Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Julien Steimetz

Edward George Parkin

Michael Pearce

Jonathan D Marshall

Clint William Philbrick

D Peter Johnson

Makito Katayama

Zainab Orooq

Joffroy Dominique Daniel Urbain

Cecily Millwater

Devices, systems, and methods for stabilizing a gyroscopic sensor include bearings supporting a MEMS-type gyroscope located in a shell. The shell rotates around a secondary shaft connected to an extension arm of a primary shaft. A biasing element pre-loads thrust bearings on either side of the shell against the extension arm, which can limit motion of the shell during operation of the sensor, thereby improving measurements made by the sensor.

Pre-loaded bearings for sensor shell

A gyroscope assembly is maintained in a park position during drilling activities. In the park position, a sensitive axis of a gyroscope in the gyroscope assembly is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a downhole tool. Maintaining the park position during drilling activities reduces the drift bias caused by overloading the input signal of the gyroscope due to rotation of the downhole tool.

Park position for a survey tool

A tool, e.g. a downhole tool, utilizes at least one actuator which may be actuated rapidly between positions during operation of the tool. The actuator is moved via flow of an actuating fluid controlled by a main valve which, in turn, is controlled via a pilot valve. The pilot valve is operated to selectively control flow of the actuating fluid to the main valve so as to shift the main valve between desired operational positions.

Actuation valve system with pilot and main valves

A downhole tool includes a housing and a housing chamber. The housing chamber is separated from a fluid chamber by a seal. The seal maintains a pressure differential between the housing chamber and the fluid chamber. A pressure adjuster between the housing chamber and the fluid chamber maintains the pressure differential below a maximum pressure differential.

Pressure adjuster for a downhole tool

Pilot controlled actuation valve system

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Stonehouse, United Kingdom

Julien Steimetz