A retractable auger boring cutter head. The cutter head has fixed cutters and at least one pivoting cutter. The pivoting cutter is biased to a position that extends beyond a diameter of a casing being installed. When pulled back through the casing, a surface of the pivoting cutter contacts the casing, reducing the effective diameter of the cutter head and allowing it to be removed.

A retractable auger boring cutter head. The cutter head has fixed cutters and at least one pivoting cutter. The pivoting cutter is biased to a position that extends beyond a diameter of a casing being installed. When pulled back through the casing, a surface of the pivoting cutter contacts the casing, reducing the effective diameter of the cutter head and allowing it to be removed.

A reamer for use in horizontal directional drilling back-reaming operations. The reamer comprises an elongate body having an intermediate section, a first end, and a second end. The circumference of the intermediate section is larger than the circumference of the first end and the second end. A pocket or a plurality of pockets are formed on the intermediate section. The pockets are configured such that a cutter or a plurality of cutters may be secured within the pockets via the use of fasteners. The cutters are replaceable with cutters of like size or cutters of different sizes and shapes.

A drilling calibration method, apparatus, device and medium based on image recognition includes lifting a top drive to a position of a derrick, and receiving and recognizing a target image acquired by an image acquisition apparatus of an operating terminal; calculating a quantity of pixels from the top drive to a rotary table surface in the target image by a data processing unit of the operating terminal; and receiving a height of the top drive measured by a diastimeter by the operating terminal. The height of the top drive is a height from the top drive to the rotary table surface. A pixel relationship table may be established between the quantity of the pixels from the top drive to the rotary table surface and the height of the top drive by a calibration unit of the operating terminal to finish drilling calibration. The pixel relationship table may be determined between the quantity of the pixels from the top drive to the rotary table surface and the height of the top drive by an image recognition technique to finish calibration of drilling, so that influence of a drilling environment to drilling calibration may be reduced greatly.

A dual member drill string having a plurality of dual member drill string sections for use in horizontal directional drilling operations. Each drill string section having an outer member and an inner member that is rotatable independently of the outer member. The outer member has a pin end and a box end. The inner member has a pin end disposed within the pin end of the outer member and a box end disposed within the box end of the outer member.

A dual member drill string having a plurality of dual member drill string sections for use in horizontal directional drilling operations. Each drill string section having an outer member and an inner member that is rotatable independently of the outer member. The outer member has a pin end and a box end. The inner member has a pin end disposed within the pin end of the outer member and a box end disposed within the box end of the outer member.

A drill string apparatus includes an upper casing section having a port collar. The port collar provides a controllable opening from an interior of the upper casing section to an annulus around the upper casing section. A lower casing section is coupled to the upper casing section through a swivel. The lower casing section includes an external casing packer and a casing pad coupled to an external portion of the lower casing section. The external casing packer is expandable to an annulus around the lower casing section before a cement operation to avoid cement loss circulation to weak formation below the packer. Methods and systems are also disclosed.

A drill string apparatus includes an upper casing section having a port collar. The port collar provides a controllable opening from an interior of the upper casing section to an annulus around the upper casing section. A lower casing section is coupled to the upper casing section through a swivel. The lower casing section includes an external casing packer and a casing pad coupled to an external portion of the lower casing section. The external casing packer is expandable to an annulus around the lower casing section before a cement operation to avoid cement loss circulation to weak formation below the packer. Methods and systems are also disclosed.

Method and apparatus for deploying at least one repeatable signal to empirically measure cement bonding before and after operating a tool string assembly comprising a selectively arrangeable tool assembly of a downhole drive tool usable for operating a downhole placement tool with shaft and axial displacement member extendable and retractable therefrom to radially deploy and operate at least one conduit and downhole coupling tool for placing cement and at least one inner conduit proximally concentrically within a surrounding bore, wherein said drive coupling tool is further usable for transmitting or receiving, through a conductance well element into a memory tool, to measure cement bonding about said surrounding bore before and after concentrically cleaning and coupling cement to at least one conduit and surrounding bore.

Method and apparatus for deploying at least one repeatable signal to empirically measure cement bonding before and after operating a tool string assembly comprising a selectively arrangeable tool assembly of a downhole drive tool usable for operating a downhole placement tool with shaft and axial displacement member extendable and retractable therefrom to radially deploy and operate at least one conduit and downhole coupling tool for placing cement and at least one inner conduit proximally concentrically within a surrounding bore, wherein said drive coupling tool is further usable for transmitting or receiving, through a conductance well element into a memory tool, to measure cement bonding about said surrounding bore before and after concentrically cleaning and coupling cement to at least one conduit and surrounding bore.