Western Well Tool, Inc.

Wwt International, Inc.

Western Well Tools, Inc.

N Bruce Moore

Duane Bloom

R Ernst Krueger

Ronald E Beaufort

Philip Wayne Mock

Rudolph Ernst Krueger, V

Phil Mock

Sarah Mitchell

Robert Levay

Phillip W Mock

Ernst R Krueger, V

Eric J O'Neal

V Rudolph Krueger

A hydraulically powered tractor adapted for advancement through a borehole including an elongate body, aft and forward gripper assemblies, and a valve control assembly housed within the elongate body. The aft and forward gripper assemblies are adapted for selective engagement with the inner surface of the borehole. The valve control assembly includes a gripper control valve for directing pressurized fluid to the aft and forward gripper assemblies. The valve control assembly also includes a propulsion control valve for directing fluid to an aft or forward power chamber for advancing the body relative to the actuated gripper assembly. Aft and forward mechanically actuated valves may be provided for controlling the position of the gripper control valve by detecting and signaling when the body has completed an advancement stroke relative to an actuated gripper assembly. Aft and forward sequence valves may be provided for controlling the propulsion control valve by detecting when the gripper assemblies become fully actuated. Furthermore, a pressure relief valve is preferably provided along an input supply line for limiting the pressure of the fluid entering the valve control assembly.

Tractor with improved valve system

A non-rotating drill pipe protector sleeve is molded in situ around a drill pipe tubing. The inner surface of the molded protector sleeve can be shaped to form a fluid bearing during use. Fixed stop collars may be molded in situ in the same mold and bonded to the tubing at opposing ends of the molded sleeve. Alternatively, a flexible sleeve liner made from a material having a hardness less than that of the sleeve's molding material can be used as a mold insert around the tubing. The liner can be bonded to the molded sleeve material when the sleeve is molded around the liner. The interior surface of the liner can be shaped to form a fluid bearing for the inside surface of the molded sleeve. Reinforcing inserts and wear pads can be placed in the mold region of the sleeve. Chemical and/or mechanical bonding is provided between the liner reinforcement and the material from which the sleeve is molded. Reinforcing inserts and wear pads also can be placed in the mold regions for the stop collars.

In-situ method of forming a non-rotating drill pipe protector assembly

An expandable gripper assembly may be configured for anchoring a tool in a passage. The expandable gripper assembly includes first, second, and third pivotally connected links that are coupled to a tool. The third link is adapted to engage an inner wall in the passage. An actuation mechanism causes the third link to move radially outward from the tool for engagement with the inner wall. The actuation mechanism may comprise a roller mechanism that pushes on an inner surface of the first link for causing the first link to pivot outward away from the body. As the first and second links pivot outward, the third link moves in a radial direction for engagement with an inner wall.

Roller link toggle gripper and downhole tractor

A steering tool for extended-reach directional drilling in three dimensions comprises a mud pulse telemetry section, a rotary section, and a flex section assembled as an integrated system in series along the length of the tool. The flex section comprises a flexible drive shaft and a deflection actuator for applying hydraulic pressure along the length of the shaft for bending the shaft when making inclination angle adjustments during steering. The rotary section comprises a rotator housing coupled to the deflection housing for rotating the deflection housing for making azimuth angle adjustments during steering. The onboard mud pulse telemetry section receives inclination and azimuth angle steering commands together with actual inclination and azimuth angle feedback signals during steering for use in controlling operation of the flex section and rotary section for steering the tool along a desired course. The steering tool can change inclination and azimuth angles either simultaneously or incrementally while rotary drilling.

Three-dimensional steering tool for controlled downhole extended-reach directional drilling

A long reach rotary drilling assembly comprises an elongated conduit extending through a bore in an underground formation, a drill bit for being rotated to drill the bore, a 3-D steering tool on the conduit for steering the drill bit, and a tractor on the conduit for applying force to the drill bit. The steering tool includes a telemetry section, a rotary section, and a flex section assembled as an integrated system in series along the length of the tool. The flex section comprises a flexible drive shaft to which a bending force is applied when making inclination angle adjustments. The rotary section includes a deflection housing which rotates for making azimuth angle adjustments. The telemetry section receives inclination and azimuth angle steering commands together with actual inclination and azimuth angle feedback signals for controlling operation of the flex section and rotary section to steer the drilling assembly along a desired course. The tractor includes a gripper which can assume a first position that engages an inner surface of the bore and limits relative movement of the gripper relative to the inner surface. The gripper can also assume a second position that permits substantially free relative movement between the gripper and the inner surface of the bore. A propulsion assembly moves the tractor with respect to the gripper while the gripper portion is in the first position. The tractor applies force to the drill bit for drilling the bore along a desired course the direction of which is controlled by the 3-D steering tool.

Long reach rotary drilling assembly

A drill pipe/casing protector assembly for an underground drilling system comprises a well bore in an underground formation, a fixed tubular casing installed in the well bore, a rotary drill pipe extending through the casing and having an O.D. spaced from an I.D. of the casing (or well bore) during normal drilling operations, and a protective sleeve mounted around the drill pipe and spaced from the I.D. of the casing, and upper and lower thrust bearings affixed to the drill pipe above and below the sleeve to retain the sleeve in a fixed axial position on the drill pipe. The sleeve contacts the I.D. of the casing when the drill pipe deflects off-center to protect the casing from contact with the drill pipe or its tool joints during rotation of the drill pipe. Axial grooves in an I.D. wall of the sleeve allow fluid under pressure to circulate through a space formed between the I.D. of the sleeve and the O.D. of the drill pipe. Generally flat bearing surface regions on the I.D. wall of the sleeve between adjacent grooves are arranged in a polygon configuration for tangentially contacting the O.D. of the drill pipe around the sleeve I.D. The sleeve separates from the O.D. of the drill pipe upon circulation of a fluid film under pressure between the sleeve and drill pipe to produce a fluid bearing effect with reduced frictional drag. End slots at the top and bottom annular end walls of the sleeve provide enhanced fluid bearing effects in the clearance regions between the sleeve and the adjacent thrust bearings.

Drill pipe/casing protector assembly

A tubing friction reducer is mounted on a length of tubing within a bore hole. The friction reducer includes a cylindrical body having a first section and a second section hingedly secured around an exterior surface of the coiled tubing, the cylindrical body having an outside diameter larger than an outside diameter of the coiled tubing and less than an inside diameter of an adjacent bore surface. A plurality of roller bearings positioned on and extending outwardly from the cylindrical body extending in a generally axial direction along the cylindrical body for the purpose of reducing friction between the coiled tubing and the bore surface generated upon contact between the coiled tubing and the bore surface. Retaining mechanisms such as collapsible springs are included for securing the roller bearings to the cylindrical body. The tubing friction reducers are placed along the tubing at intervals to either minimize injector force, prevent buckling, and tubing failure, due to buckling or wear.

Growing community of inventors

Aliso Viejo, CA, United States of America

N Bruce Moore