Boring or penetrating the earth inventions 09/07

20070221406 - Jack element for a drill bit: In one aspect of the present invention, a drill bit has an axis of rotation and a working face with a plurality of blades extending outwardly from a bit body. The blades form in part an inverted conical region and a plurality of cutters with a cutting surface are arrayed... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070221408 - Drilling at a resonant frequency: In one aspect of the invention, a method for drilling a bore hole includes the steps of deploying a drill bit attached to a drill string in a well bore, the drill bit having an axial jack element with a distal end protruding beyond a working face of the drill... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070221409 - Rotary valve for steering a drill string: In one aspect of the invention a drill string has a rotary valve disposed within its bore. The valve has a first disc attached to a driving mechanism and a second disc axially aligned with and contacting the first disc along a flat surface. Each disc has a port adapted... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070221411 - Recovery system: A process for the recovery of drilling fluid additives, including industrial carbon, calcium carbonate, natural and synthetic fibers, and other materials from a mixture. The mixture may include drilling fluids, drilled solids, and drilling fluid additives from a mud system. The process may include: separating at least a portion of... Agent: Osha Liang/mi

20070221407 - Permanent downhole deployment of optical sensors: The present invention involves methods and apparatus for permanent downhole deployment of optical sensors. Specifically, optical sensors may be permanently deployed within a wellbore using a casing string. In one aspect, one or more optical sensors are disposed on, in, or within the casing string. The optical sensors may be... Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, L.L.P.

20070221410 - Recovery system: A process for the recovery of industrial carbon material from a mixture. The mixture may include drilling fluids, drilled solids, and industrial carbon from a mud system. The process may include: separating at least a portion of the drilled solids from the mixture to form a first effluent and a... Agent: Osha Liang/mi

20070221412 - Rotary valve for a jack hammer: In one aspect of the present invention a tool string comprises a jack element substantially coaxial with an axis of rotation. The jack element is housed within a bore of the tool string and has a distal end extending beyond a working face of the tool string. A rotary valve... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070221413 - Flow system for a hydraulic choke solids strainer: A strainer system having two separate strainers positioned in parallel, where one strainer can be cleaned while still permitting normal flow through the other strainer. The system flow circuit is arranged so that a high pressure backwashing flow can be applied to one strainer while the other strainer is providing... Agent: Elizabeth R. Hall

20070221414 - Releasable mill: A mill assembly having a milling head which is releasable from the mill body, such as by shearing a shear pin. The release mechanism can be released by dropping a pumpable plug through the work string to block fluid flow through the releasable milling head, or by increasing fluid flow... Agent: Gerald W. Spinks

20070221415 - Jack element with a stop-off: In one aspect of the present invention, a drill bit has a body intermediate a shank and a working face, the working face comprising a plurality of blades formed on the working face and extending outwardly from the bit body. Each blade comprises at least one cutting element. The drill... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070221416 - Bi-center drill bit: In one aspect of the present invention a drill bit assembly comprises a working portion opposite a shank of the bit. The working portion has a plurality of cutting elements. The drill bit assembly also has a central axis eccentric to its axis of rotation. A jack element protrudes from... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070221417 - Jack element in communication with an electric motor and or generator: A drill bit has a body intermediate a shank and a working face and has an axis of rotation. The working face has at least one cutting element and the body has at least a portion of a jack assembly. The jack assembly has at least a portion of a... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20070215383 - Hydraulic pile cap removal: A pile cage (2) has a reinforcement structure (4) having a first part (8) adapted to remain in a pile, the first part terminating at a predefined cut-off level (20), and a second part (10) that is protected in order to debond it from concrete cast around it. A split-wailed... Agent: Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP (formerly Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham)

20070215384 - Drilling apparatus and method: A method of increasing efficiency of a drilling tool comprising operating a drill bit at the end of a drilling pipe while monitoring vibrations at the drill bit face at the surface and varying the operating drilling conditions to decrease wear on the drill bit. A drilling apparatus comprising a... Agent: Hedman & Costigan P.C.

20070215385 - Method to determine the concentration of deuterium oxide in a subterranean formation: A method of determining the invasion of a water-based drilling fluid into a formation comprising using at least two tracers, of which one is deuterium oxide and the other is another water-soluble tracer. The use of these two tracers enables the practitioner to distinguish between water from the drilling fluid... Agent: Paul S Madan Madan, Mossman & Sriram, PC

20070215386 - Drill cuttings conveyance systems and methods: Methods for processing drill cuttings including measuring moisture content of the drill cuttings; systems for doing this; methods for moving drill cuttings using conduits with spaced-apart inlets for applying positive pressure; and feeding apparatuses for loading drill cuttings into a positive pressure conduit.... Agent: Guy Mcclung

20070215387 - Solids strainer system for a hydraulic choke: The invention contemplates a strainer based upon a four-way, two-position rotary cylindrical plug valve having a hollow plug. The normal entry port for the sealing plug of the plug valve is a circular radial hole passing from the exterior of the plug into the interior cavity of the plug. The... Agent: Elizabeth R. Hall

20070215388 - Downhole apparatus for mobilising drill cuttings: Apparatus for mobilising drill cuttings in a well, comprising at least one vane (12), and two or more blades (15). The two or more blades (15) define at least one fluid conduit between adjacent blades (15). The blades (15) and the or each vane (12) are rotatable relative to one... Agent: Middleton & Reutlinger

20070215389 - Matrix drill bits with back raked cutting elements: A matrix drill bit and method of manufacturing a matrix bit having back raked cutting elements is disclosed. In one aspect, a matrix drill bit for well drilling includes a matrix bit body that has a front area in a direction of drilling and two or more diamond impregnated cutting... Agent: Baker Botts L.L.P. Patent Department

20070215390 - Novel bits and cutting structures: An insert for a drill bit which includes a diamond impregnated body, and a shearing portion disposed on said body is shown. In addition, a method for forming a drill bit that includes (a) forming a shearing portion on a diamond-impregnated insert body to form a cutting insert, (b) forming... Agent: Osha, Liang LLP / Smith

20070209837 - Ice buggy: A small, inexpensive, lightweight vehicle in the nature of a wheeled buggy is provided for movement over frozen bodies of water such as ponds and lakes, with the vehicle being powered by a gasoline engine which is alternatively used to power an ice auger.... Agent: Mccormick, Paulding & Huber LLP

20070209838 - Device for charging a drilling device and drilling apparatus: The invention relates to a device for charging a drilling device of an earth or rock drilling apparatus with a double rod. The device has a rotatable revolver magazine, which is designed with double receiving spaces for receiving two tube parts that are inserted into one another.... Agent: Hoffman Warnick & D'alessandro, LLC

20070209839 - System and method for reducing wear in drill pipe sections: A system and method is provided for protecting the exterior surface of drill pipe bodies from abrasion and wear during drilling operations alternatively using a hardbanded pipe collar inserted into a drill pipe body; a hardbanded pipe sleeve slid over a section of the drill pipe body; or a hardbanded... Agent: Richard D. Fladung Strasburger & Price, LLP

20070209840 - Method and apparatus for forming square holes for posts: A tool for expanding a hole having a vertical axis in the earth has at least one set of two opposed compactor units constrained to separate and retract in a direction at a right angle to the axis of the hole, and a drive mechanism coupled to the set of... Agent: Central Coast Patent Agency, Inc

20070209841 - Stripper rubber on a steel core with an integral sealing gasket: An elongated stripper rubber having a converging internal passage extending to a neck portion elastically expanded to snugly receive a drill string. The elongated stripper rubber is adhered to a steel core having a truncated conical load bearing surface containing an annular gasket cavity containing a truncated conical gasket. The... Agent: Clifford A. Poff

20070209842 - Hard material bit: A hard material bit for a drilling head (2) includes at least two cutting edges (4a, 4b) over a bit length (L) in a direction transverse to a bit drilling axis (A), with one of the at least two cutting edges (4a) being located adjacent to a first side surface... Agent: Abelman, Frayne & Schwab

20070205022 - Automated steerable hole enlargement drilling device and methods: A bottomhole assembly (BHA) coupled to a drill string includes a steering device, one or more controllers, and a hole enlargement device that selectively enlarges the diameter of the wellbore formed by the drill bit. In an automated drilling mode, the controller controls drilling directing by issuing instructions to the... Agent: Madan, Mossman & Sriram, P.C.

20070205020 - Formation dip geo-steering method: A method of drilling a well. The method includes calculating an estimated formation dip angle, wherein said estimated formation dip angle being based on offset well data, seismic data, core data, pressure data. Next, the method includes drilling a well with a logging while drilling means so that real time... Agent: Perret Doise A Professional Law Corporation

20070205021 - Method and apparatus for downhole sampling: An embodiment includes an apparatus that includes a sample carrier adapted to receive a sample and return it to the surface. An embodiment includes a formation tester adapted to load the sample carrier. An embodiment includes a retriever to remove the carrier from the drilling mud. The retriever also includes... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, P.A.

20070205023 - Fixed cutter drill bit for abrasive applications: The invention provides a fixed cutter drill bit for drilling through unconsolidated, highly abrasive formations. The bit includes a bit body having a cutting face and a side portion. The bit body comprising carbide matrix material. A plurality of blades azimuthally spaced about the cutting face and a plurality of... Agent: Smith International Inc.

20070205024 - Steerable fixed cutter drill bit: A fixed cutter drill bit includes a plurality of gage pads, where certain of the gage pads have an active cutting region adjacent to the end of the gage pad adjacent to the bit face, and a passive region at the end of the gage pad adjacent to the pin-end... Agent: Conley Rose, P.C. David A. Rose