Title:
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING APPARATUS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2000/047860
Kind Code:
A2
Abstract:
In a directional drilling apparatus in which a sensor/transmitter or sonde is located in one section of a drill string and an element of an adjacent section is configured to 'steer' the bore drilled in a predetermined lateral direction, means is provided for automatically ensuring correct registry or alignment of the sensor/transmitter and the steerable element, this means comprising an azimuth member on the section carrying the sensor/transmitter engageable with a reference member of the adjoining section to present, after such engagement, relative rotation of the azimuth member, which is rotatable in the section carrying it, with the sensor/transmitter, but non-rotatably connected with the sonde. The reference member or the azimuth member is resiliently displaceable axially to allow the two sections to be screwed up together.
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Inventors:
FALVEY ALISTAIR MICHAEL (GB)
GARTSIDE JOHN WILLOUGHBY (GB)
GARTSIDE JOHN WILLOUGHBY (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB2000/000452
Publication Date:
August 17, 2000
Filing Date:
February 11, 2000
Export Citation:
Assignee:
HALCO DRILLING INTERNATIONAL L (GB)
FALVEY ALISTAIR MICHAEL (GB)
GARTSIDE JOHN WILLOUGHBY (GB)
FALVEY ALISTAIR MICHAEL (GB)
GARTSIDE JOHN WILLOUGHBY (GB)
International Classes:
E21B7/04; E21B7/08; E21B10/36; E21B17/02; E21B17/046; (IPC1-7): E21B/
Domestic Patent References:
| WO1997049889A1 | 1997-12-31 |
Foreign References:
| EP0851090A1 | 1998-07-01 | |||
| US4862976A | 1989-09-05 | |||
| US4924948A | 1990-05-15 | |||
| US3955635A | 1976-05-11 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Howden, Christopher A. (Forrester Ketley & Co. Forrester House 52
Bounds Green Road London N11 2EY, GB)
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Claims:
CLAIMS
| 1. | In drilling apparatus comprising a series of elongate sections releasably interconnected end to end by interengaging screw threads, orienting means for ensuring that a first component carried by a first said section adopts a predetermined orientation with respect to a second component carried by, or forming part of, an adjoining second said section when the first and second section are screwed together, wherein said first component is rotatable with respect to said first section and wherein the first section carries a member, herein referred to for convenience as an azimuth member, which is rotatable with respect to said first section but is nonrotatable with respect to said first component, and wherein the second section carries a reference member which is fixed against rotation relative to said second component and is engageable with said azimuth member in a predetermined angular orientation relative to the azimuth member as said first and second sections are screwed together end to end, and wherein, when so engaged relative rotation about the axis of said sections, between said azimuth member and said reference member is precluded by such engagement, and wherein one of said azimuth member and said reference member is resiliently displaceable away from the other as said first and second section are screwed together, whereby during an initial phase of screwing said first and second sections together the resiliently displaced member can be displaced axially, to counteract the progressive approach of said first and second sections, as the latter are screwed together, whilst rotating relative to the other said member, until said predetermined angular orientation of the reference member with respect to the azimuth member is reached, allowing the azimuth member and reference member to engage and thereby prevent further relative rotation between the two, whereby the azimuth member, and said first member coupled thereto, will maintain said predetermined orientation relative to said second component despite further rotational movement between said first and second section during completion of the screwing together of said first and second sections. |
| 2. | A drilling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said azimuth member is subject to frictional resistance to such rotation with respect to said first member. |
| 3. | A drilling apparatus according to claim 2 wherein one of said azimuth member and said reference member has a spigot capable of fitting freely within a complementary socket carried by the other of said members, said spigot and socket being coaxial with the screw connections between said sections, and said spigot or said socket has a lateral projection adapted to slide longitudinally into a longitudinal groove in said socket or said spigot respectively. |
| 4. | Drilling apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said first component is a sonde and said first section is a sonde section housing said sonde, and wherein said second component is a directional drilling device, the sonde being mounted in the sonde section for sensing its own orientation relative to the vertical or some other external reference and transmitting corresponding data to a receiver spaced from the drill string, and wherein said orienting means is provided for establishing a predetermined angular relationship between the directional drilling device and the sonde. |
| 5. | Drilling apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the sonde is mounted in the drill string lia a resilient suspension arrangement to isolate the sonde from mechanical shocks. |
| 6. | Drilling apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said suspension arrangement includes fluid or friction damping means. |
| 7. | Drilling apparatus including a drill string terminating in a drill chuck and a drill bit detachably fitted in the drill chuck, the drill bit having a shank received in the drill chuck, the drill bit shank having a first splined region adjacent a head position of the drill bit and having splines cooperating with grooves between splines of an internally splined complementary portion of said chuck wherein the drill bit has a second splined region adjacent its rear end and has a splinefree band located between said first and second splined regions, and the apparatus includes a liner, adjoining the chuck and having an internal axial passage which is splined in correspondence with the second splined region, over an axial extent less than that of said splinefree band, the axial passage in said liner having, immediately behind the splined region of the liner, a region which is free of splines and has an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the second splined region of the drill bit shank, said liner being rotatable between an angular position in which the splines thereon are in axial alignment with those in the second splined region of the chuck and an angular position in which they are out of such alignment, whereby the drill shank can be inserted in the passages of complementary cross section in the chuck and the liner, with the splines of the chuck and liner aligned with the corresponding splines of the drill bit shank, until said second splined region of the drill bit shank is within the splineless region of the liner and the end splined region of the liner is within the splinefree band of the drill bit shank, and the liner thereafter rotated so as to move its splines out of axial alignment with those of said second splined region of the drill shank, thereby preventing axial removal of the drill bit. |
| 8. | A percussion drilling bit operable when accorded only a limited range of angular movement about a longitudinal axis of the bit, and wherein the bit comprises cutting tips or inserts arranged in a series of rings or tiers concentric with said longitudinal axis, such that for a predetermined angle of rotation of the bit about said axis, the zone of action of each cutting tip or insert in each said ring or tier overlaps that of at least the adjoining cutting tips or inserts in the same ring or tier. |
| 9. | A percussion drilling bit according to claim 8 wherein in each said ring or tier, the cutting tips or inserts are displaced angularly about said axis relative to the adjoining cutting tips or inserts in the adjacent rings or tiers. |
| 10. | A percussion drilling bit according to claim 9 wherein the bit has a face region providing the operative end of the bit, and has a flank region extending rearwardly, i. e. upwardly, away from said face region and towards the remainder of the drilling apparatus, and wherein at least some of said cutting tips or inserts are provided on said flank region. |
| 11. | A bit according to claim 10 wherein said flank region is waisted and some of said cutting tips or inserts are disposed on the forwardly or downwardly facing surfaces of the groove or valley defined by the waist. |
| 12. | A bit according to claim 11 wherein the bit has a port for the discharge of a gas or liquid from the interior of the bit, said port being disposed in said waisted region so as to be radially inward of the radially outermost extent of the portions of the bit forward of, or below, said waist. |
Description:
INTERNATIONALSEARCH REPORT Inteinal Application No PCT/GB00/00452 C. (Continuation) DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No. A US 4 862 976 A (MEEK JAMES F) 7 5 September 1989 (1989-09-05) figure 4 A US 4 924 948 A (CHUANG JO-YU ET AL) 7 15 May 1990 (1990-05-15) figure 2 A US 3 955 635 A (SKIDMORE SAM C) 8 11 May 1976 (1976-05-11) column 3, line 59-column 4, line 9; figure 5 3 . rational application No. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT PCT/GB 00/00452 Box I Observations where certain claims were found unsearchable (Continuation of item 1 of first sheet) This International Search Report has not been established in respect of certain claims under Article 17 (2) (a) for the following reasons: 1.2 Claims Nos.: because they relate to subject matter not required to be searched by this Authority, namely: 2. Claims Nos.: because they relate to parts of the International Application that do not comply with the prescribed requirements to such an extent that no meaningful International Search can be carried out, specifically: 3. Claims Nos.: because they are dependent claims and are not drafted in accordance with the second and third sentences of Rule 6.4 (a). Box 11 Observations where unity of invention is lacking (Continuation of item 2 of first sheet) This International Searching Authority found multiple inventions in this international application, as follows: see additional sheet 1. y As aii required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this International Search Report covers all searchableclaims. 2. As ait searchable claims could be searched without effort justifying an additional fee, this Authority did not invite payment of any additional fee. 3. As only some of the required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this International Search Report covers only those claims for which fees were paid, specifically claims Nos.: 4. fez No required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant. Consequently, this international Search Report is restricted to the invention first mentioned in the claims; it is covered by claims Nos.: Remark on Protest O The additional search fees were accompanied by the applicanRs protest. 3 No protest accompanied the payment of additional search fees.
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTINUED FROM PCT/ISA/210 This International Searching Authority found multiple (groups of) inventions in this international application, as follows: 1. Claims: 1-6 Drilling apparatus comprising a sonde fitted in a drillstring, 2. Claim: 7 Drilling apparatus including a detachably fitted drill bit, 3. Claims: 8-12 A percussion drill bit. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT Inte onal Application No information on patent family members PCT/GB 00/00452 Patent document Publication Patent family Publication cited in search report date member (s) date EP 0851090 A 01-07-1998 JP 10008869 A 13-01-1998 AU 719282 B 04-05-2000 AU 3274197 A 07-01-1998 WO 9748875 A 24-12-1997 KR 205470 B 01-07-1999 WO 9749889 A 31-12-1997 AU 3555697 A 14-01-1998 CA 2258236 A 31-12-1997 CN 1228824 A 15-09-1999 EP 0906487 A 07-04-1999 WO 9858153 A 23-12-1998 AU 8004398 A 04-01-1999 AU 8004498 A 04-01-1999 WO 9858154 A 23-12-1998 ZA 9805216 A 07-01-1999 ZA 9805220 A 07-01-1999 WO 9805476 A 12-02-1998 AU 3613697 A 25-02-1998 US 4862976 A 05-09-1989 NONE US 4924948 A 15-05-1990 NONE US 3955635 A 11-05-1976 NONE