Abstract: A downhole tool includes a top sub-assembly configured to connect to a downhole conveyance that is operable to run the tool into a wellbore formed from a terranean surface to a subterranean formation; a housing coupled at an uphole end to the top sub-assembly, the housing defining an interior volume; a vacuum positioned in the interior volume and configured to generate a fluid suction; a debris chamber fluidly coupled to the vacuum and positioned in the interior volume; a nozzle coupled at a downhole end of the housing, the nozzle including one or more openings; and a controller communicably coupled to the vacuum and configured to perform operations including activating the vacuum to generate the fluid suction to circulate wellbore debris through the vacuum and into the debris chamber.

Abstract: A separable tool including a mill section, a mill face disposed on the mill section and having a bore therethrough that is offset from a longitudinal axis of the mill section, a tool adapter section, and a release configuration releasably securing the mill section to the tool adapter section with the mill face disposed between the mill section and the tool adapter section. A method for operating a wellbore system including in a single run, setting a plug in the wellbore system, releasing the plug, pumping cement, dressing the cement, and testing the cement.

Abstract: A system for protecting an Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) string from gas slugs in a downhole well environment. The system comprises an intake tube having a first and second end and one of a packer having a bypass channel and an inverted shroud coupled to the intake tube and the ESP string. The intake tube is independent of a pump and a motor of the ESP string. The system can comprise a bypass tube for channeling the gas slug downstream of the pump. The bypass tube is integrated with the packer. The inverted shroud is coupled with the first end of the intake tube and a section of production tubing downstream from the pump and the motor. The inverted shroud forms a bypass path channel within a casing annulus.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided relating to bottom hole assemblies (BHA) for the isolation and treatment of selected zones using an uphole and a downhole sealing element. The BHA also includes a location and shifting mechanism for locating, engaging and actuating features in a wellbore. The BHA provides for the selective location and actuation of downhole features such as flow valves, precise introduction of fluid, and real-time monitoring of downhole conditions. Methods of deploying a BHA and treating an area of interest using the BHA includes engaging sealing elements using hydraulic pressure.

Abstract: A method (1000) of improving the operation of a wellbore (1), said wellbore (1) including a drill pipe (2) in which a fluid (3) circulates and an optical fiber (5) positioned outside the drill pipe (2). The circulation of said fluid (3) is controlled at least in part by an outlet valve (4a) and/or an injection valve (4b). The method includes steps of generating (100) two digital orthogonal backscatter signals from at least one light signal, preferably polarized, injected into said optical fiber (5), and controlling (400) the opening of injection and/or outlet valves (4) depending on the two digital orthogonal backscatter signals.

Abstract: The upper head assembly includes a main body, a retractable body, a support element and a rear element. A fluid control means is provided for increasing the passage of fluid during the descent into the well are disposed on the main body and comprise a closure/opening body that selectively permits fluid to pass through a bypass chamber inside the main body, in a working position, or through an area of rapid descent that facilitates the passage by following a path, during descent. The fluid bypass chamber is formed by a central chamber with inlet ports and outlet ports that allow a connection of fluid between the central chamber and the outside of the main body. The closure/opening body blocks the flow through the area of rapid descent when the working position is reached.

Abstract: A drilling system can be used to drill a borehole. The drilling system may include a first housing defining a main fluid flow path and a second housing defining a bypass flow path toward an annulus of a wellbore. A flow control choke may be positioned between the first housing and the second housing. The flow control choke may include a rotatable section and a stationary section that is stationary relative to the rotatable section. The stationary section may have a curved interface with the rotatable section for restricting a flow of a drilling fluid through the bypass flow path.

Abstract: A control valve assembly includes a body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A portion of the body is formed from a first magnetic material. A sleeve is slidingly mounted to the body. At least a portion of the sleeve is formed from a second magnetic material. A magnetic circuit having a gap is defined within the control valve assembly. A solenoid is mounted to the body about at least a portion of the first magnetic material of the body. The solenoid is selectively activated to create a magnetic field across the gap in the magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit causes the sleeve to slide, narrowing the gap and sliding from the first position to the second position to produce a pressure pulse in the wellbore, wherein the biasing member biases the sleeve back to the first position.

Abstract: A system and method to determine closure pressure in a wellbore that can include, flowing a fracturing fluid into the wellbore during a fracturing operation of at least one stage and forming a fracture, sensing fluid pressure and a flow rate of the fracturing fluid during the fracturing operation and communicating the sensed data to a controller, plotting data points of the sensed data to a visualization device which is configured to visually present the data points to an operator as a plot, fitting a curve to the data points which represent statistically-relevant minimum pressure data at various flow rates, determining an intercept of the first curve with a zero flow rate axis of the plot, determining the closure pressure based on a pressure value of the intercept, and determining an average fracture permeability based on the closure pressure.

Abstract: A ball dropping tool includes an outer and inner body, side bore, ball and an actuator. The outer body has an axial bore extending between a first and second end of the outer body and forming a flow path. The inner body forms a bypass passage extending between a first and second end of the inner body. The side bore is defined by the inner body and is disposed at an angle relative to the axial bore of the outer body. The bypass passage is disposed in a portion of the flow path and is in communication with the side bore. The ball is disposed within the side bore. The actuator, disposed within the outer body, is movable between a retaining position wherein the ball is retained within the side bore and a release position wherein the ball is released from the side bore and into the bypass passage.

Abstract: A system includes a milling assembly with a mill bit and a drill string that mills a new wellbore section. The system further includes a whipstock assembly that is formed by a reamer shoe that reams an obstruction in a wellbore, a whipstock that deflects the milling assembly away from the wellbore, and a bypass valve mechanism that guides a fluid to circulate through the reamer shoe. Within the system, the milling assembly is fluidly connected to the whipstock assembly.

Abstract: A device for sampling soil of tropical lowland rainforest is provided, and the device includes a driving motor, a probe rod and a sampling barrel. An output shaft of the driving motor is fixedly connected with the top end of the probe rod. The probe rod is hollow. The sampling barrel is disposed in the probe rod. An opening of the bottom end of the sampling barrel faces to the soil inlet. Two baffle plates are also arranged in the probe rod. The side wall of the baffle plate is arc-shaped, and the bottom end of the baffle plate is semicircular. The semicircular baffle plates can pass through the space and can be joined to form a cylinder with a closed bottom end. Two linear motors are fixedly arranged in the probe rod and can respectively drive the two baffle plates to move.

Abstract: A sub-surface safety valve having a positional flapper, a valve seat, and a remotely actionable opening prong. The opening prong comprising at least one of a debris wiper, filter, and at least one flow hole. The wiper, filter, and at least one flow hole function according to either position or movement of the flapper and opening prong and prevent debris buildup around the valve seat. The wiper is an extendible material in communication with the valve seat and a surface of the opening prong and it extends radially in response to closing the valve. The extension of the wiper in response to closing the flapper cause the wiper to scrape the surface of the valve seat. The filter can comprise a screen integrated with or attached to the opening prong. The flow holes can be in the form of angled flow holes or elongated slots.

Abstract: A method of dynamically allocating a total amount of produced water (PW) from a reservoir during enhanced oil recovery (EOR) via a low salinity or softened water EOR flood by receiving measurement data; receiving reservoir configuration information comprising: an EOR injection rate associated with one or more EOR injection zones, a disposal zone injection rate associated with one or more disposal injection zones, and a non-reinjection disposal rate associated with one or more non-reinjection disposal routes; determining a blending rate comprising at least a portion of the PW production rate and at least a portion of the low salinity or softened water injection rate to provide a blended injection fluid; blending at least a portion of the PW with at least a portion of the low salinity or softened water at the blending rate; and dynamically allocating the PW production rate among injection and/or non-reinjection routes.

Abstract: A system for transmitting data and power downhole includes an annular groove in a downhole tool such as a drill pipe shoulder or other tool body. A housing for an inductive coupler being disposed within the annular groove. The housing may be a metal ring or a polymeric ring suitable for downhole conditions. An annular MCEI trough may be located within the housing. The MCEI trough may comprise segments. One of the segments may comprise one or more perforations. An electrically conductive coil may be placed in the MCEI trough. The coil may comprise a transmission end and a groundable end. The groundable end may be connected to the tool body by a ground post through the perforations in the MCEI segments and the housing. The transmission end may be connected to a cable within the downhole tool through the other perforation in the MCEI trough and housing.

Abstract: A thermal fluid generator utilizes a plasma energy heat source to generate steam, and combine the steam with nitrogen gas. Combined flow streams of steam and heated nitrogen are injected downhole into subterranean reservoir to thermally stimulate the flow of hydrocarbons (such as, for example, residual oil) from a reservoir, while also increasing fluid pressure in the reservoir. The thermal fluid generator can be located at the earth's surface, or positioned downhole within a wellbore.

Abstract: An example system includes a laser tool configured for downhole movement. The laser tool includes an optical assembly configured to shape a laser beam for output. The laser beam may have an optical power of at least one kilowatt (1 kW). A housing contains the optical assembly. The housing is configured for movement to direct the output laser beam within a wellbore. The movement includes rotation of the laser tool around a longitudinal axis of the housing and tilting the housing relative to a longitudinal axis of the wellbore. A control system is configured to control at least one of the movement of the housing or an operation of the optical assembly to direct the output laser beam within the wellbore.

Abstract: Methods for operating drill strings in a wellbore include providing a drilling apparatus that includes a Kelly drive system for rotating the drill string that includes a bottom hole assembly (BHA) and a Kelly engaged with the Kelly drive system. The BHA includes a hydraulically driven rotating string reamer coupled to the drill string uphole from a drill bit and a near-bit reamer. The hydraulically driven rotating string reamer includes a hydraulic drive operatively coupled to a string reamer. The methods include translating the BHA axially through the wellbore and, while translating the BHA, circulating drilling fluid through the drill string, which causes the hydraulic drive to rotate the string reamer relative to the drill string, drill bit, and near-bit reamer. Rotation of the string reamer by the hydraulic drive reams away imperfections extending radially inward from a wellbore wall of the wellbore.

Abstract: A rod lock out clamp includes a housing having a central bore for receiving a rod in spaced relation therethrough and clamp members in the housing for grippingly and frictionally engaging the rod in the bore. At least one of the clamp members has an inner end and a recess in the inner end, the recess having a profile with an arcuate portion having a radius of curvature that reduces from a maximum radius to a minimum radius. Manipulating means are coupled to the housing and the clamp members for moving the clamp members between a rod gripping position and a retracted position.

Abstract: A drilling speed-enhancing device has an outer cylinder a rotary main shaft arranged in an inner chamber of the outer cylinder and configured to rotate around its own axis; an output main shaft arranged below the rotary main shaft and configured to be driven by the rotary main shaft to rotate around its own axis, a lower end of the output main shaft extending out of the inner chamber of the outer cylinder for connecting with a drilling bit of a dual-drive drilling tool; and a percussion generator arranged between the output main shaft and the outer cylinder. The percussion generator can drive the outer cylinder and the rotary main shaft to move upward relative to the output main shaft, so that under action of WOB, the rotary main shaft and the outer cylinder move downward to generate impact on the output main shaft.