Numar Corporation

Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

Baroid Technology, Inc.

Precision Energy Services, Inc.

Dresser Industries, Inc.

Barvid Technology Inc.

Weatherford Canada Patnership

Mauldin, Charles, L.

Bartel, Roger, P.

Berns, Richard

Roger P Bartel

Paul F Rodney

Michael Louis Larronde

Manfred G Prammer

George David Goodman

Marian Morys

James H Dudley

Chen-Kang David Chen

Dale Allen Jones

Peter Masak

Charles Lee Mauldin

John E Smaardyk

Richard E Berns

Michael S Bittar

Jian-Qun Wu

M Vikram Rao

Steven Reid Farley

Robert Anthony Aiello

Joseph M Williams

Downhole drilling vibration analysis uses an angular rate sensor on a drilling assembly. During drilling operations, the sensor measures the angular rate of the drilling assembly. Processing circuitry is operatively coupled to the angular rate sensor and is configured to determine whether torsional type vibrations are occurring during drilling based on the angular rate data. Drilling operations can then be modified to overcome or mitigate the torsional type vibrations.

Analysis of drillstring dynamics using an angular rate sensor

A method and apparatus for communicating incremental depth and/or other useful data of a downhole tool. The incremental depth and/or other useful data of the downhole tool being communicated by measuring at least one change in the downhole system, detecting the change downhole, and subsequently determining the incremental depth and/or other useful data of the downhole tool.

Method and apparatus for communicating incremental depth and/or other useful data of a downhole tool

A downhole drilling vibration analysis involves measuring orientation data in at least two orthogonal axes downhole while drilling with a drilling assembly. For example, two orthogonal magnetometers can be used. A toolface of the drilling assembly is determined using the measured sensor data, and velocity (RPM) values for the toolface for a plurality of revolutions of the drilling assembly are determined. From these determined values, a coefficient of variation for the toolface velocity (RPM) values for the revolutions of the drilling assembly is calculated. When a pattern in found in the toolface velocity (RPM) and/or the calculated coefficient of variations exceed one or more thresholds, the processing device determines that detrimental vibrations are occurring in the drilling assembly.

Analyzing toolface velocity to detect detrimental vibration during drilling

Disclosed herein is a system for steering the direction of a borehole advanced by cutting action of a rotary drill bit by periodically varying action of a drill bit while continuously rotating a drill string to which the drill bit is operationally attached. The steering system can include a bit perturbation device cooperating with a bent housing subsection and operationally connected to the drill string and to the drill bit. Drill bit action can be varied by periodically varying the rotation speed and/or rate of penetration of the drill bit. Periodic drill bit action results in preferential cutting of material from a predetermined arc of the borehole wall which, in turn, results in borehole deviation. Action of the drill bit can be varied independently of the rotation rate of the drill string.

Directional drilling control using periodic perturbation of the drill bit

A directional sensor system that incorporates a single axis sensor element that is manipulated to a plurality of orientations. The resulting responses of the sensor element at these locations are combined to obtain a measure of orientation of the system. The system applicable for determining orientation of instrumentation within a well borehole such as measurement-while-drilling, wireline and tubing conveyed borehole instrumentation. The system can be used in other subsurface and surface applications.

Directional sensor system comprising a single axis sensor element positioned at multiple controlled orientations

A method and apparatus for transferring data from a logging tool to a surface computer that involves attaching a stand-alone data dump device to the logging tool after the logging tool has gathered data about downhole parameters. After attaching the data dump device, data contained in a memory of the logging tool is copied to a memory of the data dump device. In one embodiment, once data copying between the logging tool and data dump device is complete, the data dump device is disconnected from the logging tool and connected to a surface computer which reads the data previously copied to the data dump device. A second embodiment of the data dump device has a radio frequency communication link between the surface computer and the data dump device to allow a wireless communication between the surface computer and the data dump device and/or logging tool.

Logging device data dump probe

A method for manufacturing NMR measurement-while-drilling tool having the mechanical strength and measurement sensitivity to perform NMR measurements of an earth formation while drilling a borehole, and a method and apparatus for monitoring the motion of the measuring tool in order to take this motion into account when processing NMR signals from the borehole. The tool has a permanent magnet with a magnetic field direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the borehole, a steel collar of a non-magnetic material surrounding the magnet, antenna positioned outside the collar, and a soft magnetic material positioned in a predetermined relationship with the collar and the magnet that helps to shape the magnetic field of the tool. Due to the non-magnetic collar, the tool can withstand the extreme conditions in the borehole environment while the borehole is being drilled. Motion management apparatus and method are employed to identify time periods when the NMR measurements can be taken without the accuracy of the measurement being affected by the motion of the tool or its spatial orientation.

Method and apparatus for nuclear magnetic resonance measuring while drilling

An NMR measurement-while-drilling tool having the mechanical strength and measurement sensitivity to perform NMR measurements of an earth formation while drilling a borehole, and a method and apparatus for monitoring the motion of the measuring tool in order to take this motion into account when processing NMR signals from the borehole. The tool has a permanent magnet with a magnetic field direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the borehole, a steel collar of a non-magnetic material surrounding the magnet, antenna positioned outside the collar, and a soft magnetic material positioned in a predetermined relationship with the collar and the magnet that helps to shape the magnetic field of the tool. Due to the non-magnetic collar, the tool can withstand the extreme conditions in the borehole environment while the borehole is being drilled. Motion management apparatus and method are employed to identify time periods when the NMR measurements can be taken without the accuracy of the measurement being affected by the motion of the tool or its spatial orientation.

A resistivity tool for use in an LWD system includes an asymmetric transmitter design with multiple transmitters capable of generating EM signals at multiple frequencies. A pair of receivers are positioned at one end of the transmitter array to detect the EM signals after they have traversed the region in the vicinity of the borehole. A calibrating transmitter is positioned between the receivers, which can be used in two different modes of operation. In a first mode, the calibrating transmitter is used to calibrate the receivers for thermal drift. In this calibration mode, an attenuation correction and phase shift correction can be calculated to correct for thermal drift of the receivers while the resistivity tool is in the borehole. Thus, the thermal drift of the receivers can be re-calibrated as often as desired while the tool is in the well. In a second mode of operation, the calibrating receiver may be used to measure the resistivity of the drilling mud in the borehole.

Multi-frequency electromagnetic wave resistivity tool with improved calibration measurement

The present invention is directed to a downhole apparatus for quickly generating and regulating variable output electric power by varying the alignment of a pair of axially adjacent permanent magnets rotating within an armature having electrically conductive windings. Each of the permanent magnets comprises a plurality of permanent magnetic segments having circumferentially alternating magnetizations. One of the permanent magnets is fixed to the drive shaft, and the other permanent magnet is movably mounted on the drive shaft to enable the alignment or misalignment, as desired, of the magnetizations of the respective magnetic segments on the pair of permanent magnets. When the magnetizations are completely aligned, the maximum electrical power is generated in the windings of the main armature; conversely, when the magnetizations are completely misaligned, zero electrical power is generated. Thus, the output power is regulated by varying the alignment of the pair of permanent magnets, which is accomplished with a drag torque generator which creates a drag torque that is transmitted to the movable permanent magnet by a torque converter.

Variable output rotary power generator

An apparatus and method for determining formation resistivity at a plurality of radial distances from an earth borehole uses a single receiver pair and a plurality of electromagnetic energy transmitters sequentially spaced along the apparatus from the receiver pair, such transmitters being sequentially pulsed at approximately 1-2 MHz each to provide time separation between the pulsing of the plurality of transmitters. The closest spaced transmitter is spaced a predetermined distance from the closer receiver to make the depth of investigation of the closest transmitter essentially independent of formation resistivity. Alternatively, a single transmitter is spaced a predetermined distance from the closer receiver to make the depth of investigation of such transmitter essentially independent of formation resistivity.

Well logging method and apparatus providing multiple depth of

The connector includes a first connector member that is connected to a first conductor and includes a probe that is inserted through an insulating elastomer into a conductive elastomer which is connected to a second conductor and located in a second connector member. The connection between the probe and the conductive elastomer provides a noise-free electrical connection between the two conductors. The connector is particularly useful in the transmission of data from memories in electronic apparatus. More particularly, the connector is useful in very harsh environments such as in oil and gas wells where the environment may be conductive and it is desired to make a remote connection ot an electronic sensor and transmit the data soted therein to the surface of the well.

Electrical connector having electrically conductive elastomer covered by

A conventional electromagnetic logging device, having both MWD and wire line embodiments, and having a pair of cutouts spaced along the length of the tool mandrel, each cutout having a length of greater than 4.0 inches as measured along the longitudinal axis of the tool, is modified by adding a pair of full metal jackets around the pair of cutouts. The first metal jacket placed around the first cutout in the mandrel has an additional cutout therein having a length in the range of 1.0 to 4.0 inches and a depth in the range of 0.25 to 1.0 inch. A transmitting antenna is placed in the cutout in the first metal jacket. The second metal jacket placed around the second cutout of the tool mandrel has a pair of spaced cutouts therein, each having a length in the range of 1.0 to 4.0 inches and a depth in the range of 0.25 to 1.0 inch. First and second electromagnetic receiving antennas are placed in the first and second cutouts in the second metal jacket, respectively. In alternative embodiments, the walls of the cutouts in the full metal jackets are either parallel, diverging, converging or stair stepped. In further embodiments, the cutouts having lengths of 1.0 to 4.0 inches and depths of 0.25 to 1.0 inches are formed directly in the mandrel instead of using the metal jackets.

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

Roger P Bartel