A drilling system tool including at least one sensor configured to detect movement of one or more components of the drilling system tool. The sensor is configured to operate at high pressures and temperatures typical in the drilling environment downhole. The sensors are suitable for vibration damping tools, rotary steerable motors systems, downhole motors, drill bits, or other similar downhole drilling equipment that includes a movable component.
E21B 7/00 - Special methods or apparatus for drilling
E21B 44/00 - Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systemsSystems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
A system (1), assembly (10), module (30), and method are disclosed for powering a downhole tool (60) in a drilling operation. The system may include a reusable battery module (30) and/or controller (306) to operate multiple batteries (20).
An embodiment includes a downhole tool (20, 100, 60) with first and second modular connectors (110, 210). The connection modules are configured to aid make-up and assembly and improve stability during use.
A system, method, and a computer program configured to perform a method for processing drilling data. The method includes transmitting a signal with a telemetry tool to a computer processor. The method includes applying a plurality of predetermined templates to the signal. The method also includes applying a plurality of first filters to the transmitted signal. The method also includes applying one or more second, adjustable filters to the transmitted signal and to the plurality of predetermined templates. The method also includes decoding the transmitted signal based on the best match between a) two or more of the plurality of predetermined templates, and b) the transmitted signal, wherein the two or more of the plurality of predetermined templates and the transmitted signal are processed through the same adjustable filter of the one or more second, adjustable filters.
A drilling monitoring and control system includes an instrumented top sub 32 configured to obtain drilling data. drilling monitoring and control methods using the said system.
E21B 47/01 - Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelinesProtecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
E21B 47/18 - Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling using acoustic waves through the well fluid
7.
TELEMETRY SYSTEM, CURRENT SENSOR, AND RELATED METHODS FOR A DRILLING SYSTEM
This disclosure includes a current sensor configured to detect a signal current in a drilling system component of a drilling system, a telemetry system, and a method for detecting a signal current. The current sensor includes a magnetic body, at least one field coil positioned on the magnetic body, and at least one drive coil positioned on the magnetic body. The at least one field coil configured to detect a first magnetic field that passes within the magnetic body that is induced by the signal current carried by the drill system component when the current sensor is positioned in proximity to the drilling system component. The at least one drive coil configured to generate a second magnetic field. The current sensor is configured to modulate the second magnetic field such the at least one field coil detects the modulated magnetic field.
G01V 3/08 - Electric or magnetic prospecting or detectingMeasuring magnetic field characteristics of the earth, e.g. declination or deviation operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices
8.
DRILLING SYSTEM AND ELECTROMAGNETIC TELEMETRY TOOL WITH AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
A drilling system (1) including a drill string (6), an EM telemetry assembly (400), and an electric contact assembly (70) that defines an electrical connection with the drill string (6). The electric contact assembly (70) permits a portion of the EM tool (40) to slide along a portion of the drill string (6) during drill string assembly.
E21B 47/12 - Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
A strain sensor assembly is configured to detect one or more of forces applied to a structure having a recess. The strain sensor can include at least a pair of opposed strain gauge members that extend from the support member. Each strain gauge member defines a support portion carried by the support member and a biasing portion. The support portion includes at least one strain gauge sensor. The biasing portion is configured to bias against a wall of the recess of the structure when the strain sensor assembly is disposed in the recess. The strain sensor assembly is configured such that the at least a pair of strain gauge members form an interference fit with the wall of the recess when the strain sensor assembly is inserted in the recess.
The present disclosure relates to a system, apparatus and method for guiding a drill bit based on forces applied to a drill bit, and drilling methods related to same.
E21B 47/01 - Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelinesProtecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
A system, apparatus and method for monitoring a drilling operation includes receiving a signal (130b) via a first pair of antennas (120b) positioned on a surface of the earthen formation. The signal received by the first pair of antennas has a first signal characteristic. The method includes receiving the signal via a second pair of antennas (120c) positioned on the surface at a different location than that of the first pair of antennas. The signal received by the second pair of antennas has a second signal characteristic. The method includes identifying which of the first signal characteristic and the second signal characteristic of the signal received by the respective first and second pairs of antennas is a preferred signal characteristic. The method can include decoding the signal received by one of the first and second pairs of antennas that has received the signal with the preferred signal characteristic.
E21B 47/12 - Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
A rotary steering apparatus for a drill string (12) in which a bending section (34) induces a bend in a portion of the bottom hole assembly (11) of the drill string by using the rotation of the drive shaft (24) that drives the drill bit (13) during normal drilling, while operating at a reduced or zero drilling mud flow rate, to drive a reduction gear that rotates a nut or cam so as to place a tension tube into tension. The tension tube abuts a flexible housing and places the flexible housing in compression. The flexible housing has a local weakening formed in it that causes it to preferentially bend in a predetermined direction. Compression in the flexible housing causes the housing to bend, which bends a portion of the bottom hole assembly so as to alter the direction of drilling. Rotation of the drive shaft at reduced or zero mud flow rate also causes the drive shaft to drive rotation of a second reduction gear the output of which rotates the bent portion of the bottom hole assembly thereby altering its tool face angle.
A rotary pulser for transmitting information to the surface from down hole in a well by generating pressure pulses encoded to contain information. The pulser includes a rotor having blades that are capable of imparting a varying obstruction to the flow of drilling fluid through stator passages, depending on the circumferential orientation of the rotor, so that rotation of the rotor by a motor generates the encoded pressure pulses. A spring biases the rotor toward the stator so as to reduce the axial gap between the rotor and stator. When the pressure drop across the rotor becomes excessive, such as when increasing drilling fluid flow rate or switching from a high data rate to a low data rate transmission mode, the spring bias is overcome so as to increase the axial gap and reduce the pressure drop across the rotor, thereby automatically reducing the thrust load on the bearings.
E21B 47/18 - Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling using acoustic waves through the well fluid
14.
METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING AND MONITORING UNDERGROUND DRILLING
A method of optimizing underground drilling in which the Specific Energy, such as the Mechanical Specific Energy, is determined at a plurality of weight on bits and drill bit rotary speeds. The drilling operation is optimized by drilling at the operating conditions, including weight on bit and drill bit rotary speed, at which the standard deviation in Mechanical Specific Energy is a minimum. The drilling operation is monitored by determining the Mechanical Specific Energy and changing the operating parameters if the standard deviation in the Mechanical Specific Energy exceeds a predetermined value.
A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a magnetorheological fluid valve assembly having a supply of a magnetorheological fluid. A remanent magnetic field is induced in the valve during operation that can be used to provide the magnetic field for operating the valve so as to eliminate the need to energize the coils valve except temporarily when changing the amount of damping required. The current to be supplied to the coil for inducing a desired magnetic field in the valve is determined based on the limiting hysteresis curve of the valve and the history of the magnetization of the value using a binary search methodology. The history of the magnetization of the valve is expressed as a series of sets of current and it resulting magnetization at which the current experienced a reversal compared to prior values of the current.
An apparatus and method for damping vibration, especially torsional vibration due to stick-slip, in a drill string. Sensors measure the instantaneous angular velocity of the drill string at one or more locations along the length of the drill string. One or more vibration damping modules are also spaced along the length of the drill string. When torsional vibration above a threshold is detected, the damping module imposes a reverse torque on the drill that dampens the torsional vibration. The reverse torque can be created by imparting a frictional resistance to the rotation of the drill string. The frictional resistance can be created externally, by extending friction pads from the damping module so that they contact the bore hole wall and drag along the bore hole as the drill string rotates, or internally by anchoring a housing mounted on the drill string to the wall of the bore hole and then imposing frictional resistance on a fluid, such as a magnetorheological fluid, flowing within the drill string.
An apparatus for determining the weight on a drill bit and axial forces along a drill string drilling though an earthen formation. The apparatus comprising an LVDT incorporated into a torsional bearing of a magneto-rheological damping system such that the LVDT senses the relative displacement and accelerations between a bearing mandrel portion and a bearing casing portion of the torsional damper. The LVDT is calibrated with respect to a spring in the damping system that resists relative motion between the bearing mandrel and bearing casing such that the output of the LVDT can be transformed into the force associated with the weight on the drill bit, and the same LVDT accelerations combined with the mass distribution along the drill string to determine axial stresses.
A system and method for monitoring underground drilling in which vibration is monitored by creating a model of the drill string using finite element techniques or finite difference techniques and (i) predicting vibration by inputting real time values of operating parameters into the model, and then adjusting the model to agree with measured vibration data, (ii) predicting the weight on bit and drill string and mud motor speeds at which resonance will occur, as well as when stick-slip will occur, so that the operator can avoid operating regimes that will result in high vibration, (iii) determining vibration and torque levels along the length of the drill string based on the measured vibration and torque at one or more locations, (iv) determining the remaining life of critical components of the drill string based on the history of the vibration to which the components have been subjected, and (v) determining the optimum drilling parameters that will avoid excessive vibration of the drill string.
G05B 13/02 - Adaptive control systems, i.e. systems automatically adjusting themselves to have a performance which is optimum according to some preassigned criterion electric
19.
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING BENDING ON A DRILL BIT OPERATING IN A WELL
An apparatus for measuring the bending on a drill bit operating down hole in a well may comprise at least three pockets circumferentially spaced equidistantly around the drill collar of the drill string to which the drill bit is attached Four strain gauges are equidistantly circumferentially spaced around each of the pockets so as to form first and second sets of strain gauges The strain gauges in the first set are connected into one Wheatstone bridge while the gauges in the second set are connected in a second bridge Each of the strain gauges that are oriented similarly within each of the pockets are connected in series within a single leg of a bridge so that the output voltage of the bridge is unaffected by bending in the drill string The output of first bridge is used to determine the bending on the drill bit Further, an apparatus for measuring the bending, weight, and torque on a drill bit operating down hole in a well may comprise at least three pockets circumferentially spaced equidistantly around the drill collar of the drill string to which the drill bit is attached with twelve strain gauges that are equidistantly circumferentially spaced around each of the pockets so as to form first and second sets of strain gauges The arrangement of the twelve strain gauges allow for a bending on bit measurement that cancels out the affects of the weight on bit and torque on bit.
A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a magnetorheological fluid valve assembly having a supply of a magnetorheological fluid, a first member, and a second member capable ofmoving in relation to first member in response to vibration of the drill bit The first and second members define a first and a second chamber for holding the fluid Fluid can flow between the first and second chambers in response to the movement ofthe second member in relation to the first member The valve assembly can also include a coil for inducing a magnetic field that alters the resistance ofthe magnetorheological fluid to flow between the first and second chambers, thereby increasing the damping provided by the valve A remanent magnetic field is induced during operation that can be used to provide the magnetic field for operating the valve so as to eliminate the need to energize the coils
A top drive assembly may comprise a drive motor that provides rotational torque to a drill string for driving the drill string into the earth. A sensor and a transmitter may be located on a section of the drill string or on a device that can be incorporated into a drill string. The sensor may take measurements of the drill string that is rotating during the drilling operation. If the sensor is located near the top drive assembly, the sensor may take measurements of an upper portion of the rotating drill string during the drilling operation. The transmitter may wirelessly transmit the sensor information in real-time to a coordinator or main radio. The transmitter may also be located near the top drive assembly and during the drilling operation, may transmit from the rotating drill string while located in a position above the earth's surface.
Preferred methods and systems generate a control input based on a periodically-varying characteristic associated with the rotation of a drill string. The periodically varying characteristic can be correlated with the magnetic tool face and gravity tool face of a rotating component of the drill string, so that the control input can be used to initiate a response in the rotating component as a function of gravity tool face.
patents
