Abstract: A downhole assembly includes a tubular body having a bore and a downhole tool connected to the tubular body. The downhole assembly also includes a sensor assembly having a carrier and a sensor. A sensor adapter is used to couple the sensor assembly to the tubular body. The sensor adapter includes an adapter body disposed in the bore of the tubular body; an adapter shaft for connection with the carrier; and a plurality of channels formed between the adapter shaft and the adapter body.

Abstract: A method of positioning a bottom hole assembly in a wellbore includes lowering the bottom hole assembly into the wellbore. The bottom hole assembly has a whipstock, a downhole tool, and a cleaning tool having a cleaning element. The method also includes cleaning at least a portion of a wall of the wellbore using the cleaning tool, and activating the downhole tool to engage the cleaned portion of the wall.

Abstract: A whipstock assembly includes an inner body having a bore and an inclined surface at an upper portion; and an outer body disposed around the inner body and releasably attached to the inner body, the outer body having an inclined surface and an upper portion closed to fluid communication.

Abstract: A piston initiator is used on an assembly having a milling tool and a whipstock for creating a sidetrack in a wellbore. A piston disposed in an uphole position in a bore of the milling tool seals the bore from communicating with the port. A line from the port can communicate pressure to components on the whipstock for initiating their activation. The piston is movable from the uphole position, but is held by a releasable connection configured to release the piston in response to a predetermined force from fluid flow in a downhole direction against an exposed surface area of the piston. An uphole shoulder in the milling tool prevents movement of the piston in an uphole direction so the piston does not stress the releasable connection in response to reverse fluid flow through the milling tool.

Abstract: A piston initiator is used on an assembly having a milling tool and a whipstock for creating a sidetrack in a wellbore. A piston disposed in an uphole position in a bore of the milling tool seals the bore from communicating with the port. A line from the port can communicate pressure to components on the whipstock for initiating their activation. The piston is movable from the uphole position, but is held by a releasable connection configured to release the piston in response to a predetermined force from fluid flow in a downhole direction against an exposed surface area of the piston. An uphole shoulder in the milling tool prevents movement of the piston in an uphole direction so the piston does not stress the releasable connection in response to reverse fluid flow through the milling tool.

Abstract: A method of positioning a bottom hole assembly in a wellbore includes lowering the bottom hole assembly into the wellbore. The bottom hole assembly has a whipstock, a downhole tool, and a cleaning tool having a cleaning element. The method also includes cleaning at least a portion of a wall of the wellbore using the cleaning tool, and activating the downhole tool to engage the cleaned portion of the wall.

Abstract: A sidetrack assembly for forming a lateral wellbore includes a cutting device having a body having a passage, and a mill head configured to connect to the body so that an interior of the mill head and the body form a pressure chamber in fluid communication with the outlet passage. The mill head includes a first port in fluid communication with the pressure chamber, a second port in fluid communication with the pressure chamber, and a blade arranged on a face of the mill head. A whipstock connected to the cutting device includes a tubing having a first end removably inserted in the first port and the passage and a second end connectable to a downhole tool, an inclined surface for guiding the mill at a non-zero angle relative to a central axis of an existing wellbore, and an attachment section removably connecting the cutting device and the whipstock.

Abstract: A bottom hole assembly for use in a wellbore includes a whipstock; a downhole tool coupled to the whipstock; and a cleaning tool coupled to the downhole tool for cleaning a portion of a wall of the wellbore, wherein the downhole tool is configured to engage the cleaned portion of the wall. In one example, the cleaning tool includes a body and a plurality of cleaning elements for cleaning the portion of the wall.

Abstract: An assembly for forming a lateral wellbore includes a mill having a bore and a plurality of blades; a whipstock having an inclined surface for guiding movement of the mill, the mill releasably connected to the whipstock; and a tubing disposed in the bore of the mill and the whipstock. In one example, at least one of the plurality of blades is disposed in a slot formed in the whipstock.

Abstract: An assembly for forming a lateral wellbore includes a mill having a bore and a plurality of blades; a whipstock having an inclined surface for guiding movement of the mill, the mill releasably connected to the whipstock; and a tubing disposed in the bore of the mill and the whipstock. In one example, at least one of the plurality of blades is disposed in a slot formed in the whipstock.

Abstract: A whipstock assembly includes an inner body having a bore and an inclined surface at an upper portion; and an outer body disposed around the inner body and releasably attached to the inner body, the outer body having an inclined surface and an upper portion closed to fluid communication.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for use in maintaining data quality upon conversion to a different data format. Some embodiments provide methods that receive media data in a first format, initiate a first conversion of the media data at the first format to a second converted format, identify parameters dictating the conversion to the second converted format, record the parameters, and distribute the recorded parameters to remote systems such that the parameters at least in part control the remote systems during a conversion of the media data to the second converted format.

Abstract: A modular shaft assembly for use with a variety of different endoscopic forceps each having a housing includes a handle assembly and one or more moveable handles. The modular shaft assembly also includes a shaft having proximal and distal ends and an end effector assembly including a pair of jaw members attached to the distal end thereof. The shaft and a universal drive assembly are attached at the proximal end of the shaft. The universal drive assembly is operably engageable with the handle assemblies of the variety of different endoscopic forceps such that actuation of the one or more movable handles of any of the variety of different forceps causes the universal drive assembly to actuate the jaw members to move between an open position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide methods for writing content to a media that comprise retrieving a first portion of a key structure from the media or a remote server, generating or receiving a second portion of the key structure based on the first portion of the key structure, encrypting content based at least on the second portion of the key structure, producing encrypted content, and writing the encrypted content onto the media. The present embodiments further provide recording media that include a digitally writable surface that is optically readable, a control area optionally comprising a pre-recorded set of keys defining a first portion of a key structure, and a data portion that records non-pre-recorded content protected according to a second portion of the key structure generated according to at least a portion of the first portion of the key structure.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for use in maintaining data quality upon conversion to a different data format. Some embodiments provide methods that receive media data in a first format, initiate a first conversion of the media data at the first format to a second converted format, identify parameters dictating the conversion to the second converted format, record the parameters, and distribute the recorded parameters to remote systems such that the parameters at least in part control the remote systems during a conversion of the media data to the second converted format.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for use in maintaining data quality upon conversion to a different data format. Some embodiments provide methods that receive media data in a first format, initiate a first conversion of the media data at the first format to a second converted format, identify parameters dictating the conversion to the second converted format, record the parameters, and distribute the recorded parameters to remote systems such that the parameters at least in part control the remote systems during a conversion of the media data to the second converted format.

Abstract: A source image is encoded into a base layer and an enhancement layer. The base layer represents a standard definition portion of the source image and the enhancement layer represents a high-resolution portion of the source image. The base layer is stored on a first data storage track of a storage medium, such as a DVD, and the enhancement layer is stored on a second data storage track of the storage medium. The first data storage track may be a default camera angle track and then second data storage track may be a second camera angle track. The data is formatted such that a standard definition device will not read the enhancement layer data. A high-resolution decoding system decodes the base layer and the enhancement layer simultaneously to generate a high-resolution image.

Abstract: Sour natural gas is processed to remove the sulfur compounds and recover C4+/C5+ hydrocarbons by scrubbing the gas with an amine solution to remove most of the sulfur, followed cooling the gas to remove C4+/C5+ hydrocarbons and more sulfur compounds as liquid condensate to produce a gas having less than 20 vppm of total sulfur. The condensate is sent to a fractionator to recover the C4+/C5+ hydrocarbons. The sulfur and hydrocarbon reduced gas is contacted first with zinc oxide and then nickel, to produce a gas having less than 10 vppb of total sulfur which is passed into a synthesis gas generating unit to form a very low sulfur synthesis gas comprising a mixture of H2 and CO. This synthesis gas is useful for hydrocarbon synthesis with increased life of the hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst and greater hydrocarbon production from the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor. Contacting the synthesis gas with zinc oxide further reduces the sulfur content to below 3 vppb.