General Electric Company

Nabors Drilling Technologies Usa, Inc.

Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd.

Ads Services, LLC

First Subsea Limited

Other

University of Connecticut

Nabors Global Holdings Ltd.

Nabors Corporation Services

Brian Ellis

Bernard Patrick Bewlay

Joan McKiever

Scott Gilbert Boone

Faisal Yousef

Beat Kuttel

Michael James Weimer

Stephen Francis Bancheri

Craig Currie Weems

Colin Gillan

Beat Küttel

John Thomas Scarborough

Nicholas Vincent McLasky

Chris Papouras

Kevin R Williams

Tommy Vu

Joan Mckiever

Nicole Jessica Tibbetts

Pradeep Annaiyappa

Mahmoud Hadi

Gary Pace

Faisal J Yousef

James Garaghty

Nicholas Vincent Mclasky

Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr

Thomas Joseph Kelly

Ashish Gupta

Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni

Padira Reddy

Stephen Francis Rutkowski

Mohamed Rahmane

Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti

Anand Girish Parthasarathy

Michael Edward Eriksen

Vladimir Scekic

Robert Arthur Giddings

Keith Anthony Lauria

Scott Charles

Manuel Kenneth Bueno

Robert X Gao

Chris Magnuson

Christopher Papouras

Stanislaw Casimir Sulima

Brian Kalb

Adam Keith

Tommy Scarborough

Joseph Carl Wukusick

Jinjiang Wang

Ruqiang Yan

Boone Elbert Smith

Charles Orbell

Ever Reyes

Noel Bates

Larry Heighington

Nicholas Vincent McClasky

B Beat Kuttel

S Casimir Sulima

Graham Lamb

Jose Abelardo Sanchez Puente

Manuel K Bueno

Stephen Bancheri

Michael Weimer

An autonomous drilling system for well construction activities comprises a data acquisition system collecting real-time data from sensors, including flowrate, pressure, and cuttings sensors. A digital twin framework simulates drilling operations and outputs predictions based on the collected data. An AI agent module analyzes the system by aggregating predictions, real-time data, and historical data to determine well health and recommend parameter adjustments. An integrated rig control system automates drilling operations based on these recommendations. A human-machine interface provides manual control options. The system includes flowrate sensors with flow meters, downhole sensors, and multiple digital twins simulating specific aspects of wellbore construction. The AI module can employ deep learning or reinforcement learning techniques. Cuttings sensors analyze volume to assess wellbore stability and hole cleaning efficiency. The system can transition between open and closed loop drilling operations based on AI recommendations.

Autonomous drilling system with integrated AI

A method of using a quill to steer a bit when elongating a wellbore, with the method including receiving real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore, wherein the real-time data associated with elongating the wellbore comprises data associated with: actual toolface orientation; surface-measured mud motor ΔP; surface-measured quill torque; surface-measured weight-on-bit ('WOB'); and surface-measured quill position; learning, based on the real-time data, relationships between: surface-measured mud motor ΔP and surface-measured torque; changes in surface-measured WOB and surface-measured torque; and changes in surface-measured quill position and actual toolface orientation; accessing, after learning the relationships, a desired toolface orientation; comparing, by the controller, the desired toolface orientation and the actual toolface orientation; and affecting, by the controller and based on the comparison and the learned relationships, a first change of the quill position and one or more of: mud motor ΔP; surface-measured quill torque; or WOB.

Method and apparatus for steering a bit using a quill and based on learned relationships

An automated sand dump system for oil and gas wells is provided that uses sensed parameters to determine and effective sand level within a sand trap. When the control system determines that the effective sand level reaches a predetermined level, an automated dump sequence is executed.

Automated sand dump system for oil and gas wells

A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly ('BHA') by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on the received data; comparing the location of the BHA to a planned drilling path to identify an amount of deviation; automatically creating a modified drilling path based on the amount of deviation and a predicted trend of a downhole parameter; detecting a trend of the downhole parameter while drilling along the modified drilling path; and automatically creating a further modified drilling path when the trend of the downhole parameter is a reversal of the predicted trend of the downhole parameter. The predicted trend of the downhole parameter is an increase of a d-exponent factor or a d-exponent-corrected factor with an increase in depth.

Method and apparatus for automatically modifying a drilling path in response to a reversal of a predicted trend

A system for automated testing of a high-pressure pump comprises a choke valve, actuator and actuator drive for operating the choke in response to receiving control signals. A system control unit includes a processor unit, system memory, I/O interface, human-machine interface, and display device. A pressure sensor is connected to the pump outlet line for sensing and reporting outlet pressure to the control unit. The control unit can execute a test phase by causing the pump to run at a test speed and causing the actuator to change the restriction value of the choke until a predetermined pressure is sensed in the outlet line and reported to the control unit. The control unit can cause the actuator to maintain the predetermined pressure for a predetermined period of time. The control unit can cause the display device to show a result or print a report of one or more test phases.

Automated high-pressure pump testing system

A system and method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly ('BHA') from a drilling rig to a target location including by receiving data indicative of a directional trend of the BHA and a projection to bit depth; determining a location of the BHA based on a directional trend and the projection; identifying an amount of deviation from a drilling path; automatically creating a modified drilling path that intersects the planned drilling path based on the amount of deviation exceeding a first threshold amount of deviation and being less than a second threshold amount of deviation, automatically creating a modified drilling path that does not intersect the planned drilling path in response to the amount of deviation exceeding the second threshold amount of deviation, and determining a curve profile of the modified drilling path having the smallest rate of curvature to avoid drilling overshoot; and steering the BHA.

Automated directional drilling apparatus and methods

An apparatus and method of automatically altering proposed sliding instructions to comply with operating parameters is described. The method includes determining, by a surface steerable system ('SSS') and based on drilling operation information, a location of a BHA; determining, by the SSS and using the location of the BHA, a projected location of the BHA at a projected distance; determining if the projected location is within a location-tolerance window ('LTW') associated with the projected distance; creating, in response to the projected location not being within the LTW, proposed steering instructions that result in a proposed, projected BHA location being within the LTW that is associated with the projected distance; determining whether the proposed instructions comply with the operating parameters comprising a maximum slide distance; and altering, by the SSS, when the proposed steering instructions do not comply with the operating parameters, the proposed steering instructions to comply with operating parameters.

Automated steering using operating constraints

A system for locking a bearing assembly to a rotating control device (RCD) housing is provided. The RCD housing can be coupled to a blowout preventer, and the bearing assembly can be received within the housing, and can comprise a stationary bearing housing having a perimeter channel. A plurality of locking block assemblies are each supported by the housing and are operable between a locked position and an unlocked position. Each locking block assembly comprises a movable block configured to interface with the perimeter channel when in the locked position, and at least one elastic component is situated between the housing and the movable block. The at least one elastic component is configured to automatically bias the movable block in the locked position. Upon supplying fluid pressure via a valve device, the movable block moves to the unlocked position and the at least one elastic component compresses to facilitate removal of the bearing assembly from the RCD housing. Associated systems and methods are provided.

Rotating control device having a locking block system

A rotating control device (RCD) having an anti-rotation locking system for restricting rotation of a bearing assembly housing of the RCD comprises an RCD housing operable with a blowout preventer, and a bearing assembly operable to be received within the RCD housing and comprising a stationary bearing housing. The bearing assembly can be configured to receive and engage with and seal a pipe of a drill string of a drill rig. The stationary bearing housing can have secured thereto a locking ring. The anti-rotation locking system of the RCD can further comprise one or more anti-rotation devices moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The anti-rotation device(s) are operable to engage the locking ring, when in the locked position, to lock the stationary bearing housing to the RCD housing independent of the rotational position of the stationary bearing housing relative to the RCD housing.

Rotating control device having an anti-rotation locking system

A pipe tally vision system may be positioned on a drilling rig. A drill string may be positioned within a wellbore using the drilling rig. The drill string may be observed with the pipe tally system during a wellbore operation. A pipe tally database may be generated by the pipe tally system based on the observations of the drill string made by the pipe tally system and observations may be made as the drill string is moved into or out of the wellbore.

Pipe tally vision system

Systems and methods for reducing or eliminating stick-slip are described. The system includes a controller and a drawworks. The controller is configured to collect downhole information, detect one or more stick-slip conditions, determine correlative relationships, model a stick-slip region, generate a control algorithm for top drive RPM and WOB that avoids a stick-slip region, determine a WOB autodriller set point for a particular top drive RPM using the control algorithm and provide one or more operational control signals that limit the WOB to the WOB autodriller set point for the particular top drive RPM. The drawworks is configured to receive the one or more operational control signals from the controller, and limit the WOB so that the WOB does not exceed the WOB autodriller set point for the particular top drive RPM.

Anti-stick-slip systems and methods

A rotating control device (RCD) for a drilling operation comprises a housing operable with a blowout preventer, and a bearing assembly operable to be received in the housing, and operable to receive a pipe of a drill string. The RCD comprises a plurality of locking pin assemblies supported by the housing. Each locking pin assembly can comprise a movable pin operable between a locked position that locks the bearing assembly to the housing, and an unlocked position that unlocks the bearing assembly from the housing. An RCD comprises an RCD housing coupled to a blowout preventer, and a bearing assembly received within the RCD housing and comprising a lower sealing element sleeve having a perimeter channel. The system comprises a plurality of locking pin assemblies supported by the RCD housing and operable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The movable pins can be automatically biased to the locked position by elastic elements upon removing fluid pressure from the housing. Associated systems and methods are provided.

Rotating control device having locking pins for locking a bearing assembly

A casting method for titanium and titanium alloys, the casting method including obtaining an investment casting mold composition having calcium aluminate and aluminum oxide, the calcium aluminate combined with a liquid to produce a slurry of calcium aluminate, and wherein the solids in the final calcium aluminate/liquid mixture with large scale alumina is about 71% to about 90%. The method further includes pouring the investment casting mold composition into a vessel containing a fugitive pattern, curing the investment casting mold composition to form a mold, removing the fugitive pattern from the mold, firing the mold, preheating the mold to a mold casting temperature, pouring molten titanium or titanium alloy into the preheated mold, solidifying the molten titanium or titanium alloy and forming a solidified titanium or titanium alloy casting, and removing the solidified titanium or titanium alloy casting from the mold.

Mold compositions and methods for casting titanium and titanium aluminide alloys

A method for forming a mold for casting a titanium-containing article, the method including combining calcium aluminate with a liquid to produce an initial slurry of calcium aluminate and adding oxide particles into the initial slurry to create a final slurry. The method further includes introducing the final slurry into a mold cavity that contains a fugitive pattern and allowing the final slurry to cure in the mold cavity to form a mold of a titanium-containing article.

According to one aspect, a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of a wellsite is generated. A three-dimensional camera system is calibrated to the three-dimensional model. A draw-works encoder is calibrated. The motion of a component is monitored. The draw-works encoder is recalibrated based on the monitoring. According to another aspect, three-dimensional imaging data sets are received, the three-dimensional imaging data sets being associated with a control volume in which the portion of the wellsite is disposed. A predefined three-dimensional model is augmented with the three-dimensional imaging data sets. According to another aspect, at least one three-dimensional camera employs a first three-dimensional sensing technology that is different from a second three-dimensional sensing technology employed by at least one other three-dimensional camera. A single three-dimensional model is generated by merging respective three-dimensional imaging data sets. At least one system is controlled using the single three-dimensional model.

Wellsite control employing three-dimensional imaging

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

Brian Ellis