Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Geoffrey Andrew Samuel

Fraser A Wheeler

Steven Park

Hossam Gharib

Neil Roy Choudhury

Alben D'Silva

Andrew McPherson Downie

Steven Graham Bell

Hamid Sadabadi

Christopher Paul Crampton

Gopal Madhukar Bhosle

Andrew Mcpherson Downie

Hossam Mohamed Gharib

Provided is an anti-rotation system and method of operating a downhole tool. The anti-rotation system, in one embodiment, includes a housing defining a longitudinal axis, and a carriage mounted within the housing, the carriage including at least one anti-rotation blade configured to engage a formation and resist rotation of the housing about the longitudinal axis. The carriage, in accordance with this embodiment, is configured to rotate about a carriage axis and tilt the at least one anti-rotation blade from a first extended position to a second at least partially retracted position.

Tilting anti-rotation system

A steering assembly includes an outer housing and a drive shaft extended longitudinally within the outer housing and defining a plurality of pockets. A plurality of torque transfer features transfer torsional loads from the outer housing to the drive shaft, each torque transfer feature including a shank received within a corresponding one of the plurality of pockets. One or more elastic mounts positioned within each pocket interpose the shank and an inner wall of each pocket.

Articulated joint for downhole steering assembly

In some aspects, the present disclosure includes systems and methods for rotatably coupling a bottom-hole assembly to a drilling shaft for use in subterranean drilling operations. In one embodiment, the methods of the present disclosure are suitable for underreaming a portion of a wellbore. The methods may comprise rotating a drilling shaft coupled to a drill bit about its axis to form a wellbore; engaging a first locking mechanism rotatably coupled to the drilling shaft with a second locking mechanism coupled to a housing to rotatably couple the drilling shaft and the housing; expanding an expandable reamer attached to the housing; and rotating the housing to widen at least a portion of the wellbore uphole from the drill bit. The bottom-hole may comprise one or more actuators that are selectively operable to engage the first and second locking mechanisms and expand the expandable reamer.

Rotary steerable reamer lock and methods of use

A downhole steering assembly includes a steering element having an adjustable azimuthal orientation relative to a tool body. The downhole tool further includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to read RFID tags arranged in an azimuthal arrangement. The downhole tool further includes an actuation mechanism that brings different RFID tags into range of the RFID reader. The downhole tool further includes a processor coupled to the RFID reader to determine an azimuthal orientation of the steering element and to responsively control the actuation mechanism.

Steering assembly position sensing using radio frequency identification

A driveshaft transmission assembly may include a coupling mechanism for coupling a radial bearing assembly to a driveshaft. The coupling mechanism may include a bearing cap for creating an interference fit with a downhole portion of the radial bearing assembly. The coupling mechanism may include locking pins and a retention sleeve to retain the locking pins in grooves of the driveshaft and openings in the radial bearing sleeve. The radial bearing assembly may include a catch mechanism for preventing the loss of certain driveshaft transmission assembly components downhole in the event of a failure of the driveshaft transmission. The coupling mechanism may prevent the loss of the driveshaft downhole subsequent to separation of certain driveshaft transmission assembly components.

Coupling mechanism for driveshaft transmission assembly

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for coupling components within a downhole motor drivetrain, and particularly to improving the torque carrying characteristics through threaded couplings in the drivetrain that extends between the mud motor and the drill bit. The described downhole motor drivetrain includes one or more threaded couplings, with each coupling configured to define a gap to accept a spacer having a dimension within a range of sizes. The dimension of the selected spacer placed in the threaded coupling facilitates establishing a desired balance of the force loading at each of two contact regions of the coupling. In many examples, the two contact regions of the coupling will be located on opposite sides of the threaded region.

Transmission assembly for downhole motor

A rheological lock apparatus includes a fluid chamber formed within a housing between a pair of seals. The fluid chamber contains a rheological fluid. An inner surface of the housing has a first plurality of splines projecting into the fluid chamber and extending longitudinally along a longitudinal dimension of the chamber. A driveshaft extends axially through the chamber such that the pair of seals are sealed against the driveshaft. The driveshaft includes a second plurality of splines. A field generator is coupled to one of the driveshaft or the housing to generate a field through the rheological fluid during times when the housing is substantially immobile in a borehole.

Rheological fluid lock of shaft to housing

An interference apparatus is provided for a motor shaft transmission assembly. The interference apparatus may include split-ring shells and a retaining device. The interference apparatus may be mounted to an intermediate sleeve of the motor shaft transmission assembly. The interference apparatus is configured to prevent the loss of certain motor shaft transmission assembly components downhole in the event of a failure of the motor transmission due to dynamic loads.

Motor shaft transmission interference apparatus

The present disclosure provides a drilling system, and a method of operating a downhole tool. The drilling system, in one embodiment, includes a housing defining a first longitudinal dimension, a driveshaft positioned within the housing and defining a second longitudinal dimension. In this embodiment, the housing and driveshaft are operable to slide relative to one another along the first longitudinal dimension and the second longitudinal dimension, and rotate relative to one another. The drilling system, in accordance with this embodiment, further includes a load sensor operable to sense the housing and driveshaft sliding relative to one another, and a locking mechanism operable to lock or unlock the relative rotation of the housing and the driveshaft in response to the load sensor sensing the housing and driveshaft sliding relative to one another thereto.

Drilling system including a driveshaft/housing lock

A rotationally selectable lock apparatus includes an outer element having a plurality of locking pins that are radially spring loaded to extend and retract through the outer element. An inner element is substantially encircled by the outer element and coupleable to a driveshaft. The inner element is configured to cause the plurality of locking pins to retract through the outer element in response to the driveshaft rotating in a first direction and extend through the outer element to engage a housing in response to the driveshaft rotating in a second direction, opposite to the first direction.

Rotationally selectable lock of shaft to housing

An assembly usable with a bottom hole assembly in a wellbore can include a fixed housing member coupleable to a bent housing member at a housing coupling location. The bent housing member can rotate relative to the fixed housing member and can include an offset opening for receiving a drive shaft. The assembly can include an RFID tag positioned on a piston that is slideably positioned within the fixed housing member. An RFID reader can be positioned on the fixed housing member for detecting the RFID tag in response to the RFID tag being in a detectable range of the RFID reader. The RFID reader can also be for transmitting information about the RFID tag for controlling a motor to rotate and position the drive shaft at a selected angular position.

Adjustable bent housing actuation using radio frequency identification

A system may include a bearing cylinder that has a bored hole for receiving a drive shaft. The bored hole can correspond to an eccentric inner diameter of the bearing cylinder. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag may be positioned on a piston that may be slideably coupled to a housing of a bottom hole assembly. A motor may be positioned within the housing of the bottom hole assembly to rotate the bearing cylinder and position the drive shaft at a bend angle. An RFID reader may be coupled to the housing of the bottom hole assembly to detect the RFID tag in response to the RFID tag being in a detectable range of the RFID reader and to transmit information about the RFID tag to control the motor.

Drive shaft actuation using radio frequency identification

The turbine () can be used to transmit electrical data signals, for example, sensor data signals, across a down hole turbine using, with the data signals be communicated via a shaft (). As a result, a signal can be induced onto the shaft () from a lower end of the shaft (), for example, motor shaft, to an upper end of the shaft (). The signal can be induced on the shaft () by a first induction loop () and can be picked up by a second induction loop () with the first induction loop () being downhole from the second induction loop (). The second induction loop () can be communicatively coupled to a receiver () which can pass the signals passed to a transmitter (), for example, a measurement while drilling (MWD) unit. The MWD unit can then process the signal and transmit the signal to the surface.

Growing community of inventors

Edmonton, Canada

Geoffrey Andrew Samuel