Schlumberger Technology Corporation

University of California

Services Petroliers Schlumberger

Schlumberger Holdings Limited

Jonathan Robert Hird

Ashley Bernard Johnson

Gokturk Tunc

Michael Paul Barrett

Andrew David Robinson

Tomas Rosinski

Jarek Rosinski

Joachim Sihler

Walter David Aldred

Seth J Putterman

Carlos G Camara

Huseyin Murat Panayirci

John Mervyn Cook

Jonathan Dunlop

Timothy McAlinden

Dariusz Strapoc

Brian B Naranjo

David Scott

Can Evren Yarman

Juan V Escobar

Nicholas Ivars Abolins

Göktürk Tunç

A drill bit can include a bit body; a blade mountable to the bit body, where the blade includes pockets; a moveable cutter disposed in one of the pockets; and sensor circuitry that senses movement of the moveable cutter disposed in the one of the pockets to generate sensor data.

Instrumented movable drill bit cutter

A downhole measurement module includes a microcontroller having a plurality of inputs and a sensor connected to a first input of the plurality of inputs. A switch is connected to a second input of the plurality of inputs. The microcontroller implements a measurement program to receive measurements from the sensor, the measurement program being based on a setting of the switch.

Devices, systems, and methods for collecting downhole measurements

A bit to detect drill bit metamorphism (DBM) may include a bit head. A bit to detect DBM may include at least one cutting element connected to the bit head. A bit to detect DBM may include a temperature sensor on or in the at least one cutting element. A bit to detect DBM may include an electronics module in communication with the temperature sensor. A bit to detect DBM may include a wiring conduit from the at least one cutting element and through at least a portion of the bit head to the electronics module.

Drill bit metamorphism detection

A downhole energy harvesting system includes a housing subjected to periodic oscillations. An energy harvesting device is on, in, or otherwise connected to the housing and positioned to generate electricity based on the periodic oscillations. The energy harvesting device is coupled to at least one of a powered component or an energy storage device in order to use or store the harvested energy.

Devices, systems, and methods for downhole power generation

Systems and methods are provided that store and release compressed gas, which include an accumulator for storing compressed gas, a gas compressor, a thermal storage subsystem, a plurality of secondary heater stages and a corresponding plurality of gas expander stages, and a secondary heat source. During accumulation operations, the thermal storage subsystem is configured to extract heat from the compressed gas produced by the gas compressor and supplied to the accumulator and store the extracted heat. During the expansion operations, the secondary heater stages and gas expander stages are configured to heat and expand compressed gas supplied from the accumulator and heated by the thermal storage subsystem. The secondary heater stages use heat supplied by the secondary heat source. The secondary heat source can extract heat from a green or renewable system or an industrial process located at or near the system that stores and releases compressed gas.

Thermal impact of gas storage

A rotary cutting tool for use in a wellbore has an instrumented cutter fitted into a cavity in the tool body. The instrumented cutter body has an outer end portion exposed at the open end of a cavity and is connected to the tool body through at least one connecting section having a smaller cross-section and greater compliance than the outer end portion. The outer end portion and the connecting section are slightly movable within the cavity but the cavity surrounds at least part of the outer end portion sufficiently closely to limit transverse movement to elastic strain of the compliant connecting portion. One or more sensors, which may be strain gauges, are used to measure force on the outer end portion in a plurality of directions transverse to the cavity and causing elastic strain of the at least one connecting section.

Instrumented cutter

In a drill bit which has hard-faced cutting or gauge protection elements positioned to be in direct contact with subterranean formation as the bit is rotated, at least one of these elements includes a window positioned to be in direct contact with the formation or cuttings from the formation as the bit rotates and moves forward to drill into the formation. Electromagnetic radiation with wavelength in the range from 100 nm to 2600 nm is transmitted through the window to the formation in contact with the window. Electromagnetic radiation such as fluorescence that returns through the same window is received by a spectrometer. The source and receiver of electromagnetic radiation are both accommodated within the downhole drilling equipment but spaced from the windowed element. The electromagnetic radiation travels along light guides from the source to the window and from the window to the receiver.

Formation evaluation at drill bit

A stabilizer can include an outer collar, an inner sleeve, and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is changeable between a first mode in which the outer collar is rotationally fixed to the inner sleeve and a second mode in which the outer collar is rotationally isolated relative to the inner sleeve. The stabilizer may include an active or passive system for changing modes. An example passive device may include a magnetic clutch where the detected force overcomes magnetic forces to change mode. The stabilizer can be used to mitigate whirl on a rotating device by switching the rotating device between a rotating mode and a non-rotating mode. In the rotating mode, outer collar may rotate with the inner sleeve. In the non-rotating mode, the outer collar may be rotationally isolated from the inner sleeve.

Anti-whirl stabilization tools

A bottom hole assembly (BHA) of a drill string includes a chassis, a plate coupled to the chassis, and a strain gauge coupled to the plate. The strain gauge is used to output a signal associated with a deformation of the plate. The plate and chassis may be included within a collar that experiences strain, and deformation of the collar may be translated to the chassis and the plate. The plate may experience strain in the form of torsional bending, in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending, axial tension or compression. The plate may include or be coupled to an electronics board that has strain gauges to measure different types of strain in isolation from other types of strain.

Strain gauges for detecting deformations of a plate

A rotary tool for operation within an underground borehole or within tubing in a borehole has a tool body and at least one sensor-containing unit attached to the tool body and positioned to contact the conduit wall. The sensor-containing unit includes an exterior portion to contact the borehole or tubing wall and one or more sensors is located in a cavity between the exterior portion and the tool body. The sensor-containing unit may be formed from the exterior portion, an attachment portion for attachment to the tool body, and one or more connecting portions extending between the attachment and exterior portions, with the sensor-containing cavity between the attachment and exterior portions. Possible rotary tools include drill bits, reamers, mills, stabilizers, and rotary steerable systems.

Downhole tool with sensor set(s) sensitive to circumferential, axial, or radial forces

A rotary tool for operation within an underground wellbore or within tubing in a wellbore has at least one force-sensitive element attached to the tool body and positioned to contact the conduit wall, wherein the force-sensitive element comprises an outer portion to contact the wellbore or tubing wall, at least one connecting portion which is more compliant than the outer portion and through which the outer portion is connected to the tool body, and at least one sensor responsive to force on the outer portion transmitted through the force-sensitive element to the tool body. The sensors may resolve forces into measurable forces on three axes. Possible rotary tools include drill bit, reamer, mill, stabilizer and rotary steerable system for a drill bit.

Instrumented rotary tool with compliant connecting portions

A method of mitigating whirl on a rotating device includes detecting force on a outer surface of the rotating device and switching the rotating device between a rotating mode and a non-rotating mode. In the rotating mode, the outer surface may rotate with an inner sleeve. In the non-rotating mode, the outer surface may be rotationally isolated from the inner sleeve. The rotating device may include a stabilizer with an active or passive system for switching modes. The stabilizer can include an outer collar, an inner sleeve, and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is changeable between a first mode in which the outer collar is rotationally fixed to the inner sleeve and a second mode in which the outer collar is rotationally isolated relative to the inner sleeve. An example passive device may include a magnetic clutch where the detected force overcomes magnetic forces to change mode.

Methods for mitigating whirl

Instrumented rotary tool with sensor in cavity

A downhole cutting tool which may be a reamer or a mill has a rotary tool body with at least one block which carries hard-faced cutters and projects or is extensible from the tool body. A radially outward facing part of the cutter block defines a channel for fluid flow which extends generally axially along the cutter block. The channel is configured such that at least the rotationally trailing edge of the channel extends along the block in one or more directions which are inclined relative to the tool axis. This reduces or avoids the amount of channel edge parallel to the tool axis and thereby mitigates whirling and/or or vibration.

Rotary cutting tool

Tubing in a borehole is removed using a rotary milling tool comprising a plurality of elements projecting from or extensible from the body of the tool. The elements are distributed azimuthally around the tool body. The elements comprise cutters to remove material from the tubing and outward facing guide surfaces for sliding contact with an inner surface of the tubing. As the tool is rotated and advanced, forward cutters contact the inner surface removing material from the tubing and exposing a renewed interior tubing surface with a diameter swept out by the cutter. The outward facing guide surfaces extend the same distance from the tool body as the forward cutters producing a sliding contact with the newly created inward facing surface. Further cutters, disposed behind the outward facing guide surfaces, with respect to motion of the tool through the tubing, remove the remaining portion of the tubing.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Jonathan Robert Hird