A rotary dynamic system includes: a drill pipe; a bearing coupled at a first axial end to the drill pipe; and an outer sleeve coupled to a second axial end of the bearing. The outer sleeve rotates independently of the drill pipe.

A system can receive input data indicating a current state of a wellbore drilling operation. The system can determine, by a set of software applications, constraints associated with the wellbore drilling operation. The system can optimize, by an optimization model and using the input data, a drilling parameter subject to the constraints associated with the wellbore drilling operation. The system can output the optimized drilling parameter for controlling the wellbore drilling operation.

The disclosed embodiments include a rotating survey tool. The rotating survey tool includes a first sensor array that in operation collects a first set of survey measurements during a downhole drilling operation. Additionally, the rotating survey tool includes a second sensor array directly coupled to the first sensor array that in operation collects a second set of survey measurements while a drill bit drills during the downhole drilling operation. Further, the second set of survey measurements has a greater base accuracy than the first set of survey measurements.

A method of controlling a high-pressure system having an engine, and a hydraulic pump having a swashplate includes inputting a maximum discharge pressure, a maximum allowable equipment pressure, a pressure relief valve (PRV) setting, a flowrate, and a maximum positive and negative rate of change of pressure; setting a work value to full power; setting a first position of the swashplate based on flowrate; determining: (a) if a discharge pressure is greater than the PRV setting; (b) if the discharge pressure is greater than the maximum allowable equipment pressure; and (c) if a rate of change of pressure is greater than the maximum positive rate of change of pressure or the maximum negative rate of change of pressure; and upon the occurrence of any of steps (a)-(c): (d) activating a PRV in the system; (e) setting the swashplate position to neutral; and (f) reducing the power to zero.

A downhole tool, such as a logging-while-drilling tool, includes hydraulics that can provide real-time, automated control of the position of the downhole tool relative to a formation face. The positioning of the downhole tool is accomplished using processor-control of the hydraulics and using fluid present within the downhole tool, for example, mud from the downhole tool's mud bore. During operation the processor receives a signal that is indicative of the distance between the tool and a formation wall in the wellbore. The processor uses this information to position the downhole tool relative to the formation face by controlled injection of fluid into the annulus around the downhole tool. The reaction force from the pressure acts against the tool and pushes the downhole tool towards the opposite side where the annular pressure is lower.

Apparatus and methods for automating well construction operations based on detected abnormal events. A method may comprise commencing operation of an equipment controller of a control system for monitoring and controlling a well construction system. The well construction system may comprise well construction equipment operable to perform well construction operations. Commencing operation of the equipment controller may cause the equipment controller to receive sensor data from a sensor, detect an abnormal downhole event based on the sensor data, select an operational sequence to be performed by the well construction equipment based on the abnormal downhole event, and output control data to cause the well construction equipment to perform the operational sequence thereby mitigating the abnormal downhole event.

A variable build motor downhole tool allows changing the build rate in a directional drilling operation without pulling the drill string from the hole and replacing a fixed build sub in the drill string. A pad can be extended upon command to increase the build rate and retracted upon command to decrease the build rate. The pad is mounted on an insert disposed within an outer housing and extends outwardly through the outer housing by action of one or more pistons. Electronics housed in the variable build motor tool are used to receive commands from uphole and cause the pistons to extend, forcing the pad outward to increase the build rate.

Methods and systems for monitoring conditions within a wellbore of a subterranean well include extending a drill string into the subterranean well from a terranean surface. The drill string has an actuator assembly, a sensor compartment, and a plurality of sensors located within the sensor compartment. The actuator assembly is instructed to transmit a swarm release signal to a central power unit of the sensor compartment so that the central power unit of the sensor compartment releases certain of the plurality of sensors from the sensor compartment. Data from the sensors is transferred to a data processing system after the sensors reach the terranean surface.

A method and system of adjusting near-bit weight on a drill bit in a drill string having a bottom hole assembly located at an end of a drill pipe, an anti-stall device near the bottom hole assembly, surface sensing and control equipment and a downhole-to-surface communication system, the anti-stall device measuring downhole performance criteria and evaluation of the measured downhole performance criteria, comprising the steps of measuring at least one downhole performance criteria by the anti-stall device; evaluating the measured downhole performance criteria in substantially real time by the anti-stall device; adjusting weight on the drill bit by the anti-stall device based on the evaluation by the anti-stall device; and communicating the adjustment to weight on the drill bit to the surface sensing and control equipment by the downhole-to-surface communication system for further adjustment of weight on the drill bit.

A boring tool that is moved by a drill string to form an underground bore. A transmitter transmits a time varying dipole field as a homing field from the boring tool. A pitch sensor detects a pitch orientation of the boring tool. A homing receiver is positionable at a target location for detecting the homing field to produce a set of flux measurements. A processing arrangement uses the pitch orientation and flux measurements with a determined length of the drill string to determine a vertical homing command for use in controlling depth in directing the boring tool to the target location such that the vertical homing command is generated with a particular accuracy at a given range between the transmitter and the homing receiver and which would otherwise be generated with the particular accuracy for a standard range, different from the particular range. An associated system and method are described.