Maurer Engineering Gmbh

J Christopher Hetmaniak

William J McDonald

Gerard T Pittard

Curtis Leitko

A system of apparatus for use in a coring tool measures the height of a core sample being recovered and transmits data relative thereto to the surface of a formation concurrently during the coring operation. A transmitter of an electromagnetic ranging system rides atop a core sample being formed in the barrel chamber and a receiver member of the electromagnetic ranging system is fixed at a top end of the barrel it known distance above the transmitter. During the coring operation the transmitter transmits a fixed frequency signal to the receiver through drilling fluid disposed therebetween. The distance between the transmitter and receiver decreases and the amplitude of the transmitted signal changes as a function of the separation distance between the transmitter and receiver as the core sample enters the inner barrel and the height of the core sample within the barrel is determined as a function of time and depth. The pressure of the drilling fluid is modulated to transmit a series of pressure pulses from the barrel to the surface encoded to produce a binary digital or pulse-width modulation signal. The electromagnetic ranging system may be incorporated into a coring tool having a core bit disposed at a lower end and a full closure ball valve and core retention assembly movable to a closed position to close the bottom end of the inner barrel and prevent the loss of core collected in the inner barrel chamber.

Advanced coring apparatus and method

A downhole buried utility sensing and data transmission system for connection at the lower end of a drill string has sensors capable of detecting the existence of various different types of buried utilities and objects and making calculations as to the radial separation distance between the detected utilities and the drill head and transmitting data between the down hole drill head to the surface. The sensors respond to material properties used to construct the utility lines or the energy fields created by the operation of these lines (pipes and cables) or from the energy associated with transmission of the particular utility service, including sound energy resulting from fluid flow and electromagnetic energy from electric currents. The system can detect and distinguish the presence of ferromagnetic metallic objects including steel pipes and structures; non-metallic utility infrastructure including gas pipelines, concrete sewer lines, telecommunication lines, and cable systems outfitted with RF tracer lines and transmitters; energized AC and DC power cable systems; and determining the approximate range, relative azimuth, and elevation of the sensors relative to the detected utility or object. The system also supports automatic cessation of drilling operations by combining the warning information with microprocessor control of drill string rotation and thrust.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

J Christopher Hetmaniak