Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Cameron International Corporation

Other

David C Hoyle

Jonathan D Marshall

Edmund Peter McHugh

Declan Elliott

Neil Cannon

Jerry Allen Martino

Scott Richard Woolston

Malcolm Roy Taylor

Edward George Parkin

Ghulam A Barkatally

Scott A Miller

Albert H Wignall

David R Hall

Geoffrey Charles Downton

Jim Shumway

Jordan Dane Englund

Jeffrey B Aron

Scott Steven Dahlgren

David Milton Eslinger

Arthur Ignatius Watson

Shu-Kong Chang

Alejandro Camacho Cardenas

Nalin Weerasinghe

Abinesh Gnanavelu

James J Walulik

Dennis Patrick Chesnutt

Anthony K Booer

David S Clark

Gyula Varga

Spyridon Joseph Kotsonis

Scott Dahlgren

Dennis Patrick Chestnutt

Sue Kandarian

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a choke valve that includes a choke body, a choke trim disposed in the choke body, where the choke trim is configured to adjust a cross-sectional area of a flow path in the choke body to adjust a fluid flow through the choke valve, a needle of the choke trim disposed in the flow path of the fluid flow, where the needle includes a first portion having a superhard material, a seat of the choke trim, where the needle is configured to move along an axis extending through an opening of the seat to adjust the fluid flow through the choke valve.

Needle tip and seat for a choke valve

Interfacing surfaces of adjacent tiles in a downhole tool may combine to form a tortuous path therebetween. In various embodiments, this tortuous path may run generally parallel and/or perpendicular to a top surface of the tiles. One example of such a tortuous path may be created by a protrusion extending from an interfacing surface of one of the tiles that may fit snugly within a cavity receding into an interfacing surface of another of the tiles.

Tiling for downhole tool

A seat assembly for a choke valve assembly includes a housing having an internal passage, in which the housing is formed from a non-superhard material. The seat assembly also includes a seat disposed within the internal passage of the housing. The seat is configured to engage a needle of the choke valve assembly while the choke valve assembly is in a closed state, and the seat is formed from a first superhard material. In addition, the seat assembly includes an annular insert disposed within the internal passage of the housing downstream from the seat. The annular insert is formed from a second superhard material, and a maximum cross-sectional area of the seat along a longitudinal axis of the seat assembly is greater than a maximum cross-sectional area of the annular insert along the longitudinal axis.

Choke valve assembly

A downhole steering system includes a substantially tubular housing, a shaft positioned within the substantially tubular housing, a first bearing and a second bearing, the first and second bearings being configured to support rotation of the shaft relative to the housing. The first bearing, the second bearing, the shaft, and the housing at least partially define a chamber therebetween. The system also includes at least one structure positioned axially between the first and second bearing and being configured to extend from an exterior of the housing in response to pressure communicated to the chamber.

Downhole steering system and methods

A downhole transducer assembly capable of being safely operated at a variety of pressures and depths may include a turbine rotatable by a fluid pressure differential rotationally fixed to a rotor in a generator. To reduce the rotational speed of the turbine and rotor, a pressure regulator may limit a fluid pressure differential by controlling the volumetric flow. One or more nozzles may be configured to automatically regulate a nozzle diameter, and therefore the pressure drop across the nozzle. A surge protector may be connected to the generator.

Downhole transducer assemblies and pressure range control therein

A valve includes an exterior body and an interior body. The exterior body includes an ultrahard material, at least one exterior inlet, at least one exterior outlet, and a chamber inside the exterior body and in fluid communication with the exterior inlet and the exterior outlet. The interior body is located in the chamber within the exterior body and is moveable relative to the exterior body from an open configuration to a closed configuration. The interior body includes an ultrahard material, at least one interior inlet, and at least one interior outlet.

Controlling fluid flow through a valve

A downhole drilling apparatus, passing through a subterranean borehole, may mark an inner wall of the borehole with a marking element. A sensor, spaced axially from the marking element on the drilling apparatus, may subsequently sense the marking as it passes. A rate of penetration of the drilling apparatus may be calculated by dividing an axial distance, between the marking element and the sensor, by a time interval, between when the marking element marks the inner wall and when the marking is sensed by the sensor. Alternately, a second sensor, spaced axially from the first, may also sense the marking. A rate of penetration may then be calculated by dividing an axial distance, between the two sensors, by a time interval, between when the two sensors sense the marking.

Marking and sensing a borehole wall

A downhole transducer assembly capable of being safely operated at a variety of pressures and depths may include a turbine rotatable by a fluid pressure differential rotationally fixed to a rotor in a generator. To reduce the rotational speed of the turbine and rotor, a pressure regulator may limit a fluid pressure differential by controlling the volumetric flow. In other embodiments, one or more nozzles may be configured to automatically regulate a nozzle diameter, and therefore the pressure drop across the nozzle. In other embodiments, a surge protector may be connected to the generator.

Pressure range control in a downhole transducer assembly

A choke valve for regulating a flow rate, a pressure or other parameters of a fluid flow may comprise a choke cage comprising a passage therethrough and a choke plug slidable within the passage. At least one conduit may pass through a wall of the choke cage and into the passage such that as the choke plug slides it may at least partially cover the conduit. A ring comprising a sintered superhard material may be secured within the conduit enhancing durability and wear resistance of the choke cage. A method for manufacturing such a choke cage may comprise subjecting grains of superhard material to high-pressure, high-temperature conditions sufficient to sinter at least some of the grains together, hollowing out the sintered superhard material to form a ring, and securing the ring within a conduit.

Superhard material enhanced choke cage

A downhole steering system includes a substantially tubular housing, a shaft positioned within the substantially tubular housing, a first bearing and a second bearing, the first and second bearings being configured to support rotation of the shaft relative to the housing. The first bearing, the second bearing, the shaft, and the housing at least partially define a chamber therebetween. The system also includes at least one structure positioned axially between a the first and second bearing and being configured to extend from an exterior of the housing in response to pressure communicated to the chamber.

A method for determining a rate of penetration of a drill bit during an earth drilling operation may comprise first urging an element to extend out from a working face of the drill bit. As drilling progresses, this extended element may then be forced back into the drill bit by an internal surface of a borehole being formed. A rate at which the element retracts back into the working face may be measured to aid in estimating a rate of penetration of the drill bit into the earth.

Downhole rate of penetration measurement

A system includes a turbine, a valve, and an electronics package. The turbine is configured to generate electricity from a fluid flow through the turbine and the electronics package is configured to selectively actuate the valve between an open configuration and a closed configuration.

Systems and methods for directing fluid flow

An electric submersible pump system can include a shaft; at least one impeller operatively coupled to the shaft; and a bearing assembly that rotatably supports the shaft, where at least one component of the electric submersible pump includes a volumetric composite material that includes polycrystalline diamond material and at least one metallic material.

Growing community of inventors

Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

David C Hoyle