Teleco Oilfield Services Inc.

Walter A Helm

Martin E Cobern

A method and apparatus is presented for determining the inclination angle of a borehole being drilled, the data for determining the inclination angle being obtained while the drillstring is rotating.

Method and apparatus for determining inclination angle of a borehole

A method and apparatus for establishing a remote communications link from the rig floor to the downhole MWD system is presented. In accordance with the present invention, the state of a physical condition downhole is changed in a predetermined timed sequence. This state change is controlled on the surface at the drilling platform and detected downhole by the MWD system. The desired operating mode of the MWD system is then determined based on the detected time sequence of the state changes. Preferred embodiments of the present invention utilize two different state changes which are detectable downhole and which can be controlled at the surface. In a first embodiment, the state changes comprise a preselected timed sequence of powering the MWD system up or down. This power cycling is accomplished by operating the mud pump in an ON/OFF sequence which will cause the MWD turbine to similarly be powered up or down. In a second embodiment of the present invention, the state changes are accomplished by modulating the mud flow in a timed sequence which will result in modulations to the MWD turbine. Preselected modulations in the turbine will result in a pattern of power modulations in the MWD systems which will trigger a different operating mode.

Means for varying MWD tool operating modes from the surface

A method and apparatus is presented for measuring the azimuth angle of a borehole being drilled, the data for determining the azimuth angle being obtained while the drillstring is rotating.

Method and apparatus for measurement of azimuth of a borehole while

A method and apparatus for remote signal entry of control or data information from an equipment operator into an MWD system is presented. In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the magnetometer, which is typically present in commercial MWD systems, is used as a communications channel for remote (e.g. wireless) transfer of data and/or control commands into the MWD tool. The present invention functions by replacing the direct electrical RS232 coupling with a wireless magnetic link. The invention uses the RS232 output of the operator's computer to drive its power amplifier which in turn drives the field coils in a transmitter. The axis of the field coils must be aligned with one of the sensitive axes of the magnetometer which, as mentioned, is a pre-exisitng part of the directional measurement system of the MWD apparatus. Thus, the present invention overcomes the necessity in the prior art for a direct RS232 link up between the surface computer and the computer on the MWD tool.

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Plainville, CT, United States of America

Walter A Helm