There are provided high power laser and laser mechanical earth removing equipment, and operations using laser cutting tools having stand off distances. These equipment provide high power laser beams, greater than 1 kW to cut and volumetrically remove targeted materials and to remove laser affected material with gravity assistance, mechanical cutters, fluid jets, scrapers and wheels. There is also provided a method of using this equipment in mining, road resurfacing and other earth removing or working activities.

The invention relates to the field of oil production, and more particularly to equipment for stimulating increased oil recovery. The present complex is most suitable for operations in wells where natural flow and gas-lift recovery methods are used, and also for treating the near wellbore region of a formation in combination with acoustic (ultrasonic) emitters. A complex with a plasma discharger consists of two main parts: a surface power supply and control unit, and a downhole electro-hydraulic instrument consisting of a stabilizing unit, a capacitor unit and a plasma discharger. Said instrument has a length of not more than 3 meters and a diameter of not more than 52 mm, allowing the instrument to pass freely through all existing production tubing. The instrument has a modular structure, making it possible to build up the power of the plasma discharge from 0.5 to 3 kJ. It also comprises a plasma discharger designed to be easily disassembled for the replacement of electrodes and the installation of a new spool with a wire, said plasma discharger having a mechanical drive of a wire feeding unit, set in motion by a piston mechanism that is powered by a high pressure pulse produced by the discharger itself. Using the invention makes it possible to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of oil recovery enhancement operations when working through tubing.

The invention relates to the field of oil production, and more particularly to equipment for stimulating increased oil recovery. The present complex is most suitable for operations in wells where natural flow and gas-lift recovery methods are used, and also for treating the near wellbore region of a formation in combination with acoustic (ultrasonic) emitters. A complex with a plasma discharger consists of two main parts: a surface power supply and control unit, and a downhole electro-hydraulic instrument consisting of a stabilizing unit, a capacitor unit and a plasma discharger. Said instrument has a length of not more than 3 meters and a diameter of not more than 52 mm, allowing the instrument to pass freely through all existing production tubing. The instrument has a modular structure, making it possible to build up the power of the plasma discharge from 0.5 to 3 kJ. It also comprises a plasma discharger designed to be easily disassembled for the replacement of electrodes and the installation of a new spool with a wire, said plasma discharger having a mechanical drive of a wire feeding unit, set in motion by a piston mechanism that is powered by a high pressure pulse produced by the discharger itself. Using the invention makes it possible to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of oil recovery enhancement operations when working through tubing.

A method, system and apparatus for plasma blasting pavement comprises an apparatus having a set of diamond cutting tools for creating a boreholes, a diamond saw, and a set of blast probes comprising a high voltage electrode and a ground electrode separated by a dielectric separator, wherein the high voltage electrode and the dielectric separator constitute an adjustable probe tip, and an adjustment unit coupled to the adjustable probe tip, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to selectively extend or retract the adjustable probe tip relative to the ground electrode and a blasting media, wherein at least a portion of the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode are submerged in the blast media. The apparatus saws the pavement at the parameter of the area to be removed, drills holes in the pavement, and inserts blast probes in the holes. The plasma blast breaks up the pavement in between the saw cuts.

24

A method, system and apparatus for plasma blasting pavement comprises an apparatus having a set of diamond cutting tools for creating a boreholes, a diamond saw, and a set of blast probes comprising a high voltage electrode and a ground electrode separated by a dielectric separator, wherein the high voltage electrode and the dielectric separator constitute an adjustable probe tip, and an adjustment unit coupled to the adjustable probe tip, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to selectively extend or retract the adjustable probe tip relative to the ground electrode and a blasting media, wherein at least a portion of the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode are submerged in the blast media. The apparatus saws the pavement at the parameter of the area to be removed, drills holes in the pavement, and inserts blast probes in the holes. The plasma blast breaks up the pavement in between the saw cuts.

24

A method for mining using a laser to cause spalling includes the steps of generating and delivering a laser beam to a work surface of a geological strata having a sought after mineral to be removed from the stratum; moving the laser beam about three perpendicular axes so that a focal point of the laser beam moves across the working surface and rapidly increases the surface temperature of the working surface; providing a source of a cooling media, and delivering the cooling media to the working surface so as to rapidly cool the working surface subsequent to the rapid surface temperature increase generated by the laser beam so as to effect a fracturing of the working surface and to generate a plurality of chips from the working surface; and removing the chips spalled from the working surface.

A method for mining using a laser to cause spalling includes the steps of generating and delivering a laser beam to a work surface of a geological strata having a sought after mineral to be removed from the stratum; moving the laser beam about three perpendicular axes so that a focal point of the laser beam moves across the working surface and rapidly increases the surface temperature of the working surface; providing a source of a cooling media, and delivering the cooling media to the working surface so as to rapidly cool the working surface subsequent to the rapid surface temperature increase generated by the laser beam so as to effect a fracturing of the working surface and to generate a plurality of chips from the working surface; and removing the chips spalled from the working surface.

A drill bit for downhole electrocrushing drilling is disclosed. A electrocrushing drill bit may include a bit body; an electrode coupled to a power source and the bit body, the electrode having a distal portion for engaging with a surface of a wellbore; a ground ring coupled to the bit body proximate to the electrode and having a distal portion for engaging with the surface of the wellbore, the electrode and the ground ring positioned in relation to each other such that an electric field produced by a voltage applied between the ground ring and the electrode is enhanced at a portion of the electrode proximate to the distal portion of the electrode and at a portion of the ground ring proximate to the distal portion of the ground ring; and an insulator coupled to the bit body between the electrode and the ground ring.

A drill bit for downhole electrocrushing drilling is disclosed. A electrocrushing drill bit may include a bit body; an electrode coupled to a power source and the bit body, the electrode having a distal portion for engaging with a surface of a wellbore; a ground ring coupled to the bit body proximate to the electrode and having a distal portion for engaging with the surface of the wellbore, the electrode and the ground ring positioned in relation to each other such that an electric field produced by a voltage applied between the ground ring and the electrode is enhanced at a portion of the electrode proximate to the distal portion of the electrode and at a portion of the ground ring proximate to the distal portion of the ground ring; and an insulator coupled to the bit body between the electrode and the ground ring.

A downhole drilling system is disclosed. The downhole drilling system may include a pulse-generating circuit electrically coupled to a power source configured to provide an alternating current at a frequency and an input voltage, the pulse-generating circuit comprising an input stage circuit electrically coupled to the power source, the input stage circuit configured to control the alternating current in the pulse-generating circuit; a transformer circuit electrically coupled to the input stage circuit, the transformer circuit comprising an open-core transformer configured to generate an output voltage higher than the input voltage; and an output stage circuit electrically coupled to the transformer circuit, the output stage circuit configured to store energy for an electric pulse; and a drill bit including a first electrode and a second electrode electrically coupled to the output stage circuit to receive the electric pulse from the pulse-generating circuit.