Xact Downhole Telemetry, Inc.

Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Ryan Energy Technologies Inc.

Extreme Engineering Ltd.

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

Novatel Communications Ltd.

Xact Downhold Telemetry, Inc.

Xact Dowhole Telemetry Inc.

Schlumberger Canada Limited

Baker Hughes Canada Company

Paul L. Camwell

Camwell, Paul L

Whalen, David D.

Anthony R. Dopf

Paul L Camwell

Derek W Logan

Anthony Robert Dopf

Douglas S Drumheller

David D Whalen

James M Neff

Anthony R Dopf

Wendall Siemens

David A Switzer

John Godfrey McRory

Michael Thomas Sutherland

Thomas H Vermeeren

Timothy Neff

Laura C Neels-Slingerland

Wendall L Siemens

Jili Liu

Robert E Smallwood

Michael Nero

Andrew E McGirr

Tony Dopf

Clemens Horst

Andrzej M Sendyk

Randall S Liscombe

Edwin I Hildebrandt

John G Mcrory

Derek William Logan

Michael Reeves

An acoustic receiver for use on a drill string includes a housing attachable to the drill string; a first sensor mounted within the housing for measuring a first parameter at a first location on the drill string and for generating a first parameter signal representative of the first parameter; a second sensor mounted within the housing for measuring a second parameter at a second location on the drill string and for generating a second parameter signal representative of the second parameter; and a controller mounted within the housing and communicatively coupled to the first and second sensors. The magnitudes of the first and second parameters vary in proportion to magnitude of the acoustic wave and the first and second parameters have a quadrature phase relationship. The controller is configured to combine the first and second parameter signals to determine the magnitude of the acoustic wave.

Acoustic receiver for use on a drill string

A stacked-ring, slow-wave acoustic telemetry isolation system and method for use with tubular assemblies such as drillpipe or production tubing comprising an acoustic wave transmitter, the acoustic isolator behaving such that a 'down' wave propagated toward the isolator is reflected back substantially in phase with an 'up' wave propagated from the acoustic wave source away from the isolator. The acoustic isolator is similarly effective in reflecting &#x201c;up&#x201d; propagating waves originating from below the isolator, hence further protecting the acoustic wave source from possible deleterious interference. It causes substantially all of the emitted wave energy to travel in a chosen direction along the drill pipe, thus aiding the efficiency of acoustic telemetry said pipe.

Acoustic telemetry stacked-ring wave delay isolator system and method

A generally three-part EM gap sub comprising a first conductive cylinder incorporating a male tapered threaded section, a second conductive cylinder incorporating female tapered threaded section, both axially aligned and threaded into each other is described. One or both tapers incorporate slots whereby non-conductive inserts may be placed before assembly of the cylinders. The inserts are designed to cause the thread roots, crests and sides of the tapered sections of both cylinders to be spatially separated. The cylinders can be significantly torqued, one into the other, while maintaining an annular separation and therefore electrical separation as part of the assembly procedure. The co-joined coaxial cylinders can be placed into an injection moulding machine wherein a high performance thermoplastic is injected into the annular space, thereby forming both an insulative gap (the third part) and a strong joint between the cylinders in the newly created EM gap sub.

Tapered thread EM gap sub self-aligning means and method

Non-contacting means of measuring the material velocities of harmonic acoustic telemetry waves travelling along the wall of drillpipe, production tubing or coiled tubing are disclosed. Also disclosed are contacting means, enabling measurement of accelerations or material velocities associated with acoustic telemetry waves travelling along the wall of the tubing, utilizing as a detector either a wireless accelerometer system or an optical means, or both; these may also be applied to mud pulse telemetry, wherein the telemetry waves are carried via the drilling fluid, causing strain in the pipe wall that in turn causes wall deformation that can be directly or indirectly assessed by optical means. The present invention enables detection of telemetry wave detection in space-constrained situations. The invention also teaches a substantially contactless method of determining the time-based changes of the propagating telemetry waves. A final benefit of the present invention is that it demonstrates a particularly simple contacting means of directly measuring wall movements in live coiled tubing drilling environments.

Telemetry wave detection apparatus and method

A spindle for a mud pulse telemetry tool includes a seal section having an outer surface for contacting a lip seal of a spindle housing in which the spindle is mounted; a top section attachable to at least part of a valve assembly for generating mud pulses; and a base section having a proximal end attachable to a drive motor for moving the spindle and a distal end attachable to the top section such that the annular seal is fixed between the top and base sections. The seal section can be made of a ceramic material such as yttrium-stabilized zirconia.

Spindle for mud pulse telemetry applications

A brush and brush housing arrangement for use with an electric brushed motor containing viscous fluid. The brush and brush housing arrangement comprises a brush housing and at least one brush. The at least one brush comprising a first end that is in contact with a rotating commutator of the motor when in use and an opposed second end. At least one open-faced channel in a surface of the brush extends from the first end to the second end. The open-faced channel provides an exit for entrained fluid from the brush and brush housing, minimizing or eliminating brush lift caused by fluid being forced between the rotating commutator and the brush. Additional pressure relief channels for allowing escape of entrained fluid may be located in the housing.

Brush and brush housing arrangement to mitigate hydrodynamic brush lift in fluid-immersed electric motors

An acoustic telemetry isolation system and method for use with tubular assemblies such as drillpipe and production tubing includes an acoustic wave transmitter and an acoustic isolator. A 'down' wave propagated toward the isolator is reflected back substantially in phase with an 'up' wave propagated from the acoustic wave source away from the isolator. Furthermore, the acoustic isolator is similarly effective in reflecting &#x201c;up&#x201d; propagating waves originating from below the isolator, hence further protecting the acoustic wave source from possible deleterious interference. The construction of the isolator utilizes a specified combination of waves traveling in parallel in materials whose properties aid the beneficial combination of reflected and transmitted waves. The design of the isolator is to generally provide a bandstop filter function, thereby aiding the frequency isolation of an acoustic transmitter over a passband that may be constrained by the geometry of drill pipe or components of production tubing. It causes substantially all of the emitted wave energy to travel in a chosen direction along the drill pipe, thus aiding the efficiency of acoustic telemetry in the pipe.

Parallel-path acoustic telemetry isolation system and method

A system and method of closed loop control whereby groupings of surface sonic transmitters disposed along the planned path of a well send sonic wave energy to a downhole sonic receiver (or alternatively a downhole sonic transmitter signalling to grouping of surface sonic receivers) in a manner that facilitates the downhole positioning of the well. Subsequent offset well positioning, relative to the first well, may be achieved in a similar manner.

System and method for accurate wellbore placement

A gap sub assembly can be used to form an electrical isolation in a drill string, across which a voltage is applied to generate a carrier signal for an electromagnetic (EM) telemetry system. The assembly comprises two conductive generally cylindrical components fashioned with a matching set of male and female rounded coarse threads, held such that a relatively uniform interstitial space is formed in the overlap space between them. The third component is a substantially dielectric electrical isolator component placed into the gap between the threads that effectively electrically isolates the two conductive components. Injecting the dielectric material under high pressure forms a tight bond resistant to the ingress of conductive drilling fluids (liquids, gases or foam), thus forming a high pressure insulating seal.

Electrical isolation connector for electromagnetic gap sub

An acoustic isolator for use with tubular assemblies such as drillpipe or production tubing comprising an acoustic wave transmitter, the acoustic isolator comprising, in series connection, an odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple tuning bar of first acoustic impedance adjacent the acoustic wave transmitter, an odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple reflector tube of second acoustic impedance, and a snubber of third acoustic impedance, wherein there is an acoustic impedance mismatch between the odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple tuning bar and the odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple reflector tube and an acoustic impedance mismatch between the odd integer &#x3bb;/4 multiple reflector tube and snubber, such that a 'down' wave propagated toward the isolator is reflected back substantially in phase with an 'up' wave propagated from the acoustic wave source away from the isolator. Furthermore, the acoustic isolator is similarly effective in reflecting &#x2018;up&#x2019; propagating waves originating from below the isolator, hence further protecting the acoustic wave source from possible deleterious interference.

Acoustic isolator

The present disclosure describes a spindle for a mud pulse telemetry tool. The spindle includes a seal section having an outer surface for contacting a lip seal of a spindle housing in which the spindle is mounted; a top section attachable to at least part of a valve assembly for generating mud pulses; and a base section having a proximal end attachable to a drive motor for moving the spindle and a distal end attachable to the top section such that the seal section is fixed between the top and base sections. The seal section can be made of a ceramic material such as yttrium-stabilized zirconia.

A method is provided which transmits information using a plurality of data transmission nodes situated along a drill string. In this method, a first node obtains a transmission status of a second node. When the transmission status of the second node indicates that the second node meets a selected performance threshold, information is sent from the first node to the second node. When the transmission status of the second node indicates that the second node does not meet its performance threshold, then the first node obtains a transmission status of a third node. When the transmission status of the third node indicates that the third node meets a selected performance threshold, information is transmitted from the first node to the third node for relaying along the drill string.

Drill string telemetry methods and apparatus

A method for enhancing downhole telemetry performance comprising enhancing a signal in order to offset signal-to-noise ratio reduction with increasing measured depth, wherein the signal is modified at specified measured depths which are inferred from acoustic wave velocity determination.

Telemetry transmitter optimization using time domain reflectometry

Growing community of inventors

Calgary, Canada

Paul L Camwell