A system for accessing a subterranean zone from the surface includes a first, second and third entry well bore extending from the surface, the first, second and third entry well bores (15) located on the same drilling pad (92) at the surface. A slanted well bore (20) extends from each of the entry well bores to the subterranean zone (22). A substantially horizontal drainage pattern extends from the slanted well bores into the subterranean zone.

System and method for subterranean access

Improved method and system for accessing subterranean deposits from the surface that substantially eliminates or reduces the disadvantages and problems associated with previous systems and methods. In particular, the present invention provides an articulated well with a drainage pattern that intersects a horizontal cavity well. The drainage patterns provide access to a large subterranean area from the surface while the vertical cavity well allows entrained water, hydrocarbons, and other deposits to be efficiently removed and/or produced.

Method and system for accessing subterranean deposits from the surface

A computer-implemented method of providing an interface between a user and a processing unit, the method comprising : presenting one or more stimuli to a user, each stimulus varying at a respective stimulation frequency, each stimulation frequency being associated with a respective user-selectable input; receiving at least one signal indicative of brain activity of the user; and determining, from the received signal, which of the one or more stimuli the user attends to and selecting the user-selectable input associated with the stimulation frequency of the determined stimuli as being a user-selected input.

Brain-computer interface

According to one embodiment, a system for accessing a subterranean zone from the surface includes a well bore extending from the surface to the subterranean zone, and a well bore pattern connected to the junction and operable to drain fluid from a region of the subterranean zone to the junction.

Method and system for accessing subterranean deposits from the surface and tools therefor

A method and system for accessing subterranean zones from the surface includes a substantially vertical well bore extending from the surface to a target zone, and an articulated well bore extending from the substantially vertical well bore to the target zone. The articulated well bore diverges from the substantially vertical well bore between the surface and the target zone. The system also includes a well bore pattern extending from the articulated well bore in the target zone operable to collect resources from the target zone. The system also includes a subsurface channel operable to communicate resources from the well bore pattern to the substantially vertical well bore. The system further includes a vertical pump disposed in the substantially vertical well bore and operable to lift resources collected in the substantially vertical well bore to the surface.

Method and system for accessing subterranean zones from a limited surface area

A muldem (100) has a monitor (101) for testing data path failures and standby data protective switching means (108, 109) providing alternate standby data paths in the event of a malfunction. The system accepts a maximum of fifty-six standard low speed T1 lines (1.544 Mb/s), fourteen standard intermediate speedT2 lines (6.312 Mb/s), or any combination of T1 and T2 lines to generate two standard high speed T3 lines (44.736 Mb/s). The structure allows for partial equipping of low and intermediate speed circuits by accepting any number of circuits up to the maximum capacity of the high speed circuits. The system provides automated adjustment for expansion and contraction of the system while in operation. Individual T1 and T2 signal paths may be added or removed with no disturbance to any other path. The monitor automatically adjusts to test data paths through added T1 or T2 circuits and to ignore data paths through removed T1 or T2 circuits.

Muldem automatically adjusting to system expansion and contraction

A muldem (100) includes a transmit multiplexer section (103, 104) combining a variety of low speed and intermediate speed digital data inputs into a single high speed data output. A monitor (101) is provided for testing data path failures through the muldem (100) by comparing the latter's input and output. The monitor (101) includes comparing means (806, FIGS. 13a and b) which accepts both low and intermediate speed data from the inputs for comparison against the high speed data from the output.

Muldem with monitor comparing means which accepts different data rates

A muldem (100) has a monitor (101) for testing data path failures and standby data protective switching means (108, 109) providing an alternate data path in the event of a malfunction. The system accepts up to fifty-six standard low speed T1 LS lines (1.544 Mb/s), up to fourteen standard intermediate speed T2 lines (6.312 Mb/s), or any combination of T1 and T2 lines to generate to standard HS lines (44.736 Mb/s). The T1 circuitry is replaceably interchangeable with the T2 circuitry.

Protected muldem with interchangeable circuits of different data rates

A muldem (100) has a monitor (101) for testing data path failures through the muldem (100) by comparing the latter's input and output. The muldem (100) has normally on-line data paths (103, 104) therethrough, and includes normally off-line standby data protective switching means (108, 109) providing alternate data paths. The monitor (101) tests on-line and off-line data paths before and after protective switching to the standby alternate data path, to guard against silent failures and to prevent switching to an inoperative path. In an auto-revert mode, a latched display continues to display an alarm, after the malfunction is corrected and the muldem has switched from standby to main.

Muldem with monitor testing on-line and off-line paths

A muldem (100) has a monitor (101) which automatically sequentially tests data paths through the muldem for detection of malfunctions in the muldem. Standby data path protective switching means (108, 109) provides alternate data paths through the muldem in the event of a malfunction. The monitor may be manually overridden and locked to a specified data path for continued analysis of such path. Additionally, a selected path may be manually locked out from switching to standby. The monitor automatically checks before switching any data path to standby, to prevent a selected path from being switched, while permitting automatic protective switching of the other data paths.

Ned E. Abbott

Papers

Muldem automatically adjusting to system expansion and contraction

Muldem with monitor comparing means which accepts different data rates

Protected muldem with interchangeable circuits of different data rates

Muldem with monitor testing on-line and off-line paths

Muldem with improved monitoring and control system