Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for preventing buildup of cuttings or debris in underwater oil wells. The apparatus includes a drilling tool in the form of a primary tubular member having an internal diameter a predetermined amount greater than the external diameter of a drill string which is run downwardly through a conventional riser pipe string and underwater wellhead assembly. The drilling tool preferably includes an external shoulder formed on the lower end portion thereof for engagement with a corresponding internal shoulder at the juncture of the riser pipe string and the wellhead assembly for supporting the tool independently of the drill string. An annular resilient seal can be included on the lower end portion of the tool for providing a fluid-tight seal between the lower end portion of the tool and the juncture of the riser pipe string and the wellhead assembly. The tool can include a second tubular member connected at its lower end to the lower end of the primary tubular member.

Abstract: A deep well drill is disclosed which utilizes as a prime mover a multistage hydraulic turbine. The system is self-propelled by means of a cylindrical clam shell assembly. The shell sections are spread apart and locked against the surrounding wall of the drilled hole by means of hydraulic cylinders. A hydraulic motor drives the turbine and drill assembly by means of a threaded shaft downward until fully extended. The clam shell is then retracted, and by reversing the hydraulic motor, follows the turbine drill downward until the start position is reached and the cycle is repeated.

Abstract: A self-operating chemical feeder for an oil well is disclosed comprising a new combination of valves, Timers, a pump, an injection line, a flush line, and a tank of chemical wherein a first valve is responsive to a first timer for repeatedly ejecting spaced apart consecutive precise slugs of a chemical to the injection line for delivery to the oil well and for spacing each of the slugs from the next consecutive slug by a predetermined precise period of time. A second valve is responsive to a second timer for ejecting spaced apart slugs of flush liquid to the injection line, one flush liquid slug for each chemical slug, and for spacing each of the flush liquid slugs by a predetermined precise period of time for insuring oil well treatment on a regular basis as scheduled and for eliminating personnel time required for manually flushing each precise slug of said chemical throughout the well for an extended period of time.

Abstract: A dual marine riser for use in drilling deepwater oil and gas wells from a floating vessel, the marine riser incorporating concentric inner and outer risers, the outer riser being provided with one or more remotely-actuatable valves adapted to bring the annular space between the risers into communication with surrounding sea water in order to equalize pressures over the wall of the outer riser when the inner riser has been installed.

Abstract: A wellbore circulating valve especially useful in a string of testing tools utilizes a sequentially ratcheted inner mandrel which covers a series of flow ports and is opened by a predetermined sequence of operations which move the mandrel away from the flow ports thereby communicating the annulus with the inner bore of the tool.

Abstract: A wedge arrangement for removably affixing a work tool or work tool holder to a base member on mining, road working or earth moving machinery, and the like, and being particularly useful in the mining, road planing and earth digging areas. The arrangement is such that the removable member may be readily replaced and wear and tear on the base member greatly reduced to the extent that such base member will not be destroyed or otherwise rendered useless; such base member may be a part which is permanently secured to the basic machine or it may in fact be the machine itself or some integral part thereof. The base member is preferably provided with a slot of a size sufficient to receive both the removable member and a wedge element; such member and element may be placed within the slot from above thereof, lateral entry of the removable member and wedge element into the slot often being unnecessary.

Abstract: A rotary bit for drilling concrete and reinforced concrete having a hollow drill stem with a transversely disposed drilling face at its outer end, the face having annularly disposed sawtooth surfaces including abrupt step portions alternating with trailing portions extending from the apex of a step to the root of the succeeding step, the trailing portions having diamond chips thereon and comprising crushing and grinding surfaces for the cuttings, and being sloped radially outwardly and axially upwardly to displace particles toward the outer periphery of the bit, and the bit having particle escape channels up its side surface adjacent the leading edges of the step portions which have hardened cutter inserts.

Abstract: The body of the bit includes an axis of rotation, an upper end connectable with the drill string for rotating the bit and three downwardly projecting arms. Each of the arms includes an inwardly and downwardly inclined shaft defining an axis of cutter rotation with all of the axes intersecting at substantially a common point. First, second and third conical cutter members are journaled on a respective one of said shafts. Each cutter member includes a nose and a base with the base being oriented generally toward the wall of the well bore. A plurality of outwardly projecting, circumferentially-spaced inserts are located in annular rows in each cutter member for engaging the bottom of the well bore.

Abstract: A caisson and connecting conductor pipe sections are lowered to a predetermined position on the ocean underwater floor. A drill stem having a combined drilling and reaming tool is positioned within the conductor pipe and caisson. Drilling mud is reversed-circulated through the annular space between the conductor pipe and caisson and the drill stem, the drilling mud returning through the drill stem. The tool mounted on the drill stem is utilized to drill to a predetermined depth whereupon one or more reaming arms open outward from the tool and are rotated, thereby cutting out a volume of the ocean floor within which the caisson may be positioned.

Abstract: Extended casing method and apparatus for completing an underwater well whereby complete and continuous pressure control is maintained at the surface drilling platform. A conductor casing is installed in the floor of a body of water with a casing head and riser attached near the floor. Other casing is installed and supported at the water floor by hanger heads and having other risers extending upwardly therefrom. Pressure control equipment is installed at the upper end of one of the risers. An innermost casing having a tubing hanger-head attached is lowered through the pressure control equipment and installed. An orientation sleeve is aligned with the tubing hanger-head to properly orient the tubing hanger. The tubing hanger and tubing is then passed through the pressure control equipment and the innermost riser, to which the pressure control equipment is attached, and is lowered to engage the orientation sleeve for proper alignment with the innermost hanger-head and remotely latched thereto.

Abstract: Device for guiding a drilling string from a floating drilling rig comprises a flexible guide tube having an inner diameter which is constant and an outer diameter which decreases progressively from its median zone toward each end, the median zone being connected by swivel means to lateral and longitudinal members connected to the floating drilling rig.This device is especially adapted for floating drilling rigs having a well through which the string descends.

Abstract: There is disclosed a fluid motor composed of a helical gear pair wherein an inner chamber has an external helical thread and a cooperating outer member has one more internal helical thread than the number of external helical threads on the inner member. The outer member is secured to one of the sections of a water swivel which is conventional except that it has an axial intake, radial tube and inner member supporting guide, and means are associated with an end of the inner member and with the other section of the water swivel to prevent relative rotation between said inner and outer members while permitting gyration of the inner member in relation to the outer member. Each end of the device has a tapered female thread. The motor may be used either end up. A drill pipe or suitable sub is threaded into one end of the device and a tool is threaded into the other end of the device, directly or with the sub between.

Abstract: A percussion drill bit has an anvil portion and a removable head porton incorporating cutting inserts arranged in circumferentially-spaced groups separated by fluid flow passageways, at least some of the inserts being arranged at axial and radial positions with respect to the drill axis so that during working operation these inserts penetrate the formation being drilled by generally equal amounts and are thus subject to generally the same loading. The removable head portion is retained on the anvil portion of the bit by a splined and threaded lock nut arranged so that the threads are not subjected to cyclical fatigue loading due to operation of the percussion force generating tool.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating rock surrounding a wellbore comprises a hollow elongated housing having nozzles radially mounted therein, which are projectable externally thereof. Each nozzle has a through passage communicating with the internal space of the housing to pass the flow of a fluid with an abrasive filler therethrough. The external end faces of the nozzles are shaped so as to press against the wall of the casing. Each through passage of the nozzle has a larger-diameter portion at the end thereof, facing the casing wall. The body of each nozzle has auxiliary passages, each such passage having one end thereof communicating with the larger-diameter portion of the through passage and the other end thereof communicating with the space externally of the nozzle, the auxiliary passages affording the flow of the fluid with the abrasive filler from the space defined by the said larger-diameter portion of the through passage and the adjacent casing wall, as the nozzle is closely pressed against the casing.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises means for coupling to a standard raise boring head for extending the radius of the head. The apparatus comprises a support which is bolted or welded to a terminal end of the raise boring stem and to the underlying surface of the principal cutter bracket mounting platform of the head, and the support has means for selectively coupling thereto cutter mounting extension elements each of which comprise ancillary cutter bracket mounting platforms.

Abstract: A wheeled or crawler-type vehicle carries a support structure for a drilling apparatus such as used in rock drilling. The support structure includes a tower enclosing a rotary rack for drill rods which may be screwed together by cone threads to form a drill string. The tower is attached to a subtower that can be swivelled relative to the support structure for drilling in any desired angular position. Various devices greatly facilitate the storing and handling of each topmost drill rod. There are transverse drives as well as centering, gripping and retaining means, preferably operated by fluid cylinders, for moving the rotary rack and for transferring the respective drill rod from or to nesting seats in the rotary rack that can be revolved stepwise into accurate juxtaposition with a transfer aperture at the drilling center in line with the drilling head. The latter may be provided with an auxiliary motor to increase the effective torque for heavy duty, e.g.

Abstract: An apparatus adapted to be connected in a drill string is disclosed. It utilizes an axially located turbine which is driven by the mud flow through the drill string. The turbine is supported by a shaft and connected to an appropriate gear train. The gear train rotates an outer sleeve which has multiple turns of an external screw thereon. The screw or helix extends toward the wall of the drill bore. The helix lifts the column of mud in the annular space above the drill bit away from the drill bit thereby reducing the back pressure just above the drill bit. This improves the jetting action of the mud pumped through the drill bit and provides for a more rapid excavation of the immediate vicinity, thereby increasing the rate of penetration of the drill bit.

Abstract: A sea drilling jig comprises a tool carrier ship having a hull with a drill tower mounted on the hull over a hull opening which extends downwardly into the sea below the tower. A riser head is engageble in the hull opening and it may be coupled to the hull. The riser head includes a float portion with a ballast tank and it has a vertically extending riser tube opening therethrough for accommodating a riser tube and for holding it in position relative to the tower. The riser head is detachable from the carrier ship and may be ballasted to float at a level below the ship out of the turbulence area of foul weather whenever foul weather occurs.

Abstract: An earth boring apparatus includes individual cutting elements positioned within corresponding individual sockets in the cutter member body of the apparatus. Each socket has a socket wall and each cutting element has a lower body portion with a surface that contacts the socket wall. In one embodiment the sockets are cylindrical and a substantial portion of the lower body surfaces have a conical taper. This provides an improved fit of the lower body surface along the length of the socket wall and reduces cutting element loss.

Abstract: The rolling cutter or stabilizer member of a rotary drill string unit is effectively locked in place by a locking device. The device allows the cutter or stabilizer member to carry radial, tangential and axial loads. A support member includes a surface positioned perpendicular to the resultant of the expected radial load and tangential load. A support shaft includes a slabbed-off surface positioned perpendicular to the resultant of said resultant loads and said axial load.