A mining system with an inertial guidance system configured to enable precise excavation of geological material without a need to advance a survey line over a long distance and/or nonlinear excavation path, thereby maximizing productivity of the mind by minimizing a width of un-mined material necessary for support between adjacent excavation paths and minimizing equipment downtime.

A mining system with an inertial guidance system configured to enable precise excavation of geological material without a need to advance a survey line over a long distance and/or nonlinear excavation path, thereby maximizing productivity of the mind by minimizing a width of un-mined material necessary for support between adjacent excavation paths and minimizing equipment downtime.

A submarine shallow hydrate exploitation device, including an exploitation unit and a collection unit. The exploitation unit includes: a submarine ship working on a seabed; a drain chamber arranged on the submarine ship, wherein a pressure valve is arranged at a top of the drain chamber, one-way drain holes are formed in a bottom of the drain chamber, and water from massive hydrates is controlled to be discharged out of the drain chamber; a high-speed spiral bit configured to mine and convey sediments; a rotary ring arranged at an inlet end of the drain chamber and configured to connect the drain chamber with the high-speed spiral bit to provide rotation power for the high-speed spiral bit; a steering arm arranged on the submarine ship and configured to realize a rotation of the high-speed spiral bit; a crusher arranged on the submarine ship and configured to crush dried massive hydrates.

A drilling assembly includes a power section with a housing that rotates in a first direction at a drill string rotation rate. An output rotates a drill bit through a transmission shaft in the first direction at a rotor rotation rate relative to the housing. A bent housing between the power section and the drill bit rotates in a second direction at a variable rotation rate relative to the power housing. The transmission shaft extends through the bent housing. A mechanical brake system adjusts the bent housing's variable rotation rate. The bent housing rotates relative to the wellbore in a rotary mode, but not in a sliding mode. The sliding mode maintains the drill bit's direction and inclination while the drill string rotates. In all modes, the drill bit's rotation rate is the sum of the drill string rate and the rotor rate relative to the power housing.

A drilling assembly includes a power section with a housing that rotates in a first direction at a drill string rotation rate. An output rotates a drill bit through a transmission shaft in the first direction at a rotor rotation rate relative to the housing. A bent housing between the power section and the drill bit rotates in a second direction at a variable rotation rate relative to the power housing. The transmission shaft extends through the bent housing. A mechanical brake system adjusts the bent housing's variable rotation rate. The bent housing rotates relative to the wellbore in a rotary mode, but not in a sliding mode. The sliding mode maintains the drill bit's direction and inclination while the drill string rotates. In all modes, the drill bit's rotation rate is the sum of the drill string rate and the rotor rate relative to the power housing.

A drilling machine for drilling ground in a vertical direction, the machine including: an anchor module having front and rear faces, the anchor module including an anchor device having front and rear anchor pads that are deployable in a deployment direction, to bear against walls of the excavation to hold the anchor module stationary in the ground. The anchor module further includes: a frame carrying the front and rear anchor pads, the frame supporting the drilling module; and an actuator device to which the front and rear anchor pads are fastened, the actuator device being movable relative to the frame in a movement direction that extends transversely to the longitudinal direction; whereby the assembly constituted by the front anchor pad, the rear anchor pad, and the actuator device is movable in the movement direction relative to the frame and the drilling module.

A drilling machine for drilling ground in a vertical direction, the machine including: an anchor module having front and rear faces, the anchor module including an anchor device having front and rear anchor pads that are deployable in a deployment direction, to bear against walls of the excavation to hold the anchor module stationary in the ground. The anchor module further includes: a frame carrying the front and rear anchor pads, the frame supporting the drilling module; and an actuator device to which the front and rear anchor pads are fastened, the actuator device being movable relative to the frame in a movement direction that extends transversely to the longitudinal direction; whereby the assembly constituted by the front anchor pad, the rear anchor pad, and the actuator device is movable in the movement direction relative to the frame and the drilling module.

A drill head includes a drive shaft that has an uphole end and a downhole end. The downhole end includes drive features that are torque transmitting and radial load bearing. The drill head also includes a coupling that includes drive features that are torque transmitting and radial load bearing. The drive features of the coupling are sized and shaped to mate with the drive features of the drive shaft. The coupling includes an axial fluid flow passage and a radial fluid flow passage. The radial fluid flow passage is in communication with the axial fluid passage, and fluid flow is permitted between the drive features of the drive shaft and the drive features of the coupling.

A drilling system includes a hollow outer rod drive shaft that is configured to rotate an outer rod of a drill string. The outer rod drive shaft is driven by an offset hydraulic drive system. The drilling system also includes a hollow inner rod drive shaft that is configured to couple to and rotate an inner rod of the drill string at a first end. The inner rod drive shaft is driven by an inline hydraulic drive system. The inner rod drive shaft further defines an axial fluid flow passage. The drilling system also includes a fluid inlet passage that is axially aligned with the axial fluid flow passage of the inner rod drive shaft. The fluid inlet passage is operatively connected to a second end of the inner rod drive shaft. The fluid inlet passage is configured to direct fluid into the axial fluid flow passage of the inner rod drive shaft. The outer rod drive shaft and the inner rod drive shaft are mounted in fixed relative positions.

A method of drilling vertical and horizontal pathways to mine for solid natural resources involves a drill bit, at least one reamer, a first plugging material, and a second plugging material; drilling a testing wellbore to a specific vertical depth with the drill bit and identifying at least one desired mining section wherein the desired mining section is associated with a corresponding vertical depth; creating a new bottom end for the testing wellbore by filling the testing wellbore up to an offset distance with the first plugging material; drilling a horizontal access hole from the new bottom end into the desired mining section with the drill bit and enlarging it with a reamer; excavating cuttings from the desired mining section through the horizontal access hole; filling the horizontal access hole with the second plugging material; and repeating the drilling, enlarging, and filling process to create a plurality of lateral holes.