Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Ryan Energy Technologies Inc.

Xact Downhole Telemetry, Inc.

Extreme Engineering Ltd.

Schlumberger Canada Limited

Anthony Robert Dopf

Derek W Logan

Paul L Camwell

Timothy Neff

David A Switzer

Wendall Siemens

Michael Thomas Sutherland

David D Whalen

Garry Holmen

Thomas H Vermeeren

Laura C Neels-Slingerland

Trang Le

Dave Switzer

Aaron William Logan

Brian Oliver Clark

Reza Taherian

Douglas S Drumheller

Robert J Utter

Randall S Liscombe

Wendall L Siemens

Derek William Logan

A drill bit assembly for measuring reservoir formation properties comprises a bit head and a pin body, and an electrically insulated gap joint between two conductive parts of the drill bit assembly. The bit head has a cutting end and an opposite connecting end with an engagement section. The pin body comprises a connecting end with an engagement section. The pin connecting end is connected to the bit head connecting end such that the engagement sections overlap. The electrically insulating gap joint can fill a gap between the bit head and pin body engagement sections such that the bit head and pin body are mechanically connected together at the connecting ends but electrically separated. Alternatively or additionally, the pin body can have two pieces which are separated by an electrically insulating gap joint. An electrical conductor is electrically connected at a first end to the bit head and is communicable at a second end with an alternating current signal to transmit an alternating current into the bit head, thereby inducing an electric current into a reservoir formation adjacent the bit head. Electronic equipment includes measurement circuitry configured to determine the alternating current at the bit head, the alternating current being inversely proportional to a bit resistivity of the formation.

Drill bit assembly having electrically isolated gap joint for measurement of reservoir properties

Oilfield drilling utilizes downhole data transmitted to surface for formation evaluation and steering of directional wellbores. A leading technology in providing subsurface to surface communication is Electro-Magnetic (EM) Telemetry. This technology is typically employed with a downhole antenna concentric with the bore of an electrically insulating 'gap sub' portion of the system. The antenna blocks the bore from further use to conduct other sensors or equipment through. One aspect of the invention is to integrate the antenna into the structure of the gap sub, thereby clearing the bore for conducting other tools through, and also protecting the antenna from the harsh drilling environment, including abrasion, erosion, shock, and vibration. Another aspect of this invention enables the antenna to serve a secondary function as an anti-rotation feature between the two halves of the gap sub.

Electromagnetic telemetry assembly with protected antenna

A spindle for a mud pulse telemetry tool includes a seal section having an outer surface for contacting a lip seal of a spindle housing in which the spindle is mounted; a top section attachable to at least part of a valve assembly for generating mud pulses; and a base section having a proximal end attachable to a drive motor for moving the spindle and a distal end attachable to the top section such that the annular seal is fixed between the top and base sections. The seal section can be made of a ceramic material such as yttrium-stabilized zirconia.

Spindle for mud pulse telemetry applications

A brush and brush housing arrangement for use with an electric brushed motor containing viscous fluid. The brush and brush housing arrangement comprises a brush housing and at least one brush. The at least one brush comprising a first end that is in contact with a rotating commutator of the motor when in use and an opposed second end. At least one open-faced channel in a surface of the brush extends from the first end to the second end. The open-faced channel provides an exit for entrained fluid from the brush and brush housing, minimizing or eliminating brush lift caused by fluid being forced between the rotating commutator and the brush. Additional pressure relief channels for allowing escape of entrained fluid may be located in the housing.

Brush and brush housing arrangement to mitigate hydrodynamic brush lift in fluid-immersed electric motors

A gap sub assembly can be used to form an electrical isolation in a drill string, across which a voltage is applied to generate a carrier signal for an electromagnetic (EM) telemetry system. The assembly comprises two conductive generally cylindrical components fashioned with a matching set of male and female rounded coarse threads, held such that a relatively uniform interstitial space is formed in the overlap space between them. The third component is a substantially dielectric electrical isolator component placed into the gap between the threads that effectively electrically isolates the two conductive components. Injecting the dielectric material under high pressure forms a tight bond resistant to the ingress of conductive drilling fluids (liquids, gases or foam), thus forming a high pressure insulating seal.

Electrical isolation connector for electromagnetic gap sub

An acoustic isolator for use with tubular assemblies such as drillpipe or production tubing comprising an acoustic wave transmitter, the acoustic isolator comprising, in series connection, an odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple tuning bar of first acoustic impedance adjacent the acoustic wave transmitter, an odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple reflector tube of second acoustic impedance, and a snubber of third acoustic impedance, wherein there is an acoustic impedance mismatch between the odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple tuning bar and the odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple reflector tube and an acoustic impedance mismatch between the odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple reflector tube and snubber, such that a 'down' wave propagated toward the isolator is reflected back substantially in phase with an 'up' wave propagated from the acoustic wave source away from the isolator. Furthermore, the acoustic isolator is similarly effective in reflecting &#x2018;up&#x2019; propagating waves originating from below the isolator, hence further protecting the acoustic wave source from possible deleterious interference.

Acoustic isolator

The present disclosure describes a spindle for a mud pulse telemetry tool. The spindle includes a seal section having an outer surface for contacting a lip seal of a spindle housing in which the spindle is mounted; a top section attachable to at least part of a valve assembly for generating mud pulses; and a base section having a proximal end attachable to a drive motor for moving the spindle and a distal end attachable to the top section such that the seal section is fixed between the top and base sections. The seal section can be made of a ceramic material such as yttrium-stabilized zirconia.

A shaft protection washer to protect a rotating shaft in a 'measurement while drilling' (MWD) tool. Use of the shaft protection washer renders the rotating shaft less susceptible to erosion from the drilling fluid flowing between the rotating component and the stationary component.

Fluid erosion protection washer for rotating shaft in MWD tool

A direct current electric motor brush and brush housing arrangement which significantly reduces the effect of brush lift in a brushed motor containing viscous fluid. The brush housing enables viscous fluid to avoid momentum transfer into the brushes by providing two or more pressure relief channels that provide the fluid with direct radial exits along the direction of the brush, potentially reducing the brush lift due to the fluid being forced between a rotating commutator and its associated brushes. The pressure relief channels may be located in the housing immediately adjacent to the brush, being radially disposed to the leading face (or leading and trailing faces) of each brush, or in the leading face (or leading and trailing faces) of each brush itself, and may include additional channels in the housing near but not immediately adjacent the brushes.

The invention relates to an apparatus for receiving downhole acoustic signals, processing the signals into electric signals, then transmitting the signals wirelessly to a remote above-surface monitoring station. The apparatus is mountable to an above-surface rotatable component used in borehole application. The apparatus includes an instrument housing, and a clamping assembly attached to the housing and having sufficient length and flexibility to enable the apparatus to surround the perimeter of the rotatable component.

Apparatus for receiving downhole acoustic signals

A rotatable plug and socket for establishing electrical communication in a hazardous environment, each of said plug and socket having biased slidable protective members covering electrical contacts on each of said plug and socket, which are each slidably displaced during mating engagement of the plug with the socket. The slidable protective members ensure protection of the electrical contacts on each of the plug and socket members when such plug and socket connectors are not engaged, or not fully engaged. Such plug and socket connectors are particularly suited for location within respective sections of two drill pipe used in petroleum drilling operations, where such sections of drill pipe are desired to be rotatably secured together and it is desired to establish at the same time mating engagement of such plug and socket connector respectively in each of such two drill pipes so as to establish electrical communication between electronic circuitry and devices situate in one of the drill pipes with associated electronic circuitry and/or devices situate in the other of such two drill pipes.

Harsh environment rotatable connector

In a subassembly electrical isolation connector for interconnecting sections of a tubular drill rod, the subassembly having an electrically insulated connector for and between spaced-apart connector sections to transmit drilling forces therethrough, the use of a sealing membrane for sealing an insulated spacing in the electrically insulated connector to prevent ingress of pressurized drilling mud into the connector and shorting out said spaced-apart sections of the connector, the sealing membrane overlapping said connector sections as a continuous sleeve and having at least its sleeve ends sealed to respective portions of the connector sections to thereby activate the sealing membrane.

Subassembly electrical isolation connector for drill rod

A drill string section for use in making up a drill string for oil and gas drilling carries instrumentation for measurement and logging while drilling. The instrumentation includes a dynamic pressure device for measuring drill string bore pressure of incoming pressurized fluid and drill string annular pressure of returned pressurized fluid. The drill string section comprises a length of drill string pipe having a bore defined by an inner surface of a wall which has an outer surface. The instrumentation is provided in an elongate cylindrical tool shell. The outer surface of the tool shell has spaced apart seals which engage the inside surface of a cylindrical landing sleeve in the pipe bore. The seals are located in the sleeve on either side of communicating port(s) in the drill pipe wall, forming a leak tight annular region that eventually communicates through appropriate ports to a pressure transducer.

Growing community of inventors

Calgary, Canada

Anthony Robert Dopf