Abstract: Apparatus and methods for preparing a blast hole in a rock face during a mining operation are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: deploying a first tool toward the blast hole in the rock face via a common tool outlet of a feed unit using a first tool station of the feed unit; retracting the first tool from the common tool outlet using the first tool station of the feed unit and retaining the first tool in the first tool station; and while the first tool is retained in the first tool station, deploying a second tool toward the blast hole in the rock face through the common tool outlet of the feed unit using a second tool station of the feed unit.

Abstract: A method and system for estimating clean fluid composition and properties. A method may comprise disposing a downhole fluid sampling tool into a wellbore, wherein the downhole fluid sampling tool comprises optical instrumentation, obtaining a fluid sample with the downhole fluid sampling tool, wherein the fluid sample comprises a reservoir fluid contaminated with a well fluid, identifying input parameters from at least one sensor response on the optical instrumentation, and predicting a clean fluid sample of the reservoir fluid using an asymptote of a dimensional reduction analysis and equation of state. A system may comprise a downhole fluid sampling tool and a processing unit. The downhole fluid sampling tool may further comprise an optical instrumentation operable to obtain fluid samples of a reservoir fluid contaminated with a well fluid while the downhole fluid sampling tool is disposed in a wellbore.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed allowing relative movement between downhole tools while remaining in electrical communication. In one example, a first tool comprising a first connector body is configured for connecting to a second connector body of a second tool. A sliding connector housing has an electrical strip axially arranged along the connector housing, wherein the first or second connector body is moveably secured to the connector housing in sliding electrical contact with the electrical strip. The first and second connector bodies are releasably connectable to each other, thereby allowing relative movement between the first and second tools via the connector housing while maintaining electrical and fluid communication between the first and second tools.

Abstract: A drill string tool comprising a mud motor comprising a driveshaft assembly rotatably disposed within a driveshaft housing, the mud motor comprising sensors and an adjustable bend setting. A bearing mandrel in communication with a drill bit rotatably disposed within a bearing housing. The driveshaft assembly includes a drive shaft adapter having a rotating portion and a stationary portion. The rotating portion comprising a centrifugal brake assembly in communication with an electronics package. The electronics package rotates with the driveshaft assembly at an RPM relative to the driveshaft housing. The electronics package is in communication with the motor, the sensors, the adjustable bend setting, and a collection of wired drill pipe making up the drill string by means of connections and coils. The connections comprise coaxial cables comprising an outer conductor and annular dielectric segments mounted on a center conductor wire. The segments may comprise an embedded mesh structure.

Abstract: A method of mounting a kelly bar on a drilling machine includes a step of installing a mounting tool between the rod of a pull-down cylinder and a rotary carriage of the drilling machine. Once the mounting tool has been installed, the drilling machine can be set up with a kelly bar that is longer than the usual kelly bars.

Abstract: A downhole motor or pump assembly that includes a stator and a rotor rotatable within the stator. The stator includes a tubular housing and an overlay deposited by cold spray onto an interior of the housing to form overlay lobes along a first length of the stator. The downhole motor or pump may be used to perform downhole operations.

Abstract: An earth-boring tool includes a body, a plurality of fixed blades, a first plurality of cutting elements secured to the plurality of fixed blades, a plurality of removable blade assemblies removably coupled to the body, and a second plurality of cutting elements secured to the plurality of removable blade assemblies, each cutting element of the second plurality of cutting elements exhibiting an aggressiveness that is less than an aggressiveness of each cutting element of the first plurality of cutting elements. A method of forming an earth-boring tool includes forming a body and a plurality of fixed blades extending from the body, securing a first plurality of cutting elements to the plurality of fixed blades, removably coupling at least one removable blade assembly to the body, and securing a second plurality of cutting elements to the at least one removable blade assembly.

Abstract: Provided is a novel drilling apparatus for drilling into prepared ground surfaces and natural ground conditions. The apparatus includes a mast assembly, a support structure assembly flexibly coupled with the mast assembly, a plurality of drill assemblies affixed to the support structure assembly, and a frame. Also provided is a method of drilling into a ground surface, by providing a drilling apparatus having a mast assembly, a support structure assembly flexibly coupled with the mast assembly, a plurality of drill assemblies affixed to the support structure assembly, and a frame. Each of the drill assemblies include a hollow drill rod with a drill bit at one end, the bit having exterior cutting elements and interior fluid diverters. Pressurized fluid and torque is supplied to the drill rods, and by means of the mast assembly and support structure assembly the drill rods are moved downward so that using the downward and rotational force, and the pressurized fluid, the drill bits drill into the ground surface.

Abstract: A system includes a tubing head spool (THS) installed in a non-plugged wellbore, the THS having a bore diameter to permit passage of one or more wellbore components corresponding to one or more wellbore components that pass through an associated blowout preventer (BOP). The system also includes an orientation sleeve arranged within the THS and installed, the orientation sleeve being positioned and aligned within the THS via one or more engagement features mating with one or more orientation features within the bore.

Abstract: The way in which a fiber optic cable is wrapped around a casing string in a wellbore can be modeled using information from downhole sensor devices. For example, a system can include a fiber optic cable located along a length of a wellbore. The system can also include sensor devices located near the fiber optic cable at various depths to transmit acoustic signals indicating depths and orientations of segments of the fiber optic cable. The system can build a model describing how the fiber optic cable is positioned around the casing string based on the acoustic signals transmitted from the sensor devices. The system can also determine a target position for a perforating gun to perform a perforation operation through the casing string that avoids damaging the fiber optic cable. The system can output the target position for the perforating gun to an electronic device to facilitate the perforation operation.

Abstract: An integrated data recorder may be positioned within a slot in a tool. The integrated data recorder includes a sensor package that includes one or more drilling dynamics sensors, a processor in data communication with the one or more drilling dynamics sensors, a memory module in data communication with the one or more drilling dynamics sensors, a wireless communications module in data communication with the processor, and an electrical energy source in electrical communication with the memory module, the one or more drilling dynamics sensors, and the processor.

Abstract: A drilling system, assembly, and method may help optimize drilling in a system that involves more than one rotary tool that engages the formation. A rotary tool may be a rotary cutting tool, such as a drill bit or reamer, or some other rotary tool (e.g. stabilizer or rotary steerable tool) that has the potential to drag on the wall of the hole being drilled and take energy away from cutting. In an example, a wellbore or portion thereof is formed by rotating a first rotary cutting tool having a first cutting structure in engagement with one portion of the formation together with a second rotary cutting tool having a second cutting structure in engagement with another portion of the formation. Forces are obtained above and below the second cutting structure. One or more drilling parameter or drill bit design parameter are adjusted in relation to a force differential between the forces above and below the second cutting structure.

Abstract: Techniques according to the present disclosure include moving an untethered downhole tool through a wellbore between a terranean surface and a particular depth in the wellbore; during the moving the untethered downhole tool through the wellbore, acquiring a set of sensed data from one or more sensors in the untethered downhole tool in a time domain; transforming the plurality of data values associated with the wellbore parameter in the time-domain into a plurality of data values associated with the wellbore parameter in a depth-domain based at least in part on at least one accelerometer output and the locations of a plurality of casing collars; and preparing the plurality of data values associated with the wellbore parameter in the depth-domain for presentation on a graphical user interface (GUI).

Abstract: Embodiments for determining a stuck pipe location include determining that a pipe is stuck in a wellbore due to an obstruction; deploying a fiber optic stuck pipe location detector inside the pipe, activating a first fiber optic sensor to detect a baseline reading, and manipulating the pipe. Some embodiments include detecting micro-noises caused by the stretching of the pipe, wirelessly acquiring data related to the micro-noises from the first fiber optic sensor, and determining a location of the obstruction by comparing the baseline reading with the data related to the micro-noises. Some embodiments include recovering the pipe at a predetermined point around the location of the obstruction while leaving the first fiber optic sensor inside the pipe.

Abstract: A system is described for calculating and outputting micro invisible lost time (MILT). The system may include a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform various operations. Time-stamp data that includes values of drilling parameters may be received about a drilling operation, and the values of drilling parameters may be classified into a rig state that includes rig activities. For each rig activity, an actual completion time may be determined and compared to an expected completion time for determining a deviation. At least one deviated activity, in which the deviation is greater than a threshold, may be determined. Deviations may be combined into MILT that can be output for controlling the drilling operation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for landing a tubing hanger in a wellhead and then orienting a tree (or spool, or flowline connection body) relative to the tubing hanger while landing the tree on the wellhead are provided. This alignment is accomplished without the use of either a tubing spool or a BOP stack with an orientation pin. The tubing hanger alignment devices may be used to orientate the tree as the tree is landed so that the couplings and stabs between the tree and the tubing hanger line up with each other just at the moment of landing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for landing a tubing hanger in a wellhead and then orienting a tree (or spool, or flowline connection body) relative to the tubing hanger while landing the tree on the wellhead are provided. This alignment is accomplished without the use of either a tubing spool or a BOP stack with an orientation pin. The tubing hanger alignment devices may be used to orientate the tree as the tree is landed so that the couplings and stabs between the tree and the tubing hanger line up with each other just at the moment of landing.

Abstract: A drilling system for drilling a wellbore using drilling fluid includes a drillstring, a drill bit coupled to the drillstring, and a mud motor coupled to the drillstring and operable to rotate the drill bit by rotating a driveshaft with a bore. The drilling system also includes a bearing assembly that includes a bypass fluid flowpath through the bearings for drilling fluid to divert from the bore. A choke assembly positioned in the bypass fluid flowpath restricts flow of the diverted drilling fluid such that some diverted drilling fluid flows into an annulus in the wellbore outside of the bearing assembly through an unsealed annulus port and some of diverted drilling fluid is recaptured through a return flowline. The drilling system also includes a rotary steerable system operable to push the drill bit in a desired direction using pads extendable with the drilling fluid.

Abstract: A shock stand absorber includes a resilient layer disposed on a planar frame structure and a plurality of vertical supports positioned to support the planar frame structure from below. Each of the vertical supports includes a resilient member between a first vertical support member and a second vertical support member in a telescoping arrangement. The resilient member is deformable in response to a telescoping movement between the first vertical support member and the second vertical support member. A plurality of connecting webs are formed between the vertical supports. The plurality of vertical supports are longitudinally aligned with a plurality of points on one or more paths defined on the bottom side of the planar frame structure.

Abstract: A brake system for maintaining an angular position of a spindle assembly. A pump-powered motor drives rotation of a spindle on the machine. When no rotation is desired, the spindle will slow, then stop at a desired angular orientation. A rotational sensor will determine the clock position, and a controller compares that to a desired angular orientation. If an error tolerance is exceeded, the motor will rotate the spindle back to the desired orientation.