Boring or penetrating the earth inventions 12/06

20060289205 - Track-mounted drilling machine with active suspension system: A drilling machine includes a frame, two tracks, and a plurality of yokes interconnecting the frame and the tracks. Each yoke is pivotable with respect to the frame by the extension and retraction of a hydraulic cylinder. Each of a plurality of sensors senses a parameter indicative of force and... Agent: Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP

20060283632 - System and method for acquiring information during underground drilling operations: A preferred method for acquiring information during an underground drilling operation includes providing a sensing device capable of acquiring information concerning the underground drilling operation from a down-hole location on a selective basis in response to an input from the surface, and drilling for a first period of time. The... Agent: Woodcock Washburn LLP

20060283633 - Method and apparatus for conducting earth borehole operations using coiled casing: A method and apparatus for conducting earth borehole operations include a reel 28 of continuous coiled casing 30, and an injector 20 for moving the coiled casing. The bottomhole assembly including at least a motor 54 and a bit 56 is connected to the free end of the coiled casing,... Agent: Browning Bushmam P.C.

20060283634 - Automated, low profile drilling/bolting module with manual bolt magazine: A module is for use in drilling a borehole in a face of a mine passage using a drilling element and installing a bolt in the borehole once formed. The module may include a bolt holder for holding a plurality of bolts and a drilling element holder for holding a... Agent: King & Schickli, PLLC

20060283635 - Downhole steering tool having a non-rotating bendable section: A downhole steering tool is disclosed. The steering tool includes a rotatable shaft, a substantially non-rotating tool body deployed about the shaft, and a plurality of force application members deployed on the steering tool body. The steering tool further includes a bendable section deployed in the steering tool body. The... Agent: W-h Energy Services, Inc.

20060283636 - Fluid driven drilling motor and system: A fluid driven drilling motor and system includes a flex shaft between the rotor and a cylindrical flow collar. The end of the flow collar opposite from the flex shaft has a bore in fluid communication with a drill bit. Ramped apertures are formed in the side wall of the... Agent: Antony C. Edwards

20060283637 - Rotating dry drilling bit: A rotating dry drilling bit for low thrust drilling of an annular bore hole into a body of rock and obtaining an extremely small diameter core sample comprises a bit crown moulded to the end of an annular steel body. The bit crown comprises a plurality of radially extending channels... Agent: J. Gordon Thomson

20060283638 - Shirttails for reducing damaging effects of cuttings: An earth-boring bit has a bit body that includes head sections, each having depending bit legs with a circumferentially extending outer surface, a leading side, and a trailing side. A bearing shaft depends inwardly from each of the bit legs for mounting a cutter. The bit includes a beveled surface... Agent: Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

20060283639 - Drill bit and insert having bladed interface between substrate and coating: A rolling cone bit and a cutting insert for a rolling cone are disclosed. The insert includes an undulating cutting surface including a peak, and blades radiating therefrom. The cutting insert may include an ultrahard layer of diamond or other superabrasive material, wherein the outer cutting surface of the layer... Agent: Conley Rose, P.C.

20060283640 - Stepped polycrystalline diamond compact insert: The present invention addresses this need in the art by providing a cutter insert comprising a plug section and a cutter pedestal. The cutter insert in preferably formed of tungsten carbide, except for two exterior surfaces covered with PDC. The plug section may be circular or oval in cross section... Agent: Storm LLP

20060278435 - Automated, low profile drilling/bolting module with collaring: A module is for use in drilling a borehole in face of a mine passage using a drilling element and installing a bolt in the borehole once formed. The module may include a bolt holder for holding a plurality of bolts and a drilling element holder for holding a plurality... Agent: King & Schickli, PLLC

20060278434 - Device and procedure for the insertion of a new drilling string-element into the drill-string of a well: A device and the relative procedure are described, for the insertion of a new drilling string-element into a drilling-string essentially consisting of a short pipe-shaped body (C) having, at its ends, means suitable for screwing it onto drill pipes, in which two valves are housed, of which one (A) is... Agent: C. Irvin Mcclelland Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20060278436 - Drilling apparatus with reduced exposure of cutters: A rotary drilling apparatus and method for drilling subterranean formations, including a body being provided with at least one cutter thereon exhibiting reduced, or limited, exposure to the formation, so as to control the depth-of-cut of the at least one cutter, so as to control the volume of formation material... Agent: Trask Britt

20060278432 - Method of securing a rotary cutter to a body of a down hole tool and a rotary cutter assembly: A rotary cutter assembly constructed in accordance with this method of securing a rotary cutter to a body has a cutter pocket with a first shoulder and a truncated second shoulder. A receptacle extends into the first shoulder. A first retainer retains a first axle end of the rotary cutter... Agent: Davis & Bujold, P.l.l.c.

20060278433 - Multi-sectional percussive drill bit assembly: A multi-sectional percussive drill bit assembly for drilling holes in earth formation primarily used in conjunction with a pneumatic percussive device. The drill bit assembly is comprised of an easily removable bit that is rotationally driven by a lug and pocket structure and axially limited in travel by means of... Agent: Paul A. Beck & Associates Suite 100

20060278437 - Fluid loss reducer for high temperature high pressure water based-mud application: The present invention concerns a water-based drilling mud for utilization in the drilling of oil wells comprising an aqueous phase wherein the aqueous phase contains an oil soluble polymer in the form of a gel as a fluid loss reducer. The subject invention further reveals a method of lubricating a... Agent: Alvin T. Rockhill Patent Attorney

20060278438 - Drill cuttings re-injection system: A system to re-inject drill cuttings slurry into a well formation for the storage of the cuttings. The system may include a pressure containing conduit that creates a flow path to an annulus within the well formation. The system may include an injection inlet, a drilling guide base, an injection... Agent: Howrey LLP

20060278439 - Thrust bearing assembly: A thrust bearing assembly in which each thrust pad is individually mounted on a deflection element. An embodiment of the invention comprises a rotating bearing runner having a wear resistant face and a stationary bearing carrier defining a plurality of cavities disposed annularly around the carrier. A deflection element, such... Agent: Michael Bednarek Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

20060278440 - Downhole stabilizer: A stabilizer comprised of a tubular body which has an exterior surface with selectively positioned indentations. A sleeve is positioned over the tubular body. The sleeve has an interior surface in contact with the exterior surface and a plurality of radial longitudinally oriented vanes. A plurality of radial apertures extend... Agent: Davis & Bujold, P.l.l.c.

20060278441 - Cutting element apparatuses and drill bits so equipped: A cutting element assembly for use on a rotary drill bit for forming a borehole in a subterranean formation. A cutting element includes a substrate having a base member affixed to a back surface of the substrate is disclosed, wherein the base member includes a recess configured to secure the... Agent: Holland & Hart

20060278442 - Drill bit: A drill bit is made from a shank, lid and blades. Junk slots with higher resistance to flow are provided to force drilling fluid between cutters on adjacent blades to improve cleaning. Blades are canted back, and openings at a high angle are provided to further enhance cleaning. The use... Agent: Law Office Of Marc D. Machtinger, Ltd.

20060272859 - Method and apparatus for collecting drill bit performance data: Drill bits and methods for sampling sensor data associated with the state of a drill bit are disclosed. A drill bit for drilling a subterranean formation comprises a bit body and a shank. The shank further includes a central bore formed through an inside diameter of the shank and configured... Agent: Trask Britt

20060272861 - Method for improving drilling depth measurements: A method for determining a depth of a wellbore is disclosed. The method includes determining change in a suspended weight of a drill string from a first time to a second time. A change in axial position of the upper portion of the drill string between the first time and... Agent: Richard A. Fagin

20060272860 - Methods of improving well bore pressure containment integrity: Methods of improving the pressure containment integrity of subterranean well bores are provided. The methods include pumping a fracture sealing composition into the well bore that rapidly converts into a high friction pressure sealing composition which is impermeable, deformable, extremely viscous and does not bond to the faces of fractures.... Agent: Clifford C. Dougherty, Iii Mcafee & Taft

20060272862 - Automated, low profile drilling/bolting module with carousel: A module is for use in drilling a borehole in face of a mine passage using a drilling element and installing a bolt in the borehole once formed. The module may include a bolt holder for holding a plurality of bolts and a drilling element holder for holding a plurality... Agent: King & Schickli, PLLC