Baker Hughes Corporation

Other

Eastman Christensen Company

Norton Company

Norton Christensen, Inc.

Eastman Christensen

Volker Kruger

Rolf Panzke

Heinrich Daenicke

John W Harrell

Rainer Jurgens

Herbert W Beimgraben

Ulrich Hense

Ilona Kaspar

Jurgen Schmitt

Martin Wolf

Doris Rothlein

The present invention provides a drilling system for directional drilling of boreholes. The system contains a drill string having a drill bit driven by a positive displacement mud motor. Sensors placed at selected locations in the drill string continually measure various downhole operating parameters, including the differential pressure across the mud motor, rotational speed of the mud motor, torque, temperature, pressure differential between the fluid passing through the mud motor and the annulas between the drill string and the borehole, and temperature of the circulating fluid. A downhole control circuit having a microprocessor and nonvolatile memory processes signals from these sensors and transmits the processed data uphole to a surface control unit via a suitable telemetry system. The surface control unit is programmed to operate the drilling system or aid an operator to control the drilling operations in any number of modes in response to the information provided by the various sensors. The system also provides means for monitoring the wear condition of the mud motor and to estimate the remaining life of the mud motor during the drilling operations. The drill string also preferably contains formation evaluation and testing devices, such as a resistivity device for determining the formation resistivity, gamma ray device for determining the gamma ray intensity of the formation, an inclinometer for determining the inclination of the drill string near the drill bit and a device for determining the drill string azimuth. The present invention provides method for controlling the drilling operations that contains the steps of: (a) placing a drill string at the borehole bottom, (b) passing a pressurized fluid through the mud motor rotate the drill bit, (c) measuring differential pressure across the mud motor; and (d) controlling the drilling of the boreholes as a function of the differential pressure.

Apparatus and method for drilling boreholes

A device for selective straight or directional drilling in subterranean rock formations consists of a rotary drilling tool having a tool main axis and comprising a housing which comprises several sections and can be connected to a drill string, the housing having a down-hole motor for driving a drill bit through a driven shaft. For straight drilling, the housing can be set in independent, slow rotation about the tool main axis by being turned by the drill string, and for directional drilling can be aligned and fixed against turning. The lower section of the housing adjacent to the drill bit and mounting the driven shaft is deflected relative to the tool main axis, and this section is connected to an upper section by an intermediate section which has an axis which intersects the axes of the upper and lower section. The device may include a plurality of interchangeable intermediate sections.

Apparatus for optional straight or directional drilling underground

A device for selective straight or directional drilling in subterranean rock formations consists of a rotary drilling tool having a tool main axis and comprising a housing which comprises several sections and can be connected to a drill string, the housing having a downhole motor for driving a drill bit via a driven shaft. For straight drilling, the housing can be set in independent, slow rotation about the tool main axis by being turned by the drill string, and for directional drilling can be aligned and fixed against turning. The lower section of the housing adjacent to the drill bit and mounting the driven shaft is deflected relative to the tool main axis, and this section is connected to an upper section by an intermediate section which has an axis which intersects the axes of the upper and lower section. The device may include a plurality of interchangeable intermediate sections.

A friction bearing suitable for use with well drilling tools which includes a trace ring with a sliding surface formed of a plurality of sintered molded bodies countersunk to be flushed with the surface of the ring, and arranged side by side in a mosaic pattern to define a ring channel with an essentially close surface. The trace ring may have molded segments of different types of molded bodies, and of different shapes.

Friction bearing for deep well drilling tools

A drill bit direct drive for deep well drilling tools includes a tubular casing, a rotary machine provided inside the casing and driven by oil well fluid flowing through it, a radially mounted shaft connected to a rotary drill bit and at least one friction bearing exposed to the oil well fluid for axial bearing of the shaft and having at least one trace ring supported on the shaft plus at least one bearing ring supported on the housing and working together with one trace ring. This bearing ring has a number of bearing segments distributed regularly around its periphery including a bearing body supported with respect to the bearing ring so it can be shifted axially and tilted to a limited extent against the action of a spring force. The bearing body is designed as a circular disk that has a holding pin on its lower side that engages an axial hole in the bearing ring with some tolerance and is supported with respect to the bearing ring by a spring assembly that has at least two disk springs stacked in the same direction.

Drill bit direct drive for deep well drilling tools

A direct drive for well drilling tools is established which includes a friction bearing with a trace ring and a bearing ring. The bearing ring has a number of bearing segments distributed around its periphery. These bearing segments are supported so that they can be tilted and shifted axially. Each bearing segment includes a support part mounted in a bore of the bearing ring and a compression spring rod arranged in the bore of the bearing ring to provide tilting and axial shifting of the segment against a spring force.

A device for selective straight or directional drilling in subterranean rock formations consists of a rotary drilling tool having a tool main axis and comprising a housing which comprises several sections and can be connected to a drill string, the housing having a down-hole motor for driving a drill bit by means of a driven shaft. For straight drilling, the housing can be set in independent, slow rotation about the tool main axis by being turned by the drill string, and for directional drilling can be aligned and fixed against turning. The lower section of the housing adjacent to the drill bit and mounting the driven shaft is deflected relative to the tool main axis, and this section is connected to an upper section by an intermediate section which has an axis which intersects the axes of the upper and lower section, the device may include a plurality of interchangeable intermediate sections.

In a device for the transmission of information from a borehole to the surface during the operation of a drilling device which comprises a rotary drill bit, a tubular housing and a pump which delivers a drilling fluid downwards through the tubular housing, through the rotary drill bit and upwards in the annular space between the tubular housing and the borehole, there is provided a detector arranged in the tubular housing, for detecting information, a processor for converting that information into a sequence of electrical control signals and a transducer for generating pressure pulses in the downwardly-directed flow of drilling fluid as a function of the control signals, and a remote detector arranged at a position spaced from the processor by a wire-less transmission path with a transmitter unit associated with the remote detector at one end of said path and a receiver unit at the other end of said path.

Device for remote transmission of information

A drive device for driving a drill bit for drilling bore holes in underground formations comprises a tubular housing for attachment to a drill string with a rotary drive means in the housing arranged to be driven by fluid forced through the housing. The rotary drive means drives an output shaft for connecting to a drill bit, the output shaft being supported by at least one axial bearing which comprises a continuous bearing ring and a retaining ring carrying a plurality of bearing segments which are swivellingly mounted to provide for a spacing of reducing cross-section between the bearing surfaces so that relative rotation of the bearing ring and bearing segments causes fluid to flow into the space and build up a hydrodynamic lubricating film.

Drive device for a drill bit

A device for use in underground drilling comprising:

Growing community of inventors

Celle, Germany

Volker Kruger