Abstract: A technique facilitates control over packers and/or other well tools actuated downhole. The technique utilizes a valve connectable into a well string. The valve is shiftable between a plurality of modes so as to control flow of fluid in a downhole environment. Additionally, an actuator system is connectable into the well string and operatively coupled with the valve. The actuator system is electronically controlled to cause the valve to shift to a desired mode of the plurality of modes. This approach enables electronic control over the actuation of specific downhole tools, e.g. packers, and/or other well related operations.

Abstract: Systems for drilling or tunneling include an assembly for accelerating a projectile through a first conduit into a region of geologic material, which generates debris. The debris may be reduced in size by moving the debris to a crushing device located in a second conduit using a conveying device, such as an auger. The reduced-size debris is then moved toward the surface using fluid movement. A third conduit may be used to provide and remove material from the bottom of the first conduit to control pressure at the end of the conduit to prevent ingress of material into the first conduit. Water jets or other types of devices may be used to cut or deform a perimeter of a region of geologic material before the projectile is accelerated to control the shape of the borehole and the manner in which debris is broken from the geologic material.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method including: launching a drone-type device into a subsurface terrain, wherein the drone-type device is configured to navigate the subsurface terrain along a path while searching for a source of one or more pollutants; obtaining, using one or more sampling compartments on the drone-type device, at least one sample along the path as the drone-type device travels in the subsurface terrain; measuring, using one or more sensors on the drone-type device on the drone-type device, concentration levels of the one or more pollutants at corresponding locations along the path where the drone-type device obtains the at least one sample; determining a gradient map of the measured concentration levels in the subsurface terrain surrounding the path taken by the drone-type device; and based on, at least in part, the gradient map, determining whether the source of the one or more pollutants has been located.

Abstract: A perforating gun deployable in a wellbore as part of a tool string includes an outer sleeve including a generally tubular wall structure having a peripheral surface around the outside, opposite ends thereof and a central passage therethrough extending from one end to the other end and further including a connection at each end to connect to other tools in the tool string, and at least one pressure sealed perforating module slidably positioned within the central passage of the outer sleeve having a shaped charge sealed from the portion of the central passage of the outer sleeve external the pressure-sealed perforating module.

Abstract: A stabilizer for use in a wellbore may include a downhole tubular configured to couple to a downhole conveyance in a wellbore, as well as two or more helical blades extending radially outward from the downhole tubular. The two or more helical blades are oriented about the downhole tubular to form respective flow paths between adjacent blades. Further, each blade of the two or more helical blades may include a line-of-sight face and a gauge ramp. The line-of-sight face is formed adjacent a leading inner blade wall of the blade at a lower end of the blade and is angularly offset from the leading inner blade wall. The gauge ramp extends from an outer surface of the downhole tubular toward an outer blade surface of the blade proximate the lower end of the blade.

Abstract: A hybrid bit includes an earth-boring element and a percussion element. The earth-boring element and the percussion element are coaxially arranged, with the earth-boring element surrounding the percussion element. A reciprocating member of the percussion element may oscillate in a manner that enables a bottom end of the reciprocating member to repeatedly protrude from a bottom end of the earth-boring element and to be repeatedly withdrawn. A configuration of the earth-boring element may enable it to drill into and remove some materials from an earth formation, while the percussion element may enable the hybrid bit to drill into and remove difficult-to-drill materials, including abrasive materials and/or materials with high compressive forces, such as chert.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatically operated drill hammer, comprising a piston and a distributor axially arranged relative to each other in a housing, the piston being arranged to be moved axially between a first position and a second position. The drill hammer further includes a pneumatic drive system, including a drive chamber, a return chamber and a plurality of channels for distribution of drive gas in said drive system. The return chamber is arranged at a lower side of the piston and the drive chamber is arranged at an upper side of the piston, wherein the drive chamber is defined by a variable space enclosed by at least the housing, the piston and the distributor. The drive chamber includes at least one inlet port and at least one exhaust port arranged at a circumference of the drive chamber.

Abstract: A downhole tool for sealing a well includes a push ring, a first slip ring located adjacent to the push ring, a first wedge located adjacent to the first slip ring and configured to radially push the first slip ring and separate the first slip ring into individual parts, and a sealing element located adjacent to the first wedge and configured to seal the well. An upstream end of the first slip ring and a downstream end of the push ring form a wavy interface when in contact. The wavy interface locks the first slip ring relative to the push ring to prevent a rotation of the first slip ring relative to the push ring.

Abstract: A washpipe free feature may include a housing defining a chamber having a bypass portion and a securing portion. The housing has first and second bores to put the bypass portion in fluid communication with an annulus of a wellbore and a central bore of a downhole tubular, respectively. Further, the washpipe free feature includes a magnet secured in the bypass portion, a ferromagnetic ball disposed within the bypass portion, and a piston disposed within the chamber. A distal end of the piston blocks the ball from contacting the magnet in a run-in position such that the ball may plug the first bore in response to fluid flow from the tubular toward the annulus. Additionally, the piston is slideable to an open position such that the magnet may hold the ball out of a flow path between the first bore and the second bore in the bypass portion.

Abstract: The calibration of fracture models for naturally fractured reservoirs using fracture properties from X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray MicroCT). A core plug is obtained from a subsurface naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoir, and a fracture property such as fracture porosity and a fracture effective permeability of the hydrocarbon reservoir are determined. A natural fracture model is generated using reservoir parameters and fluid flow paths, and fracture properties such as fracture porosity and a fracture effective permeability are determined from the natural fracture model. The fracture properties of the natural fracture model are calibrated using the fracture properties from the X-ray MicroCT analysis of the core plug.

Abstract: An isolation valve includes a ball valve element, an actuation section to rotate the ball valve element, and a trigger section that actuates the actuation section in response to a pressure differential. The actuation section includes an actuation mandrel, a piston housing that at least partially encases the actuation mandrel, a collet piston, and a holding collet. The piston housing and the actuation mandrel define a hydraulic chamber, and the collet piston separates the hydraulic chamber into an upper hydraulic chamber and a lower hydraulic chamber. The holding collet supports the collet piston during a stroke of the actuation mandrel that is triggered by the trigger section. The collet piston is configured to assume a rest position on the actuation mandrel before and during the stroke of the actuation mandrel, and the collet piston is configured to disengage from the actuation mandrel after the stroke of the actuation mandrel.

Abstract: A system formed to provide sealed passage through the wellhead for cables, lines, tubes or the like for down-hole applications. A unitary or split/wrap around hanger, packer or other apparatus having a main seal is formed to receive and provide sealed passage through of power and control cables, lines, conduits, or other threaded components having various configurations and applications. A bowl cap, tubing adapter or other surface component with adapters is formed to allow sealed pass-through utilizing a compression seal. A tubing encapsulated wire for pass-through for power cables or the like as well as a compression fitting with right angle connector is configured to provide a seal at the tubing adapter or the like, as well as a two-piece interlocking F.A.N. cover plate utilizing insertable inner plates to provide various cable penetration and other passage layouts, pressure ratings, and other specifications.

Abstract: A system includes a subsurface safety valve and a lock tool. The subsurface safety valve is installed within the production tubing and has a main bore delineated by an inner circumferential surface of the subsurface safety valve and a lock profile machined into the inner circumferential surface of the subsurface safety valve. The lock tool is movably disposed around a conduit and has a locking dog configured to engage with the lock profile of the subsurface safety valve and a conduit seal made of a swellable elastomer. The conduit seal is activated by an activation fluid and has an expanded position and an unexpanded position.

Abstract: A downhole assembly includes a float tool configured to be connected to a casing string and including one or more one-way valves configured to permit fluid flow in a downhole direction and to prevent fluid flow in an uphole direction, and a first wiper plug configured to be deployed into a well via the casing string and engage the float tool. The first wiper plug comprises a valve element that is configured to prevent fluid flow through the first wiper plug at least in the uphole direction.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a measurement of a pressure in a subsurface formation at a number of depths in a wellbore formed in the subsurface formation across a sampling depth range of the subsurface formation to generate a number of pressure-depth measurement pairs and partitioning the sampling depth range into a number of fluid depth ranges. The method comprises performing a fitting operation over each of the number of fluid depth ranges to determine a fluid gradient for the type of the reservoir fluid for each of the number of fluid depth ranges. The method comprises generating a solution set of one or more solutions based on the fluid gradient of the reservoir fluid for each of the number of fluid depth ranges determined from performing the fitting operation, wherein each solution defines a partitioning of the sampling depth range and the fluid gradient of each fluid depth range.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and techniques for monitoring for monitoring and evaluating conditions associated with a wellbore and wellbore operations that use neural operators instead of computationally intensive iterative differential equations. Such systems and techniques allow for determinations to be made as operations associated with a wellbore are performed. Instead of having to wait for computationally intensive tasks to be performed or take risks of proceeding with a wellbore operation without real-time evaluations being performed, these wellbore operations may be continued while determinations are timely made, thus improving operation of computing systems that perform evaluations and that make decisions regarding safely and efficiently performing wellbore operations such as drilling a wellbore, cementing wellbore casings in place, or injecting fluids into formations of the Earth.

Abstract: A pressurized fluid flow system for percussive mechanisms comprises a cylinder coaxially disposed in between an outer casing and a piston which reciprocates due to the changes in pressure of the pressurized fluid contained inside a front chamber and rear chamber located at opposites sides of the piston. The discharge of fluid from these chambers being conducted through a set of discharge channels and the supply of fluid to the front chamber being conducted through a set of supply channels and a front set of recesses. The supply of fluid to the rear chamber being conducted through a piloted valve.

Abstract: A toe valve for use in a wellbore includes: a tubular mandrel; a housing extending along a periphery of the mandrel; couplings for assembly as part of a casing or liner string; and a valve piston. The valve piston is: disposed in an annulus formed between the housing and the mandrel, movable between an open position and a closed position, and disposed between a valve port of the housing and a valve port of the mandrel in the closed position. The toe valve further includes: an atmospheric chamber for facilitating movement of the valve piston to the open position; a vent port formed through the housing and in fluid communication with the atmospheric chamber; and a flow control device disposed in the vent port and operable to prevent fluid flow from the wellbore into the atmospheric chamber and allow fluid flow from the atmospheric chamber into the wellbore.

Abstract: Methods and systems for quantifying and minimizing wellbore breakouts are disclosed. The methods include obtaining a mechanical earth model (MEM), determining a critical collapse pressure (CCP) using an inclination angle and the MEM, and determining an initial mud weight based on the CCP. The methods also include generating a breakout analysis using the initial mud weight, the MEM and a numerical modeling algorithm, updating the inclination angle of the planned wellbore, updating the CCP based on the updated inclination angle and the MEM, and updating the breakout analysis using the initial mud weight, the updated CCP, the MEM, and the numerical modeling algorithm. The methods further include selecting the updated CCP based, on the updated inclination angle that meets the stopping condition, calculating a final mud weight for the planned wellbore based on the updated CCP, and conditioning a drilling mud to the final mud weight, using a mud system.

Abstract: A downhole anchor mechanism for use in downhole tools. The downhole anchor mechanism generally consists of a plurality of sliders that pivot outwardly from a downhole tool body to engage distal ends thereof against a well casing. The sliders are operatively engaged within faceted cavities associated with the tool body, which creates load components that act in a tangential direction, allowing a thin-walled tool body to withstand increased holding force.