A transmitter is powered by a regulated battery voltage and is installable in one of a plurality of different housings, each housing is characterized by a different design and each can form part of an inground tool for performing an inground operation in which a drill string extends from a drill rig to the inground tool. An antenna driver drives an antenna based on the regulated voltage to emanate an electromagnetic signal for remote reception. A controller limits power consumption from the regulated voltage so as not to exceed a power consumption threshold, irrespective of installation of the transmitter in any one of the housings when the transmitter would otherwise exhibit a different power consumption for each housing design. A corresponding method is described. Features relating to power consumption threshold modification based on temperature as well as mechanical shock and vibration are described.

A monitoring system operable to monitor an oilfield additive system having multiple components. The oilfield additive system is operable to transfer an additive-containing substance for injection into a wellbore. The monitoring system includes sensors each associated with, and operable to generate information related to an operational parameter of, a corresponding one of the oilfield additive system components. The monitoring system also includes a monitoring device in communication with the sensors and operable to record the information generated by the sensors to generate a database. The database includes information indicative of maintenance aspects of the oilfield additive system and/or the oilfield additive system components.

A method for controlling a MWD tool in a bottom hole assembly in a borehole includes the steps of installing a plurality of firmware in the MWD tool, turning a mud pump on an earth surface ON or OFF according to a pre-determined sequence; determining a mud flow in the borehole to be ON or OFF so as to form a binary signal; and sending the binary signal to the MWD tool. The plurality of firmware are pre-programmed to perform a plurality of tasks while the binary signal executes one of the plurality of firmware in the MWD tool.

An intelligent tool bus network for a bottom hole assembly (BHA) that can enumerate the nodes on the bus to build a tool string layout map. During the enumeration, an enumeration master node (EMN) sequentially powers and tests additional sections of the bus and additional tool electronics. At each node, the EMN records the results of the tests in an enumeration log. For each good node, communication is established with the EMN to retrieve a node ID and node metadata. Using the enumeration log, the EMN builds a tool string layout map that includes information of each node, their relative location, and their operating status. The intelligent tool bus network also facilitates sectioning a bus into a plurality of sub-busses upon a sectioning event and rejoining the sub-busses. The sectioning event occurs as a result of a fault on the bus or a planned section division multiplexing event.

Unwanted oscillations of a drill string while a borehole is being drilled are limited by adjusting a drilling parameter. Measurements related to oscillations of the drill string can be extrapolated by calculation to a position of interest along the drill string using a mode identified from one or more determined modes and a stability criterion that models the drill string. The stability criterion includes a specific modal damping for each of the one or more determined modes. The position of interest may correspond to a location of a tool or component that may be damaged by the unwanted oscillations. If the tool or component can be damaged by the oscillations as calculated, then the drilling parameter is adjusted to limit those oscillations.

Provided in some embodiments is a method of deploying a payload in a subterranean well. The method including advancing a torpedo in a first portion of a wellbore of a subterranean well (the torpedo including a body, a fiber-optic (FO) umbilical that is physically coupled to a surface component, and adapted to unspool from the torpedo as the torpedo advances in the wellbore, and an engine adapted to generate thrust to propel the torpedo), and activating the engine to generate thrust to propel advancement of the torpedo within a second portion of the wellbore such that the FO umbilical is disposed in the second portion of the wellbore.

A drilling system that includes a mud pump disposed on an earth surface and a drill string with a bottom hole assembly (BHA) in a borehole. The drilling system can be controlled by turning the mud pump ON or OFF according to a pre-determined sequence so that the mud flow in the borehole fluctuates between high and low. The mud pulser in the bottom hole assembly senses the fluctuation in the mud flow and generates a binary signal accordingly. The mud pulser further sends the binary signal to a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool in the bottom hole assembly. The binary signal executes one or more firmware in the MWD tool.

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to correct measured voltage data for selected weak differential measurements to provide corrected voltage data. Additional activity may include adjusting the corrected voltage data to remove level shifts in the measured voltage data caused by downhole tool impedance to provide adjusted voltage data, converting the adjusted voltage data into apparent resistivity data, inverting the apparent resistivity data to determine true resistivity values for a geological formation, and operating a controlled device according to the true resistivity values for the geological formation. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

A choke can include a variable flow restrictor, external ports in communication with a flow passage respectively upstream and downstream of the flow restrictor, and sensor(s) in communication with the external ports. A method can include flowing a well fluid through a flow passage in a body of a choke including a variable flow restrictor, measuring a pressure differential between external ports in communication with respective upstream and downstream sides of the flow restrictor, and operating the flow restrictor, thereby varying a restriction to the flow through the flow passage, in response to the measured pressure differential. A well system can include a well fluid pump, a flow choke including a variable flow restrictor operable by an actuator that includes a displaceable stem and a stem seal that isolates the actuator from the well fluid in the flow choke, and a control system that operates the actuator.

A method of drilling a first wellbore in an oilfield where an offset wellbore has been formed, the method including executing, using a computing system, at least a portion of a first set of instructions based on a well plan relating to the first wellbore; receiving, by the computing system, after the execution of at least the portion of the first set of instructions, offset drilling data associated with the drilling of the offset wellbore; generating, using the computing system, a second set of instructions based on the offset drilling data; wherein the second set of instructions is based on the well plan relating to the first wellbore; and wherein the second set of instructions is different from the first set of instructions; requesting confirmation to execute the second set of instructions; and executing the second set of instructions after receipt of confirmation to execute the second set of instructions.