Abstract: A reaming tool forms a hole in the ground with a sidewall and a floor, and a deepened channel around the perimeter of the floor adjacent to sidewall. Fluid is provided during excavation to form a slurry to hold the sidewall and prevent cave-in of material into the hole. After the hole reaches a desired depth, the reaming tool is removed, and a shoring wall is inserted into the hole through the slurry and seated in the perimeter edge channel. The shoring wall includes vertical tubes for connection to a dewatering machine. Then, the slurry can be vacuumed from the hole, while the dewatering machine keeps the empty hole as dry as possible. Extending the shoring wall into the channel beyond the floor of the hole helps seal flow of water from entering the hole.

Abstract: A device for centering a sensor assembly in a bore comprises a first support and a second support axially spaced apart along a central longitudinal axis of the device, one or both of the first and second supports configured to slide axially along the central longitudinal axis, and a plurality of arm assemblies, each arm assembly pivotally connected to the first and second supports by a respective pivot joint. One or both supports comprise an adjustment mechanism configured to set a maximum outer diameter of the device.

Abstract: A cutter system for a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bit includes a body; a static blade attached to the body; a translatable blade attached to the body; and at least one PDC cutting structure attached to the translatable blade. The translatable blade is configured to be translated and maintained in a translated position. The body includes a cavity cooperatively positioned angularly away from the static blade. The translatable blade translates into the cavity. The translatable blade has a substantially retracted rest position and a substantially extended rest position. The cavity includes a restricting device within said cavity, so that said restricting device engages said translatable blade member in the substantially retracted position or the substantially extended position.

Abstract: A wiper dart can be used in an oil and gas operation. The wiper dart can have at least two different outer diameters. A first outer diameter can be less than a second outer diameter and used to wipe the insides of tool joints of a tubing string. The second outer diameter can be used to wipe the insides of pipe sections of the tubing string that have a larger inner diameter than the tool joints. The single, bi-diameter wiper cup can be used in lieu of two or more current, conical-shaped wiper cups to accomplish the same functionality. The wiper cup can include a protruding ring located circumferentially around the wiper cup at the first outer diameter. A plurality of buttons or splines can be spaced apart around the wiper cup at the second outer diameter.

Abstract: A downhole assembly includes a tubular body having a bore and a downhole tool connected to the tubular body. The downhole assembly also includes a sensor assembly having a carrier and a sensor. A sensor adapter is used to couple the sensor assembly to the tubular body. The sensor adapter includes an adapter body disposed in the bore of the tubular body; an adapter shaft for connection with the carrier; and a plurality of channels formed between the adapter shaft and the adapter body.

Abstract: As a wellbore is extended into a formation, hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressures change due to variations in drilling mud weight, fluid density, etc. Strain gauges downhole measure forces experienced by drilling equipment. During drilling, a strain gauge measures strain applied between the drill string and the formation. When off bottom, the strain gauge measures forces experienced by the drill string other than drilling forces. A pressure calculator converts off bottom strain gauge measurements into measurements of hydrostatic pressure for periods without fluid flow (i.e., when drilling motors are paused) and into measurements of hydrodynamic pressure for periods with fluid flow (i.e., when mud motors are operating). The pressure calculator correlates strain measurements (usually in voltages) to pressure based on a predetermined relationship for a given wellbore geometry (e.g., hole diameter, drill bit diameter, drill pipe diameter, etc.).

Abstract: A method and system for ranging between two bottom hole assemblies (BHA). The method and system may include transmitting an electromagnetic field from a ranging device disposed on a first BHA, and measuring the electromagnetic field with a receiver disposed on a second BHA to form a measurement set. The method and system may further include an information handling system that may compare the measurement set to a decay rate of the electromagnetic field and identifying a distance between the ranging device and the receiver based at least in part on the decay rate.

Abstract: A wiper dart can be used in an oil and gas operation. The wiper dart can have at least two different outer diameters. A first outer diameter can be less than a second outer diameter and used to wipe the insides of tool joints of a tubing string. The second outer diameter can be used to wipe the insides of pipe sections of the tubing string that have a larger inner diameter than the tool joints. The single, bi-diameter wiper cup can be used in lieu of two or more current, conical-shaped wiper cups to accomplish the same functionality. The wiper cup can be generally bell shaped and have a variety of first and second outer diameters.

Abstract: A rotary steerable system on a bottom-hole assembly, that includes a first actuator row, that includes a first steering actuator, a second steering actuator, and a third steering actuator, and a second actuator row, disposed at a radial offset from the first actuator row, that includes a fourth steering actuator.

Abstract: A flushing element, rock drilling machine and method of providing a flushing space around a shank adapter of a rock drilling machine. The flushing element surrounds the shank adapter passing through it. The flushing element has a feed opening for feeding flushing agent to the flushing space and at least two sealing housings for flushing sealings and wherein the flushing sealings are on opposite axial sides of the flushing space. Furthermore, the flushing element has split configuration whereby it is mountable and demountable in radial direction.

Abstract: Systems and methods include increasing a kill mud weight based on information from a downhole tool. A tool is deployed on a bottom hole assembly (BHA) near a surface of a well being drilled. The tool is a retrievable acoustic mud level detector configured to send and receive acoustic waves during drilling. Acoustic waves are propagated using an acoustic wave source. The acoustic waves propagate constantly through an air medium in a wellbore of the well and partially reflect waves when meeting a fluid interface in the wellbore. A signal including a reflected wave reflected from the fluid interface is received using an acoustic wave receiver. An estimate of a fluid level depth of the fluid interface is determined using the tool. A kill mud weight of mud in the wellbore is increased in response to determining the estimate and using a current mud weight of mud in the wellbore.

Abstract: An expandable, retrievable plug includes a base, a plurality of arm bars pivotably attached to the base and movable between stowed and extended configurations, and a set of expandable blades operatively coupled to and angularly interposing each pair of angularly adjacent arm bars such that, as the plurality of arm bars move to the extended configuration, each set of expandable blades transitions from a stacked state to a fanned state. An inflatable element is attached to the base and is engageable with the plurality of arm bars, and an expandable seal is mounted to the plurality of arm bars and each set of expandable blades. Selectively inflating the inflatable element transitions the plurality of arm bars from the stowed configuration to the extended configuration, which transitions each set of expandable blades from the stacked state to the fanned state, and simultaneously radially expands the expandable seal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for drilling a wellbore include delivering electrical energy to a downhole end of the wellbore. A tapered drill string, with larger drill pipes connected in an up-hole portion with a turbine and an electrical generator and a smaller drill pipes coupled in downhole portion may be used to deliver the electrical power. A turbine and generator may be sufficiently sized to harvest the necessary hydraulic energy and safely operated in a subterranean environment. A lower portion system carried by the downhole portion of the drill string is electrically coupled to the generator through the downhole portion of the drill string to utilize the electric power provided by the electrical generator.

Abstract: A drill string reaming tool for reaming a wellbore while drilling as part of the bottom hole assembly on a drill string comprises a reaming sleeve having teeth or cutters thereon. In some embodiments, the reaming sleeve rotates around the longitudinal axis of the tool unpowered. In some embodiments, the rotation of the reaming sleeve is powered by a turbine driven by mud flowing through the drill string.

Abstract: A downhole plug, has an inner mandrel and a sealing assembly carried on and surrounding an outer surface of the inner mandrel. The sealing assembly is positioned between a lower support downstream of the sealing assembly and a setting shoulder upstream of the sealing assembly. The sealing assembly is activated from a deactivated state to a sealing state by causing the setting shoulder and the lower support to apply a compressive force to the sealing assembly such that an elastomeric seal extrudes outward into sealing engagement with an inner surface of a tubular. The lower support has a series of expandable segments mounted by a frangible connection, such that, as the compressive force is applied, the expandable segments break away from the lower support and move outward into engagement with the inner surface of the tubular.

Abstract: A well system and a method for generating electricity with a wellbore drilling mud flow in a well system. The well system has a drilling rig positioned above a wellbore and a flow line turbine generator coupled to the drilling rig. The drilling rig has a wellhead assembly coupled to the wellbore, a drill string suspended from the drilling rig and extending through the wellhead assembly into the wellbore, a mud tank, and a mud pump fluidly coupled to the mud tank. The mud pump flows a drilling mud from the mud tank into the drill string. The flow line turbine generator is positioned between the wellhead assembly and the mud tank. The flow line turbine generator generates electricity using a return flow of the drilling mud from the wellbore through the wellhead assembly to the mud tank.

Abstract: Methods relate to recovering cores from downhole environments where downhole environmental parameters are measured during coring operations.

Abstract: A tunneling device includes a body assembly, an expander coupled to the body assembly and extending along a longitudinal axis, and a tip coupled to the expander. The expander is disposed between a force transmitter and the tip. The expander is expandable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between a first configuration having a first width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second configuration having a second width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The tip has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The first width of the expander is equal to or less than the width of the tip. The force transmitter is configured to deliver a force through the expander to the tip to move the tip in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis with the expander in the second configuration.

Abstract: A wellbore assembly includes a pipe body and a chamber. The pipe body resides at a terranean surface of a wellbore and is fluidly coupled to a surface inlet of the wellbore. The chamber is coupled to the pipe body and has multiple slots each configured to house a wellbore component. Each slot revolves about a central axis of the chamber to align its respective wellbore component with a bore of the pipe body. The pipe body has a fluid inlet fluidly coupled to a pump that flows fluid to the pipe body. The fluid inlet is disposed upstream of the chamber. The pipe body directs the fluid from the fluid inlet to the inlet of the wellbore to push, from a first slot, a first wellbore component that is to be deployed downhole within the wellbore.

Abstract: A magnetic ranging system for use with a drilling assembly in a borehole in a formation, the drilling assembly including a drill string, a drill bit and a bottomhole assembly (BHA) connected to the drill bit, the BHA including a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) system, a bi-directional MWD telemetry interface, and a steerable component, may comprise at least one ranging magnetometer incorporated into the BHA. The ranging magnetometer may be configured to collect ranging measurements from behind the drill bit and the ranging magnetometer may be configured to transmit measurement data. The magnetic ranging system may include at least two ranging magnetometers, with one ranging magnetometer positioned above the MWD system and one ranging magnetometer positioned below the MWD system.