Abstract: Apparatus adapted for connection to a drilling conduit beneath a drilling rig floor for diverting pressurized well bore fluid in the conduit from the rig and sealing the annulus between a pipe or other object and the conduit or closing the vertical flow path of the conduit in the absence of any object in the conduit is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing, an annular packing element and two pistons. The housing is provided with at least one outlet passage in the wall of its body, and one of the two pistons acts as a sliding sleeve valve in cooperation with the housing wall for preventing fluid communication between the outlet passage and the interior of the housing when it is in a nonactuated or normal position and for allowing fluid communication when it is in an actuated or diverting position.

Abstract: A support and connection system for a riser run from a subsea well to a floating vessel has a female housing supported from the vessel that receives a male termination head secured to the riser string. The termination head fits within a tapered bore in the termination housing. Radial ports connect with radial passages in the termination head for transmitting fluids to and from the vessel and subsea well. A compound curved seat prevents jamming of the termination housing in the termination head due to the high tension placed on the termination housing. The seat is annular and also curves in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A novel and improved form of through-tubing perforating assembly conformable for use in various types of cased well bores having particular application in those in which a tubing string is positioned within the cased well bore and where extremely high pressures are encountered at the bottom of the well. A plurality of shaped charges are mounted in a modular carrier comprised of a plurality of generally tubular members interconnected in end-to-end relation to one another, each tubular member having an internal cavity defining a horizontally directed seating portion for supporting one of the shaped charges therein. An end cap is disposed at the lower end of the modular carrier, and a blasting cord extends continuously through the tubular members across one end of the shaped charges for detonating the charges when positioned opposite to that part of the formation to be perforated.

Abstract: A tool for improving drill bit penetration in the drilling of oil, gas and water wells and the like is provided. The tool includes a housing and a mandrel connected for co-rotation and limited axial movement under the influence of a spring fluid. The mandrel and drill bit in conjunction with the spring fluid form a spring-mass system having a damped fundamental frequency of oscillation approximately equal to a characteristic frequency of forces (F.sub.2) which act on the drill bit during drilling. Resonance causes the forces acting on the bit (F.sub.2) to be amplified and magnified, thereby increasing the drilling rate.

Abstract: A pumping system (10) is disclosed for pumping a fluid (14) from within a borehole (12) to the surface. A combustion engine (18) is employed to drive a pump comprising a pump barrel (28) and an auger pump shaft (32). The pumped fluid is carried from the borehole in a fluid return tubing string (42) having a standing valve (44) therein to prevent backflow into the borehole. A fuel-air mixture is provided to the combustion engine (18) through a fuel-air tubing string (22). A byproduct of the combustion of the fuel-air mixture is heat. The combusted mixture is exhausted from the combustion engine (18) through an engine exhaust tubing string (60). The engine exhaust tubing string includes a heating coil portion (64) forming a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the combusted fuel-air mixture to the fluid (14) adjacent the inlet of the pump to reduce the viscosity of the fluid to enhance the efficiency of the pumping system.

Abstract: An improved expansible rotary power tool for reaming frustoconical undercuts in cylindrical holes contained in dense concrete, such as flint and chert aggregates, comprises a tool having a hollow elongated sheath provided with a pair of opposing longitudinal slots adjacent to the cutting end of the tool. An upwardly biased tubular ram is reciprocally disposed within the sheath and is provided with a clevis at its cutting end which extends into the longitudinal slots, and a power engaging head at the end of the tool which projects out of hole being undercut. A load bearing collar mounted adjacent the power engaging end of the tool provides a stop against which the tool rests to determine the degree of advancement of the tool into the hole.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for monitoring corrosive effects of fluids downhole in an oil or gas well. A side pocket mandrel is installed in the well tubing string at a depth at which monitoring is desired. Coupons of a selected material are mounted in a carrier, which is placed in the side pocket of the mandrel. Ports and passages allow casing fluid or tubing fluid to communicate with various coupons. The carrier is then removed from the well and the coupons are inspected.

Abstract: A method for sealing the wall of a bore hole comprises forming a liner of resilient sheet material into a substantially cylindrical or scroll configuration having a diameter smaller than that of the hole, inserting the liner into the hole, allowing the liner to expand to substantially the diameter of the hole, and pressing the liner against the wall of the bore hole. Apparatus for performing the method comprises an elongated member having a first end insertable into the bore hole, means associated therewith for supporting a liner within the hole, and rotary means for pressing the liner into contact with the wall of the hole. A liner in accordance with the present invention comprises a resilient sheet pressed against the wall of the bore hole, and a layer of mud and cement interposed between the sheet and the wall.

Abstract: A vertically elongated cylindrical and hollow thick-walled body is provided and includes a tubular swivel structure carried by its upper end for removable attachment to a supporting bottom tubing section of a tubing string disposed within a casing to be cleaned. The body includes circumferentially and axially spaced outwardly projecting brushes and circumferentially and axially spaced inwardly retractable spring biased spray nozzles interspersed between adjacent brushes. The body is hollow and includes a closed lower end and the upper end of the body includes a tubular neck extending upwardly into the tubular swivel structure by which the body is to be attached to the associated bottom tubing section. Fluid under pressure to be supplied to the retractable spray nozzles is piped down through the associated tubing string and into the interior of the hollow body for communication with the retractable nozzles.

Abstract: A sub-sea well assembly has features to eliminate side-to-side movement between a wellhead and a wellhead housing due to movement of the drilling vessel. The wellhead extends into the wellhead housing and is connected on its upper end to equipment extending to the vessel. Slips are located in an annular space between the wellhead housing passage and the exterior wall of the wellhead. The slips are mounted so that they will slide from the contracted position when the wellhead is being placed into the wellhead housing to an expanded position after the wellhead is locked into the wellhead housing. In the expanded position, the slips move downward to wedge, but are not weight bearing. The slips are self-actuating, with a spring to urge them downward into the expanded position.

Abstract: A system and method provide for preferential in situ heating of earth formations. A plurality of elongated conductive electrodes are emplaced in earth formations in respective spaced rows bounding a particular volume of the earth formations and forming a transmission line, preferably a triplate line, extending in the direction of the electrodes with the particular volume of the earth formations providing a dielectric medium between respective rows of electrodes. Electromagnetic energy is supplied to the transmission line at a frequency at which the spacing between respective rows is less than about twice the skin depth at the frequency of the applied energy. Reactance means are disposed along respective electrodes to provide predetermined effective transmission line characteristics to develop a predetermined heating pattern in the earth formations. The reactance means may be reactances disposed discretely between sections of respective electrodes.

Abstract: A sidepocket mandrel having a one piece body section with a keyhole cross section extending from one end of the body to the other end of the body forms an open bore and an offset bore. A one piece integral insert having a locking shoulder and a sidepocket includes an external shape to mate in the offset bore in the lower portion of the body allowing the upper portion of the offset bore to function as a discriminator.

Abstract: In a cutting roller, preferably for a winning machine and provided with a plurality of picks on its blade and with a number of fluid-spraying nozzles for cooling the picks, each nozzle is screwed into a nozzle-receiving member into which a shutoff valve is inserted which opens the bore in the nozzle-receiving member for connecting the passage for supplying fluid with the nozzle when the latter is inserted into that bore or automatically blocks that bore when the nozzle is removed from that bore.

Abstract: Earth well drilling apparatus including piping in a well, a metal drilling tube within the piping, and a hydraulic jet drilling head secured to the lower end of the tube. A seal is disposed between the piping and the tube. The drilling head is urged downwardly through the piping under hydraulic pressure through a tube bneding assembly laterally extensible from a retracted position substantially within the structure. The hydraulic pressure propels the tube downwardly through the piping and bending assembly to bend the tube and to direct the drilling head laterally toward the formation.

Abstract: A liner hanger having an elongate vertical body with a central flow passage means at its lower end engaged with a depending liner, releasable coupling means at its upper end releasably engaging a setting tool on a string of setting pipe. The body has a plurality of vertically extending circumferentially spaced radially outwardly opening recesses with upwardly and radially outwardly inclined ramp surfaces and elongate vertical passages between the upper end of the body and the recesses. The hanger next includes vertically extending slips with outer casing engaging surfaces and inner ramp surface engaging surfaces normally positioned in the lower portions of the recesses with their casing engaging surfaces aligned with the outside of the body. The slips are shiftable vertically upwardly and radially outwardly in the recesses. Spring means normally yieldingly urge the slips upwardly and outwardly in the recesses.

Abstract: A bore hole wall undercutting or reaming device in which a rotatable tubular support housing (1) (61) is adapted for rotation by drive means, has at least one circumferential guide slot in its side wall for receiving and guidingly supporting a cutting tool (4) (60) for movement outwardly to and inwardly from a cutting position. The cutting tool may comprise either a rigid and/or resilient slide or pivot lever (9) having a trailing end portion supporting a cutting member (10) thereon and a leading end portion connected to the housing by a single rigid, or pivotal pull type connection by which the housing tensions and pulls the cutting tool (4) around during a cutting operation.

Abstract: A wall contacting device, such as a roller reamer used in earth boring, includes a block, e.g. supporting one end of a roller shaft, making an interference fit with a socket in the body of the device, there being tool passage means between the body and block; a disassembly tool is removably received in the passage and includes a pressure portion engaged with the block and a head portion to receive impact; and cooperating guide means on the body and tool includes coaxial cylindric surfaces on the body and tool for supporting the tool for rotation about a fixed axis, the pressure portion of the tool being a portion of an Archimedian spiral coaxial with the cylindric surfaces.

Abstract: Hydrostatic head control in the marine riser or sub-sea BOP stack of a deep water drilling unit is maintained through use of an eductor, or similar means, connected to the sub-sea BOP stack kill line for drawing salt water from the sea or mud from the sub-sea BOP stack choke line.

Abstract: A method for mining high grade ore from an ore body uses a near horizontal hole. The horizontal hole is bored into the ore body through as many of the high grade portions as possible. A jet mining tool is inserted into the hole to the high grade portion farthest from the tool insertion location and that portion of the high grade ore is removed. The tool is then pulled out of the hole until the jets are in a high grade portion which is adjacent the high grade portion previously mined and this portion is then jet mined. The process is repeated until all of the high grade portions of the ore body have been mined. The mined material is removed through the horizontally bored hole.

Abstract: There is provided a rock bit comprising a bit body having a dome and a plurality of legs, each with a journal pin. A cutter cone is mounted on each journal pin with a cone seal between the journal pin and cutter cone. A sacrificial anode is attached to the dome of the bit body having a shape for diverting flow of drilling mud around the cutter cones. Preferred shapes of the sacrificial anode include inverted cones and tetrahedrons. The sacrificial anode prevents cone seal failures caused by corrosion of the bit body adjacent the cone seals.