The present invention provides a closed-loop drilling system for drilling oilfield boreholes. The system includes a drilling assembly with a drill bit, a plurality of sensors for providing signals relating to parameters relating to the driling assembly, borehole, and formations around the drilling assembly. Processors in the drilling system process sensors signal and compute drilling parameters based on models and programmed instructions provided to the drilling system that will yield further drilling at enhanced drilling rates and with extended drilling assembly life. The drilling system then automatically adjusts the drilling parameters for continued drilling. The system continually or periodically repeats this process during the drilling operations. The drilling system also provides severity of certain dysfunctions to the operator and a means for simulating the drilling assembly behavior prior to effecting changes in the drilling parameters.

Closed loop drilling system

The present invention is directed to an improved method and apparatus for monitoring and recording of operating conditions of a downhole drill bit during drilling operations. The invention may be alternatively characterized as either (1) an improved downhole drill bit, or (2) a method of monitoring at least one operating condition of a downhole drill bit during drilling operations in a wellbore, or (3) a method of manufacturing an improved downhole drill bit. When characterized as an improved downhole drill bit, the present invention includes (1) an assembly including at least one bit body, (2) a coupling member formed at an upper portion of the assembly, (3) at least one operating conditioning sensor carried by the improved downhole drill bit for monitoring at least one operating condition during drilling operations, and (4) at least one memory means, located in and carried by the drill bit body, for recording in memory data pertaining to the at least one operating condition. Optionally, the improved downhole drill bit of the present invention may cooperate with a communication system for communicating information away from the improved downhole drill bit during drilling operations, preferably ultimately to a surface location. The improved downhole drill bit of the present invention may further include a processor member, which is located in and carried by the drill bit body, for performing at least one predefined analysis of the data pertaining to the at least one operating condition, which has been recorded by the at least one memory means.

Method and apparatus for monitoring and recording of the operating condition of a downhole drill bit during drilling operations

A battery powered computer system monitors the address bus to determine when selected peripheral devices have not been accessed for a preset amount of time. When the preset amount of time has passed the system powers itself down and stops the system clock, placing it in a standby mode. The system is awakened by depressing a standby switch, unless there is insufficient energy in the batteries, under which circumstances an AC power source must be connected before the system can be awakened.

Apparatus for reducing computer system power consumption

Provided are methods for making a device or device component by providing a multilayer structure having a plurality of functional layers and a plurality of release layers and releasing the functional layers from the multilayer structure by separating one or more of the release layers to generate a plurality of transferable structures. The transferable structures are printed onto a device substrate or device component supported by a device substrate. The methods and systems provide means for making high-quality and low-cost photovoltaic devices, transferable semiconductor structures, (opto-)electronic devices and device components.

Release Strategies for Making Transferable Semiconductor Structures, Devices and Device Components

A petroleum well has an electronic module and a number of sensors which communicate with the surface using the tubing string and casing as conductors. Induction chokes at the surface and downhole electrically impede AC flow through the (tubing or casing if so configured) with the resulting voltage potential useful for power and communication. A high bandwidth, adaptable spread spectrum communications system is used to communicate between the downhole electronics module and a surface master spread spectrum modem. Downhole sensors, such as pressure, temperature, acoustic and seismic sensors accurately assess downhole physical conditions. In a preferred form, the electronics module and sensors are wireline insertable and retrievable into a side pocket mandrel in the tubing string. Permanent downhole sensors that can communicate with the surface allow such diverse applications as optimizing well and field performances, monitoring and assessing the geophysics of the fomrations around the well, assessing well and reservoir reserves, assessing reservoir conditions.

Petroleum well having downhole sensors, communication and power

A self-contained downhole apparatus for being lowered into an oil or gas well to internally record samples of at least one environmental condition comprises three body sections linearly and releasably interconnected. One of the body sections is a selected one of a plurality of transducer housing sections. The selected transducer housing section is mechanically and electrically connected to a second body section containing microcomputer-operated signal processing circuitry. The third body section contains a power supply.

Self-contained downhole gauge system

A power-conserving apparatus for recording information in a well bore includes a plurality of independently energizable electrical circuits for receiving electrical signals from a transducer which senses an environmental condition, for processing the electrical signals, and for storing information related to the detected environmental condition. A power control circuit is provided for continuously providing electrical power to at least one of the electrical circuits and for independently switchably providing electrical power to selectable ones of at least two others of the separately energizable circuits.

Power-conserving self-contained downhole gauge system

The method for controlling the rate at which a downhole logging tool samples and records a detected condition obtains three samples of the condition at three consecutive sample times and computes a prediction value for the n-th sample from the first three samples. The method compares the actual n-th sample with the predicted value and records the (n- 1)-th sample if the variance between the predicted and actual values is outside a predetermined threshold or difference. The sample rate is changed if the actual values of the samples remain within the predicted value's preselected range for more than a preselected number of samples. The sample rate interval is also increased if the battery life or memory capacity decrease below predetermined thresholds. The sample rate interval is decreased to its shortest interval if a pressure change above a predetermined threshold is detected.

Method of sampling environmental conditions with a self-contained downhole gauge system

A physical condition in a well bore is sampled and information taken from the sample is recorded by a method of conserving electrical energy in performing such sampling and recording. The method sequentially energizes and de-energizes a plurality of different electrical circuits within the downhole apparatus with which the physical condition is detected and in which the information is recorded. The method determines when the next sample is to be taken and, depending upon how much time remains until the next sample, de-energizes the apparatus to conserve energy.

Method of sampling and recording information pertaining to a physical condition detected in a well bore

A method of testing a magnetic core memory includes writing a test bit to each storage location addressed by each X-drive/X-sink transistor pair and each Y-drive/Y-sink transistor pair to determine which transistor or transistors of each pair is or are inoperable. Once this determination is made, a memory status map is created designating the inoperable transistors. Thereafter, the map contents are converted into an address field for matching against a selected memory address. If the selected memory address calls for an inoperable transistor, as indicated by a comparison with the address field, this is detected and the address changed until only operable transistors are accessed.

Richard L. Duncan

Papers

Self-contained downhole gauge system

Power-conserving self-contained downhole gauge system

Method of sampling environmental conditions with a self-contained downhole gauge system

Method of sampling and recording information pertaining to a physical condition detected in a well bore

Method of testing and addressing a magnetic core memory