Boring or penetrating the earth inventions 02/07

20070039756 - Sonde housing: An instrument housing for a drill string, comprising: a cylindrical housing having a cavity for receiving an instrument assembly such as a transmitter sonde; an elongated side load opening disposed parallel with and toward one end of the cavity and formed through a side of the cylindrical housing into the... Agent: Stephen S. Mosher Whitaker, Chalk, Swindle & Sawyer, LLP

20070039757 - Tension/collar/reamer assemblies and methods: The present invention provides drilling assembles and methods that are especially useful for a bottom hole drilling assembly for drilling/reaming/or other operations related to drilling a borehole through an earth formation. In one embodiment, the drilling assembly utilizes standard drill collars which are modified to accept force transfer sections. In... Agent: Kenneth L. Nash

20070039759 - Mud saver valve: A mud-saver valve having an independent means for blocking the flow of fluid through the bore of a ball valve. The mud-saver valve has a tubular body having a central through-bore, a rotatable ball having a through-bore, and pressure actuated right and left concave cup members that can rotate about... Agent: Ted M. Anthony

20070039758 - Remotely operable top drive system safety valve having dual valve elements: Disclosed is a remotely operable top drive safety valve assembly having first and second valve elements. An actuator sleeve moves longitudinally on the main body of the top drive safety valve assembly under the influence of an operating arm. When operating the first valve element, a lock plate is preferably... Agent: Jesse D. Lambert

20070039760 - Drill bit and system for drilling a borehole: A drill bit for drilling a borehole in an object, the drill bit having a central longitudinal axis and having a bit body provided with a central shank for connecting the drill bit to a drilling system. The drill bit further has at least one cutting arm, each cutting arm... Agent: Shell Oil Company

20070039761 - Percussive drill bit, drilling system comprising such a drill bit and method of drilling a bore hole: A percussion drill bit for drilling into a subterranean earth formation. The drill bit has a central longitudinal axis and is operable by applying axial percussive motion along the axis and rotary motion about the axis. The drill bit is provided with a plurality of blades protruding from the drill... Agent: Shell Oil Company

20070039762 - Cutting tool insert: A polycrystalline diamond abrasive cutting element consists generally of a layer of high grade polycrystalline diamond bonded to a cemented carbide substrate. The polycrystalline diamond layer has a working surface and an outer peripheral surface and is characterized by having an annular region or a portion thereof adjacent the peripheral... Agent: Seyfarth Shaw LLP

20070034408 - Method of creating a borehole in an earth formation: A method of creating a borehole in an earth formation is provided. The method involves the steps of drilling a section of the borehole and lowering an expandable tubular element into the borehole whereby a lower portion of the tubular element extends into the drilled borehole section, radially expanding the... Agent: Shell Oil Company

20070034409 - Method and apparatus for a downhole excavation in a wellbore: An apparatus and method for excavating a wellbore is disclosed. An apparatus embodiment comprises (a) means for isolating a wellbore at a determined location, (b) means for excavating a downhole cavity in a wellbore, and (c) means for removing the means for isolating the wellbore to provide full access to... Agent: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

20070034410 - Methods for reducing circulation loss during drilling operations: A method for reducing circulation loss during drilling operations, the method comprising: performing drilling operations using a water-based drilling fluid system comprising a first amount of water insoluble particulate; providing the drilling fluid system with a second amount of alkali metal silicate, the first amount of water insoluble particulate and... Agent: Paula D. Morris Morris & Amatong, P.C.

20070034411 - Rolling cone drill bit having non-circumferentially arranged cutter elements: A rolling cone drill bit including multiple cones with regions of intermeshing and non-intermeshing cutter elements. In the non-intermeshed regions, an array of cutter elements is disposed about the cone surface in a non-circumferential arrangement with the cutter elements being mounted at differing radial distances from the bit axis. This... Agent: Conley Rose, P.C.

20070034412 - Latchable reaming bit: A drilling assembly supports a liner for making a wellbore. The BHA comprises a pilot bit and a reamer above it that is larger in diameter than the suspended liner. If the BHA needs to be pulled out, the reamer is brought into contact with the liner and a latch... Agent: Duane, Morris, LLP

20070034413 - Bearing assembly for a drill bit: The cutter joint is formed on a trunnion by a peripheral radial-trust rolling bearing whose internal ring (4) together with rolling bodies (6) and a cage (7) are arranged on the trunnion (2) and locked thereon by snap ring (15), an external bearing ring (5) is inserted into the cutter... Agent: David A. Guerra Internation Patent Group, LLC

20070034414 - Rolling cone drill bit having cutter elements positioned in a plurality of differing radial positions: A drill bit for drilling through earthen formations and forming a borehole. In an embodiment, the bit comprises a bit body having a bit axis. In addition, the bit comprises a plurality of cone cutters, each of the cone cutters being mounted on the bit body and adapted for rotation... Agent: Conley Rose, P.C.

20070034415 - Low projection inserts for rock bits: An earth boring bit has an outer row of inserts located within extra deep holes. Each of the holes has a cylindrical sidewall with a depth greater than the length of the barrel of the insert mounted within. The difference in depth is at least equal to a distorted entry... Agent: James E. Bradley Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP

20070034416 - Weldable ultrahard materials and associated methods of manufacture: A weldable ultrahard insert can include an ultrahard working layer and a weldable metal layer metallically bonded with the working layer. The ultrahard working layer can be any ultrahard material such as PCD, PCBN, metal carbide, ceramic, diamond, or the like. The weldable ultrahard inserts can be formed by charging... Agent: Thorpe North & Western, LLP.

20070023204 - Method and device for drilling holes in soil or rock material: The invention relates to a method and device for the drilling, in particular the percussive drilling or rotary percussive drilling of holes (9) in the ground or in rock, a bore hole (9) being formed by a drill bit (1) that is mounted on a drill pipe (3), by a... Agent: Jacobson Holman PLLC

20070023205 - Device for the overdrilling of underground lines: A device for overdrilling an underground line includes a rotating push and/or pull linkage having a front end, and a hollow-cylindrical scavenging head which is connected to the front end of the linkage and is equipped with nozzles. At least one of the nozzles has an outlet axis extending at... Agent: Henry M Feiereisen, LLC

20070023206 - Thermally stable diamond cutting elements in roller cone drill bits: A roller cone drill bit for drilling earth formations includes a bit body having at least one roller cone rotably attached to the bit body and a plurality of cutting elements disposed on the at least one roller cone in a plurality of rows arranged circumferentially around the at least... Agent: Osha Liang L.L.P.

20070023207 - Auger with a movable gouge for making a boreholes: The invention relates to an auger for making a borehole that presents in its inside wall a groove that is substantially helical, said auger comprising: a hollow core provided with an outer helical blade; a movable cutter gouge suitable for taking up an active position in which the gouge projects... Agent: Kenyon & Kenyon LLP