sub™ and The Torque Sub™. The use of such additional simple elements allow lighter drilling equipment to be used to reach a given lateral distance, therefore reducing drilling costs.

Abstract: A longer-lasting, lower cost, more powerful, all metal, mud motor than the presently available progressing cavity type mud motors for drilling boreholes into the earth. A mud motor apparatus possessing one single drive shaft that turns a rotary drill bit, which apparatus is attached to a drill pipe which provides high pressure mud to the mud motor, wherein the drive shaft receives at least a first portion of its rotational torque from any high pressure mud flowing through a first hydraulic chamber within the apparatus, and receives at least a second portion of its rotational torque from any high pressure mud flowing through a second hydraulic chamber within the apparatus. The mud motor apparatus possesses two hydraulic chambers, each having its own power stroke, and return stroke, and acting together in a controlled fashion, provide continuous power to a rotary drill bit.

Abstract: A longer-lasting, lower cost, more powerful, all metal, mud motor than the presently available progressing cavity type mud motors for drilling boreholes into the earth. A mud motor apparatus possessing one single drive shaft that turns a rotary drill bit, which apparatus is attached to a drill pipe which provides high pressure mud to the mud motor, wherein the drive shaft receives at least a first portion of its rotational torque from any high pressure mud flowing through a first hydraulic chamber within the apparatus, and receives at least a second portion of its rotational torque from any high pressure mud flowing through a second hydraulic chamber within the apparatus. The mud motor apparatus possesses two hydraulic chambers, each having its own power stroke, and return stroke, and acting together in a controlled fashion, provide continuous power to a rotary drill bit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described to drill and complete wellbores. Such wellbores include extended reach horizontal wellbores, for example in shales, deep subsea extended reach wellbores, and multilateral wellbores. Specifically, the invention provides simple threaded subassemblies that are added to existing threaded tubular drilling and completion equipment which are used to dramatically increase the lateral reach using that existing on-site equipment. These subassemblies extract power from downward flowing clean mud, or other fluids, in an annulus to provide additional force or torque on tubular elements within the wellbore, while maintaining circulation, to extend the lateral reach of the drilling equipment and completion equipment. These added elements include combinations of The Leaky Seal™, a Cross-Over, The Force Sub™ and The Torque Sub™. The use of such additional simple elements allow lighter drilling equipment to be used to reach a given lateral distance, therefore reducing drilling costs.

Abstract: A well conveyance apparatus for conveying equipment into a wellbore possessing long-lasting movable and slidable hydraulic seals against the interior of a borehole casing located within a wellbore in a geological formation in the earth that is caused to move by the application of pressurized wellbore fluids against the seals. The seals are allowed to rotate on bearings about the tool mandrel to prevent the build-up of torque on the seals to minimize wear and to extend the life of the seals. Vibratory means are attached to the tool mandrel to vibrate the sealing portion of the seals, so as the extend the life of the seals and to minimize wear of the seals. Sensor arrays provide information to a computer system that is used to control the vibratory means, pressure relief valves, and other parameters to minimize wear of the hydraulic seals.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described to use real-time measurement systems to detect the onset of compression induced microfracturing of fiber-reinforced composite materials. Measurements are described to detect the onset of compression induced microfracturing of fiber-reinforced composite materials to prevent catastrophic failures of aircraft components containing such materials. Methods and apparatus are described to prevent fluids and gases from invading any compression induced microfractures by coating surfaces of fiber-reinforced materials to reduce the probability of failure of such fiber-reinforced materials.

Abstract: Method and required apparatus to provide the closed-loop feedback control of a remote electric motor that has specific required operating parameters which is used to turn a rotary drill bit to drill a borehole in the earth that receives electrical energy through a long umbilical possessing insulated electrical conduits that includes the steps of measuring a set of electrical parameters with a multiplicity of sensors located near the electric motor, sending that measured information to a computer on the surface of the earth, comparing the measured information with the required operating parameters within the computer, adjusting an uphole power generator system to adjust its electrical output parameters to provide electrical energy to a portion of the umbilical located on the surface of the earth, repeating the measurements and adjustments to provide the closed-loop feedback control of the electric motor having specific required operating parameters.

Abstract: A flowline is described for producing hydrocarbons from a subsea well that is comprised of a substantially neutrally buoyant tubular composite umbilical. The flowline may possess electrical heating apparatus within the tubular walls of the tubular composite umbilical to prevent waxes and hydrates from forming within the flowline and blocking the flowline. The electrical heating apparatus is comprised of at least one electrical conductor disposed within the tubular walls of the composite umbilical that conducts electrical current that is used to heat the tubular composite umbilical. The tubular composite umbilical that contains any produced hydrocarbons is substantially neutrally buoyant in the sea water adjacent to the subsea well. Positively neutrally buoyant tubular composite umbilical flowlines are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for installing electrically heated composite umbilicals within subsea flowlines containing produced hydrocarbons as immersion heaters to prevent waxes and hydrates from forming within the subsea flowlines that could block the flowlines. The electrically heated composite umbilicals may be installed, or retrofitted, into existing subsea flowlines. Such retrofitted electrically heated composite umbilicals provide an alternative for previously installed, but failed, permanent heating systems. A hydraulic pump installed on the distant end of an electrically heated composite umbilical also provides artificial lift for the produced hydrocarbons. Other electrically heated umbilicals used as immersion heaters are described. Such immersion heater systems may be removed from the well, repaired, and retrofitted into flowlines without removing the flowlines. Near neutrally buoyant electrically heated umbilicals are described which may be installed great distances into flowlines.

Abstract: A long lasting rotary drill bit for drilling a hole into variable hardness geological formations that has a self-actuating mechanism responsive to the hardness of the geological formation to minimize the time necessary to drill a borehole. A long lasting rotary drill bit for drilling a hole into variable hardness geological formations that has a mechanism controllable from the surface of the earth to change the mechanical configuration of the bit to minimize the time necessary to drill a borehole. A monolithic long lasting rotary drill bit for drilling a hole into a geological formation having hardened rods composed of hard material such as tungsten carbide that are cast into a relatively soft steel matrix material to make a rotary drill bit that compensates for wear on the bottom of the drill bit and that also compensates for lateral wear of the drill bit using passive, self-actuating mechanisms, triggered by bit wear to drill relatively constant diameter holes.

Abstract: The method of providing in excess of 60 kilowatts of electrical power to the electrical motor of a subterranean electric drilling machine through a substantially neutrally buoyant composite umbilical containing electrical conductors to reduce the frictional drag on the neutrally buoyant umbilical. Drilling and casing subterranean monobore wells are contemplated to distances of 20 miles from a wellsite. For drilling applications, the umbilical possesses a drilling fluid conduit. The umbilical also possesses high speed data communications such as a fiber optic cable or a coaxial cable that is used in the feedback control of the downhole electric drilling motor. Such umbilicals are also useful to provide power to remotely operated vehicles for subsea well servicing applications.

Abstract: A long lasting rotary drill bit for drilling a hole into variable hardness geological formations that has a self-actuating mechanism responsive to the hardness of the geological formation to minimize the time necessary to drill a borehole. A long lasting rotary drill bit for drilling a hole into variable hardness geological formations that has a mechanism controllable from the surface of the earth to change the mechanical configuration of the bit to minimize the time necessary to drill a borehole. A monolithic long lasting rotary drill bit for drilling a hole into a geological formation having hardened rods composed of hard material such as tungsten carbide that are cast into a relatively soft steel matrix material to make a rotary drill bit that compensates for wear on the bottom of the drill bit and that also compensates for lateral wear of the drill bit using passive, self-actuating mechanisms, triggered by bit wear to drill relatively constant diameter holes.

Abstract: A closed-loop system is used to complete oil and gas wells. The term “to complete a well” means “to finish work on a well and bring it into productive status”. A closed-loop system to complete an oil and gas well is an automated system under computer control that executes a sequence of programmed steps, but those steps depend in part upon information obtained from at least one downhole sensor that is communicated to the surface to optimize and/or change the steps executed by the computer to complete the well. The closed-loop system executes the steps during at least one significant portion of the well completion process. The completed well is comprised of at least a borehole in a geological formation surrounding a pipe located within the borehole.

Abstract: The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for the second purpose as the casing that is permanently installed in the wellbore for the final completion of oil and gas wells. The rotary drill bit is attached to the drill string, the well drilled, and the well is completed leaving the drill bit attached to the drill string to make a steel cased well. The steel coiled tubing attached to a coiled tubing conveyed mud motor driven rotary drill bit is used to drill oil and gas wells that is used for a second purpose as the tubing that is permanently installed in the wellbore to make a tubing encased well for the final completion of oil and gas wells.

Abstract: Smart shuttles are used to complete oil and gas wells. Following drilling operations into a geological formation, a steel pipe is disposed in the wellbore. The steel pipe may be a standard casing installed into the wellbore using typical industry practices. Alternatively, the steel pipe may be a drill string attached to a rotary drill bit that is to remain in the wellbore following completion during so-called “one-pass drilling operations”. Using typical procedures in the industry, the well is “completed” by placing into the steel pipe various standard completion devices, many of which are conveyed into place using the drilling rig. Instead, with this invention, smart shuttles are used to convey into the steel pipe the various smart completion devices necessary to complete the oil and gas well. Smart shuttles may be attached to a wireline, to a coiled tubing, or to a wireline installed within coiled tubing.

Abstract: The steel drill string attached to a drilling bit during typical rotary drilling operations used to drill oil and gas wells is used for the second purpose as the casing that is permanently installed in the wellbore for the final completion of oil and gas wells. The rotary drill bit is attached to the drill string, the well drilled, and the well is completed leaving the drill bit attached to the drill string to make a steel cased well. The steel coiled tubing attached to a coiled tubing conveyed mud motor driven rotary drill bit is used to drill oil and gas wells that is used for a second purpose as the tubing that is permanently installed in the wellbore to make a tubing encased well for the final completion of oil and gas wells.