Abstract: An apparatus for clearing solids from a well including a housing with a jet pump, for positioning in a production string of the well, a tailpipe string carrying an elongate body to project out of a downhole end of the production string, a coupling to connect to inner tubing positioned within the production string for providing pressurised fluid to drive the jet pump, and a conduit which bypasses the jet pump in order to deliver pressurised fluid into the tailpipe string, wherein the tailpipe string includes a nozzle assembly to jet pressurised fluid into the well in order to agitate and stir up solids adjacent the elongate body and the elongate body includes an intake screen through which the solids are suctioned into an internal channel of the apparatus which is in fluid communication with an inlet of the jet pump, and wherein the jet pump has an exit for pumping the solids into a space between the apparatus and the production string in order to force the solids up-hole and out of the well.

Abstract: A method of managing authorizations to operate a software tool. The method comprises maintaining a count of available authorizations and an authorization allocation list that identifies what authorizations for executing the software tool are allocated to what computers by an authorization resource manager application executing on a computer system, for each of a plurality of computers, determining periodically by the authorization resource manager application if the computer is currently executing the software tool, for each computer determined to be executing the software tool, determining by the authorization resource manager application if an authorization for executing the software tool is allocated to the computer in the authorization allocation list, and, in response to determining that a computer is executing the software tool without being identified as being allocated an authorization in the authorization allocation list, invalidating an authorization identity being used by the computer.

Abstract: A method of steering a fluid drilling head in an underground borehole drilling situation is provided by rotating the flexible hose through which high pressure is provided to the drilling head and providing a biasing force on the drilling head. The hose can be rotated from a remote surface mounted situation by rotating the entire surface rig (13) in a horizontal plane about a turntable (24) causing the vertically orientated portion of the hose (11) to rotate about its longitudinal axis. The biasing force can be provided in a number of different ways but typically results from the use of an asymmetrical gauging ring on the fluid drilling head.