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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8061447 | Variable linkage assisted gripper A gripper mechanism for downhole tool is disclosed that includes a linkage mechanism and a flexible toe disposed over the linkage mechanism. In operation, an axial force generated by a power section of the gripper expands the linkage mechanism, which applies a radia... | 11/22/2011 |
| 7954563 | Roller link toggle gripper and downhole tractor An expandable gripper assembly may be configured for anchoring a tool in a passage. The expandable gripper assembly includes first, second, and third pivotally connected links that are coupled to a tool. The third link is adapted to engage an inner wall in the passa... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7954562 | Expandable ramp gripper A gripper for use in a downhole tool is provided. The gripper can include an actuator, an engagement assembly, and an expandable assembly. The engagement assembly can comprise a leaf-spring like elongate continuous beam. The expandable assembly can comprise a linkag... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7748476 | Variable linkage assisted gripper A gripper mechanism for downhole tool is disclosed that includes a linkage mechanism and a flexible toe disposed over the linkage mechanism. In operation, an axial force generated by a power section of the gripper expands the linkage mechanism, which applies a radia... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7607497 | Roller link toggle gripper and downhole tractor An expandable gripper assembly may be configured for anchoring a tool in a passage. The expandable gripper assembly includes first, second, and third pivotally connected links that are coupled to a tool. The third link is adapted to engage an inner wall in the passa... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7401665 | Apparatus and method for drilling a branch borehole from an oil well A wireline drill train is used to drill an elongated, small diameter, lateral branch borehole from near the base of a main well. The drill train, includes a drill module, a first self-propelled thrust module coupled to the drill module, and a second self-propelled t... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7392859 | Roller link toggle gripper and downhole tractor An expandable gripper assembly may be configured for anchoring a tool in a passage. The expandable gripper assembly includes first, second, and third pivotally connected links that are coupled to a tool. The third link is adapted to engage an inner wall in the passa... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7360595 | Method and system for underground treatment of materials A method for underground treatment of subsurface materials comprises providing an injection pattern and a recovery pattern, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and ... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7353890 | Down-the-hole hammer and components for a down-the-hole hammer, and a method of assembling a down-the-hole hammer A down-the-hole hammer includes a casing and a piston movable in the casing between a lowermost operating position and an uppermost operating position. A recess is provided between the piston and the casing so that the piston and the casing define an intermediate ch... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7343982 | 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 ... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7337858 | 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 port... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7306058 | Anti-rotation device for a steerable rotary drilling device In a drilling apparatus of the type comprising a rotatable drilling shaft and a housing for rotatably supporting a length of the drilling shaft for rotation therein, a rotation restraining device associated with the housing for restraining rotation of the housing. I... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7293615 | Earth boring system An earth boring apparatus for sinking shafts and removing shaft material from the shaft, the apparatus having at least two decks; hydraulic means for allowing movement of the decks relative to one another; releasable anchoring means associated with the decks for eng... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7287604 | Steerable bit assembly and methods A drilling system includes a steerable bottomhole assembly (BHA) having a steering unit and a control unit that provide dynamic control of drill bit orientation or tilt. Exemplary steering units can adjust bit orientation at a rate that approaches or exceeds the rot... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7287605 | Steerable drilling apparatus having a differential displacement side-force exerting mechanism An apparatus for steerable rotary drilling of a borehole having a wall in the earth comprising a mandrel having a central opening there through for the passage of drilling fluids. The mandrel having a lower connection for operatively connecting to a drill bit struct... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7275593 | Gripper assembly for downhole tools A gripper assembly for anchoring a tool within a downhole passage and for possibly assisting movement of the tool within the passage. The gripper assembly includes an elongated mandrel and flexible toes that can be radially displaced to grip onto the surface of the ... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7273108 | Apparatus to allow a coiled tubing tractor to traverse a horizontal wellbore Apparatus and methods are provided for removing sand and/or other fill material located in a wellbore ahead of a coiled tubing tractor and displacing the material behind the tractor. More particularly, the apparatus and methods of the present invention allow a coile... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7273109 | Puller-thruster downhole tool A method and apparatus for propelling a tool having a body within a passage. The tool includes a gripper including at least a gripper portion which can assume a first position that engages an inner surface of the passage and limits relative movement of the gripper p... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7246754 | Secure currency A secure document comprises a pliable fabric comprising human-readable information. The secure document further comprises a memory attached to the pliable fabric in which machine-readable information about the secure document is stored. The secure document further c... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7213644 | Cavity positioning tool and method In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method is provided for preventing formation of sludge in a subsurface cavity having particulate laden fluid disposed therein. The method includes positioning a downhole device having a fluid agitator into ... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7207395 | Method and system for testing a partially formed hydrocarbon well for evaluation and well planning refinement A method and system for testing a partially formed well includes forming a first well bore intersecting a subterranean formation. The first well bore includes a portion of a planned well having a first configuration. A production characteristic of the subterranean f... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7207390 | Method and system for lining multilateral wells In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method for lining a lateral wellbore includes drilling a main wellbore extending from a surface to a subterranean zone, casing the main wellbore with a main casing having a plurality of lateral wellbore w... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7201312 | Device to invalidate banknotes in a unit equipped for the storage thereof A device is disclosed to invalidate banknotes in a unit equipped for the storage thereof, comprising an ignition unit (15) placed in the equipped unit (3) in a position adjacent to the banknotes (4) and suitable to generate a flame producing on ... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7191829 | Gripper assembly for downhole tools A gripper assembly for anchoring a tool within a downhole passage and for possibly assisting movement of the tool within the passage. The gripper assembly includes an elongated mandrel and flexible toes that can be radially displaced to grip onto the surface of the ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7182157 | Enlarging well bores having tubing therein An underreamer for forming a cavity within a well bore includes a fluid motor having a first body and a second body arranged about a longitudinal axis. The first body is adapted to rotate about the longitudinal axis in relation to the second body when fluid is passe... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7172026 | Apparatus to allow a coiled tubing tractor to traverse a horizontal wellbore Apparatus and methods for removing sand and/or other fill material located in a wellbore ahead of a coiled tubing tractor and displacing the material behind the tractor. More particularly, the apparatus and methods allow a coiled tubing tractor to drive forward in a... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7163063 | Method and system for extraction of resources from a subterranean well bore A method for stimulating production of resources from a coal seam includes forming a drainage well bore in the coal bed that has a first end coupled to a ground surface and a second end in the coal seam. The method further includes inserting a liner into the well bo... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7156181 | Puller-thruster downhole tool A method and apparatus for propelling a tool having a body within a passage. The tool includes a gripper including at least a gripper portion which can assume a first position that engages an inner surface of the passage and limits relative movement of the gripper p... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7143843 | Traction control for downhole tractor Apparatus, system and methods useful for controlling the traction of a downhole tractor in a borehole include the capability of repeatedly adjusting the normal force applied to at least one component that causes movement of the tractor in the borehole. ... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7134512 | Method of downhole drilling and apparatus therefor A downhole drilling apparatus suspended by tubing includes a drill bit driven by an electric motor powered by a cable means. The motor is mounted upon a hollow shaft which allows fluid to pass through, so that a fluid circuit along the tube and back along the annulu... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7121364 | 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 ... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7100687 | Multi-purpose well bores and method for accessing a subterranean zone from the surface A well system includes at least two well bores extending from a surface to a subterranean zone. Each of the two well bores is used to form a well bore pattern for the subterranean zone that intersects the other well bore and transports fluid from the subterranean zo... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7090037 | Device for anchoring a drill string in a borehole A device for anchoring a drill string in a borehole an anchoring member connected to the drill string, the anchoring member being movable between a retracted position in which the anchoring member is retracted from the borehole wall, and, an extended position in whi... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7080701 | Electrically sequenced tractor A downhole drilling tractor for moving within a borehole comprises a tractor body, two packerfeet, two aft propulsion cylinders, and two forward propulsion cylinders. The body comprises aft and forward shafts and a central control assembly. The packerfeet and propul... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7073595 | Method and system for controlling pressure in a dual well system A method for controlling pressure of a dual well system includes drilling a substantially vertical well bore from a surface to a subterranean zone and drilling an articulated well bore from the surface to the subterranean zone using a drill string. The articulated w... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7059417 | Puller-thruster downhole tool A method and apparatus for propelling a tool having a body within a passage. The tool includes a gripper including at least a gripper portion which can assume a first position that engages an inner surface of the passage and limits relative movement of the gripper p... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7055625 | Self-propelled instrumented deep drilling system An autonomous subsurface drilling device has spaced-apart forward and rearward “feet” sections coupled to an axial thruster mechanism between them to operate using an inchworm method of mobility. In one embodiment, forward and rearward drill sections are carried... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7048049 | Slant entry well system and method A system for accessing a subterranean zone from the surface includes an entry well bore extending down from the surface. A plurality of slanted well bores extend from the entry well bore to the subterranean zone. Drainage patterns extend from the slanted well bores ... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7048047 | Gripper assembly for downhole tools A gripper assembly for anchoring a tractor within a downhole passage and for assisting movement of the tractor within the passage. The gripper assembly includes an elongated mandrel and flexible toes that can be radially displaced to grip onto the surface of the pas... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7036584 | Method and system for accessing a subterranean zone from a limited surface area A method and system for accessing subterranean resources from a limited surface area includes a first well bore extending from the surface to the target zone. The first well bore includes an angled portion disposed between the target zone and the surface to provide ... | 05/02/2006 |
