Scientific Drilling International, Inc.

Brett H Van Steenwyk

Matthew A White

Tim Whitacre

Mohamed Youssef

Brian Daniel Gleason

Timothy Whitacre

Benjamin C Hawkinson

Harold J Engebretson

Brian D Gleason

Timothy P Whitacre

An extended dipole antenna for an uplink transmitter positioned in a wellbore includes an electromagnetic telemetry system interface sub, wired or lined drill pipe segment, and upper dipole terminating sub. The electromagnetic telemetry interface sub includes an outer tubular in electrical contact with a negative output of the uplink transmitter and an inner conductor in electric contact with a positive output of the uplink transmitter. The wired or lined drill pipe segment includes an outer tubular in electrical contact with the outer tubular of the electromagnetic telemetry interface sub and an inner conductor in electric contact with the inner conductor of the electromagnetic telemetry system interface sub. The upper dipole terminating sub including an outer tubular at least partially in electric contact with the outer tubular of the wired or lined drill pipe segment and an inner conductor in electric contact with the inner conductor of the wired or lined drill pipe segment. The upper dipole terminating sub includes an electrical connection between the inner conductor of the upper dipole terminating sub and the inner conductor of the upper dipole terminating sub.

Lower electrode extension for sub-surface electromagnetic telemetry system

A gimbal sensor platform positionable in a tool body includes an inner gimbal and an outer gimbal. The inner gimbal is rotatably coupled to the outer gimbal, and the outer gimbal is rotatably coupled to the tool body. The inner and outer gimbals may each be rotated by an angular positioning device. A gyro or other sensor may be coupled to the inner gimbal. The gyro or other sensor may be reoriented by rotating the outer gimbal, the inner gimbal, or both.

Tumble gyro surveyor

A method for transmitting data from a MWD system at the BHA of a drill string may include transmitting the data in a MWD signal from the MWD system. The MWD signal may be modulated at a position closer to the surface onto a mud pulse modulated signal. The mud pulse modulated signal may be generated by a downhole friction reducing device. The downhole friction reducing device may include a mud motor. The mud motor may create pressure pulses based on its speed of rotation. The downhole friction reducing device may include a modulating valve. The modulating valve may be electromechanically or mechanically operated. The modulated signal may be detected at the surface by a receiver using one or more pressure or flow sensors. The receiver may use one or more harmonics of the modulated signal to receive the data.

Downhole MWD signal enhancement, tracking, and decoding

A steering tool may include a tool body, gimbal body rotatably coupled to the tool body, and an angular positioning device to rotate the gimbal body relative to the tool body. One or more sensors may be coupled to the gimbal body. The sensors may be one or more gyros, accelerometers, and magnetometers. A gyro may be aligned with the axis of rotation of the gimbal body and may be used to detect rotation of the gimbal body. The detected rotation may be used to stabilize the gimbal body by using the angular positioning device. A gimbal toolface angle relative to a reference frame may be determined based on readings of one or more of the sensors. The gimbal body may be rotated to align with a reference position by the angular positioning device and rotated to one or more other gimbal toolface angles, at which sensor readings may be taken.

Inertial carousel positioning

A method is provided for computing the differential azimuth between two sets of spaced-apart gravity component measurement devices in a borehole, employing multiple rotation angles. The method includes modeling relationships of axes as defined; forming equations relating rotation angles to outputs of gravity measuring devices; solving such equations to derive the values representative of all of the rotation angles, using measured values of the outputs from the first and second sets of gravity component measuring devices, and computing from the values of the rotation angles the differential azimuth angle between the first set and the second set of gravity measuring devices.

Growing community of inventors

San Luis Obispo, CA, United States of America

Brett H Van Steenwyk