A drilling assembly includes a drill string configured to be disposed within a wellbore. The drilling assembly also includes a sub fluidically coupled to the drill string. The sub includes a mandrel fixed to the drill string and defines an external helically undulated surface and a bore configured to flow drilling fluid received from the drill string. The sub includes a sleeve rotationally coupled to and disposed outside the mandrel. The sleeve has an internal helically undulated surface corresponding with the external helically undulated surface of the mandrel to form, with the mandrel, a progressive cavity. The progressive cavity receives fluid from the bore of the mandrel to rotate the sleeve as the drilling fluid flows along the cavity. The sub also includes a valve configured to regulate a flow of the drilling fluid along the bore to direct fluid toward or away from the progressive cavity.

A drilling assembly includes a drill string configured to be disposed within a wellbore. The drilling assembly also includes a sub fluidically coupled to the drill string. The sub includes a mandrel fixed to the drill string and defines an external helically undulated surface and a bore configured to flow drilling fluid received from the drill string. The sub includes a sleeve rotationally coupled to and disposed outside the mandrel. The sleeve has an internal helically undulated surface corresponding with the external helically undulated surface of the mandrel to form, with the mandrel, a progressive cavity. The progressive cavity receives fluid from the bore of the mandrel to rotate the sleeve as the drilling fluid flows along the cavity. The sub also includes a valve configured to regulate a flow of the drilling fluid along the bore to direct fluid toward or away from the progressive cavity.

A hole opener configured for use with a power unit to open a hole. The hole opener comprises a gearbox including a hydraulic inlet fluidly coupled to the power unit and an exciter fluidly coupled to the hydraulic inlet, the exciter being coupled to a gear train including an imbalanced mass which is configured to generate vibrations upon receipt of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic inlet. The hole opener further comprises a connector coupled to the gearbox for receiving the vibrations, the connector defining a void, and a hammer slidably coupled to the connector within the void, the hammer configured to receive the vibrations from the connector and to transmit the vibrations to the hole.

A hole opener configured for use with a power unit to open a hole. The hole opener comprises a gearbox including a hydraulic inlet fluidly coupled to the power unit and an exciter fluidly coupled to the hydraulic inlet, the exciter being coupled to a gear train including an imbalanced mass which is configured to generate vibrations upon receipt of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic inlet. The hole opener further comprises a connector coupled to the gearbox for receiving the vibrations, the connector defining a void, and a hammer slidably coupled to the connector within the void, the hammer configured to receive the vibrations from the connector and to transmit the vibrations to the hole.

Steel and/or copper spherical capsules are specifically engineered and manufactured for housing uranium waste products. The uranium waste products are placed within the spherical capsules. Human-made cavern(s) and/or substantially lateral wellbore(s) are constructed for receiving the uranium waste containing spherical capsules. The human-made cavern(s) and/or the substantially lateral wellbore(s) are deeply located in specific types of geologic rock formations thousands of feet below the Earth's surface. These uranium waste containing spherical capsules are loaded from the Earth's surface into the human-made cavern(s) and/or into the substantially lateral wellbore(s). The emplaced spherical capsules are surrounded by an immersive protective medium within the given human-made cavern(s) and/or within the substantially lateral wellbore(s). The given human-made cavern(s) and/or the given substantially lateral wellbore(s), with the uranium waste containing spherical capsules, are sealed off.

A vibration assembly of a drilling tool for drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation is disclosed. The downhole drilling tool includes a drill string, a bottomhole assembly and a drill bit. The vibration assembly includes a housing (334a) operatively connectable to the bottomhole assembly, expanders (122) positionable in the housing and radially extendable and retractable thereabout, and a radial vibrator (comprising mandrel (446), enlarger spring (48), cam portion (458) and vibration spring (570) operatively connectable to the expanders to vibrationally move the expanders against the wall of the wellbore whereby movement of the downhole tool is altered during drilling.

A vibration assembly of a drilling tool for drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation is disclosed. The downhole drilling tool includes a drill string, a bottomhole assembly and a drill bit. The vibration assembly includes a housing (334a) operatively connectable to the bottomhole assembly, expanders (122) positionable in the housing and radially extendable and retractable thereabout, and a radial vibrator (comprising mandrel (446), enlarger spring (48), cam portion (458) and vibration spring (570) operatively connectable to the expanders to vibrationally move the expanders against the wall of the wellbore whereby movement of the downhole tool is altered during drilling.

This cutting assembly provides a radially grooved body insert upon which cutter arms with complementary radial grooves may translate to extend the cutter arms in a radial fashion from a body of a downhole drilling assembly. This improved cutting assembly design can be incorporated into an underreamer, hole opener, drill bit, or section mill.

A modular reamer for use in a wellbore comprises an uphole end member, a center member, and a downhole member, with reamer sleeves that removably slides over a sleeve mounting portion of the center member or one of the end members, and are held between the end members and the center members when assembled into a downhole tool. The reamer sleeves may be positioned at any desired rotational angle relative to each other and are prevented from rotational movement relative to the center member by spines or keys formed on the mating surfaces of the reamer sleeves and corresponding members of the modular eccentric reamer.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a cutter head arrangement comprising a cutter head portion including a (substantially cylindrical) cutter head side wall to define a chamber (or cavity) surrounded by the cutter head side wall. A substantially circular rim portion extends from (a distal end of) the cutter head side wall, the rim portion defining a working, contact face of the cutter head portion. A recessed wall portion extends away from the rim portion inwardly into the chamber so as to be surrounded by the cutter head side wall, with the rim portion and/or the recessed wall portion being fitted with a plurality of cutter elements, to enable the cutter head portion to blind bore a pilot hole in use. The recessed wall portion that extends away from the rim portion inwardly into the chamber is a substantially conical body so as to define a conical recess (proximate a central region of the cutter head portion, at a distal end of the cutter head portion). The conical body accordingly defines an inwardly extending apex that terminate substantially in line with a central axis of the cutter head portion.