Boring or penetrating the earth inventions 05/07

20070119622 - Drilling rig: An underwater drilling rig (1) in modular form, which can be simply assembled underwater and in which standard tubulars and tubular assemblies are stored in a novel arrangement within containers (6) and can be added to, and removed from, the string in the well bore, whilst there is continuous circulation... Agent: Bartlett & Sherer

20070119621 - Method and device for controlling drilling fluid pressure: A method of reducing drilling fluid pressure during subsea drilling, where drilling fluid is pumped down into a borehole and then flows back to a drilling rig via the lined and/or unlined sections of the borehole and a liner, wherein the drilling fluid pressure is controlled by pumping drilling fluid... Agent: Foley And Lardner LLP Suite 500

20070119623 - Pipe handling system with a movable magazine: A pipe handling assembly for transporting pipe sections to and from the drill string of a horizontal boring machine. The system comprises a magazine, a cradle for supporting the magazine, a support member, a drive system, and a transfer assembly. The drive system may move the cradle and the magazine... Agent: Tomlinson & O'connell, P.C.

20070119624 - Roof drilling improvements: The invention is embodied in a heavy duty drill bit for hard/soft rock drilling comprising a high fatigue resistant, high alloy steel bit body having a PCD cutter element of super hard material and an enlarged shank portion constructed to accommodate torsional forces at high thrust pressures, and reamer means... Agent: Senniger Powers

20070119625 - Roof drilling system improvements: The invention is embodied in a heavy duty drill bit for hard/soft rock drilling comprising a high fatigue-resistant, high alloy steel bit body having a PCD cutter member and an enlarged shank portion constructed to accommodate torsional forces at high thrust pressures, and reamer means for compensating the effect of... Agent: Senniger Powers

20070119626 - Apparatus and methods for drilling a wellbore using casing: Apparatus and methods for drilling with casing. In an embodiment, methods and apparatus for deflecting casing using a diverter apparatus are disclosed. In another embodiment, the apparatus comprises a motor operating system disposed in a motor system housing, a shaft operatively connected to the motor operating system, the shaft having... Agent: William B. Patterson Moser, Patterson & Sheridan, L.L.P.

20070119628 - Method and apparatus for processing and injecting drill cuttings: An improved cuttings system located adjacent a drilling rig's shale shaker system utilizing a vacuum collection/gravity fed processing system, thereby eliminating expensive and complicated cuttings transfer systems. The use of a vacuum cuttings collection system combined within a common fluid-filled open tank and submersible grinding pumps eliminate the need for... Agent: Robert N. Montgomery

20070119627 - Method and apparatus for vacuum collecting and gravity depositing drill cuttings: A continuous open discharge vacuum chamber for gravity feeding drill cuttings extracted from a cuttings source by vacuum and depositing them by gravity into a fluid. Embodiments include means for removing and recovery of drilling fluids, sizing the cuttings and relieving choke points and blockages.... Agent: Robert N. Montgomery

20070119630 - Jack element adapted to rotate independent of a drill bit: In one aspect of the present invention a downhole tool string has a rotor secured within a bore and connected to a jack element that is substantially coaxial with the rotor. A portion of the jack element extends out of an opening formed in a working face of a drill... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070119629 - Method and apparatus for drilling curved boreholes: The invention is an rotary steerable tool. The improved rotary steerable tool comprises a control tube that slides vertical within a mandrel in response to changes in drilling fluid pressure, thereby opening and closing a channel between the mandrel and a piston chamber in a rotationally isolated sleeve. With the... Agent: Rudolf O. Siegesmund

20070119631 - Cutting element with canted interface surface and bit body incorporating the same: The present invention provides a cutting element having a cylindrical body having a canted end face on which is formed an ultra hard material layer and to a bit incorporating such cutting element. One or a plurality of transition layers may be provided between the ultra hard material layer and... Agent: Christie, Parker & Hale, LLP

20070114061 - Drill bit assembly with a probe: The current invention discloses a drill bit assembly with a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion. The working portion may have at least one cutting element. The drill bit assembly may also have a shaft with a first end disposed within the assembly, a second end... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114062 - Drill bit assembly with a logging device: In some aspects of the present invention, a drill bit assembly has a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion. The working portion has at least one cutting element. In some embodiments, the drill bit assembly has a shaft with an end substantially coaxial to a central... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114064 - Hydraulic drill bit assembly: In one aspect of the present invention a drill bit assembly has a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion. The working portion has at least one cutting element and the body portion has at least a portion of a jackleg apparatus. The jackleg apparatus has at... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114063 - Mud depression tool and process for drilling: A downhole tool is coupled to a drill bit and having an expandable packer for reversibly isolating the bottom hole in a wellbore so that when fluid is circulated through a jet pump in the tool, a local depression of fluid pressure is formed at the drill bit. The tool... Agent: Sean W. Goodwin

20070114066 - A drill bit assembly adapted to provide power downhole: In one aspect of the invention, a drill bit assembly has a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion, the working portion having at least one cutting element. The working portion also has an opening to an axial chamber disposed in the body portion of the assembly.... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114065 - Drill bit assembly: In one aspect of the present invention a drill bit assembly comprises a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion. The working portion has at least one cutting element. The body portion has at least a portion of a reactive jackleg apparatus which has a chamber at... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114068 - Drill bit assembly for directional drilling: In one aspect of the invention a drill bit assembly has a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion, the working portion having at least one cutting element. A shaft is supported by the body portion and extends beyond the working portion. The shaft also has a... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114067 - Drill bit assembly with an indenting member: In one aspect of the invention a drill bit assembly has a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion. The working portion has a recess with a side wall which is substantially coaxial with the shank portion. At least one cutting element is attached to the side... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114069 - Apparatus for positioning and stabbing pipe in a drilling rig derrick: A remotely controlled apparatus for positioning and stabbing pipe within a drilling rig derrick is provided. A support base assembly is mounted to a structural member of a drilling rig derrick. A jointed articulating boom having a boom base member and a boom arm member is attached to the support... Agent: Ted M. Anthony

20070114070 - Drilling and anchor-setting tool: A drilling and anchor-setting tool (1) for mine, tunnel, and underground works for setting an anchor (5) in a borehole and provided with a core bit and with single-or multi-component adhesive mass (6), with the tool including a housing (2) having a chamber (4), and an extrusion device (3) for... Agent: Abelman, Frayne & Schwab

20070114071 - Rotary bit with an indenting member: In one aspect of the invention a drill bit assembly has a body portion intermediate a shank portion and a working portion. The working portion has a recess with a side wall which is substantially coaxial with the shank portion. At least one cutting element is attached to the side... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070114072 - Arrangement of roller cone inserts: A drill bit having cutting elements disposed on a roller cone surface in a non-linear pattern, wherein at least one of the cutting elements is asymmetrical to its axis of orientation. Also, a method for selecting and adjusting a cutting element orientation based on crater profile geometry which results in... Agent: Osha, Liang LLP / Smith

20070107936 - Dog-type recoil actuated auger: A dog-type recoil actuated auger enables holes to be drilled by using only straight line motions of a person's hand, arm, and shoulder. The recoil actuated auger is comprised of a recoil drive system connected to a shaft, which in turn is connected to an auger. The recoil drive system... Agent: Ryan Kromholz & Manion, S.c.

20070107937 - Rotary steerable tool including drill string rotation measurement apparatus: Aspects of this invention include a downhole tool (such as a steering tool) including first and second sensor sets for measuring substantially instantaneous drill string rotation rates. Each of the sensor sets includes at least one accelerometer disposed to measure cross-axial acceleration components. Embodiments of this invention advantageously enable gravitational... Agent: W-h Energy Services, Inc.

20070107939 - Logging-while-coring method and apparatus: A method and apparatus for downhole coring while receiving logging-while-drilling tool data. The apparatus includes core collar and a retrievable core barrel. The retrievable core barrel receives core from a borehole which is sent to the surface for analysis via wireline and latching tool The core collar includes logging-while-drilling tools... Agent: Wilmerhale/columbia University

20070107938 - Multiple receiver sub-array apparatus, systems, and methods: In some embodiments, apparatus and systems, as well as methods, may operate to enable moving a drill string through a borehole while acquiring data generated by a plurality of receiver sub-arrays included in a drill string. The sub-arrays may be separated by one or more sources of sonic energy, as... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070107940 - Drill bit lubricant utilizing a sulfur-phosphorous ep agent: A lubricant is shown and described. The lubricant includes about 1 to 15 weight percent of a sulfur-phosphorus extreme pressure agent, about 5 to 40 weight percent of a thickener, preferably a metal-complex soap, and a basestock. The basestock may be a mineral oil, a synthetic oil, or a combination... Agent: Osha Liang L.L.P.

20070107941 - Extended reach drilling apparatus & method: A method for drilling a well in a formation including inserting a thruster, a first conduit, and a drill bit into a wellbore lined with a previous casing and applying a force to the first conduit with the thruster so that the thruster grips onto the previous casing.... Agent: Shell Oil Company

20070107942 - Hardfacing materials with highly conforming properties: An earth-boring bit, and a method of increasing the durability of the same, which includes the step providing a pliable sheet of a hardfacing matrix material. The pliable sheet of hardfacing material has a nickel and chromium matrix combined with a first element. The first element is selected from a... Agent: James E. Bradley Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

20070107943 - Tractor with improved valve system: A hydraulically powered tractor adapted for advancement through a borehole including an elongate body, aft and forward gripper assemblies, and a valve control assembly housed within the elongate body. The aft and forward gripper assemblies are adapted for selective engagement with the inner surface of the borehole. The valve control... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070107944 - Ball-activated mechanism for controlling the operation of a downhole tool: A ball-activated mechanism adapted to be incorporated in a drillstring and to control the activation, and de-activation of a downhole tool. The mechanism includes a ball seat that receives surface launched activation balls and moves to activate or deactivate the downhole tool, an indexable latching device, and a linearly displaceable... Agent: Kirton And Mcconkie

20070107945 - Recoil auger with clutch bearing: A recoil auger enables holes to be drilled by using only straight line motions of a person's hand, arm, and shoulder. The recoil auger is comprised of a recoil drive system connected to an output shaft, which in turn is connected to an auger. The recoil drive system has a... Agent: Ryan Kromholz & Manion, S.c.

20070107946 - Single cone rock bit having inserts adapted to maintain hole gage during drilling: A roller cone drill bit is disclosed which includes a bit body adapted to be coupled to a drill string. A bearing journal depends from the bit body. A single roller cone is rotatably attached to the bearing journal. The roller cone has a plurality of inserts disposed at selected... Agent: Osha, Liang LLP / Smith

20070102193 - Construction machine for foundation construction: The invention relates to a construction machine, in particular a drilling and/or pile driving device, for foundation construction comprising a chassis and a leader arranged on the chassis for the longitudinally displaceable guidance of a drive head. Provision is made for the leader to be pivotable on the chassis by... Agent: Law Offices Jacobson Holman

20070102194 - Soil auger assembly: A soil auger assembly that is easily disassembled and stored, and that can drill holes to any depth is provided. The soil auger assembly includes one or more augers, cutting blades, handles, extension rods, working shafts, and beveled tips. The cutting blade is wound spirally on the working shaft. The... Agent: Edmonds, P.C.

20070102195 - Expandable drill bit: The drill arms 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D are driven from the retracted configuration into the expanded configuration when the expandable drill bit 1 is rotated at a speed of rotation at least equal to a determined expanding speed of rotation... Agent: Schlumberger Oilfield Services

20070102196 - Downhole percussion tool: A pressure fluid actuated downhole percussion tool includes a reciprocating piston hammer with differential transverse pressure surfaces cooperable with a cylinder housing, a guide sleeve and a bit carried exhaust tube to form opposed pressure fluid chambers to which pressure fluid may be conducted to deliver repeated impact blows to... Agent: Michael E. Martin Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP,IPSection

20070102197 - Drill stem for deep drillings: The invention relates to a drill column (3) for deep wells, having a plurality of drilling pipes (10) having drilling pipe bodies (12) made from an electrically conductive material and a plurality of bushes (11) having bush bodies (27) made from an electrically conductive material. In order to obtain information... Agent: Roberts, Mlotkowski & Hobbes

20070102198 - Earth-boring rotary drill bits and methods of forming earth-boring rotary drill bits: Methods of forming earth-boring rotary drill bits include providing a bit body, providing a shank that is configured for attachment to a drill string, and attaching the shank to the bit body. Providing a bit body includes providing a green powder component having a first region having a first composition... Agent: Trask Britt

20070102199 - Earth-boring rotary drill bits and methods of manufacturing earth-boring rotary drill bits having particle-matrix composite bit bodies: Methods of forming bit bodies for earth-boring bits include assembling green components, brown components, or fully sintered components, and sintering the assembled components. Other methods include isostatically pressing a powder to form a green body substantially composed of a particle-matrix composite material, and sintering the green body to provide a... Agent: Trask Britt

20070102200 - Earth-boring rotary drill bits including bit bodies having boron carbide particles in aluminum or aluminum-based alloy matrix materials, and methods for forming such bits: Rotary drill bits for drilling subterranean formations include a bit body and at least one cutting structure disposed on a face thereof. The bit body includes a crown region comprising a particle-matrix composite material that includes a plurality of boron carbide particles dispersed throughout an aluminum or aluminum-based alloy matrix... Agent: Trask Britt

20070102201 - Drill bit and system for drilling a borehole: an under-reaming section in a following position with respect to the pilot section, the cutting diameter Du of the under-reaming section being larger than the cutting diameter Dp of the pilot section; a connecting shaft extending between the pilot section and the under-reaming section; and a stabilising section located between... Agent: Shell Oil Company

20070102202 - Earth-boring rotary drill bits including bit bodies comprising reinforced titanium or titanium-based alloy matrix materials, and methods for forming such bits: Earth-boring rotary drill bits include bit bodies comprising a composite material including a plurality of hard phase regions or particles dispersed throughout a titanium or titanium-based alloy matrix material. The bits further include a cutting structure disposed on a face of the bit body. In some embodiments, the bit bodies... Agent: Trask Britt

20070095572 - Ballistic systems having an impedance barrier: A shaped charge assembly for use in a perforating gun that comprises a shaped charge holder, two or more shaped charges, slots formed to receive the shaped charges, and an impedance barrier disposed between adjacent shaped charges. The impedance barrier can comprise a gap formed in the shaped charge holder,... Agent: Gilbreth Roebuck Bynum Derrington Schmidt Walker & Tran, LLP

20070095574 - Drill bit with protection member: A method is provided for removing a body of selected material from the interior of a casing extending into a borehole formed in an earth formation. The method comprises lowering a drill bit for further drilling of the borehole, into the casing, the drill bit having a longitudinal axis of... Agent: Shell Oil Company

20070095573 - Pressure controlled downhole operations: A method and apparatus for temporarily increasing fluid pressure at a specific location in a work string to perform an operation in an oil or gas well bore. Apparatus is provided which, in a first position provides fluid flow through the work string; in a second position provides the desired... Agent: Perret Doise A Professional Law Corporation

20070095575 - Adjustable bent housing: An adjustable bent housing (10) includes a first tubular body (12) and a second tubular body (14). The second tubular body (14) telescopically extends into the first tubular body (12) and is maintained in relative axial position by a threaded engagement (30 & 22). A locking sleeve (44) is provided... Agent: Christensen, O'connor, Johnson, Kindness, PLLC

20070095576 - 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: Beck & Thomas, P.C. Suite 100

20070095577 - Roller cone bits with wear and fracture resistant surface: Roller cone bits of this invention include a steel bit body having at least one leg extending therefrom. A steel cone is rotatably disposed on the leg. The steel cone includes a plurality of steel cutting elements that each project outwardly a distance therefrom. At least one of the cutting... Agent: Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, LLP