A self-propelled drilling head for drilling in soil by means of a multi-stage method comprises the drilling head having a housing and a drilling head tip arranged in the housing, and a spacer provided on the drilling head tip, by means of which the drilling head tip is in contact with the housing in order to change the multi-stage method to a method with a reduced number of stages.

A self-propelled drilling head for drilling in soil by means of a multi-stage method comprises the drilling head having a housing and a drilling head tip arranged in the housing, and a spacer provided on the drilling head tip, by means of which the drilling head tip is in contact with the housing in order to change the multi-stage method to a method with a reduced number of stages.

A hole opener configured for use with a directional drilling rig, the hole opener includes a shaft and a plurality of flutes that extend outwardly from the shaft. Each of the flutes includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a top side that extends from the first side to the second side. Each of the plurality of flutes includes a plurality of recesses in the top side that are spaced apart along the top side of the flute in a direction from the first end of the shaft toward the second end of the shaft. The hole opener further includes a plurality of cutter blocks, each of the plurality of cutter blocks includes a base and a cutter attached to the base. The base is received in one of the plurality of recesses to removably coupled the cutter block to the flute.

A hole opener configured for use with a directional drilling rig, the hole opener includes a shaft and a plurality of flutes that extend outwardly from the shaft. Each of the flutes includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a top side that extends from the first side to the second side. Each of the plurality of flutes includes a plurality of recesses in the top side that are spaced apart along the top side of the flute in a direction from the first end of the shaft toward the second end of the shaft. The hole opener further includes a plurality of cutter blocks, each of the plurality of cutter blocks includes a base and a cutter attached to the base. The base is received in one of the plurality of recesses to removably coupled the cutter block to the flute.

A ruggedized bidirectional cutting system with an outer wear band having a first blade-free fitting section engaging within the drill string and a first cutting section integral with the first blade-free fitting section. The first cutting section has a plurality of blades, each blade with two cutting portions extending at defined cutting angles and a blade cutting portion extending at a third angle from the longitudinal axis different from the first and second angles. Each blade has cutting inserts. A plurality of flutes are formed between pairs of blades to stabilizes and protects bottom hole equipment while a wellbore completes directional drilling objectives.

A ruggedized bidirectional cutting system with an outer wear band having a first blade-free fitting section engaging within the drill string and a first cutting section integral with the first blade-free fitting section. The first cutting section has a plurality of blades, each blade with two cutting portions extending at defined cutting angles and a blade cutting portion extending at a third angle from the longitudinal axis different from the first and second angles. Each blade has cutting inserts. A plurality of flutes are formed between pairs of blades to stabilizes and protects bottom hole equipment while a wellbore completes directional drilling objectives.

A system includes a milling assembly with a mill bit and a drill string that mills a new wellbore section. The system further includes a whipstock assembly that is formed by a reamer shoe that reams an obstruction in a wellbore, a whipstock that deflects the milling assembly away from the wellbore, and a bypass valve mechanism that guides a fluid to circulate through the reamer shoe. Within the system, the milling assembly is fluidly connected to the whipstock assembly.

A system includes a milling assembly with a mill bit and a drill string that mills a new wellbore section. The system further includes a whipstock assembly that is formed by a reamer shoe that reams an obstruction in a wellbore, a whipstock that deflects the milling assembly away from the wellbore, and a bypass valve mechanism that guides a fluid to circulate through the reamer shoe. Within the system, the milling assembly is fluidly connected to the whipstock assembly.

Systems and/or methods of waste disposal use human-made caverns that are constructed within deep geological formations. A given human-made cavern may be constructed by first drilling out a vertical wellbore to a deep geological formation. Then a bottom portion of the vertical wellbore is jet drilled using an abrasive jetting fluid to form a launch chamber of void volume, that is sized to fit a reaming tool in its deployed open configuration. A reaming tool, in a closed configuration, is then inserted into the vertical wellbore for landing in the launch chamber. The reaming tool is then deployed into its open configuration while in the launch chamber. Reaming operations then occur from the launch chamber directed downwards within the deep geological formation, forming a given human-made cavern. The newly formed human-made cavern may be conditioned and/or configured for receiving amounts of the waste for long-term disposal and/or storage.

Embodiments of a reamer of the present invention generally include a body, one or more attachment members, one or more sub-body members that are reversibly attachable to the attachment members and contain one or more blades containing cutting elements, one or more nozzles, each disposed on the collar (tubular section) proximate a portion of the cutting structure, such that fluid flowing through a nozzle is directed tangentially along a series of cutting elements disposed along the cutting structure. Additional embodiments include sub-body members and/or attachment members that facilitate bi-directional excavation and/or rotational operation of the reamer. Embodiments of methods of using apparatuses of the present invention are also provided.