The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 29, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 13, 2000
N. Bruce Moore, Aliso Viejo, CA (US);
R. Ernst Krueger, Houston, TX (US);
Ronald E. Beaufort, Laguna Niguel, CA (US);
Western Well Tool, Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
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.