A method and apparatus for drilling and completing a bore hole is disclosed. Generally, the method comprises the steps of positioning a workstring in the well, with the workstring having attached thereto a bottom hole assembly. The bottom hole assembly may contain a bit for rotary drilling a bore hole; and, a drilling motor, operably associated with the bit, for effecting rotation to said drilling means. The method further includes the steps of circulating a fluid in the workstring so that the m…

A well screen is composed of a plurality of screen units connected in series. Each of said screen units has a cylindrical connecting section at least at one end thereof and includes a plurality of support rods extending in the axial direction of the screen disposed cylindrically about a section of the screen other than the connecting section at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the screen, and a wire wound on the outer periphery of said support rods so as to form slits…

A method of mounting a hard insert in a cutting tool such as a drill bit is disclosed. The insert has a head and a shank which tapers inwardly in a direction away from the head of the insert. The cutting tool body has several seats which are shaped and tapered complementally to the insert shank. The insert is pressed or tapped into the seat so that the insert shank engages the seat in the tool in a friction fit. The insert shank may be frustoconical, or, alternatively, polygonal or irregular in …

A boat lift control system may be programmed so that with a push of a button, either remotely or adjacent the system, the lift may lift or lower a boat to a pre-programmed elevation. Plural elevations may be programmed into the system including those corresponding to, for example, low tide, high tide, a loading elevation and a storage elevation. The inventive system also includes a manual override allowing manual operation of the lift to any desired elevation. Upper and lower limit stop mechanis…

A potentially economically viable apparatus is provided for the containment and detection of underground leaking fluids by employing a wrapper, often in the form of a conduit, to enclose the underground portion of a hydraulic fluid system. An important application is the detection and containment associated with an underground elevator system using hydraulic oil.

The rotatable blowout preventer 10 comprises a stationary outer housing 12 and a rotatable inner housing 38 having a curved surface 42 thereon defining a portion of a sphere. An annular packer assembly 46 includes spherical packer elements for sliding engagement with the curved surface of the inner housing such that a packer assembly may seal against various sized tubulars. A lower rotary seal 98 between a piston 56 and the outer housing 12 is exposed to the differential between pressurized hydr…

In the process for the construction of trenches in ground containing water and/or gas wherein a trench is due in said ground, support media is introduced in said trench to support the walls formed by the treching, vapor or water conduit means are placed in the trench and the trench with this support media is back-filled with particular material to dispose and remove the support media from the trench, the improvement comprising employing as said support media a hydrated cross linked acrylic polym…

A tendon cluster array is disclosed for tethering a superstructure of a tension leg platform to an ocean floor in which a plurality of tendons are anchored to the ocean floor at their lower ends with a substantially planar, horizontally disposed tendon bracket receiving the upper ends. A tendon bracket connection pivotally secures the tendon bracket to a downwardly disposed surface of the superstructure.

A cutting element which has a metal carbide stud having a conic tip formed with a reduced diameter hemispherical outer tip end portion of said metal carbide stud. A layer of polycrystalline material, resistant to corrosive and abrasive materials, is disposed over the outer end portion of the metal carbide stud to form a cap. An alternate conic form has a flat tip face. A chisel insert has a transecting edge and opposing flat faces. It is also covered with a PDC layer.

In connection with downhole placement of proppant materials for the purpose of enhancing oil recovery through a subsurface fracture-stimulation treatment, phenolic resin activator is injected after resin-coated proppant is pumped. The results are a reduced probability of problems attendant to premature screenout, savings in the quantity of activator needed, more concentrated placement of the activator close to the wellbore, and the ability to continue the fracturing treatment longer. Injection o…