Drill element and associated equipment and methods
OwnerDavid Shearerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drill string element for use in the drilling of a borehole, the drill string element comprising: a main body; and a flow control mechanism, wherein the drill string element defines a first aperture, another aperture and a passage configured to provide a fluid flow path between the first aperture and the other aperture, the first and other apertures provide fluid communication between a volume around the drill string element and the passage, and the flow control mechanism is configured to inhibit the flow of fluid through the passage in a first operating mode and to permit the flow of fluid through the passage in a second operating mode.
Claims20
A drill string element for use in the drilling of a borehole, the drill string element comprising:
- a main body;
- and
- a flow control mechanism,
- wherein the drill string element defines a first aperture, another aperture and a passage configured to provide a fluid flow path between the first aperture and the other aperture, the first and other apertures provide fluid communication between a volume around the drill string element and the passage, and the flow control mechanism is configured to inhibit the flow of fluid through the passage in a first operating mode and to permit the flow of fluid through the passage in a second operating mode.
A method of retrofitting a drill string element for use in the drilling of a borehole, the method comprising:
- providing a drill string element having a main body;
- machining a passage through at least part of the drill string element, the passage providing a fluid flow path between a first aperture and another aperture;
- and
- fitting a flow control mechanism to the drill string element, the flow control mechanism being configured to inhibit the flow of fluid through the passage in a first operating mode and to permit the flow of fluid through the passage in a second operating mode.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when processed by a computing device, are configured to cause the computing device to:
- receive dimensions of a drill string element;
- receive one or more machining tool limitations representing limitations of a machining tool for machining the drill string element;
- define a first aperture location and another aperture location;
- and
- define a passage between the first aperture location and the other aperture location based on the dimensions of the drill string element and the one or more machining tool limitations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.