Abstract: Disclosed are pit launched horizontal drilling devices suitable for drilling a substantially horizontal bore hole and laying pipe underground from a surface dug pit. The devices comprise a stationary frame and a carriage component competent to move forward and back along the frame and drill and retrieve an attached drill stem through an aperture in the frame, the device comprising mechanical linear actuator means for moving the carriage along said frame. The devices are compact, light-weight, easy to maneuver and suitable for utility contractor applications exhibiting on the order of about 800-15,000 lbs of push/pull force. Also disclosed herein are improved means and components for easily and quickly breaking drill stem joints, including integrated, positionable collar wrenches and breakout wrenches.

Abstract: A release device for a jarring tool includes a collet positioned between the mandrel of the jarring tool and a trigger sleeve. At least one end of the collet is in contact with a precompressed spring via a bushing. In order for the jarring tool to operate, a force greater than the precompressed force of the spring must be applied to the mandrel so that the collet can move in axial direction against the spring thereby releasing the mandrel.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for optimizing operations for a fracturing injection waste disposal well especially where the formation is damaged or tight such that pressure fall-off tests are impractical due to extended leak-off rate times. Formation closure pressure and formation stress are calculated using Instantaneous Shut-in Pressure rather than traditional methods requiring actual fracture closure.

Abstract: This disclosure is related to real-time calibration of drilling modeling programs and to the estimation of pipe stretch to perform corrections for the inclination and azimuth measurements and the estimation of pipe twist to perform corrections to the tool face setting. A measurement tool with a plurality of sensors is disposed along the drill string. Measurements are taken continuously during the drilling process from each of the sensors to determine torque, bending moment, and axial force data. This information is iteratively coupled with a mechanical torque-drag model (based on standard mechanics of deformable materials and on wellbore mechanics) to accurately estimate stretching and twisting of the drill string in real-time or near-real-time and thereby promote accurate wellbore placement.

Abstract: A matrix body PDC drill bit includes a drill crown and a bit body, and further includes a combined limiting sleeve. A connecting block and a connecting sleeve are provided at a junction of the drill crown and the bit body; multiple engaging teeth and engaging grooves for defining circumferential rotation and mutual engagement are provided between the connecting sleeve and the connecting block; the combined limiting sleeve includes several sub-limiting sleeves which are combined and spliced along an outer peripheral surface of the connecting sleeve and are configured to fixedly connected into a whole; an inner side of each sub-limiting sleeve is provided with upper limiting bumps and lower limiting bumps; the connecting block is inserted into the connecting sleeve to allow the upper limiting bumps and the lower limiting bumps to abut against fixed end surfaces of the connecting block and the connecting sleeve, respectively.

Abstract: A method can include receiving information associated with a conveyance of equipment in a borehole via a cable. The method may further include determining cable tension values based at least in part on a model and at least a portion of the information and conveying the equipment in the borehole via the cable; acquiring a cable tension value via one or more sensors. The method may further include comparing the acquired cable tension value to at least one of the determined cable tension values and, based at least in part on the comparing, setting a cable tension limit for further conveying of the equipment in the borehole via the cable.

Abstract: The dissolvable bridge plug is designed for temporarily plugging an oil and gas wellbore, and includes a mandrel, a rubber tube, a conical sleeve, a slip, and a lower sub, wherein, the mandrel, rubber tube, conical sleeve, slip, and lower sub are made of a dissolvable material. The inner surface of one end of the lower sub is arranged with an anti-preset mechanism that contacts with the other end of the mandrel. As the temperature in the wellbore is recovered and meets the condition under which the components in the bridge plug can be dissolved after the setting and fracturing operation is completed. The dissolvable bridge plug contacts with the fluids in the oil and gas well and has a dissolution reaction with the fluids, and finally is dissolved into fine particles completely.

Abstract: A quick connect system for connecting a first downhole tool to a second downhole tool, the quick connect system including a quick connect device configured to be mechanically attached to the first downhole tool; and a top sub configured to be mechanically attached to the quick connect device and also to the second downhole tool. The top sub has a first bulkhead element that prevents a high pressure gas from the second downhole tool to damage the quick connect device.

Abstract: A top latch-in plug includes a housing having a bore; and a transitionable seal, wherein: the transitionable seal seals the bore of the housing when in a first configuration, the transitionable seal unseals the bore when in a second configuration, and the transitionable seal is triggerable to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration. A casing floatation system includes a casing having a pre-load collar and a landing collar; and a lower bottom latch-in plug comprising: a catch mechanism compatible with the pre-load collar; and a landing mechanism compatible with the landing collar.

Abstract: A rotating control device (RCD) includes a housing configured to make a connection above a wellbore and an assembly that mates to the housing. The assembly also includes a sealing element to make a seal to a drill string and to rotate with the drill string. One or more sensors are configured to monitor conditions during operation of the RCD. The one or more sensors include one or more erosion sensors to detect erosion of the sealing element. The one or more erosion sensors are also configured to identify amounts of erosion of the sealing element.

Abstract: A method of fracturing a subterranean formation to produce fluid from a reservoir through a wellbore includes flowing a treating fluid into the wellbore to create fractures in the formation, selectively flowing a flow constraint material (FCM) into the wellbore simultaneously with the treating fluid, pausing the flow of the FCM while maintaining the flow of the treating fluid, monitoring a parameter of the formation to determine whether the parameter is within a range, resuming the flow of the FCM when the parameter of the formation is out of the range, ceasing the flow of the FCM when the parameter of the formation is in the range, where a system strain increase is about 0.0003 or less when the parameter of the formation is in range, and where the flow of the flow constraint material partially constrains the treating fluid from entering at least one of the fractures.

Abstract: A sleeve and plug launcher for launching a sleeve and plug down an oil or gas well includes sleeve and plug holders, a support plate beneath the open bottoms of the sleeve and plug holders, an aperture positioned in the support plate and a sleeve and plug discharge connectable to a well head of a well and positioned below the aperture. When one of the sleeve and plug holders stops over the aperture in the support plate, a sleeve and plug in the sleeve and plug holders drops through the aperture and is directed into a wellhead by the sleeve and plug discharge.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a downhole swivel sub includes a first swivel part configured to connect to a first section of a workstring, and a second swivel part configured to connect to a second section of the workstring. The second swivel part is rotatable relative to the first swivel part. The downhole swivel sub also includes a locking sleeve rotationally coupled with the first swivel part and movable axially between a locking position wherein the first swivel part and the second swivel part are rotationally coupled and an unlocking position wherein the first swivel part is rotatable relative to the second swivel part. The locking sleeve includes at least two first rows of teeth disposed at a same radial position and separated axially on the locking sleeve. The at least two first rows of teeth are configured to engage and disengage with at least two second rows of teeth located on the second swivel part.

Abstract: A method of fault detection and recovery in a tubing string located in a hydrocarbon well is described, the tubing string having a plurality of valves, each valve having a control unit, each control unit being connected in series to a power-line providing power and communication, each of the control units being independently controllable. The method includes: detecting a short circuit, fault or failure in one of the control units of the tubing string via an output of the power-line; causing individual control units to be selectively isolated from the power-line via a circuit interrupting device; and determining one or more control units associated with the short circuit, fault or failure via the output of the power-line while individual control units are selectively isolated from the power-line. A method of fault protection in a tubing string, and an apparatus and system for the same are also described.

Abstract: A wellbore isolation is introduced into a wellbore and includes an elongate body defining an interior and comprising an upper sub, a lower sub, and a mandrel extending therebetween. A sealing element is disposed about the mandrel and upper and lower slip assemblies are positioned on opposing axial ends of the sealing element. A setting piston is positioned within a piston chamber defined by the lower sub and the mandrel, and a mandrel plugging device is positioned within the mandrel. The mandrel plugging device plugs the interior and transitions between occluding setting ports defined in the mandrel and exposed the setting ports to facilitate fluid communication between the interior and the piston chamber. The interior is pressurized to actuate the setting piston and set the lower slip assembly, and further pressurized to move the mandrel and set the upper slip assembly.

Abstract: Method and system for implementing health monitoring of downhole tool without disassembly is presented in this disclosure. Investigative equipment can be installed in an exterior housing of the downhole tool so that the investigative equipment is in communication with an interior of the downhole tool. The tool can be positioned in a functional test system so that the tool is at least partially enclosed within the functional test system, and efficiency of the tool can be determined by operating the functional test system. The investigative equipment can be utilized to perform diagnostics on a condition of an internal component on the interior of the tool, and the health of the tool can be predicted based on the determined efficiency and the diagnostics.

Abstract: A self-retracting coiled cable having a variable length along a center line can include an outer insulator sleeve having a longitudinal axis. The self-retracting coiled cable can also include a spring material extending along the longitudinal axis of the outer insulator sleeve. The spring material can hold the outer insulator sleeve in a helical shape around the center line. The spring material can also allow the self-retracting coiled cable to expand upon an application of an axial force to an end of the self-retracting coiled cable, thereby increasing a length of the self-retracting coiled cable, and to retract upon a removal of the axial force from the end of the self-retracting coiled cable, thereby reducing the length of the self-retracting coiled cable. The self-retracting coiled cable can further include multiple wires extending along the longitudinal axis of the outer insulator sleeve and disposed symmetrically around the spring material.

Abstract: The cleaning of a wellbore which has a casing in its upper part and a reservoir liner at its lower end by running only one string into the wellbore to cement the liner in place and to clean both the liner and the upper part of the well. Thus, the entire well is made ready for completion in a single trip.

Abstract: A remotely and mechanically actuated RCD control tool adjusts at least one component of an RCD latch assembly between at least two settings. The mechanical RCD control tool comprises a rotational cylinder and a guide cylinder, the rotational cylinder configured to rotate in a rotational direction to adjust the RCD latch assembly from a first setting to a second setting and from the second setting to the first setting based on movement of the drive cylinder in a selected direction. Additional apparatus, methods, and systems are disclosed.

Abstract: A method that includes deploying a casing with a multi-electrode configuration over a dielectric layer in a downhole environment. The method also includes collecting electromagnetic (EM) measurements using the multi-electrode configuration, and processing the EM measurements to obtain a characterization of fluids in an annulus between the casing and a borehole wall. A related system includes a casing deployed downhole, the casing having a multi-electrode configuration and a dielectric layer between the casing and the multi-electrode configuration. The system also includes a controller for directing collection of EM measurements using the multi-electrode configuration, and a processor that processes the EM measurements to obtain a characterization of fluids in an annulus between the casing and a borehole wall.