Boring or penetrating the earth inventions 01/08

20080023226 - Bore hole reaming apparatus and method: A bore hole reaming apparatus which is characterized by one or more cleaning devices such as bursting heads attached to a pull rod and typically having one or more mandrels attached thereto in tandem for pulling a length of pipe through a pre-bored opening using a pulling apparatus. In a... Agent: John M. Harrison

20080023227 - Coiled tubing and drilling system: A technique facilitates combined drilling and coiled tubing operations from a single bed of a rig. A mast is mounted to the bed, and a coiled tubing injector is connected to the mast. The coiled tubing injector is able to move coiled tubing into and out of a wellbore. A... Agent: Schlumberger Technology Corporation David Cate

20080023228 - Geothermal heat loop installation: Methods and apparatuses associated with a rotary driven well drilling rig. One method includes providing a rig having: an erectable mast; a head drive unit for rotatably driving drill pipes into a surface; a pumping unit to deliver a fluid through a drill pipe secured to the head drive, the... Agent: Brooks, Cameron & Huebsch , PLLC

20080023229 - Tri stable actuator apparatus and method: An actuator to direct a downhole drilling tool includes a stator and an armature configured to be electromagnetically displaced into one of three stable positions. A cavity within the stator is in communication with a high-pressure fluid and hydraulic ports in the stator allow the high-pressure fluid to communicate with... Agent: Schlumberger Oilfield Services

20080023225 - Wear indication apparatus and method: Apparatus and method for monitoring the wear of a downhole tool, and providing indication of the degree of wear to an operator at the well surface. Rotating torque can exhibit a drop when wear of the cutting element matrix progresses to wear pads within the matrix. Other wear indicators can... Agent: Gerald W. Spinks

20080023230 - Polycrystalline superabrasive composite tools and methods of forming the same: A polycrystalline superabrasive composite tool can be produced using high pressure high temperature processes allowing for increased thermal resistance, wear resistance and toughness of abrasive tools, and additionally allowing for increased effective thickness of abrasive tools. A polycrystalline superabrasive compact can include a support substrate and a superabrasive polycrystalline layer... Agent: Thorpe North & Western, LLP.

20080023231 - Superabrasive element comprising ultra-dispersed diamond grain structures, structures utilizing same, and methods of manufacture: Superabrasive elements, methods of fabricating such elements, and applications utilizing such elements. In one embodiment, a superabrasive element includes a mass of polycrystalline diamond including ultra-dispersed diamond grain structures present in an amount greater than zero weight percent and less than about 75 weight percent of the mass of polycrystalline... Agent: Graybeal Jackson Haley LLP/us Synthetic Corp.

20080017416 - Method of drilling from a shaft for underground recovery of hydrocarbons: The present invention discloses a selection process for installing underground workspace in or near a hydrocarbon deposit that is an appropriate workspace from which to drill, operate and service wells applicable to any of a number of methods of recovering hydrocarbons. The present invention includes a number of innovative methods... Agent: Sheridan Ross PC

20080017417 - Impact excavation system and method with suspension flow control: A system and method for excavating a subterranean formation is described.... Agent: King & Spalding, LLP

20080017418 - Boring system and method therefor: A boring system and method for same, relating to the boring system and method therefor, in particular to the boring system and method therefor for forming boring holes on the ground, which includes a bit unit for boring the ground, a connecting rod connected with a driving device for transmitting... Agent: Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen

20080017419 - Cutting element apparatuses, drill bits including same, methods of cutting, and methods of rotating a cutting element: A subterranean drilling system may include a drill string and a rotary drill bit coupled to the drill string. The rotary drill bit may include a bit body and a cutting element coupled to the bit body, with the cutting element being structured to rotate in response to torque applied... Agent: Holland & Hart LLP

20080017420 - Sub drilling sub: A telescoping sub (50) for mining operations and the like. The telescoping sub (50) includes a rotor (94) portion couplable to the rotary head of a drilling rig, and a stator (74) portion that is couplable to a drill rod. The rotor (94) portion is slideably coupled to the stator... Agent: Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

20080017421 - Diamond impregnated bits using a novel cutting structure: An insert for a drill bit that includes a plurality of encapsulated particles dispersed in a first matrix material, where the encapsulated particles include a coarse particle encapsulated within a shell, and wherein the shell comprises abrasive particles dispersed in a second matrix material is disclosed.... Agent: Osha, Liang LLP / Smith

20080011516 - Method for casing drilling, drilling unit and adapter device: A method for casing drilling, a drilling unit and an adapter device. The adapter device to be used in extension drill equipment drilling comprises an inner piece which can be rotated by the rotation device of the rock drilling machine. Around the inner piece, there is an outer piece which... Agent: Drinker Biddle & Reath (dc)

20080011517 - Entrainment fluid channeling device for a down-hole drill string: A fluid channeling device (10) is for a down-hole drill assembly (1) having a central axis (1c) and advanceable into a hole in a downward direction (D) along the axis (1c). The assembly (1) includes a drill member (2) with an inner surface (2a) bounding a central bore (2b) and... Agent: Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

20080011518 - Excluder ring for earth-boring bit: An elastomeric seal ring is located between each bearing pin and each cone of an earth-boring bit. An excluder ring or band is imbedded within the inner diameter of the seal ring. A portion of the inner diameter of the seal ring as well as the excluder ring are in... Agent: James E. Bradley Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

20080011519 - Cemented tungsten carbide rock bit cone: An earth-boring bit has a steel body and bearing pin for rotatably supporting a cone. The cone has an exterior surface containing rows of cutting elements. The cone and cutting elements are formed of cemented tungsten carbide. The cone may be manufactured by applying pressure to a mixture of hard... Agent: James E. Bradley

20080011520 - Nozzle assembly for horizontal drilling operations: An improved water nozzle (100, 200) for use in a horizontal drill string (14) to prevent clogging of the string when water flow is stopped so a new section of drill rod (12) can be added to the string. The nozzle includes a tapered passage (116, 216) in which a... Agent: Polster, Lieder, Woodruff & Lucchesi

20080011521 - Retaining element for a jack element: A drill bit having a bit body intermediate a shank and a working face having at least one cutting insert. A bore is formed in the working face co-axial within an axis of rotation of the drill bit. A jack element is retained within the bore by a retaining element... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20080011522 - Retaining element for a jack element: A drill bit having a bit body intermediate a shank and a working face having at least one cutting insert. A bore is formed in the working face co-axial within an axis of rotation of the drill bit. A jack element is retained within the bore by a retaining element... Agent: Tyson J. Wilde Novatek International, Inc.

20080006445 - Method and apparatus for movement of drilling equipment between adjacent locations: An apparatus and method for the movement of drilling equipment between topographically adjacent drilling locations comprises positioning a transportable planar surface over the adjacent drilling locations between which it is desired to move the equipment. Ports or other access areas extending through the planar surface to the drilling locations below... Agent: Stites & Harbison, PLLC

20080006446 - Cutters for downhole cutting devices: Improved cutter design as well as an improved design for downhole cutters, such as mandrel cutters and rotary cutter mills. A cutter is described with a rectangular, rounded “lozenge” shape. The cutter presents a cross-sectional cutting area having a pair of curvilinear end sections and an elongated central section. Preferably,... Agent: Shawn Hunter

20080006447 - Roller cone drill bit that includes components with planar reference surfaces for gauging and inspection: The present invention is generally directed to a roller cone drill bit that includes planar reference surfaces for gauging and inspection In one illustrative embodiment, a method of manufacturing a drill bit is disclosed which includes forming a planar reference surface in a ball race of a component of the... Agent: Jeffrey E. Daly Grant Prideco, L.p.

20080006448 - Modified cutters: A modified cutting element that includes a base portion, an ultrahard layer disposed on said base portion, and at least one modified region disposed adjacent to a cutting face of the cutter is described. In certain applications, the ultrahard layer comprises thermally stable polycrystalline diamond.... Agent: Smith International Inc.